Filament as it gets older

Does PLA filament tend to stick to the bed better or worse as it ages (if there is any difference)?

I have always have excellent results printing on Kapton tape with PLA. If anything, it stuck too well. But that changed.

I have a spool of PLA that I have had on my machine for a while now (5 months give or take) but it has been in an air conditioned space although the humidity is still probably 40 - 60%

There is no sputtering or hissing as it prints so I don't think there's excessive moisture in the filament. But it seems this filament stuck to the bed like crazy when it was new and now I can't seem to get it to stick to the bed no matter what I try. When it was new, it seems I sometimes ripped the Kapton tape trying to free the same printed pieces that now lift off half way through and at the end, come off the bed with the slightest pressure.

I've tried all the common things like leveling the bed, different temps, different speeds but remember, it's the exact same settings (using the exact same X3G file) as I used mnths ago. Nothing in the file that prints the part changed. Just the fact that now it wont stick to the bed.

I also tried heating the filament for several hours in an oven at 160F but nothing improved...although the entire remaining spool of filament got slightly warped and is not as straight as it used to be. It still feeds fine.

never really thought about it. Can't say I've noticed any difference in any of my older spools.

But then I'm not printig on the same surface either. Some of them would have been on blue tape, some on pva and now I mostly use printbite.

Aks me again in 6 months :-)

Ok thanks.

I think I solved the problem.

I just upped the printing temp from 190 to 210. Now the prints seem to be sticking nicely.
I was thinking the extra heat would make the prints lift and curl off the bed even more as hot upper layers were added.
But in this case, maybe the filament needs the higher heat. Not sure. But it seems to be working much better at higher temps.

At the higher temp, the filament flows better. That gives it more time to seep into the cracks of the tape.

But, did you try printing that first layer .1mm closer to the bed?

After 6 months, the printer has changed much also. Maybe not much but some.

If you REALLY wish to experience not sticking, switch to ABS...

There is no reason for ABS not sticking with a little heat and a little hairspray.

I'm with gddeen abs is a bastard to get to stick - in an unenclosed printer.

The other thing with pla is that because it warps a lot less than abs, you can print at higher temps without any extra risk of warping. particularly if you heat your printbed to around 60c. the pla won't warp at all.

have to admit the lowest I think I've ever printed pla is 205.

usually I print at 210 or 215. Depending on the make of pla.

It gives better flow so sharper prints, better layer adhesion (never had any klind of problem with layer adhesion and pla) and actualy makes the parts a lot stronger and even gives reasonable flexibility in parts that have to flex.

Obviously print orientation, slicing and part design al so help. But hot printed pla is seriously versatile stuff.