Heat Gun For 3D Printing? All Answers

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Using PLA with an FDM 3D printer can produce excellent results. The process is fast and affordable, and PLA filament can produce functional printed parts with a good level of strength and stiffness.

But FDM also has its disadvantages. For example, this creates visible layer lines that can affect the appearance and function of printed parts. Additionally, PLA can be more difficult to process than other 3D printing materials as it cannot be smoothed out with acetone.

Luckily, there are multiple ways to smooth PLA 3D prints, from beginner-friendly techniques like sanding to more advanced methods like applying solvents. This article looks at the best ways to flatten PLA prints and show you which technique works best in a specific situation.

Untreated FDM parts have visible layer lines

How to flatten 3D prints

Although FDM parts cannot easily achieve the smoothness of, say, SLA parts, there are a number of post-processing techniques that can transform bumpy prints into smooth, rounded, and shiny parts. Some of these options involve adding material to the print (spray primer, epoxy), while others remove material (sanding, chemical smoothing).

Adding a smooth finish to PLA printed parts will obviously add more time and expense to a project, but the results are often worth it. Anti-aliasing not only improves the appearance of the prints, but also allows for less stringent printing parameters – such as a larger layer height – which in turn results in a faster print.

Below are some of the most common methods for flattening PLA prints. They should be performed after preparatory post-processing steps, i. H. manual removal of supports and large chunks of excess material.

Ribbons

The most common way to smooth PLA prints is by sanding. This method is very convenient, as it is inexpensive and safe for health. However, it’s also one of the most time-consuming ways to smooth a print and isn’t great for fine features or reaching deep crevices.

Sanding can be approached in a number of ways depending on the intended use of the parts and the desired smoothness. Large parts may require a sanding block (a piece of wood with sandpaper wrapped around it), while small parts and fine features may be amenable to nail files. Although highly efficient, electric grinders are not recommended for PLA parts because the heat they generate can melt the PLA and warp the part.

Sanding PLA parts requires different grades of sandpaper

For most prints, the sanding begins with coarse 200- or 400-grit sandpaper—either loose or wrapped around a sanding block—that is passed over the surface of the part in a circular motion to remove the most extreme protrusions. After the entire part has been sanded, a slightly finer grade of sandpaper is used, gradually working up to 3,000 grit.

While it may seem like a big undertaking, it’s worth getting the following grades of sandpaper and sanding for a few minutes with each size:

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

With the finest grit sandpaper, a small amount of water can be applied to achieve an even smoother finish.

polishing

For high gloss PLA parts, the sanding phase (which gives a smooth but matte finish) can be followed by a buffing phase using a cotton cloth and liquid plastic polish.

The technique for polishing 3D printed parts is similar to sanding: with the polish applied, the wet cloth should be moved in smooth circular motions over the surface of the part until it is smooth and shiny.

primer

Sanding alone can reduce the appearance of layer lines by scraping away the raised “steps,” but another approach is to fill in the crevices with primer spray and then sand away the excess primer. This method works well because primer is easier to sand than PLA itself.

Priming is the most time-consuming method of smoothing PLA parts, as a primer must be applied and then allowed to dry between each pass of sanding. However, it gives better results than grinding alone.

When priming a PLA print, the part is placed in a well-ventilated area and sprayed evenly with a very thin coat of primer. One or two more coats can be applied before the first sanding. It is then alternately primed and sanded and finished with 3,000 grit sandpaper.

Priming and sanding is usually followed by spray painting, as an uncoated primer is vulnerable to impact and environmental damage. Also note that very deep cavities should be filled with plastic putty rather than primer.

epoxy resin

Another type of coating used to smooth PLA parts is epoxy, which consists of two parts (resin and hardener) that must be mixed before use. Unlike aerosol primer, epoxy resin can be applied to parts with a brush and is suitable for filling even the deepest holes.

