SILK PLA - Makenica - Best 3d printing services

Things that get 3D printed with Silk PLA look just as the name implies: Silky. Smooth. Luxurious. As with most things beautiful, the process of silk PLA 3D Printing service isn’t always as simple, cheap, or easy as you might want. Depending on your project, it could be very well worth the extra effort.

Makers of Silk PLA seem to be popping up from all around. Sadly, the term “all-around” also applies to the quality of these shiny new Silk filaments.

When Silk PLA behaves on the print bed, the finished parts look amazing. Most of the time you need little or no post-processing for your 3D Printing services. In fact, abrasion work like sanding or filing often destroys the surface luster.

There are plenty of complaints of poor bed adhesion, layer separation, parts being too brittle (due to poor layer adhesion), and the filament needing unusual temperature adjustments to work correctly. But, when the settings finally do get all worked out and your new parts gleam back at you with an unparalleled shine, it’s all worth it at a good 3D Printing quote.

First let’s talk about what Silk PLA is, and why it is any different from other PLA to 3D Print online. The primary ingredient of Silk PLA filament is of course, Polylactic acid. You know that PLA stuff FDM printers melt most often. The magical stuff that makes Silk PLA so shiny, pearlescent, and filled with reflective wonder is of course, not silk at all. Instead, it is polyester, among other things, that makes up roughly 10 – 20% of the magical material. Different brands use different amounts, most adding bits of other ingredients as well. These differences are why some brands tend to perform better than others for your 3D Printing companies.

Question: How can I make my Silk PLA parts look amazing?

Answer: 3 major settings that affect print quality are Temperature, Layer Height, and Print Speed.

#1: Temperature. Nearly all brands of Silk PLA recommend using 190-220c extruder temperature, and 50-60c bed temperature. There seems to be a sweet spot where it really comes together, and it is quite different for most. Some say 205c is best, others say 212c, and you might just have to determine what works best for you and your obedient robot.

Something quite unique with Silk PLA is that with most brands, the surface shine can be altered with a change in temperature. When your first spool of Silk arrives, just plan on playing with the settings for a while to get it just right. Sometimes it’s good to bump the dust off the old settings tab! Just be sure to back up your settings before going crazy. Once you get it figured out, be sure to save a settings profile to easily come back to it.

Most importantly, temperature has the strongest control of the adhesion properties of the extruding filament. Too cold and bed adhesion can seem impossible. Too hot can produce a lot of unwanted stringing. Sometimes, even when it seems to print fine the part can have really bad layer adhesion and just fall apart under very little load for 3D Printing services in India.

#2: Layer Height, or print resolution, is generally the first setting to move around when thinking about print quality while 3D Printing online. Silk PLA is different, because getting the temperature figured out first can control whether the print finishes as expected or ends up looking like a 3D bowl of spaghetti. Temperature also affects surface shine (The exact reason to use Silk PLA in the first place). For those reasons, Layer Height is less important. But with Silk PLA, printing in higher resolutions of 0.1mm and finer can really show off the shimmer and shine that you want to see.

Lower resolutions reduce printing time but remember 2 things: 1: You don’t have to be physically at the printer, turning a heavy, squeaky crank to keep it printing. 2: if manufacturing time is an issue due to deadlines and screaming customers, you can always consider reinvesting proceeds into a second printer. That is to say, quality is paramount. Or at least it should be. Resolutions of 0.1mm or less compared to anything larger look much better using any filament, but Silk PLA really ‘shines’ with high resolution. Lastly, when you consider that appearance is the primary reason to use Silk PLA in the first place, it’s hard to justify rushing the project.

#3: Print Speed. 60mm/sec is about the fastest recommended speed for acceptable quality for most machines for 3D Printing Bangalore. 30mm/sec would be about the slowest. 40-50mm/sec for the outer wall produces a high-quality surface of the print, even if the inner walls and infill are faster. These speed settings are pretty standard for most FDM printers and most filaments. Jerk settings are also quite useful for making smoother prints. Think about what makes Silk PLA so fun for 3D Printing in India: The shine. Anything you can do to make the surface smoother using print settings rather than post-processing will make a better-looking part.

Question: How does Silk PLA perform, compared to other PLA?

Answer: Most Silk filament boasts a low shrinkage rate, less warping, and less stringing. Again, printer settings play a big part in these areas. Silk PLA tends to resist bending a bit better than other PLA for online 3D Printing India but is generally more brittle. Some say the temperature resistance of Silk PLA parts is even less than normal PLA, so you should avoid using it for things that will live on your car’s dashboard. Like all other filaments for 3D Printing in India, long term performance of the unused filament can be preserved by keeping the unused spool in a sealed container away from sunlight and moisture.

