• Size: 235 x 235mm
• Material: Carborundum Glass
• Manufacturer: Creality

CCTREE PLA filament is the new kid on the block, and is rapidly becoming known as the go-to affordable 3D filament in South Africa, which prints reliably and packs a punch when it comes to quality, smooth print finishes. If you are looking for a daily filament which offers great printing results every time without breaking the bank, then CCTREE Filament is the ideal choice for you.

PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a biodegradable thermoplastic which is derived from renewable organic resources such as sugarcane and corn starch.

This makes PLA Filament a surprisingly eco-friendly plastic to print with when compared to other petrochemical based filament options, and the wide range of colours and additives makes it one of the most versatile ranges too.

PLA is by far the most commonly used 3D Printer Filament in the world, partially due to its above-mentioned environmental friendliness, but mostly because it is extremely easy to use and print with as well. PLA is great for beginners who are just getting started, as it has a low shrinkage factor compared to ABS or Nylon, and due to the composition of the plastics, it doesn’t need an enclosure to print large objects - which would typically be prone to warping or layer separation.

A heated bed is not essential, but if used and set to a temperature of around 40° to 70°C, a heated build surface can go a long way in aiding print quality and bed adhesion. Commonly used Bed Adhesion Aids for PLA filament include Blue Painters tape (masking tape), cheap hairspray, Kapton Tape, PEI and BuildTak. PLA’s glass transition temperature (when it starts getting soft and malleable) is around 50°C, and is extruded at temperatures between 190° and 220°C. However, just remember that printing small or detailed parts will require a part cooling fan for optimal results.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR PRINTING WITH SUNLU PETG FILAMENT:

• PETG Printing Tips – First Layer Adhesion: Although it may come as second nature to try and get the squishiest squish-factor around for all kinds of filaments and polymers, PETG is a little different, and actually shouldn’t be squished too hard for the first layer. In fact, it’s good practice when printing with PETG to have your first layer print at around 125% of the defined layer height. This will give it the ability to “grab” the following layers more effectively, and because PETG layers tend to bond well to each other, this dramatically helps with the overall print quality. This is primarily due to the glass transition temperature of around 85°C for PETG, as well as how the heatbed draws heat away from the first layer due to the direct contact with the thermally conductive heatbed.
• PETG Printing Tips – Effective Bridging: With PETG Filament, one of the more difficult factors to get right is bridging between parts, as PETG tends to sag quite dramatically due to the high temperatures required for printing. However, it’s important to note that this is more so for opaque than transparent colours, as the colourants can affect the overall chemical composition of the material being printed. As such, it will take some time to dial in just right, depending on the colour and brand you’re using, but for most cases, it’s prudent to print bridges quite slowly, turn the fan on if you’ve got it off, and then define a bridge overlap of around 1mm. This will help prevent the bridging strands from curling upwards as they’re printing, while also adding some strength to the edges so the strands stick well and don’t pull themselves loose.
• PETG Printing Tips – Strength vs Aesthetics: This factor is certainly one that we love about PETG, and is also a factor that seems quite undervalued in most 3D Maker communities, but with PETG filament you can actually distinctly choose whether you want to focus more on durability and strength, or aesthetics and detail quality. In fact, choosing which you would like to focus on is as simple as defining whether the fan is turned on or off for the print, as printing PETG with the fan on tends to produce a great surface finish, while printing PETG with the fan off helps with layer bonding and lamination, lending itself well to high-strength parts instead. Of course, you could always choose the best of both worlds by printing for strength and post-processing for aesthetics, but if you’re not interested in post-processing your prints afterwards, then the above rule is quite easy to utilise for whatever application your print is being made for.
• PETG Printing Tips – Infill & Top Layers: While it’s typical for people to assume that higher levels of infill result in higher strength prints, the truth is that high infill doesn’t always equal strength, and oftentimes an object with a good internal structure is far stronger than a solid object. As such, it’s important to tailor your infill percentages according to each specific print, and then tailor the number of top layers according to the level of infill. The reason for the differing amount of top layers is because if you are printing with less than around 40% infill, the top layers can easily sink into the infill pattern, resulting in blotchy or patchy top layers. So, if your infill is set to 40% or lower, consider adding up to three extra top layers, allowing for the first one or two layers to fall into the infill spaces, with the remaining top layers producing a strong and aesthetically pleasing top surface.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR 3D PRINTING PETG:

• The following guide is an awesome amalgamation of hundreds of Makers’ hard work, all collected and summarised into a single, easy to understand, rather informal, PETG Filament Printing Guide – with the primary focus being on eSUN PETG, making it very relevant for ultra-cool customers who choose to shop at DIYElectronics.
• This is another PETG Printing Guide, created by a brand known as Rigid Ink. However, it’s important to note that they very likely used their own Rigid INK PETG Filament, so some settings and tips will likely vary from our own.
• This PETG Filament Guide from Tractus is quite unique compared to others, and does an awesome job at explaining what PETG is, how it’s used in various industries, as well as some great technical specifications to help you understand more about this unique but exciting polymer. Bear in mind, however, that their settings and specifications are somewhat specific to their range of 3D Printers, so they may exactly match our suggested settings and parameters.
• Finally, this is a handy MatterHackers PETG Post-Processing Guide, detailing some of the post-processing options you have with PETG prints, as well as tips and basic instructions on how to do each of the different processes.

STRENGTH AND HEAT RESISTANCE

FIL X PETG

Fil X PETG offers easy to print quality parts. PETG's popularity is growing as an alternative to PLA when applications is needed where higer flexability and strength is needed. PETG is also more UV resistant than PLA and will not warp as easily as PLA in the heat of the sun.

PETG Is food safe and can be used for applications where in contact with food.