[Barberton, 08/23/2018] – Keene Village Plastics includes Polylactic Acid (PLA) filaments in its product lineup. PLA filaments are generally favored over Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments among owners of affordable 3D printers as it doesn’t require a heated printing bed. It’s also easier to print with due to its sticky composition.

Biodegradable Thermoplastics for Food and Biomedical Uses

PLA is a polymer plastic made from biodegradable materials like cornstarch, potato starch, sugar cane, or tapioca roots. PLA is also one of the most popular and beginner-friendly 3D printing materials. Its low toxicity levels, particularly compared to other petrochemical-based plastic filaments, makes it perfect for food packaging and biomedical uses.

PLA filaments are commonly used for printing custom food packaging, as well as disposable tableware and biodegradable medical implants. Pigmented PLA filaments are not recommended for biomedical uses to avoid potentially toxic coloring agents, however.

3D Printing Specifications of PLA Filaments

While PLA filaments don’t need heated printing beds, a bed plate heated to 60°C helps enhance the quality of the 3D printed products. PLA filaments also have a lower temperature threshold compared to other commonly used 3D printing materials. It melts between 180°C and 200°C and usually extrudes from 195°C to 215°C.

PLA’s sticky but flowy composition makes it great for printing detailed designs and sharp corners, even at fast printing speeds. The material dries with a rough texture, although it can be sanded down for a glossy finish.

About Keene Village Plastics

Keene Village Plastics was one of the original producers of 3D printing filaments back in 2004. Following its acquisition by Keene Building Products in 2017, the company has since been working to rebuild its reputation as a leading provider of 3D printing services and materials, including thermoplastic welding rods. It’s also helping transform the industry with The Filament Koil, a new spool-less filament system.

For more information, visit https://www.villageplastics.com.