In order to ensure good adhesion of the epoxy, it is advisable to first wet-sand the PLA parts with fine-grain sandpaper. Once the part is dry, the epoxy can be applied liberally and spread evenly over the surface of the part. Additional coats of epoxy can be added until the desired smoothness is achieved.

Note that the epoxy coating may be weaker than the PLA underneath and parts of the coating may peel or chip over time.

Generic epoxies can be used, but there are also mixtures specifically designed for smoothing 3D prints, such as: B. Smooth-On XTC-3D.

solvent

One of PLA’s major drawbacks is its resistance to acetone burnishing, a relatively safe chemical burnishing process suitable for materials like ABS.[1]

PLA prints can only be chemically smoothed with stronger chemicals that require lab equipment such as nitrile gloves, safety glasses, fume hoods, and a well-ventilated environment. These chemicals will dissolve the top layer of material, resulting in a smooth surface—but they can also dissolve other things, like B. Plastic containers, work surfaces and human skin.

Experienced users can smooth PLA parts with chemicals such as tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, or chloroform.[2] However, these substances are difficult to obtain and can be dangerous to use.

A safer option is ethyl acetate, a solvent found in common nail polish remover. Nail polish remover can be applied to PLA parts with a cloth or cotton swab, but is limited in its effectiveness. In general, PLA is not very suitable for chemical straightening.

steam smoothing

A safe and effective way to chemically smooth PLA parts is to use an automated steam smoothing machine like the Polymaker Polysher, which creates an alcohol mist to gently remove the top layer of a printed part.[3]

Unfortunately, the Polysher is only compatible with Polymaker’s modified PLA products, PolySmooth and PolyCast, which dissolve in alcohol.

Smooth with heat gun

While not the most precise way to smooth printed objects, using a heat gun to melt the outside surface of a part is a quick and easy way to remove layer lines. A heat gun is a device similar to a hair dryer but capable of reaching much higher temperatures.

When using a heat gun to flatten PLA parts, it’s important to move the heat gun evenly to ensure even heating across the part surface (or place the part on a spinning platen and keep the heat gun steady).

This technique only works on medium or large sized parts that do not have fine features or hollow profiles.

Conclusion

As we have seen, there are several ways to smooth PLA prints and reduce the appearance of layer lines. Choosing the right smoothing method (or methods) depends on the nature of the 3D printing project and your priorities. In general we would recommend:

Priming and sanding for most PLA parts – effective, safe, inexpensive

Epoxy resin or polishing for cosmetic parts – high gloss finish

Steam or heat gun smoothing for quick parts – fast, least labor intensive

Alternatively, resin 3D printing technologies like SLA and DLP, while more expensive than FDM, are much better at producing smooth parts with no layer lines.

references

[1] Tuazon BJ, Espino MT, Dizon JR. Investigation of the effects of acetone vapor polishing on the fracture behavior of ABS printing materials at different operating temperatures. In Materials Science Forum 2020 (Vol. 1005, pp. 141-149). Trans Tech Publications Ltd.

[2] Zhang B. Does acetone dissolve PLA? [Internet]. EcoReprap. 2021 [cited March 1, 2022]. Available at: https://ecoreprap.com/dissolve-pla/

[3] Kočí J. Enhance your 3D prints with chemical smoothing [Internet]. PrusaPrinters blog. 2020 [cited March 1, 2022]. Available at: https://blog.prusaprinters.org/improve-your-3d-prints-with-chemical-smoothing_36268/

Everyone has a time when prints come out perfect, but what if there are imperfections. I’ve experienced 3D printed walls not being smooth and I’m sure many of you out there have too, so this article will cover how to fix this problem.

The best way to fix 3D printed walls that aren’t smooth is to identify over- or under-extrusion issues and address them by changing settings like retracting or lowering the print temperature. Fixing vibration issues can solve walls that are not smooth.

Therefore, the smoothness of a finished product is really important if you want it to stand out from the rest. When it comes to 3D printing and prototyping, you want the same for your printed model.

