Skip to content

PLA+ from 3DFillies

In recent times I have fallen in love with 3D printing. It complements woodworking and making in many ways. I’ve used it for stand-alone projects, jigs, drill and alignment guides even to repair my Microwave.

Its the perfect way to get the creative juices flowing when it’s too late to go out into the workshop. I love the process of seeing my designs come to life and how easy it is to tweak the design with the click of a mouse.

Naturally, I’ve used a fair bit of filament during this process. Initially I just ordered whatever was cheap on Ebay but my prints were very inconsistent. By the time I figure out how to get the most out of a spool it was finished and I had to start the process all over again. Even the same color and material from the same supplier tended to vary between spools.

Then along came 3DFillies (https://3dfillies.com/), I have found PLA+ from 3DFillies to be the most consistent, strongest and smoothest filament so far. Personally, I print it at a slightly higher temperature (210c) when compared to regular PLA but other than that it’s just the same as PLA to use.

Heres a run down of the benifits for PLA+ taken straight from the 3DFillies website:

https://3dfillies.com/plaplus-filament-175mm-1kg/


PLA+ is our exciting product that has been developed for over 8 months.
Here are some of the exciting new features at a glance;
–          10x stronger than PLA
–          Australian approved food grade standard
–          Better layer adhesion (brilliant for the first layer)
–          Solid colours are vibrant and not opaque
–          Resealable bag to avoid moisture issues for long-term storage

Strength:
Our PLA+ has been independently tested by Intertek™ to be around 10 times stronger than our previous PLA. The two measures used were the Durometer Hardness (ASTM D2240) and Tensile Strength (ASTM D882), both showed excellent results. Rather than simply relying on theoretical results we also called upon some of our wonderful customers to conduct field tests, requesting feedback for iterative changes to the formula. Special thanks go to Stephen O, Adam P, Luke P and Daniel B.

Food Grade:
We further conducted independent testing for Food Grade with the National Measurement Institute (Australian Government, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science) and also FDA (US Government Approved). Results both comply with the Australian and FDA standards (AS2070-1999 10/2011). The tests show that the filament is composed of safe ingredients that can come into contact with food products. There are however some important practical considerations when printing objects with food contact in mind.
–          It is important that your printer, namely extruder and hotend/nozzle are also up to food grade standards. Typically, stainless steel parts provide the best measure to ensure food grade printing is not compromised. Brass nozzles are not recommended.
–          Thorough cleaning of printed object is needed for repeated use over time. If you wish to repeatedly use a part, you must ensure that no food products remain even in the tiny gaps between each layer. Organic products remaining on the can rot over time and contaminate your food product on the next application.  
Better Layer Adhesion:
Only the most cavalier 3D Printing Professionals do not wait for the first layer to complete before carefully walking away from a print job. Our PLA+ provides stronger adhesion to the base plate/material. This will help with fewer crossed fingers or pray to deities against failed prints right at the beginning of a job. This does not mean we guarantee 100% layer adhesion since it is dependent upon your print set up, but we designed PLA+ to give you an advantage in the fight for successful prints.
Solid Colours:
We’ve listened and actioned feedback from our wonderful customers that have demanded a more solid colour filament. Creating a solid colour filament is easy. It simply requires more concentration of dye. The consequence is that greater amount of dye tends to clog the nozzle more frequently. We don’t believe in selling cleaning filament to sweep up the problems of this issue. Instead, we have sourced an exclusive dye made in Taiwan that is both food grade and does not increase the instance of nozzle clogging.
Resealable Bags:
Caring for our environmental footprint is everyone’s responsibility. Recycling is our best way to do this. We have changed our PLA+ filaments to come in free resealable bags that not only care for our planet but also help in warding off moisture damage to your precious filament. This enables them to last longer so they are not exposed to damage from humidity. As with all filaments, it is best to pack them away in the resealable bag when not in use and always keep the desiccant satchel inside the bag to absorb any remaining moisture.

Strength:        Rating: ★★★★★
Ease of Use: Rating: ★★★★★
Value for Money: Rating: ★★★★★ (Free Shipping > $99)
Overall: Rating: ★★★★★
Please follow and like us: