3D Printing Material Type
PLA:
- Health safety: PLA is considered health-safe and safe material, often used even for food packaging. It contains no harmful chemicals, making it a safe choice for home decorations.
- Temperature resistance: PLA has lower temperature resistance than some other plastics, making it suitable for indoor use. Its melting begins at approximately 60–65°C, which means it should be kept away from direct sunlight or hot surfaces.
- Strength and stability: PLA offers sufficient strength for decorative items and is easily processable during printing. The resulting model has a solid structure and smooth surface with possibility of additional modification, such as painting.
PETG:
- Impact resistance: PETG is very resistant to impacts and cracking, making it an ideal choice for functional parts that require higher mechanical resistance.
- Chemical and water resistance: PETG is resistant to moisture and chemicals, so it's well suited for outdoor applications and parts that come into contact with water or chemicals.
- Ease of printing: Despite its higher strength, PETG prints almost as easily as PLA and is less prone to deformation during printing.
TPU:
- Flexibility: TPU is a highly elastic material that returns to its original shape when bent, making it ideal for printing flexible parts such as phone cases or seals.
- Abrasion resistance: TPU offers excellent resistance to wear and tears, making it a great choice for parts that will be exposed to friction or impacts.
- Chemical resistance: TPU is resistant to oils, lubricants and some chemicals, making it suitable for industrial applications and seals.
ASA:
- UV resistance: ASA is designed to withstand long-term exposure to sunlight without losing its mechanical properties or color.
- Strength and rigidity: ASA offers high mechanical strength, making it an excellent material for demanding applications such as automotive parts or outdoor equipment.
- Weather resistance: Thanks to its resistance to rain, frost and wind, ASA is ideal for outdoor use and long-term exposure to natural elements.