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i have planned to buy a printer and would like to know some information about PLA and ABS.How strong each of these materials are.I have read that PLA is not waterproof and gets weakened with water.If i were to print a cover of a device such as phone is it worth it,how hard can it last?.ABS is Harder than PLA ,so i guess ABS is more of an option for making covers.I would like to know what each of these materials are meant to print.Those people who have had experience with these filaments.Thanks.
abs is not harder than pla but it is stronger and more impact resistant. harder doesnt mean stronger. there are a few commonly used plastics that are even more flexible and stronger than abs. pet and nylon for instance.
PLA is water resistant so far i know,
It is true when you have hot water that it might bend if hot enough,
ABS is simple more impact resistant and can get more heat till bending,
As strong goes i did a stretch test a while ago on a machine and they were both VERY simulair, Not even worth to mention it,
I personaly also like the XT series and PLA/pha from Colorfabb, i am testing them right now and i am fairly suprised about there quality ;)
Never tryed Nylon or Poly carbonate, but they are harder to get on your build plate and they warp quiet a bit so far i've heard, and you would need a full metal hotend to get your temps right. (Well you could do nylon on a Jhead perhaps, i've done my Jhead on max 245c so far.)
I've never heard of PLA having any issues with water. What's your source? I tend to use PLA for most of my prints, but have used ABS when I want something that will hold up a little better/longer.
ABS Filament and PLA Filament is commonly used in 3D printing, has the following characteristics:
(1) High strength, high stiffness, good toughness;
(2) Density is small, when printing larger volume model lighter, save money;
(3) Cost-effective, can be processed in wide range temperature;
(4) 1 kg /plastic spool packaging, can be automatic feed;
(5) To be applied to a variety of 3D printer, Makerbot, RepRap, Cubify, Mendel, Huxley UP, Thing-o-matic, Leapfrog, Solidoole, Ultimaker series etc.
(6) No Bubble
(7) No block nozzle, good stick hot bed
(8) Low shrinkage, thermoforming dimensional stability
Both are somewhat similar, but actually they have different breaking points and stiffness. ABS and PLA filaments can easily be distinguished by their different characteristics when burning. If you can’t decide what to use, here are some specific qualities of these plastic filaments:
http://www.3d2print.net/shop/blog/20...nt-comparison/