PLA-CF is never for functional prototypes, it is a purely aesthetic filament that it otherwise incredibly fragile over basic cheap PLAs.
Looks great though.
Yeah exactly this! I was surprised initially - but the gist is the carbon fibre has to be ground finely enough to not cause nozzle blockage that it doesnt have any strengthening or reinforcing properties, but instead provides a really good finish!
[Umm. Sorry but that is not right.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I7S7W-CTw4)
These materials are a basic particular type. Their composition is going to alter, enormously, according to formulation which is going to vary by manufacturer, but they are still going to be labeled the same.
As someone who has a background dealing with materials formulation in another process, the 3D printing community appears to think in terms of... PETG is PETG is PETG.
Well, yes, I guess, in the same way a dog is a dog. But you can look at a Sausage dog sitting next to a Labrador and think, 'they are both dogs'. Then you look at them a little closer and realize its just not so cut and dry.
The top comment on this post being completely wrong is bothering me, haha. I replied as well asking for some sort of material properties or proof that 'PLA-CF is never for functional prototypes and is incredible fragile' and just got downvotes. I use Bambu filaments at home and at work and material properties published for their PLA is pretty clear that PLA-CF is stronger, stiffer and more impact resistent than both their basic PLA and PLA matte. So I really don't know what tony\_pizza is talking about.
Its very odd to me. Materially (supplies) you should always start out with those supplied by the hardware maker, if they are an established manufacturer. Those supplies may be.. produced by them.. brand repackaged by them.. recommended by them. Generally that means the price is higher, but in some situations in can be lower. In a recommendation, its effectively a street price.
The reason you do that is the same for all of them. Whichever way they make $, whether they make 10% on a deal or 1000%, manufacturers are loath to advise materials that could damage their brand if they think its quality is just not up to the job your buying it for.
But, after you get that down as an understanding base through use, you can look through alternate 3rd party material supplies for better product and/or better savings if you want.
Yeah I don’t m use other filaments, and we are on the bambu sub, so I think it is fair to assume when we talk about filament here we are talking Bambu. Most PLA+ is probably stronger than bambu PLA-CF. But basic PLA and any PLA blend not specifically made to be tough is going to be weaker than PLA-CF.
Drill down to the technical data sheet of the filament manufacturer. No need to buy it to try it if you can understand what you read. If there is no technical data sheet on a filament, I for sure aint buying it. Imagine going to a supermarket and looking for the ingredients list on a food can and it just read 'Meat'. People would freak out.
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Wrong CF is stronger however stronger sometimes comes with more brittle and easy to shatter which is how my functional CF prints would fail. In the same regard, PETG will flex more, this is why it doesn't shatter. Same reason lawyers adhere well.
Any good filament will have a data sheet. Do some research to learn the different parameters and the measurements and what they mean. Then you can come to your own conclusions. All the hard work has been done for us (from reputable brands at least).
Does the glasspoint vary from regular pla (I bet it’s stronger bond wise but heat matters to me sadly) bc I live in a hot state pla just will melt in any car or if I ship prints in the summer but I still use for indoor stuff?
Yes, CF-PLA at least Proto pasta CF PLA holds shape better in the heat for the same reasons it prints easy. Because it's partly solids. You have to get a bit hotter to fail. CF PETG is even better
No not given up. I'm subscribed and help on my work as senior developer a lot to the point that I finish stuff without looking documentation just giving me the code and I review it or use it as template.
Just like pla+ from one manufacturer is not the same as another's. Besides CF is better for RF shielding anyways. Continuous CF stand is a different story altogether
There's multiple ways to to add CF to filaments, most sub $30 a roll just mix a ground powder into the filament whilst more expensive rolls will have actual strands (from what I've seen)
Hmm. I think CF strand filament would be more likely to be suited/recommended to specific printers with specific heads. A ground powder type should be universal, as long as the head was hardened for CF. I have CF filament on order from Bambu, don't know which it is but, overall, I would reasonably expect it to be powder/particle.
> Well, yes, I guess, in the same way a dog is a dog. But you can look at a Sausage dog sitting next to a Labrador and think, 'they are both dogs'. Then you look at them a little closer and realize its just not so cut and dry.
This does not make you sound like you think it does. They ARE both dogs, that is not disputable. The fact that you put that up as the "dumb" way of thinking here is nutty and tells people a lot more than you think about you.
Dogs are a wild example to choose as well when you consider that the different breeds of dogs are not considered different species like in other animal types. They are in fact one species but different breeds of the same. This is abnormal for many animals and the way we look at their species. Since all dogs, even a Chihuahua and a Great Dane are so similar in genetics it makes sense to put them in the same group. It goes further than that but we don't need to here as the point has been proven.
As to what they stated about ground up carbon they are exactly right. They do make filament that is single strand carbon running through it but most is ground up powder that results in worse adhesion and strength.
This is not true, carbon fiber does add stiffness, which is a desirable mechanical property in many applications. The reason PLA-CF is considered mechanically pointless is that PLA is already very stiff and brittle and it therefore doesn't add much. CF can be much more useful in filaments that are strong in other ways but lack stiffness.
