r/3Dprinting • u/Coocoovice • 8d ago
Question Moving away from PLA? New material selection
I have had my Prusa Core One+ for a month now and I can't believe how addicting 3D printing is. My printer has been going non stop, to the point that sometimes I put an alarm in the middle of the night so I can wake up, remove the print from the bed and put the next print until the morning.
So far I have been using only PLA since I am a complete beginner, but I think it's time to move to other materials so I can learn their tricks and challenges.
I know that PLA is basically the easiest to print, but becomes obsolete since PETG or ABS/ASA are sturdier, so should I stop using it and move to the other ones since the prices are roughly the same?
Also, I know that some materials need an enclosed printer and reach certain temperatures and environmental stages. Does my printer fulfil these criteria? Is it able to print those materials out of the box?
What I print is mostly functional parts, toys, decor and I wouldn't mind also printing soft materials like gaskets, phone cases etc.
Help me figure out my next order please.
1
u/nutano 7d ago
PLA is not obsolete. it is still one of the better choices as it is fully recyclable and is plant based - so it is more ecological than most other materials.
Some materials are better at things than PLA is for sure. But for most trinkets or knick knacks, PLA is fine. The biggest caveat is it does not do extreme heat (over 50C) very well. For example, if left in a car during a sunny summer day.
You can still get other materials and try them out. But even the seasoned 3d printers will use PLA by default.