Understanding 3D Printer Filament

All 3D printers sold by InkSmith (and most filament-based printers on the market) are designed to work best with PLA or PLA+ filaments, which are considered ideal print material for several reasons:

1. Mechanical properties

• PLA (or Polylactic Acid) has excellent 'printability' due to its low melting temperature, strong cohesion, and low thermal expansion ratio.
• Finished prints tend to have fewer visible inconsistencies and strike a good balance between strength, weight, and surface finish.
• Since it is printed at low temperatures, PLA puts less wear-and-tear on the electrical and mechanical components of a printer, making it ideal for the longevity of the machine.

2. Low toxicity

• PLA is a bioplastic primarily created using fermented plant starches – as a result, PLA/PLA+ blends are less likely to contain industrial contaminants or emit as many chemical vapors as petroleum-based thermoplastics like ABS or nylon.
• While InkSmith printers are fully enclosed and feature an activated-charcoal air filter for fume extraction, it is still preferable to avoid working with more noxious plastics like ABS, especially in a classroom setting.

3. Environmental impact

• As a bioplastic, PLA is produced using renewable sources of biomass like corn, beets, or sugarcane. While PLA cannot be composted except in industrial composters, it has a relatively small lifetime before biodegrading naturally, typically measured in decades rather than the centuries required to break down petroleum plastics.

4. Cost, variety, availability

• As the unofficial ‘default’ printing filament, PLA enjoys an excellent economy of scale, and is offered in thousands of different varieties by hundreds of different manufacturers – as a result, PLA is the least expensive printing filament currently available to consumers, with a far wider range of available colors and finishes than other filament types.
• Thanks to this broad popularity, PLA/PLA+ filaments are even sold at many brick-and-mortar hardware and electronics stores, making them by far the easiest filament to get hold of on short notice.

Related Questions:

Can I use non-InkSmith filaments in InkSmith printers?

Absolutely! 3D printers which require proprietary filaments are inconvenient, have a tendency to create more plastic waste in the form of expired filaments, and can even prematurely end up as e-trash if users are unable to find compatible supplies.

All InkSmith printers are compatible with generic filaments for maximum versatility, allowing the machine to remain independently useful throughout its lifetime.

What’s the difference between PLA and PLA+?

“PLA+” is a catch-all term for any filament which is primarily PLA, but which contains additives or fillers to change the properties of the plastic.

The effectiveness of the changes will vary widely by manufacturer, but they are often aimed at stronger, tougher prints with better layer-to-layer adhesion and lower expansion, allowing for a more reliable adhesion to the print bed and more precise final results.

InkSmith PLA+ filament is selected for its low plastic smell and improved printability, achieving better surface finishes and higher strength than standard PLA-only filaments.

The added reliability of the modified plastic maximizes the classroom usefulness of a printer, avoiding failed prints, clogs, and wasted lesson time.

 

What other kinds of filament can I use?

Besides PLA, there are a number of other plastics used in 3D printing filament, covering a wide range of qualities, use cases and difficulty levels.

As a rule of thumb, filaments requiring printing temperatures in the 190 – 230 range are more likely to be compatible, while anything over 260 will not work as intended and could damage your machine.

Caution: Prolonged multi-hour prints at nozzle temperatures at or above 250C may cause degradation to the nozzle, which eventually will need to be replaced.

It is recommended if possible to keep one nozzle as a reliable PLA-only nozzle and use another for more experimental filaments. View instructions for changing the nozzle here

Replacement nozzles can be purchased here.

Below are some of the more common alternatives, grouped by skill-level:

Beginner:

Suitable for complete beginners and experienced users alike. High reliability and forgiving temperature ranges work with very little tweaking.

• PLA

• PLA+

Intermediate:

Suitable for experienced users who are comfortable clearing nozzle jams and fine-tuning material settings.

• *PETG (Softer and stronger than PLA, but less reliable and prone to heavy stringing)

• *TPU (Flexible rubbery filaments with great layer adhesion, but prone to stringing and failed prints)

Not recommended:

These filaments are not well-suited to a classroom environment, need a great deal of calibration to find the right settings, are prone to failures or toxic off-gassing, and require high temperatures that may cause premature wear-and-tear on the machine. Incorrect use of these filaments can cause damage to the machine and may void the warranty.

• *Nylon (Very high heat, low reliability, susceptible to humidity, but strong and low-friction. Tends to fuse itself to the teflon sleeve in the nozzle)

• *ASA (Advanced, UV resistant for outdoors, but prone to warping and poor surface finish - clogs are near-impossible to clear)

• *ABS (Strong, but extremely prone to fumes when printing, prone to detaching from bed mid-print, somewhat flammable. Not recommended)

 *Requires enclosure and air filter due to harmful fumes

Incompatible/prohibited:

These filaments are incompatible with all InkSmith printers. Attempting to use them may void the warranty on your machine:

• Polycarbonate (Extremely high nozzle heat, needs specialized heated enclosure and high-temperature motors)
  
  
• Carbon-fibre or fiberglass reinforced filaments. (Improved mechanical properties when successful, but cause severe wear and tear on machines. Very prone to unclearable clogs.)
  
  
• Metal-filled filaments (Incompatible with Cubicon nozzles due to internal teflon sleeve)
  
  

Miscellaneous/novelty:

There are endless variations on the standard form of filament, and all have their own advantages and trade-offs.  

Many speciality filaments are designed for aesthetics, allowing for special effects and style variety that wouldn’t be possible with standard methods, but at a cost. Novelty filaments have comparatively poor mechanical properties, higher fail rates, and a tendency to wear out printing nozzles prematurely.  

Nevertheless, it can be worthwhile to experiment with these filaments, particularly if you need a particular visual effect for a project. Below are some of the kinds of filament you may encounter:

• “Wood” filaments (Contain cellulose and dye to mimic texture and coloring of wood. Easily sanded, but brittle and bad for nozzles and bowden tubes long-term. Does not take wood-stain)

• Water-soluble filament (Mostly useful for mold-making, very prone to print failures and moisture problems)

• Metallic or “silky” filaments (Contain elastomers for metallic shine, but brittle, with worse layer adhesion, more warping)

• Transparent or “glassy” filaments (Useful as a light diffuser, but not truly clear or see-through when printed)

• Glitter or “sparkle” filaments (Contains pieces of glitter, may be prone to clogging, popping, or “zits” on surface of print)

• Glow in the dark filament (Wears out nozzles quickly, prone to clogging, generally a very dim glow, but fun for certain projects)

• ESD-safe conductive filament (Generally not conductive enough to use for useful circuits, very brittle)

• Rainbow PLA filament (A dye gradient in the filament causes a gradual color-change effect in the print. Prints more-or-less like normal PLA)

•  Multicolor filament (Filament is split down the middle into two colors, so a printed piece's color changes based on viewing angle)

• Too many more to count!