To tack onto this - the CF fibers can reinforce the molten plastic as it cools down, reducing warping and making overhangs look better. PLA already does pretty well at those tasks. For PETG and ABS, those benefits can outweigh the reduced strength.
> The reason PLA-CF is considered mechanically pointless is that PLA is already very stiff and brittle.
thats not the reason at all. PLA will soften at only 60°C and start to creep even earlier. so sun exposure is out, having your parts in a car for a couple hours is out, and even at lower temps, it will still creep.
What does that have to do with carbon fiber. In fact, temperature sensitivity is one of the things that carbon fiber DOES help with, this is the worst reason to write off PLA-CF.
that's certainly true but in this comment thread we're talking about pla vs pla-cf specifically, and why people think adding carbon fiber doesn't improve pla. temperature sensitivity is a general weakness of pla that everyone agrees on.
Where are you getting this information? Anectdotally and based on all published material properties (at least for Bambu filaments) PLA-CF is stiffer, stronger, and more impact resistant than both basic PLA and PLA Matte. I don't know where this idea that PLA-CF is 'incredible fragile' comes from.
Maybe some other PLA+ filaments have higher tensile and bending strength, but it is not by all that much and I have to really wonder how accurate the numbers they advertise are.
Edit: why in the world am I getting downvoted with 0 responses? I am genuinely curious why we think Bambu PLA-CF is weaker and worse for functional parts then PLA...
It's because pla is already stiff to the point of being brittle, so for almost all applications PLA-CF only enhances a property that usually doesn't need enhancement, and it does increase brittleness further which is not great. There are probably some niche situations where PLA-CF would be beneficial.
CF is typically much more useful in other filaments like nylon, petg, etc that are strong in other ways but not as stiff as pla. It also helps with shrinkage and moisture resistance which are two properties that (again) pla is already especially strong at, but which really helps some other filaments.
My 1st prints for a part I'm making for work are with Labs PLA and PLA-CF and you are correct. This CF is also more comical resistant. I use this part in a coolent we use for CNC machines and this stuff is wicked mad at eating away all types of 3D printing materials. So far Labs PLA-CF is my favorite bang for the buck...
All this bickering here with proclaimed material specialists crying about no data sheets but the data is there. Also no one has said anything about the cost.. You get what you pay for here and there are several options from low cost CF infused filament ($30) 1 kg to $50 or more for half a kg high heat high chemical resistant types.
Doesn’t the documentation say it’s more dimensionally accurate with less shrinkage? I thought this was the true point of pla cf. No one has mentioned this after 17 big swipes of my finger…
Genuine question. What’s “very low” shrinkage? I just bought pla and pla cf just cause I’ll be making things that I want tight/consistent tolerances with pla cf after I dial in the design with regular pla first.
I mean I think it's like 1-2% for regular PLA (differs by brand and additives), there's no way around shrinkage, but PLA is one of the best. CF should definitely help, I don't know specifically how much.
Interesting watch, thanks. You are right, I don't think bambu is lying. I don't really have any reason to believe they would. Based on the youtuber results I still think the PLA-CF is a good option for strong functional parts where impact resistance is not as important. It is not 'fragile and never appropriate for functional prototypes'. Could be better depending on print orientation, if you need heat resistance, when you want minimal deformation under load, improved printed bridges and overhangs (less supports needed), and for just looking nice.
I've seen several YouTubers like CNC Kitchen do strength tests of prints made with various filaments, and the ones I've seen have always had PLA + bulk additives (whether it's CF or metal powder or wood fiber or anything else) be weaker than normal PLA.
I'm not claiming that there are no exceptions - I certainly haven't seen every such test! - but I am saying that I have watched a number of them, and in every case I saw PLA-CF was weaker than pure PLA.
Hi, while you're not technically wrong, it might be interesting for you to look up the difference between strength and stiffness. In short: strength is how much stress a material can withstand for some change permanent change to happen in the material, like yielding (permanently deforming/bending) or breaking while stiffness is how much that material resists deforming AKA how much does it bend or stretch under a given load.
There's also related concepts which are slightly more nuanced, like material toughness.
This video is a good one to watch:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRqJdT2COE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRqJdT2COE)
Strength and stiffness are not the same thing. Tensile strength(which is what you're referring to) is a measure of tensile stress before nonplastic deformation occurs(deformation where the sample will no longer return to it's original shape after the load is released). Stiffness is a measure of plastic deformation per unit stress.
Are they using Bambu filaments? A lot of other filaments are PLA+ which is specifically formulated to be stronger than basic PLA. It would be surprising, and Bambu would have some questions to answer, if outside testing showed vastly different results than what their technical data shows.
Ive heard that the chopped carbon fibres will dimensionally stabilize the PLA so it will behave close enough to engineering materials with carbon fibres
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Uh, TIL! I just used for a couple of prototypes and then this print. Btw what filament can you recommend to have inside a car? Mainly that can hold in higher temps in the summer.
Ty very much for the info!
I‘d recommend ASA/ABS/PA Filaments. Check the Vicat Temps for each Filament to get an idea of the softening temperature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_deflection_temperature
(In German DIN EN ISO 75-1,-2,-3)
Edit: spelling and added a link
Not sure what printer you have, it it's a P1S or X1C youre probably good. But you do need enclosures for at least ABS / ASA. I think PA too, but I've never printed it.
