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17 votes
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Can you put PLA parts in your car (in the sun)?

No, PLA cannot be used in cars standing in the sun. Temperatures can locally get over 50 °C (122 °F). I have printed sun visor hinge pins from PLA for a car (not exposed to direct sunlight either), ...
0scar's user avatar
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15 votes
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What is PLA+? How is it different from PLA?

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any linked brand or company, I just link to them for reference of the suggested print settings. What is PLA? PLA is, by its definition PolyLacticAcid, a polymer of ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 20.7k
9 votes

Can you put PLA parts in your car (in the sun)?

If you put PLA parts in a sealed plastic bag (or two to keep it dry) and simmer in water (212 °F or 100 °C), the part "anneals". The time taken varies with the part shape, but for ...
OyaMist's user avatar
  • 459
7 votes

Can you put PLA parts in your car (in the sun)?

The sun will rot most, if not all plastics, with PLA, ABS and PETG rotting to varying degrees and at differing rates. So, if even part of your enclosure, such as the edges, are visible, they will ...
Greenonline's user avatar
  • 6,054
7 votes
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3D printing related safety precautions for a baby rattle

You're on the right track. Since you asked for "steps" here you go: Step 1. Choose a safe material: Consider chemical safety and physical safety. Food grade PLA should be chemically safe, but ...
Chris Thompson's user avatar
7 votes
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Material for autoclave-able part

It might seem that common 3D printer materials such as PLA and ABS should be capable of being autoclaved—unfortunately. However, although their melting temperatures are higher than autoclave ...
Alex Szatmary's user avatar
7 votes
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Design connection to motor shaft for printed gear

Design a different connection to the shaft, however I don't know of any Use a shaft/flange coupler to be fastened to your shaft and to your printed part. Without knowing the length of the shaft, you ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 33.7k
6 votes

What is PLA+? How is it different from PLA?

There’s no huge difference between both. The printing settings like temperature and printing speed are practically the same. But the PLA+ have a much better surface quality and it’s slightly more ...
Juan Pablo Rodas Martínez's user avatar
6 votes

3D printing filament resistant to steam

Referring to the table provided in 0scar's answer, the key challenge with high temperature materials is the gap between the glass transition temperature (bed temperature) and the extruder temperature. ...
Sean Houlihane's user avatar
6 votes
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What materials would be appropriate for pool parts (chlorine & UV exposure) using SLA or FDM?

Have you thought about using ASA filament? ASA filament is very strong. ASA filament is similar to ABS filament (if you have ever worked with that). When contrasting it to ABS filament, ASA has a ...
Rosalie W's user avatar
  • 443
6 votes

Best filament to use in high humidity environment?

You don't provide information about the part, but in general PETG, ABS, ABS plus/Pro and ASA are not going to have any issue with humidity for a long time. If it's outdoor, avoid ABS and use PETG or ...
FarO's user avatar
  • 3,968
5 votes

Thermal degradation of 3D printed ABS (and other plastics)

To answer your question briefly: No, ABS will not survive for a duration of at least one year at 80-100°C. If you look at the chart above (from Tiganis/Burn), you'll notice, that the blue line (ABS ...
typo's user avatar
  • 926
5 votes
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Is it possible to make a hermetic sealed 3D Printed case?

A few thoughts that might help... Material: ABS can be vapor smoothed with Acetone which results in the layers sort of "melting" together to form a smoother, and less porous surface. Other plastics ...
Chris Thompson's user avatar
5 votes
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What filaments allow air to pass but not water vapor?

It is difficult enough to make 3D-printed objects water-tight (unless you paint them). Making them permeable to air but not water vapour is too big an ask, I think.
Mick's user avatar
  • 3,072
5 votes

Would PC be considered food-safe in this setup?

I also print coffee mugs. I have used ABS for a long time, and, given the statements here and elsewhere about bacterial growth sites, have been attaching my life to a thread. That's fine for me, but ...
cmm's user avatar
  • 4,446
5 votes

Which filament type is easiest to sand smooth?

You may discover that the type of filament has minimal bearing on the surface finish. PLA melts at a lower temperature than most of the other filament types. During sanding, it can melt into and clog ...
fred_dot_u's user avatar
  • 11.1k
5 votes

Which material can be used to print a drop protector?

I do it a couple of ways. I use TPU which is pretty good for impacts and either make it thick or stiffen it with another filament as an inside or outside shell. But TPU is what you want for this ...
Kilisi's user avatar
  • 1,242
5 votes

Is it safe to give 3D printed toys to a toddler?

The answer to this is highly dependent on the geometry, slicing settings, etc. Clearly it's possible for the 3D model itself to have small parts that would be choking hazards, or to have parts of the ...
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE's user avatar
4 votes

Are there biocompatible materials available to the general public?

There are printers designed for medical use, and the manufacturers supply them with varying levels of certification and testing, however I've not seen a filament manufacturer certify their material as ...
Adam Davis's user avatar
  • 1,843
4 votes

What is PLA+? How is it different from PLA?

Some of these questions could be answered by asking manufacturers for MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets), aka. SDS (Safety Data Sheets). Under EU laws in place since 2008 any substance shipped into ...
FooMonkey's user avatar
4 votes

Filament material for chemical application

There are two issues you have here, one is temperature stability and the other is chemical reactivity of plastics. I can't help you with the chemistry side, but I can help with the temperature. ...
Diesel's user avatar
  • 1,865
4 votes

stable FDM materials

Tough set of requirements and definately pushing into the professional domain. I would recommend checking out ULTEM 1010 Resin which is similar to PEEK but has a higher glass transition temp of 215&...
Chris Thompson's user avatar
4 votes

Raw material for 3D printed injection mold

P20 mold steel is one standard. Hardened parts are required for long life, depending on the service and material (some materials are quite abrasive). You can get a small number of relatively poor ...
Spehro Pefhany's user avatar
4 votes

Which outdoor filaments for unheated beds?

PETG is good for your project. You can also print transparent ABS on unheated bed with ABS juice.I tried transparent ABS in outside environment and it work fine.I live in India where outdoor ...
Himanshu's user avatar
  • 301
4 votes

Which outdoor filaments for unheated beds?

Considering your temperature requirements PETG could be used on unheated beds. High operational temperatures for your products requires filaments with a high glass transition temperature (the point ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 33.7k
4 votes
Accepted

What is the 3D printer filament (or pellet) most resistant to bending at high heats?

Your expected operating temperature exceeds the glass transition temperature by 3 °C. This implies that the structure will become weak and can deform under load. Note that you cannot simply ...
0scar's user avatar
  • 33.7k
4 votes

Finding the right material to print RC CAR cover

I have 3D printed models which were then sanded using progressively finer grades of sandpaper, terminating with wet sanding using micromesh to 12000 grit. The result was smooth and shining without any ...
fred_dot_u's user avatar
  • 11.1k
4 votes
Accepted

Filament that is resistant to ozone

If making your own caps ends up being the best solution, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is probably your best bet. I don't have specific information on printed TPU filament and ozone, but TPU is ...
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

How do I know if a filament is abrasive?

A filament made of pure plastic won't be abrasive. The abrasion comes from the added particles. Filaments with added particles of any kind (there are not so many after all: glass/carbon fibres, metals,...
FarO's user avatar
  • 3,968
4 votes

What material best to use for press fit parts?

PLA and nylon deform over time under stress ("creep"), therefore they will get loose(r) and will snap less effectively together. See what happens to clips after one day of stretching (...
FarO's user avatar
  • 3,968

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