Although almost all 3d filaments currently in use are thermoplastics, each filament has its own temperature requirement. That's because each filament is chemically very different from each other. Some, such as PLA filament, are made from starch, while others, such as ABS, have oil bases.
The chemical composition of the thermoplastic directly affects its glass transition temperature, that is, the temperature at which the filament changes from a hard state to a rubber-like substance that can be extruded. It needs to reach this temperature to print correctly, and because each plastic has a different glass transition temperature, each filament of different materials needs to be printed at a different temperature.
It is important to set these temperatures correctly, because it determines the success of printing. This article will introduce you to the best printing temperature of several common 3D printing filaments to help you avoid the possibility of printing failure due to improper temperature settings.
PLA Filament
Nowadays, PLA is the most popular 3D printing filament. One of the reasons for its popularity is its tolerance to printing conditions. PLA prints best at around 210°C, but it has a wide range of uses and can work normally at any temperature between 180 and 230°C. It does not require a hotbed, but if your printer has a hotbed, please set it between 20 and 60 °C.
When printing with PLA, be sure to keep the cooling fan turned on. PLA produces the best results with proper cooling. In general, PLA is very easy to print with, and does not require too many additional conditions to print successfully.
Regarding Kywoo PLA filaments, we recommend setting the nozzle temperature to 195-205°C and the hotbed temperature to 55°C.
PETG Filament
PETG requires a very high temperature, and the nozzle temperature is between 220 and 250°C. Like PLA, PETG does not require a hotbed. However, if your printer has it, we recommend that you use a PEI gold frosted plate.
PETG uses tape to print best on a hotbed. Without it, it is recommended to heat the hotbed to 50 to 75 °C to ensure that the extruded filament sticks together. Since this material does not warp as easily as ABS, the cooling fan can be activated during printing. Although PETG is not as easy to use as PLA, it has far lower requirements than ABS, and it has proven to be one of the most popular filaments today.
For Kywoo PETG filaments, it’s recommended to set the nozzle temperature to 240-250°C and the hotbed temperature to 90°C.
ABS Filament
One of the reasons why ABS is not as widely used as PLA in the 3D printing industry is that it is more difficult to print. It needs a higher temperature to print successfully. Better set the nozzle temperature to 210 to 250°C, and then a hotbed temperature of about 80 to 110°C is also required.
In addition, ABS needs to be printed in an enclosed 3D printer so that it cools down very slowly. That's because when ABS cools, it shrinks, and if the print cools too fast, it will deform. For the same reason, the cooling fan should be turned off when printing ABS.
In order to facilitate users to print with ABS filaments, we have produced a high-quality enclosure that can provide a constant temperature environment for the printing of ABS and other high-temperature filaments to prevent printing failures.
TPU Filament
Flexible filaments, including TPU, are of very interesting and useful material(for Tycoon Printing with TPU, please check here) , but they can be difficult to use. TPU prints at a temperature similar to PLA. The best nozzle temperature is set at 210 to 230°C. The recommended hotbed temperature is between 30 and 60°C.
Because this material is very flexible, it can be bent and stretched from the extruder gear to the nozzle. Therefore, it is important that this filament follows a limited path, being squeezed out slowly and not retract.
Nylon Filament
Nylon is another very powerful filament, although it is quite challenging to use. Thin and flexible, with very high interlayer adhesion, Nylon is very suitable for living hinges and other functional parts. Compared with PLA, Nylon filament may be difficult to print. It requires a higher printing temperature (220-270°C), hotbed (70-100°C), and enclosure (recommended) to avoid warpage.
Nylon should not be printed with a cooling fan because it needs to retain heat to ensure proper layer adhesion. This material is also very hygroscopic, which means it will absorb any moisture in the air. This greatly reduces the print quality, so it is necessary to dry the Nylon filament before printing.
Nylon can be a challenge at the beginning to use, but after learning how to print correctly with this material, it will become a very powerful tool.
Hope the above tips on the temperature setting of 3D printing filaments will help you when 3D printing. Welcome to join our user group to discuss more with Kywoo Official Facebook Group.
