PLA (FDM, Stratasys PLA)

Stratasys PLA is the maker's polylactic acid filament grade for fused deposition modeling, in which the filament is melted and extruded through a heated nozzle as stacked beads. Parts show layer lines and stair-stepping on sloped surfaces, and they are weaker across layers than within them because the bonds between beads are weaker than the beads. PLA prints with little warping, but overhangs need removable supports, and sanding or coating is used for a smooth finish. Because printed parts soften at modest temperatures, the grade serves mainly for concept models, fit-check prototypes and lightly loaded jigs and fixtures. Every value on this page is read from Stratasys' own material data sheet — quoted, cited and dated — and is the maker's statement about printed material, not a measurement by MatWorld; none has yet been reviewed by a person.