Best PLA Filament Manufacturer in the US

Monofilament Direct is a 3D printer filament manufacturer in the USA. We provide the best PLA filament, ensuring quality and consistency for your 3D printing needs. Check out our PLA filament product offerings suited for you.

1.75mm PLA

1KG PLA Spools

2.25KG PLA Spools

4.5KG PLA Spools

2.85mm PLA

1KG PLA Spools

2.25KG PLA Spools

4.5KG PLA Spools

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filament@monofilamentdirect.com

PLA Filaments for Making Excellent 3D Prints

Monofilament Direct manufactures Polylactic Acid (PLA) Filament with the highest-quality resins. With 100% virgin plastic resins, we provide PLA filaments with consistency throughout its length. 

 

We at Monofilament Direct give special attention and care in manufacturing these filaments, as if we use them for our own printers. We want our filament to be the trusted and the go-to filament for beginners, hobbyists and professionals.

Monofilament Direct PLA Printing Specifications

Printing Temperature: 180°C – 230°C
Bed Temperature: 60°C
Bed Surface Material: Blue Painters Tape, Glass, PEI, Buildtak, etc. 

How to Select the Right PLA filament?

Filament Diameter

We are offering both 1.75 mm PLA filament and 2.85 mm filament diameters for the best compatibility to any 3D printer available in the market. 

Our 1.75 mm filament is compatible with most printers in the market, while our 2.85 mm PLA works with Ultimaker and Lulzbot Printers.

Spool Weight

Monofilament Direct caters to all customers, from beginners, hobbyists, professionals, and business owners. To accommodate your filament needs, we offer spools at different sizes at 1kg, 2.5 kg, and 4.5 kg. For special orders, you can keep in touch with us in our  wholesale and bulk orders page.

1 kg (2.2 lbs) 1.75 mm PLA  1 kg (2.2 lbs) 2.85 mm PLA 
2.5 kg (5 lbs) 1.75 mm PLA 2.5 kg (5 lbs) 2.85 mm PLA
4.5 kg (10 lbs) 1.75 mm PLA 4.5 kg (10 lbs) 2.85 mm PLA

PLA Filament Color Selection

We provide 3D PLA filaments in various colors in both 1.75 and 2.85 mm:

WHITE

BLACK

NATURAL

GRAY

PINK

RED

ORANGE

YELLOW

GREEN

BLUE

VIOLET

PLA Filament Guide: Tips for 3D Printing with PLA

What is PLA?

PLA, or Polylactic Acid, is a thermoplastic material based from natural resources, such as corn and sugarcane. PLA is known for being the easiest filament to print with. 

Most 3D printers are capable of printing PLA since it prints at lower temperature and adheres to common bed surfaces. To help you start printing with PLA, below are some tips to print well with this material.

How to Print PLA

#1 Temperature

#2 Bed Adhesion

#3 Cooling

#4 Speed

Why Print PLA?

Printing with PLA gives more successful and less frustrating prints than other 3D printing materials. Since PLA is known to be the easiest filament to work with, beginning 3D printing with PLA is the best way to start with this industry.

Material Extruder Temperature, °C Bed Temperature, °C
PLA 190-220 45-60
ABS 220-250 95-110
PETG 230-250 75-90
TPU 225-245 45-60
Nylon 225-265 70-90
Polycarbonate 260-310 90-120

PLA is easy to print because it works with relatively lower temperature than other materials.  PLA starts to melt at 180°C than other materials available. The extruder hotend of 3D printers have different temperature limits, most having max temperature at 250°C. With that, all 3D printers in the market are capable of printing with PLA.

Although we recommend heating the bed at 60°C when using PLA, printing without a heated bed also works. And yes, not all 3D printers have a heated bed. Build surfaces like painter’s tape or glue-applied glass beds can hold PLA prints without heating the bed. 

For other materials, a high bed temperature is required to print them successfully. That means other materials which require heated beds at elevated temperatures are not already printable with those machines.   

Aside from that, there are other issues and conditions and requirements you have to meet with these materials. You can check out our complete filament guide for these materials.

Why Print with PLA: Benefits & Advantages

Easy to Print With

Derived from Plant Starch

Good for detailed models

Safe & doesn't emit toxic fumes

PLA vs ABS

PLA and ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) are the most common 3D printing filaments for their low cost and wide applications. However, both of them can have advantages over each, as discussed below.

PLA

Pros

Cons

ABS

Pros

Cons

What can you Print with PLA?

Given its advantages, PLA is best at printing details. Because PLA benefits from rapid cooling, you can form great models with a lot of details.

On the practical side, PLA can be used for prints that benchmark and calibrate printer settings, simple DIY Home repairs, and toys.

Architectural Models

3D Printed Architectural Model by S. Lozova / CC BY

Detailed Costume/ Props

3D printed Iron Man Mask by WLib / CC BY

Decorative Models

Action Figures

FAQ about PLA

Most frequent questions and answers

Polylactic Acid is a thermoplastic derived from natural starches mostly from corn, sugarcane, and other organic materials. It is popular as a 3D printer filament material as it prints easier than other plastic material filaments.

A PLA filament can be of good quality when:

  • The product provides sufficient information about the filament (filament diameter, spool weight, printing temperature, tolerances, etc.)
  • Filament is packaged well in vacuum-sealed bags and desiccant to avoid moisture. 
  • The filament is spooled uniformly, no tangles and bent filaments
  • When loaded to the 3D printer and extruded, it does not produce a popping sound. A popping sound would signify that the filament has been exposed to moisture.

Naturally, PLA is food safe as it is made from corn starch, unlike ABS which is not certified for the toxic chemicals present. But, since PLA can only handle up to 60°C, PLA prints are not dishwasher-friendly as it is likely to warp and be unusable.

Generally speaking, 3D printed utensils are not recommended to be in direct contact with food, because of the surface finish 3D prints have. As 3D printed parts are made layer by layer, these will create small grooves that can be a breeding ground for bacteria. 

PLA can biodegrade, but only with special digestive microbes and in certain conditions. The process to degrade PLA plastics needs a heating to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and then let it be exposed to special digestive microbes.

When your PLA filament breaks easily, your filament has absorbed moisture. Almost all filaments are hygroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture from the air. The best thing to treat brittle filaments is drying them.

PLA filament absorb moisture from the air as they are hygroscopic. They tend to absorb more moisture as compared to ABS, but less hygroscopic than more sensitive filaments like Nylon or PVA.

The ideal condition to store PLA is to keep them in an environment having 15- 20 % humidity. You can store them in a sealed filament dry box, containing desiccants to keep moisture down. Depending on where you live, you can keep your filaments well enough indoors, or you may need good air conditioning systems for your workshop or offices.

Monofilament Direct manufactures and sells their filament straight from manufacturing to consumer, eliminating additional costs for the end user. Visit our shop for our ABS and PLA filaments or contact us for custom orders, contract manufacturing, or private labeling.

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