Three Different Types of 3D Printing Filaments and Their Uses

3D printing Los Angeles is growing in popularity. In order to use this production method, you will have to use a material. A lot of people use plastic in order to create three dimensional prints. These 3D printer plastics are also known as 3D filaments. There are many different filaments that you can use for 3D printing Chicago. It can thus be hard to decide which filament you want to use. In this article we will introduce three different plastics that can be 3D printed. Their typical uses will be included as well.

ABS

ABS is the abbreviation of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. This filament is the one that is used the most for 3D printing. This is partially the case since it can be employed for a wide range of applications due to the fact that ABS is impact-resistant and very tough. It is not only strong, but also somewhat flexible. This makes it a good material for 3D printing. Another advantage of ABS is that you can easily extrude it, so it is extremely easy to operate. Furthermore, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is used for many products including candy wrappers, hygiene products, diapers, and much more.

PLA

PLA is another 3D printing material that is used a lot. Polylactic acid, which is the actual name of this filament, is often compared to ABS. It is a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources such as sugar cane, potato starch, and cornstarch. Due to this, PLA is quite environment-friendly. This is not the case for many other plastics. A lot of people prefer PLA over ABS due to this fact. Another reason for their preference is that PLA does not produce toxic stink during the printing process. PLA is used for many applications, it can even be used for bags that include bait which are used for freshwater sports fishing.

PET

PET is also seen as a filament that is relatively environment-friendly. This is the case since Polyethylene Terephthalate is made from plastic bottles. It is thus a harmless plastic that is totally recyclable and does not produce any stinky odors. In its original state PET is crystal clear and colorless. The transparency will change when it is exposed to heat or cold. Besides that, PET has multiple versions. One of these is PETG. PET filament is perfect for packaging purposes, but also for phone cases.