Esun PLA+ – Why exactly would you want it?

PLA Plus vs PLA – Go For Quality

Why exactly would you want it & not standard PLA?

..and when should you use standard PLA? Is there ever a need? (yes there is.. please read on..)

Our PLA+ (same as PLA Plus) 3d filaments brands are very well reviewed world wide. And so are our standard filaments – well respected.
So its been a common question asked as to why we have both.

PLA is a fundamentally rigid material. It also tends to shard on impact.
It has excellent interlayer adhesion, but its rigidity means that it can not take sudden shocks in the Z axi – right against the layers which are always a FDM 3d prints weakest point.

PLA ‘plus’ is a new formulation made using Standard PLA with some new additives.
These additives make PLA slightly more flexible.
But how does making something flexible improve its strength & impact resistance?

PLA+ works a little bit like bullet proof kevlar.
Did you know kevlar is bullet proof precisely because it bends so extensively that it infact is ‘catching’ the bullet, & not stopping it like a metal plate.
So PLA+ bends slightly on impact & thus absorbs the impact.
This is the the same property found in another best selling 3d printer material, the true & trusted ABS – king of low cost 3d printing for years before PLA.

PLA+ is a stiff, & ‘non-rigid’ plastic material. Normal PLA is a stiff & ‘rigid’ material.

But Impact resistance is only 1 Benefit of this stiffness & flexibility.

The biggest benefit of PLA+ for the 3d printing community is that it is signicantly Easier to Remove Supports!

The other advantage, is that such materials can be easily Sanded.

Supports can be removed with ease, as the material does not Shard into glass like strands.
Every time you remove support from standard PLA, you are essentially asking a material that doesn’t like to bend, to bend over & break.
So it doesn’t bend, it simply cracks, & exposes a harsh surface, however microscopic that may be.
So cleaning out parts & supports, sanding etc make PLA+ great for complex parts.

PLA+ filament is a functional material upgrade to standard PLA thats just as easy to Print! It is stronger, more flexible, has higher impact resistance, & its very easy to remove support or sand parts.

So When should you actually go with our standard PLA ?

Standard PLA is rigid. It is as rigid as dense Acrylic.

But thats not the main reason we still carry standard PLA. And, we only carry it in One Colour – Natural.
Now, Natural PLA is infact NOT a colour & that is precisely why we carry it.
It is unpigmented. Meaning, it is a pure PLA.

So why would you need a pure PLA?
It is mainly sought after for Lost Wax Investment Casting applications where parts are printed from Natural PLA & then burned by a foundry to make a Metal Part! Yes, metal 3d printing is herrendouly expensive, but the burn out casting system is affordable & very capable, particularly for large & dense metal parts. Cheaper than machining, & stronger than any polymer could ever be, metal is sometimes the only option.

If you need a solid, dense & rigid part that intentinally doesnt flex, that it would rather crack before it Flex, 3 or 4 materials are possible.
PLA, Carbon Fiber reinforeced high ridgiy filaments, & PEEK.
Of these, PLA is the cheapest & the easier to 3d print with, so go for it.

If there was a thin walled object you wanted to make that is still able to bend, but not bend excessively, PLA is better.
PLA+ would bend heavily, allow very high levels of flexibility in all axis.
So if that is NOT what you want, PLA is your material.

I hope this answers common questions on why we sell both PLA & PLA plus & how to best use them for you 3d printing project.

We were the First Company in NZ to introduce Esun PLA Plus in 2017 & move exclusively to it for the standard colour range!
Pigmented PLA is about the same as casting PLA+, & offered no real merit for casting.
So having duplicate colours in PLA+ is rather pointless, you may as well use PLA+ with beautiful colours, or use natural pla when it matters.

Our eSun PLA Plus is a high quality branded 3d printing filament that is extremely well priced for our NZ 3D Printer customers.

Why do we stick to Esun when we can easily OEM our own brand of filament?

Because this way, you have a consistent, internationally reputed brand that you can count on. Its like a McDonald’s – you can go anywhere in the world & expect a certain standard.
Thats Esun – the McD of the 3D Printing Filament world.

Why exactly do other shops OEM their own brand?

Well, its a secret. But we’ll tell you.
OEM allows the reseller to jump between random factories, whichever is the cheapest, to give you a filament, with the same name stamped on top.
Just stick a label with our brand on it & hey, thats the filament today.
Today its from ABS Corp tomorrow it can be XYZ Ltd, reseller wont have to worry, they can switch to whoever they want without you finding out.
As long as its a good price, they can supply it, & you will be none the wiser & buy it.

We dont do business that way. We ensure you get a quality & consistency that an expert brand can offer.
And thats why we stick to good, branded, internationally renowned brands that we can back.

Go For Quality..