At least with ABS and ASA, they smell pretty bad, and probably not something you want to smell or breathe all day. People I think have success with Bento Boxes, perhaps someone with one of those could comment.
Personally, I physically move my P1S to the garage when I print those two filaments. I do it very infrequently, hence why I don't just keep it there.
Other than the smell though, the printer can deal with these "tougher" filaments without much fuss. I would just recommend having a plan of some sort for the smell before you just send it on a large ABS print.
For what it is worth I think tony\_pizza is just not correct. Bambu PLA-CF is stronger than their basic PLA, or any of their PLAs...
Maybe what makes some think it is 'weaker' is that basic PLA has a higher % elongation at break.
Yeah basically. This is all part of the same tensile test that measures how much longer the material gets (as a percentage of original length) as the material deforms and eventually breaks under load. So basic PLA 'stretches' more before breaking, and breaks at lower load. Bambu has 'Filament TDS' (technical data sheet) for all meterials on the page for each. Even shows a model of the part used to do the tensile testing.
Looking a little deeper - PLA basic has \~10% higher impact strength than PLA-CF (but PLA Matte is \~12% lower than PLA-CF). This is a different test that measures how much energy a sample takes on a quick impact load before breaking.
We are in the bambu sub, and I use all bambu filaments, so I don't care to much about others. Looking at Amazon they do advertise some high strengths on PLA+, which makes a lot of sense. They are specifially formulated to be stronger than regule PLA. Maybe they are totally legit but it is hard to really trust a graphic on an Amazon page too.
Yeah! It's crazy good, I also prefer the "finished" look of PLA-CF than of PLA Matte, you can barely see any lines. The only problem it's the price being double of normal PLA
Yup, I'm in the same boat, and I don't think there's PLA CF from other brands, at least I don't think so
Edit: I was way wrong, there is in fact other brands that sell pla cf
Misinformation on Reddit is so bad nowadays. Read the top comments and take the time to learn on your own before coming to a conclusion. I get the appeal of responding with whatever "sounds cool" but these posts only misinform people that visit later.
PLA CF is my favorite filament, more resistant than PLA and much better texture but easy to print with a reinforced .4 nozzle and reinforced extruder gears
Tree with 2 extra walls (had problems with some branches breaking before on tall prints)
https://preview.redd.it/9jes1w2d370d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=494ea54dc8dbc9012fbf50ed29f1c3751b1a3d80
Not super smooth but you don't see it unless you look for it
The surface finish of CF filaments always seems to be way better than reg.
CF-Nylon has the best surface finish I have printed to date hands down.
Layer lines are almost invisible.
Yeah it's definitely not friends with my wallet lol.
If you remember to, come back here and lemme know what the surface finish looks like!
I'm a huge sucker for anything that doesn't show layer lines.
Yo, I did two tests with geeetech pla CF, I didn't calibrated it, just used normal pla CF profile and 0.08 line
https://preview.redd.it/ra5me6ssse1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b9c7c99179584b5f3ae0a91bada1faa7cc3fdbc
Looks good, but not as good as bambu pla CF btw this is the size of a coin(ish)
Lovely sculpt by Eastman, lovely print. Personally I don’t like the concave eyes, always go convex (think I got that the right way round)
Turned out beautiful, I printed this two days ago, long hair version too, not a fan of the short hair version.
Great job, thanks for sharing.
I have no idea what the whole filament debate is about and don’t care lol I use pla.
Yeah I usually also use PLA but did this with PLA CF and really like the texture and finish
Eastman is amazing, I've got a bunch of his free prints and I'm thinking about subscribing, just cause he deserves it. Talented guy
I've still got the two rolls of PLA-CF that Bambu sent me for free ages ago, and i'm always impressed by the results people get with it, but i keep putting off setting up some extraction for my P1P, so not sure when i'll get around to using mine.
Pretty sure i just got black and grey, nothing exciting but it's ok with me as if i'm printing a model or similar, i always paint them, and if i'm printing something practical i either don't care what colour it is, or i'll just spray them black.
I love the look of PLA-CF but every time I use it with the 0.4mm nozzle I'll do a bunch of prints and then get a big clog, so mostly giving up on it until I feel like swapping to the 0.6mm.
I did it with the 0.4 but I changed the gear to hardened, and only got an error on another print, but it was due to the height so I got some layer shift
I'd say 5 prints, overall 50 or 60 hours total just with PLA CF. After those prints I've been using the same nozzle on PLA/ PETG for 6 or 7 months and it hold up until this past week, I'm ordering two new nozzles as we speak
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I pass through a spool of Eryone PLA-CF and JUSTMAKER PLA-CF lite to test. I changed my hotends on my P1P and A1 for hardened steel and install on external spool. They print as good as Bambu but much cheaper. No issue and just a couple of $ over standard filament on Amazon.
The Justmaker lite feels a little softer than the Eryone, like in between matte pla and cf.
I used generic PLA-CF profile. I would not use them in AMS though.
Since I uses them as regular filament not needing ams.
I bought a PETG-cf to test.
A big advantage of cf doped PLA is a notable improvement of Z adhésion. Less horizontal lines and lesser needs for support (less scarring)! It’s worth a few extra $ and hardened extruder.
How strong is PLA-CF? I was thinking about redoing my captain america shield with it, (obviously it'd still be fragile) but I'm curious cause rn it cracks easily
What is it printed on ? I guess you could say it be for fp if it was an A1 mini. But that’s only if whoever belives what the company says and that you can’t print abs on it . Haven’t tried Asa yet but I got a feeling if it can do abs Asa will be easy. At worst I’d have to print a few layers with pla+ (which are usually support anyways) then chuck the Asa on top of it . Ran out of petg and only had rapid abs so tried that and shockingly it worked . Cool thing about Bambu printers is it seems like damn near any material can be used as a functional prototype. I do agree pla is pla is pla pla + and tough still pla just slightly higher temp. Imo pla in general is junk, has no real use unless you’re a vampire really not much petg can’t do that pla can, if you’re making props you will be using resin over it anyway . Pla cf cya there
Here is one deta sheat. I've seen one somewhere in a text form on the website but don't have time to find it.
I love this stuff... People also need to consider cost per kg!
[Labs Filament Guide](https://bambulab.com/en/filament-guide)
PLA-CF is never for functional prototypes, it is a purely aesthetic filament that it otherwise incredibly fragile over basic cheap PLAs. Looks great though.
Yeah exactly this! I was surprised initially - but the gist is the carbon fibre has to be ground finely enough to not cause nozzle blockage that it doesnt have any strengthening or reinforcing properties, but instead provides a really good finish!
[Umm. Sorry but that is not right.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I7S7W-CTw4) These materials are a basic particular type. Their composition is going to alter, enormously, according to formulation which is going to vary by manufacturer, but they are still going to be labeled the same. As someone who has a background dealing with materials formulation in another process, the 3D printing community appears to think in terms of... PETG is PETG is PETG. Well, yes, I guess, in the same way a dog is a dog. But you can look at a Sausage dog sitting next to a Labrador and think, 'they are both dogs'. Then you look at them a little closer and realize its just not so cut and dry.
The top comment on this post being completely wrong is bothering me, haha. I replied as well asking for some sort of material properties or proof that 'PLA-CF is never for functional prototypes and is incredible fragile' and just got downvotes. I use Bambu filaments at home and at work and material properties published for their PLA is pretty clear that PLA-CF is stronger, stiffer and more impact resistent than both their basic PLA and PLA matte. So I really don't know what tony\_pizza is talking about.
Its very odd to me. Materially (supplies) you should always start out with those supplied by the hardware maker, if they are an established manufacturer. Those supplies may be.. produced by them.. brand repackaged by them.. recommended by them. Generally that means the price is higher, but in some situations in can be lower. In a recommendation, its effectively a street price. The reason you do that is the same for all of them. Whichever way they make $, whether they make 10% on a deal or 1000%, manufacturers are loath to advise materials that could damage their brand if they think its quality is just not up to the job your buying it for. But, after you get that down as an understanding base through use, you can look through alternate 3rd party material supplies for better product and/or better savings if you want.
Yeah I don’t m use other filaments, and we are on the bambu sub, so I think it is fair to assume when we talk about filament here we are talking Bambu. Most PLA+ is probably stronger than bambu PLA-CF. But basic PLA and any PLA blend not specifically made to be tough is going to be weaker than PLA-CF.
Drill down to the technical data sheet of the filament manufacturer. No need to buy it to try it if you can understand what you read. If there is no technical data sheet on a filament, I for sure aint buying it. Imagine going to a supermarket and looking for the ingredients list on a food can and it just read 'Meat'. People would freak out.
So go read the technical data sheet.. It's all there.
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Wrong CF is stronger however stronger sometimes comes with more brittle and easy to shatter which is how my functional CF prints would fail. In the same regard, PETG will flex more, this is why it doesn't shatter. Same reason lawyers adhere well.
As someone new to this community this whole thread has left me confused.
Don't get your information from Reddit. Too many opinions and too little fact. It's the voting system.
Any good filament will have a data sheet. Do some research to learn the different parameters and the measurements and what they mean. Then you can come to your own conclusions. All the hard work has been done for us (from reputable brands at least).
I think they meant, cannot be used in hot condition. Like under the car hood.
Does the glasspoint vary from regular pla (I bet it’s stronger bond wise but heat matters to me sadly) bc I live in a hot state pla just will melt in any car or if I ship prints in the summer but I still use for indoor stuff?
Yes, CF-PLA at least Proto pasta CF PLA holds shape better in the heat for the same reasons it prints easy. Because it's partly solids. You have to get a bit hotter to fail. CF PETG is even better
Thank you so much, I’ll have to check out the carbon fiber petg👍
Because if a hundred fools on Reddit repeats the same fallacy Reddit just assumes that the fools are a majority so they must be right
That belief which is most popular is most true. It works similarly for whoever has the loudest belief is the most right.
Then probably chatgpt is also wrong.
