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Explanation requested please

Posted by Samberr

Samberr

Explanation requested please
February 06, 2012 08:54PM

Registered: 12 years ago
Posts: 18

I have been reading the posts , and I KNOW what ABS is but can someone explain what PLA is and the differences?

the pros and cons

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Mkouri

Re: Explanation requested please
February 07, 2012 12:10AM

Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 123

The front page of [ultimachine.com] has as good a description of PLA as I have seen. It extrudes at lower temperature than ABS, many (most?) people say it has a sweet smell compared to the the smell of ABS (the nicest I've seen for that is "foul"), it is generally easier to push thru the hot end than ABS, and once cooled is more brittle than ABS.

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NelsonRap

Re: Explanation requested please
February 07, 2012 02:08AM

Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 862

PLA is plant based and therefore in the right conditions biodegradeable, it melts at about 185C instead of about 230C for ABS, here in NZ PLA costs less than ABS.

Lego is made of ABS, PLA doesn't go well in the dishwasher as one of my clients found out

__________________________________________________________________________
Experimenting in 3D in New Zealand

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jcabrer

Re: Explanation requested please
February 08, 2012 08:49PM

Registered: 17 years ago
Posts: 824

PLA is also brittle, compared to ABS. PLA has a lower friction co-efficient than ABS. Each of them have their uses, and in a few applications, the two are interchangeable. If the part you make is going to get hot, go with ABS.

-Wildseyed-

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Pointedstick

Re: Explanation requested please
February 09, 2012 12:58AM

Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 411

PLA warps less and is less flexible but more brittle. It also melts at a lower temperature. ABS is the opposite.

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JoeDaStudd

Re: Explanation requested please
February 09, 2012 04:14AM

Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 187

Its worth noting a heated print bed is considered essential for good quality ABS prints, with PLA its less important.