Why TPU has a different volumetric flow rate ceiling than PLA Volumetric flow rate is the cubic millimetres of melted plastic the hot end can push per second through the nozzle. For PLA this number sits comfortably between 12 and 25 mm³/s on most modern hot ends. For TPU the same hot end will hit…
What “high temperature” actually means on a filament spec sheet High-temperature filament is loose terminology for any 3D printing material whose finished prints survive sustained operation above PLA’s softening point. PLA loses dimensional stability at around 55-60°C, which is the inside of a parked car on a moderately warm day. Any filament that performs meaningfully…
Why “top PLA” depends on what you actually print Asking which PLA is “top” in 2026 is like asking which car is best. The answer depends on whether you are commuting, racing, or hauling lumber. PLA in 2026 spans a price range of $15 to $40 per kilogram, mechanical properties from brittle craft-grade to tough…
Why direct-drive printers care about PETG brand more than bowden printers do Direct-drive extruders sit on the printhead. Their stepper motor pushes filament through a very short hot end path of one to three centimetres, with no PTFE tube acting as a smoothing buffer. Every irregularity in the filament — diameter swings, ovality, a small…
Why TPU fights back when you tune pressure advance Tuning tpu max pressure advance values is the single most frustrating calibration exercise in the hobby. The standard procedure that works beautifully for PLA and PETG — print the classic pressure advance test pattern, look at the corners, pick the cleanest transition — produces numbers that…
What counts as “high temperature” in 3D printing The term “high temperature” in FDM 3D printing refers to two overlapping properties: the temperature the nozzle needs to reach to melt the filament (the extrusion temperature), and the temperature the finished part can withstand before it deforms (the heat deflection temperature, or HDT). A material that…
What “highest quality” actually means for PLA Most “best PLA” rankings optimise for value: what is the cheapest spool that prints acceptably? That is a fair question for hobbyists working their way through ten kilos of PLA per month. But it is not the question the prosumer running engineering prototypes, the model maker finishing a…
What wet filament actually is and why it ruins prints “Wet filament” is the hobby term for a 3D printing filament that has absorbed atmospheric moisture. All the plastics we print — PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon, polycarbonate — are hygroscopic to varying degrees, meaning they pull water vapor out of the air and…
What “strongest” actually means for PETG “Strongest PETG” is an incomplete question until you specify which kind of strength. Tensile strength — how much force the print takes before a wall pulls apart — is one metric. Impact strength, the ability to absorb a sudden hit without cracking, is another. Layer adhesion, the glue between…
Why PEEK Demands the Highest Temperatures of Any Common 3D Filament Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) sits at the top of the engineering thermoplastic ladder for 3D printing. It’s a semi-crystalline polymer with a melting point of 343°C and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 143°C. To print it well, every thermal zone of the printer…