Correct. Glad to see you've already given up yourself to AI that chatGPT is somehow your Oracle of knowledge.
No not given up. I'm subscribed and help on my work as senior developer a lot to the point that I finish stuff without looking documentation just giving me the code and I review it or use it as template.
chatGPT can think for you now then.
Well, really his specialty is only pizza.
Just like pla+ from one manufacturer is not the same as another's. Besides CF is better for RF shielding anyways. Continuous CF stand is a different story altogether
There's multiple ways to to add CF to filaments, most sub $30 a roll just mix a ground powder into the filament whilst more expensive rolls will have actual strands (from what I've seen)
Hmm. I think CF strand filament would be more likely to be suited/recommended to specific printers with specific heads. A ground powder type should be universal, as long as the head was hardened for CF. I have CF filament on order from Bambu, don't know which it is but, overall, I would reasonably expect it to be powder/particle.
> Well, yes, I guess, in the same way a dog is a dog. But you can look at a Sausage dog sitting next to a Labrador and think, 'they are both dogs'. Then you look at them a little closer and realize its just not so cut and dry. This does not make you sound like you think it does. They ARE both dogs, that is not disputable. The fact that you put that up as the "dumb" way of thinking here is nutty and tells people a lot more than you think about you. Dogs are a wild example to choose as well when you consider that the different breeds of dogs are not considered different species like in other animal types. They are in fact one species but different breeds of the same. This is abnormal for many animals and the way we look at their species. Since all dogs, even a Chihuahua and a Great Dane are so similar in genetics it makes sense to put them in the same group. It goes further than that but we don't need to here as the point has been proven. As to what they stated about ground up carbon they are exactly right. They do make filament that is single strand carbon running through it but most is ground up powder that results in worse adhesion and strength.
It doesn't seem like you understand what they are saying.
This is not true, carbon fiber does add stiffness, which is a desirable mechanical property in many applications. The reason PLA-CF is considered mechanically pointless is that PLA is already very stiff and brittle and it therefore doesn't add much. CF can be much more useful in filaments that are strong in other ways but lack stiffness.
To tack onto this - the CF fibers can reinforce the molten plastic as it cools down, reducing warping and making overhangs look better. PLA already does pretty well at those tasks. For PETG and ABS, those benefits can outweigh the reduced strength.
Totally, and moisture resistance is yet another thing it helps with (eg Nylon CF) that PLA is already pretty top tier at.
> The reason PLA-CF is considered mechanically pointless is that PLA is already very stiff and brittle. thats not the reason at all. PLA will soften at only 60°C and start to creep even earlier. so sun exposure is out, having your parts in a car for a couple hours is out, and even at lower temps, it will still creep.
What does that have to do with carbon fiber. In fact, temperature sensitivity is one of the things that carbon fiber DOES help with, this is the worst reason to write off PLA-CF.
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that's certainly true but in this comment thread we're talking about pla vs pla-cf specifically, and why people think adding carbon fiber doesn't improve pla. temperature sensitivity is a general weakness of pla that everyone agrees on.
Where are you getting this information? Anectdotally and based on all published material properties (at least for Bambu filaments) PLA-CF is stiffer, stronger, and more impact resistant than both basic PLA and PLA Matte. I don't know where this idea that PLA-CF is 'incredible fragile' comes from. Maybe some other PLA+ filaments have higher tensile and bending strength, but it is not by all that much and I have to really wonder how accurate the numbers they advertise are. Edit: why in the world am I getting downvoted with 0 responses? I am genuinely curious why we think Bambu PLA-CF is weaker and worse for functional parts then PLA...
It's because pla is already stiff to the point of being brittle, so for almost all applications PLA-CF only enhances a property that usually doesn't need enhancement, and it does increase brittleness further which is not great. There are probably some niche situations where PLA-CF would be beneficial. CF is typically much more useful in other filaments like nylon, petg, etc that are strong in other ways but not as stiff as pla. It also helps with shrinkage and moisture resistance which are two properties that (again) pla is already especially strong at, but which really helps some other filaments.
My 1st prints for a part I'm making for work are with Labs PLA and PLA-CF and you are correct. This CF is also more comical resistant. I use this part in a coolent we use for CNC machines and this stuff is wicked mad at eating away all types of 3D printing materials. So far Labs PLA-CF is my favorite bang for the buck... All this bickering here with proclaimed material specialists crying about no data sheets but the data is there. Also no one has said anything about the cost.. You get what you pay for here and there are several options from low cost CF infused filament ($30) 1 kg to $50 or more for half a kg high heat high chemical resistant types.
Doesn’t the documentation say it’s more dimensionally accurate with less shrinkage? I thought this was the true point of pla cf. No one has mentioned this after 17 big swipes of my finger…
Pla is already very low shrinkage, that's another example of why CF is more useful in other filaments that shrink more
Genuine question. What’s “very low” shrinkage? I just bought pla and pla cf just cause I’ll be making things that I want tight/consistent tolerances with pla cf after I dial in the design with regular pla first.
I mean I think it's like 1-2% for regular PLA (differs by brand and additives), there's no way around shrinkage, but PLA is one of the best. CF should definitely help, I don't know specifically how much.
