As you might have noticed, we offer a variety of different 3D printing filaments to choose from, each one with a different purpose than the other. We are going to take a look at two of these materials today, PLA and ABS. When printing either one of these, the setting of the 3D slicing software need to be adjusted for the specific filament to make sure your model prints smoothly.
Temperature:
The temperature of your extruder is the first thing we need to pay attention to. The ABS printing temperature is around 230 to 250 °C , while PLA has to be printed at slightly lower the temps of 210 to 220 ° C . This setting is extremely important, if you set the extruder temperature too low, the material will not be squeezed properly from the nozzle. On the other hand, the filament could burn or become too runny and affect your printing quality, if set too hot. You can modify the setting in the FlashPrint software just before slicing the model.
In addition, the temperature of the heat bed also needs to be changed when switching to PLA or ABS as their contraction rate is different. When printing with ABS materials, the ideal bed temperature is 110 °C . The correct setting will decrease warping problems in your 3D models. For PLA filaments, the heat bed can be set to 60 °C. The heat bed temperature can also be changed in FlashPrint very easily, as follows.
Cooling Fan:
Lastly, it is also a good idea to check the fan settings. Fans should be turned off when using ABS, while the fans should be switched on when 3D printing with PLA. This helps minimize warping problems as well. The setting can be found under OTHERS in the FlashPrint menu.
Conclusion:
It is only a matter of choosing the correct settings and you can start printing different filaments like a professional. You can browse the different types and thicknesses of filaments we offer by clicking here .
We hope this guide helps you on your 3D printing adventures . If you have any other problems or questions about your printer, do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to help!
