Standard, Workday and Pro PLA - Which is best for me?

3D-Fuel specializes in PLA Filament. So much so that we have three different types of PLA that we offer. This can sometimes cause users to ask "Which PLA do I need for my printer?"  And the answer is, of course, "It depends."

Our Standard PLA, or Polylactic Acid, is among the most popular 3D printing materials in the world because it is easy to print and strong. This is what most people are referring to when they say "PLA." When 3D printing got started, the early adopters tried a number of plastics to find one that would work. This standard PLA, which NatureWorks™ refers to as Ingeo 4043D, seemed to work best, so the industry standardized on it. To this day, it still is sold under a lot of names including names like PLA+, PLA Pro, PLA Advanced, etc. even though it is the same material. 

Standard PLA is great for people who are starting out, want to play around, get their printer going, and learn how to do 3D Printing. It is also fine for things you’ll leave around the house, or that are decorative more than structural. It is also the least expensive of our three types. So, it’s a good place to start. 

3D-Fuel Workday PLA filament is stronger and more heat resistant than Standard PLA and even stronger than ABS, especially if you anneal it after printing. Workday is made from NatureWorks™ Ingeo 3D850. This product was engineered and designed for use in 3D Printers and was the first plastic to be made for making 3D Filament. It has advanced features over Standard PLA like additional heat resistance, better impact resistance, better layer adhesion, and can also be made even more resistant through the annealing process. (Basically a baking process of the finished piece.) 

If you need additional strength, and an array of basic colors, our Workday PLA may be just what you need. It’s a little more than Standard PLA, but provides some added benefits that you may need for some of your projects. 

Pro PLA has higher impact toughness than ABS and Standard PLA with a heat resistance rivaling that of ABS! It is also slightly more flexible than Workday PLA. Our 3D-Fuel Pro PLA is made from NatureWorks™ Ingeo 3D870. 3D870 was a further improvement over their 3D850 by adding even more strength & toughness, more heat resistance and better flexibility for more impact resistance. Pro PLA is, in the majority of cases, the best PLA available for 3D Printing. In addition to having higher capabilities, it prints more easily than either Workday or Standard PLA. Once you try it, you may not want anything else.

If you’re debating whether to use ABS or PLA, but want to be more sustainable, then Pro PLA is the choice for you. It rivals ABS in it’s characteristics, and is easier to use as it does not require a high temperature print surface nor a heated chamber for printing. It also will not off-gas any petroleum based fumes as ABS does. So, you can use it indoors without having to worry about ventilation.

The chart provides more information about the differences in these three excellent filaments so you can choose what is best for your job. They all work in any FDM printer that uses one of the two standard sizes of filament.