Sometimes this will not be easy to achieve. If you’re encountering this problem with your model, here’s everything you need to know to fix it.

Causes and solutions for non-smooth walls

There are a number of possible reasons why your walls are not smooth. Overall, these have to do with how your printer extrudes material. It only takes one imperfection in a 3D print to ruin the overall quality of it.

ghosting/rippling

When walls aren’t smooth, it’s one of the main reasons people experience ghosting or rippling. This happens when your printer moves too fast, at a pace it can’t handle the vibrations emanating from the fast-moving, heavy parts.

Your 3D printer needs to be stable and not too heavy in the wrong places to avoid ghosting. I actually wrote a pretty useful article on how to fix ghosting, so feel free to check it out.

This appears visually as ripples and other irregular patterns forming on the surface of the print, ruining its smooth finish.

The vibration of the printer caused by the motor is one of the problems that 3D printer manufacturers are making great efforts to solve.

Because of this, most high-precision printers weigh a lot. The reason is simple; Increasing the stability of the printer’s moving parts can reduce vibration.

Adding weights in the right places of a moving part can eliminate found instabilities. These parts are tightly packed inside the printer.

So if a part is loose, it can cause vibration. Fastening the screws and straps can prevent this problem and replace worn ones.

One important thing to keep in mind when printing is to place it on a solid tabletop. Wobbly tables can amplify the suppressed vibrations and feed them back into the printer.

If the speed is too high for your printer; reduce to avoid vibration. Check that the printer’s bearings and other moving parts operate smoothly and smoothly.

If that’s the problem, you need to lubricate those parts.

Once you solve this problem, it should stop the imperfection of uneven and wavy lines in your prints that cause walls to not be smooth.

Find the right extrusion rate for printing

One of the most important factors that determines the precision and quality of a print is the extrusion rate.

For a print to look smooth and delicate, a sufficient amount of material should be extruded through the nozzle. There are two main types of extrusion problems, over-extrusion and under-extrusion.

I will explain these two types and advise you how to fix them.

overextrusion

This happens when the printer extrudes more material than required. This leads to excess material that can ruin the dimension of the model.

Each layer of the model can be seen separately on the surface, which protrudes as irregular shapes. This can be solved in the printing software by adjusting the extrusion rate.

The parameter that determines the extrusion rate is the extrusion multiplier. Decreasing the extrusion multiplier should fix this issue.

If the problem persists, the problem is with the extrusion temperature. If the extrusion is too high, the plastic will become less viscous (it will flow more easily), which can lead to over-extrusion.

This can cause plastic beads to ooze out of the surface and destroy its smoothness.

under extrusion

This occurs when the extrusion rate is lower than required. Lack of material during printing can result in imperfect surfaces with gaps between layers.

This can be caused by using the wrong diameter filament. If the diameter of the filament fed into the printer is smaller than the expected value, it will result in under-extrusion.

You can prevent this by using the correct diameter filament for printing, or this can be fixed with the 3D printer software by increasing the parameter called the extrusion multiplier.

overheating of the material

The temperature at which the plastic exits the nozzle and the rate at which it cools are the two important factors that determine how good a print will be.

Achieving a correct balance between the two factors results in a print with a good finish. The currently printed plastic is still hot and may take on other shapes until cool.

After cooling, it will keep the shape it was printed in. If the temperature is too high during the printing time, it will take longer to adjust.

Without adequate cooling, the setting time will be further extended. Hot plastic tends to flow and a longer setting time is sufficient to cause slight deformation.

This will most likely cause the print model to lose smoothness. It is considered more important when printing smaller models.

This is because smaller models take less time to print each of their layers, meaning the new layer will be printed on top of a layer that isn’t properly set.

Some common solutions to avoid overheating are lowering the print temperature, increasing the cooling rate (increasing the fan speed), or reducing the print speed to give it time to cure.

