Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
Hey guys, so I printed out a couple hollow rectangles and I adjusted the temperature by 5 degrees Celsius every 15 mm. I was following along with a YouTube video ( ) on getting the perfect printing temperature and in his video it was pretty obvious which temperature produced the better print quality (he was using clear PLA so that probably helped) but with my prints, it's harder to tell which temperature produced the best print quality. The only takeaway I had was cooler temperatures had a more matte finish and higher temperatures had a more glossy finish. Layer adhesion seems decent across all temperatures from 175 degrees Celsius to 230 degrees Celsius, from what I could tell.
FYI: this is Prusa Blue PLA 1.75mm
I've attached some pictures (hopefully the detail is good enough to form an opinion) and it'd be cool to have some feedback on which temperature you think produced the better print quality or finish.
After doing this, I'm not sure print temperature is as important as I first thought but to hear back from more experienced people would be cool.
Thanks.
Thoughts from a 3D printing newb.
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
James
the poll is not really valid without multiple choices. I use anything between 185 and 220 for PLA, depending on the colour of filament and the speed and layer heights I am printing...
Peter
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
Hmm, alright, thanks Peter. And just for future reference, what do you mean by "The poll is not really valid without multiple choices." when I have 10 different temperatures to choose from in the poll? Aren't those multiple choices? Just a little confused by that...
Also, would the following be generally true?
Thicker layer heights: higher temperature
Faster printing: higher temperature
James
Thoughts from a 3D printing newb.
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
Hi James
Apologies. Was out yesterday at a party and late back after a 400km drive in holiday traffic.
To clarify, you need to poll to be able to take multiple answers for it to be valid.
Yes, it is all about melt volume. Extruder manufacturers usually quote a simple printing speed for the hot end, which is quite useless. I pushed E3D and they did some tests and returned a figure of 11.5mm^3/second for a particular ABS @ 240 degrees. This figure should also apply to PLA when printed at its upper temperature limits.
Also, for further info, I always print the first layer about 10 degrees higher than the rest of the print.
Peter
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
Ive found that the stock temps indicated in the firmware (210) work almost perfectly across a very wide range of filament when using the stock speeds (40-50) changing speeds or some exotics (like woodfil and other mixed PLA's) i have to adjust a bit.
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
Hi James
Apologies. Was out yesterday at a party and late back after a 400km drive in holiday traffic.
To clarify, you need to poll to be able to take multiple answers for it to be valid.
Yes, it is all about melt volume. Extruder manufacturers usually quote a simple printing speed for the hot end, which is quite useless. I pushed E3D and they did some tests and returned a figure of 11.5mm^3/second for a particular ABS @ 240 degrees. This figure should also apply to PLA when printed at its upper temperature limits.
Also, for further info, I always print the first layer about 10 degrees higher than the rest of the print.
Peter
Thanks for the info and tip. And, in retrospect, I suppose a poll for best print temperature is a bit useless anyway because of the various variables that play a role in determining it (speed, layer height...).
James
Thoughts from a 3D printing newb.
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
Ive found that the stock temps indicated in the firmware (210) work almost perfectly across a very wide range of filament when using the stock speeds (40-50) changing speeds or some exotics (like woodfil and other mixed PLA's) i have to adjust a bit.
Cool, thanks for the info.
James
Thoughts from a 3D printing newb.
Re: Proper PLA Temperature (Poll)?
I have been finding it depends on the vendor. Prusa PLA that came with my printer does well at the default 215, Matterhacker PLA Pro ooses even at 200.
I can't figure out where to update the default pre-heat settings to help get things running right for me.
... Frustrated in TN