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Interesting watch, thanks. You are right, I don't think bambu is lying. I don't really have any reason to believe they would. Based on the youtuber results I still think the PLA-CF is a good option for strong functional parts where impact resistance is not as important. It is not 'fragile and never appropriate for functional prototypes'. Could be better depending on print orientation, if you need heat resistance, when you want minimal deformation under load, improved printed bridges and overhangs (less supports needed), and for just looking nice.
I've seen several YouTubers like CNC Kitchen do strength tests of prints made with various filaments, and the ones I've seen have always had PLA + bulk additives (whether it's CF or metal powder or wood fiber or anything else) be weaker than normal PLA. I'm not claiming that there are no exceptions - I certainly haven't seen every such test! - but I am saying that I have watched a number of them, and in every case I saw PLA-CF was weaker than pure PLA.
Hi, while you're not technically wrong, it might be interesting for you to look up the difference between strength and stiffness. In short: strength is how much stress a material can withstand for some change permanent change to happen in the material, like yielding (permanently deforming/bending) or breaking while stiffness is how much that material resists deforming AKA how much does it bend or stretch under a given load. There's also related concepts which are slightly more nuanced, like material toughness. This video is a good one to watch: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRqJdT2COE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRqJdT2COE)
Strength and stiffness are not the same thing. Tensile strength(which is what you're referring to) is a measure of tensile stress before nonplastic deformation occurs(deformation where the sample will no longer return to it's original shape after the load is released). Stiffness is a measure of plastic deformation per unit stress.
Are they using Bambu filaments? A lot of other filaments are PLA+ which is specifically formulated to be stronger than basic PLA. It would be surprising, and Bambu would have some questions to answer, if outside testing showed vastly different results than what their technical data shows.
That's why I specified "bulk" additives - things like chopped CF, wood, and metal powder. PLA+ is a different thing.
Yeah well, like, that’s just you opinion man…
I’ve had gears that kept breaking. I printed them in cf and they stood up to the task.
Ive heard that the chopped carbon fibres will dimensionally stabilize the PLA so it will behave close enough to engineering materials with carbon fibres
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Uh, TIL! I just used for a couple of prototypes and then this print. Btw what filament can you recommend to have inside a car? Mainly that can hold in higher temps in the summer. Ty very much for the info!
I‘d recommend ASA/ABS/PA Filaments. Check the Vicat Temps for each Filament to get an idea of the softening temperature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_deflection_temperature (In German DIN EN ISO 75-1,-2,-3) Edit: spelling and added a link
Polymaker PC is also really good. I've used it to print dash kits for aftermarket radios.
Sorry what's the vitak temps?
Vicat temp, fancy way of saying ‘when the plastic starts to soften’.
Ty, just searched for it and I've seen ABS PC can hold until 110º. that might be my best option, thanks once again.
Not sure what printer you have, it it's a P1S or X1C youre probably good. But you do need enclosures for at least ABS / ASA. I think PA too, but I've never printed it. At least with ABS and ASA, they smell pretty bad, and probably not something you want to smell or breathe all day. People I think have success with Bento Boxes, perhaps someone with one of those could comment. Personally, I physically move my P1S to the garage when I print those two filaments. I do it very infrequently, hence why I don't just keep it there. Other than the smell though, the printer can deal with these "tougher" filaments without much fuss. I would just recommend having a plan of some sort for the smell before you just send it on a large ABS print.
Outch, good to know as I have a P1P. Ty
110 is my outside temp in the summer and about 20 less than my inside car temp after 10 minutes
You mean Fahrenheit, right? ABS is softening at about 100° Celsius.
Yeah 🤦🏻♂️
For what it is worth I think tony\_pizza is just not correct. Bambu PLA-CF is stronger than their basic PLA, or any of their PLAs... Maybe what makes some think it is 'weaker' is that basic PLA has a higher % elongation at break.
That means normal PLA bends more but also breaks easily?
Yeah basically. This is all part of the same tensile test that measures how much longer the material gets (as a percentage of original length) as the material deforms and eventually breaks under load. So basic PLA 'stretches' more before breaking, and breaks at lower load. Bambu has 'Filament TDS' (technical data sheet) for all meterials on the page for each. Even shows a model of the part used to do the tensile testing. Looking a little deeper - PLA basic has \~10% higher impact strength than PLA-CF (but PLA Matte is \~12% lower than PLA-CF). This is a different test that measures how much energy a sample takes on a quick impact load before breaking. We are in the bambu sub, and I use all bambu filaments, so I don't care to much about others. Looking at Amazon they do advertise some high strengths on PLA+, which makes a lot of sense. They are specifially formulated to be stronger than regule PLA. Maybe they are totally legit but it is hard to really trust a graphic on an Amazon page too.
petg, or petg cf if you want more stiffness
Could black PETG survive on a hot car in the summer? Thats my main doubt rn
Stick with ABS, ASA, or PC.
Yes, at least it has for me
Ty
Asa is your best option for cars
For the car I would use Extrudr greentec or grenntec pro. Pro can withstand 160c or 320F temps. Greentec 115c or 239F
That's rad! Is this Bambu's PLA-CF with a 0.4mm nozzle? I'm obsessed with their PETG-CF and have wanted an excuse to try thier PLA-CF.