Question: What’s it good for, anyway?

Answer: Absolutely something! One of the most exciting groups are cosplayers. Silk’s shine is great for accessories, decorations, accents, and costume pieces. The unfinished Silk parts fit right in as holiday ornaments, jewelry, toys, busts, and figurines.

Top 3D Printers to 3D Print with silk PLA

#1: Cc3d

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.03mm

Colors:

Silk copper

Silk orange

Silk rainbow multicolor

Silk rosy red

Silk silver

Silk silver blue

Good reviews:

Best gold color ever, according to one reviewer

Prints great at the right settings

Super shiny

Spools arrive in a vacuum sealed resealable bag

Complaints:

Brittle

Poor layer adhesion

Shrinkage

Warping

#2: TTYT3D

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.03mm

Colors:

Silk multicolored rainbow

Silk orange

Silk shine blue

Silk shine silver

Silk yellow

Silk red

Good reviews:

The multicolored rainbow filament is one of the few fast changing filaments we’ve found

Great color

Consistent color and shine across temperature range of 180-220c

The gold looks surprisingly metallic

Most reviewers are happy with the print quality

Good layer adhesion

Clean bridging

Bonus! TTYT3D is the only brand on this list that includes goodies with purchase, such as nozzle cleaning pins and filament samples

Spools arrive in a vacuum sealed re-sealable bag

Complaints:

Nozzle jamming/clogging

Layer delamination

Spool tangling

Inconsistent diameter

#3: Amolen

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.03mm

Colors:

Silk multicolor rainbow

Silk metal rainbow

Good reviews:

Prints well with the right settings

Shiny

Vibrant color

Complaints:

Brittle

#4: Sunlu

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.02mm

Colors:

Silk green

Silk black

Silk light gold

Silk silver

Silk blue

Silk red

Silk yellow

Good reviews:

Company claims strict tolerance of +-0.02mm without exaggeration

Bright, vibrant color

Great shine

Easy to use

Complaints:

A couple had problems with layer adhesion

One claimed color is inconsistent

#5: Eryone

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.05mm

Colors:

Silk gold

Silk copper

Silk blue

Silk pink

Silk silver

Good reviews:

Beautiful finish

Easy printing

Clean finished parts

Consistent

Great bed adhesion

Complaints:

Nozzle clogging

Poor bed adhesion

Layer separation

Knotting in the spool

Brittle prints

#6: Hello3D

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.05mm

Colors:

Silk gold

Good reviews:

Consistent diameter

Great color

Wide temperature range

Great bed adhesion

Good bridging

Complaints:

A bit more difficult to eliminate stringing

Layer adhesion issues when printing at cooler temps

Not as rigid as regular PLA

Poor overhang performance

#7: Sainsmart

Size: 1.75mm

 Dimensional accuracy: +-0.02mm

Colors:

Silk yellow

Good reviews:

Beautiful, vibrant color

Great looking prints

Consistent

Nicely wound spools

Easy to work with

Complaints:

Filament may be softer than normal, and may cause problems with a filament feeder drive that clamps too heavy.

#8: eSun

Size: 1.75mm

Dimensional accuracy: +-0.03mm

Colors:

Silk blue

Silk copper

Silk dark yellow

Silk green

Silk purple

Silk red

Silk silver

Silk yellow

Good reviews:

Super smooth prints

Great quality

Bright shine

Spools wound well

Not as simple to use as other PLA

Complaints:

Layer adhesion

What are the advantages of Silk PLA?

• It is significantly stronger than standard PLA, yielding not only a visually appealing print but also an impressively firm one!
• Silky shine on the full surface
• Easy transfer of the article from the bed.
• High strength
• Low melting temperature
• No shrinkage after cooling
• Easy to print

What is the Application of Silk PLA?

European manufacturers offering “silk” filaments have initiated a line of materials they call “FIBERSILK METALLIC”

Fiberlogy’s FIBERSILK METALLIC offers a remarkable gracefulness of the printouts created with it. They’re characterized by a silky metallic shine that brings out every smallest detail of a 3D model with all its bends and curves.

Its artistic value is further strengthened by a sophisticated palette of accessible colors. Fiberlogy has emerged with a big selection of lively colors for every user to go looking for something that suits them just fine. The metallic varnish makes it easy to conceal the frontiers between layers, making the whole print more consistent and passionate.

In addition to the visual advantage over traditional PLA, FIBERSILK METALLIC is additionally more durable, with high adhesion of layers. It can take heavy loads without splitting, so it returns to its original shape. The filament is both easy and safe to print.

Fiberlogy states they will provide this material in about ten different colors.

READ MORE : DISSOLVABLE FILAMENTS / PLA