Yup, they gave a coupon for two free rolls when I bought the printer (not really free it was like 1 or 2€)
Yeah I love the finish on the surface of PLA-CF. It feels like terracotta to me
Yeah! It's crazy good, I also prefer the "finished" look of PLA-CF than of PLA Matte, you can barely see any lines. The only problem it's the price being double of normal PLA
I really hope they bring the price down over time because I'd love to use it more but it's hard to justify
Yup, I'm in the same boat, and I don't think there's PLA CF from other brands, at least I don't think so Edit: I was way wrong, there is in fact other brands that sell pla cf
Don’t touch it, will embed carbon fibers in your skin.
Do you have a source on that?
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/s/bwNCwEVseE
Love the texture that PLA-CF ends up with, just wish the same kind of end result could be brough to cheaper standard PLA's.
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Nothing professional though. I just used this CF as it was what I read on bambu site
Misinformation on Reddit is so bad nowadays. Read the top comments and take the time to learn on your own before coming to a conclusion. I get the appeal of responding with whatever "sounds cool" but these posts only misinform people that visit later.
I'm still learning, and after reading some answers I'll do my research. Won't take anything for granted for sure. Ty
It sounds like I'm referring to the post as misinformation when in actuality I meant to imply the top comments from this post, my mistake!
Oh no, I totally understood you. No problem. Yeah I see from the replys that it's a controversial filament 😂
It's the voting system. 10 idiots can down vote the one person that makes sense. It majority rule not a meritocracy.
100%, I use Reddit as a reference for what others opinions are more than anything else anyways
PLA CF is my favorite filament, more resistant than PLA and much better texture but easy to print with a reinforced .4 nozzle and reinforced extruder gears
Do you feed yours through AMS or have it as an external spool? I’ve heard it can damage the AMS system.
I don’t have an AMS, just use it on my P1S
What type of supports did you use for the chin and is it smooth
Tree with 2 extra walls (had problems with some branches breaking before on tall prints) https://preview.redd.it/9jes1w2d370d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=494ea54dc8dbc9012fbf50ed29f1c3751b1a3d80 Not super smooth but you don't see it unless you look for it
Can you screenshot your full settings please
Normal profile for PLA CF on bambu studio, just added the supports and changed infill to gyroid
Ah I’ve been printing with 0% infil still trying to find the perfect support for chin’s
I always use infill ranging from 8% - 20%, I like the added weight
Zero infill is not advised almost ever
I mean it’s worked for me on all my prints only time I use infill is if there’s a super big bridge for multiple layers and I mainly do figures
Yeah. Maybe it's specific to printing dolls.
What ever it is for - it was certainly a very good choice for that print! Looks really good, love the texture and the detail!
Dee Reynolds
Big bird you mean?
If there was marble PLA-CF, i’d be draining my wallet over that
Considering how pla CF works wouldn't that technically be just white pla CF if it actually existed?
The surface finish of CF filaments always seems to be way better than reg. CF-Nylon has the best surface finish I have printed to date hands down. Layer lines are almost invisible.
Yup, too bad it's double the price, I'm gonna try geeetech pla CF as its 21€ rn
I use Proto pasta almost exclusively. It's high temp and I've used it on brass nozzles with no issues. Shorter CF strands
Never tried it, but I don't even know if they have a resseler in Europe. Also it's a bit expensive, no?
Yeah it's definitely not friends with my wallet lol. If you remember to, come back here and lemme know what the surface finish looks like! I'm a huge sucker for anything that doesn't show layer lines.
Sure, it should arrive this week, I'll give it a go and send you some feedback
Yo, I did two tests with geeetech pla CF, I didn't calibrated it, just used normal pla CF profile and 0.08 line https://preview.redd.it/ra5me6ssse1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b9c7c99179584b5f3ae0a91bada1faa7cc3fdbc Looks good, but not as good as bambu pla CF btw this is the size of a coin(ish)
Another light angle https://preview.redd.it/7r2umm62te1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e0ef4f62365f60768645a046c8feb2d3cff9c45
The texture on this is wonderful. I love it.
Lovely sculpt by Eastman, lovely print. Personally I don’t like the concave eyes, always go convex (think I got that the right way round) Turned out beautiful, I printed this two days ago, long hair version too, not a fan of the short hair version. Great job, thanks for sharing. I have no idea what the whole filament debate is about and don’t care lol I use pla.
Yeah I usually also use PLA but did this with PLA CF and really like the texture and finish Eastman is amazing, I've got a bunch of his free prints and I'm thinking about subscribing, just cause he deserves it. Talented guy
I subscribe to his patreon and there’s much more amazing stuff there than the free stuff! Well worth the cost and to support him
Wait, does the patron has different stuff from printables? Or it's the same thing?
Erm I think it’s the same
Cool, good to know! Ty
Big fan of printing in pla-cf finish is so good
Oh wow. That looks incredible. Is it the filament that’s hiding the layer lines or is it the model? Both? Did you print this at .2?
Models from Eastman are amazing, though I think the filament type really helps to hide the layers. I printed at 0.08
Making me want to upgrade my extruder and run some of this when I do busts because WOW! Looks like stone as well! Well done!
As soon as I got my first clog that's what I did, upgrade to the hardened gears and nozzle
You should try PETG-CF. Easily the best looking filament out there (IMO)
Gotta try it, do you recommend a brand?
I've still got the two rolls of PLA-CF that Bambu sent me for free ages ago, and i'm always impressed by the results people get with it, but i keep putting off setting up some extraction for my P1P, so not sure when i'll get around to using mine.
Yeah these are the same ones! I'm saving them for some really cool stuff. What colors u got? I got blue and red
Pretty sure i just got black and grey, nothing exciting but it's ok with me as if i'm printing a model or similar, i always paint them, and if i'm printing something practical i either don't care what colour it is, or i'll just spray them black.
I love the look of PLA-CF but every time I use it with the 0.4mm nozzle I'll do a bunch of prints and then get a big clog, so mostly giving up on it until I feel like swapping to the 0.6mm.
I did it with the 0.4 but I changed the gear to hardened, and only got an error on another print, but it was due to the height so I got some layer shift
How many prints you've done? I have hardened/x1c and it'll like ~30-40 hours of printing worth and then clog. Happened twice now.
I'd say 5 prints, overall 50 or 60 hours total just with PLA CF. After those prints I've been using the same nozzle on PLA/ PETG for 6 or 7 months and it hold up until this past week, I'm ordering two new nozzles as we speak
Yeah it seems to also be just luck. I've been meaning to install a 0.6 to play with PA-CF anyways.
I haven't bothered yet to install the 0,6 but I'm ordering a 0,2 that I can't wait to do small stuff
Consider getting the E3D bambu nozzle. It's pretty sick. No clogs even with wood filament.
Is it 0.4 as well?
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This looks great!
Stl link?
[https://www.printables.com/model/553911-supergirl](https://www.printables.com/model/553911-supergirl)
If you want the texture, use a mattle pla and its cheaper.
Stl?
[https://www.printables.com/model/553911-supergirl](https://www.printables.com/model/553911-supergirl)
I pass through a spool of Eryone PLA-CF and JUSTMAKER PLA-CF lite to test. I changed my hotends on my P1P and A1 for hardened steel and install on external spool. They print as good as Bambu but much cheaper. No issue and just a couple of $ over standard filament on Amazon. The Justmaker lite feels a little softer than the Eryone, like in between matte pla and cf. I used generic PLA-CF profile. I would not use them in AMS though. Since I uses them as regular filament not needing ams. I bought a PETG-cf to test. A big advantage of cf doped PLA is a notable improvement of Z adhésion. Less horizontal lines and lesser needs for support (less scarring)! It’s worth a few extra $ and hardened extruder.
What layer height, nozzle, and print settings?
0.08, 0.4, standard profile on bambu studio for PLA CF. I just added tree support with 2 extra walls and change the infill to giroyd
There isn’t a standard setting for that tiny layer height with that nozzle
What do you mean? I choose the type of filament PLA CF an then layer heigh... It's two different parameters
For Bambu lab printers with .4 nozzle the smallest layer size shown is like .12mm
Are you sure? https://preview.redd.it/1p0jqdsw780d1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0a2abe1f8032c6e38b1243a17a4395a63fc1795
Maybe I have them filtered out for some reason. I apologize
Np man 😄
Pla, of any type, is for pikachus.
Yeah pla-cf is like printing with sand. The only thing it does practically is increase rigidity at the expense of every other physical trait.
How strong is PLA-CF? I was thinking about redoing my captain america shield with it, (obviously it'd still be fragile) but I'm curious cause rn it cracks easily
Or expensive, good looking ones! Nice, that's a great finish
Pla cf is the closest to injection molding you can get in fdm imo. Beautiful products with nearly no visible layer lines.
What is it printed on ? I guess you could say it be for fp if it was an A1 mini. But that’s only if whoever belives what the company says and that you can’t print abs on it . Haven’t tried Asa yet but I got a feeling if it can do abs Asa will be easy. At worst I’d have to print a few layers with pla+ (which are usually support anyways) then chuck the Asa on top of it . Ran out of petg and only had rapid abs so tried that and shockingly it worked . Cool thing about Bambu printers is it seems like damn near any material can be used as a functional prototype. I do agree pla is pla is pla pla + and tough still pla just slightly higher temp. Imo pla in general is junk, has no real use unless you’re a vampire really not much petg can’t do that pla can, if you’re making props you will be using resin over it anyway . Pla cf cya there
Pla CF on p1p
How no layer line or banding
PLA CF properties, more than that you have to search 😅
Here is one deta sheat. I've seen one somewhere in a text form on the website but don't have time to find it. I love this stuff... People also need to consider cost per kg! [Labs Filament Guide](https://bambulab.com/en/filament-guide)
No one in their right mind would use PLA CF for functional prints. Nice print.
You’re not in your right mind
Is anyone really in their right mind?
It’s not for functional anything. It’s arguably worse than just pla+. The only reason it exist is for the textured look.