Tweak these parameters until you find the perfect conditions to print a smooth-surfaced model.

If you’ve tried your best and are still encountering some minor issues, it’s best to print many parts at once. This gives other parts time to cool while one part is being printed.

Remember that different materials require different cooling and setting times. So when you change filament, you need to retest these factors. PLA usually needs good cooling for smooth walls and high quality.

ABS, on the other hand, reacts fairly poorly to large temperature changes, so cooling must be less important, along with a fairly constant print temperature. These settings vary from brand to brand, material to material, and even printer to printer.

Blobs and pimples formed on the surface

If you’re trying to connect two ends of a plastic structure together, it’s almost impossible to do so without leaving a trace.

3D printers also have this problem. During printing, the extruder must stop extruding as it moves from one position to another on the build platform, and start extruding again from that position.

As extrusion stops and starts, this can result in inappropriate flow rates, creating irregular joints and structures at those locations.

This is called blobs and pimples and can ruin the texture of the surface. These are usually considered surface defects as they are caused when the outline is printed.

This can be prevented by adjusting the retract or overtravel settings in the 3D printer software. If your retract settings are not set correctly, you may be removing too much plastic from the pressure chamber.

After your print attempts to re-extrude material, there may be a small gap between the melted material and the nozzle tip. This means that the lack of pressure to extrude will result in under-extrusion and result in inconsistent flow rates.

A good retract setting for you is 5mm retract lengths at a speed of 40mm/s.

Ironing the print surface

This is a feature only available on some 3D printers. In this process, a slightly heated printhead moves across the finished model to heat the plastic and reshape any imperfections that may be present, creating a smooth surface.

During the ironing process, small amounts of plastic can extrude and be deposited on the surface.

Getting smooth PLA is the desire of many users including myself, so I was wondering what is the best way to smooth/dissolve PLA filament 3D prints.

The best way to smooth or dissolve PLA is to use ethyl acetate as it has been shown to work well but is potentially carcinogenic and teratogenic and is also fairly easily absorbed through the skin. Acetone has been tested by some with mixed results. The purer the PLA, the less acetone has a smoothing effect.

Read on to learn the details behind unraveling your PLA filament and making it much smoother than right after lifting it off the print bed.

Which solvent dissolves or flattens PLA plastic filaments?

Well, it’s simple, PLA plastic filaments can have some imperfections and manufacturing layers during processing. Smoothing out the finished product will prevent these imperfections from ruining the finished work.

A solvent that has become popular for dissolving PLA filaments is DCM (dichloromethane). It is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor. Although DCM does not mix well with water, it does mix well with many other organic solvents.

It is an instant solvent for PLA and PLA+. Once the liquid has evaporated from the surface of the PLA, a seamless and clean print is revealed.

However, due to its volatility, DCM is not as popular with printers working in 3D. It can damage skin if exposed, and it can also damage plastics, epoxies, even paintings and coatings, so you should definitely take precautions when using it.

It’s also quite toxic, so be sure to wear protective clothing if you decide to try it.

Acetone is also sometimes used to dissolve PLA. In general, PLA in its pure form does not react with acetone. This means PLA cannot be smoothed with acetone unless mixed with another type of plastic.

This doesn’t mean that acetone still doesn’t work well on PLA when mixed. What can help is modifying the PLA by adding additives for the acetone to bond with.

This helps the acetone bond better and of course doesn’t detract from the overall appearance of the 3D print.

Tetrahydrofuran, also known as oxolane, can also be used to completely dissolve PLA. However, just like DCM, it is very dangerous and not recommended for personal use.

A great option to try when trying to smooth out your PLA print is ethyl acetate. It is primarily a solvent and diluent. Ethyl acetate is a preferred option over DCM and acetone due to its low toxicity, cheapness, and good smell.

It is commonly used in nail polish removers, perfumes, confectionery, decaffeinated coffee beans and tea leaves. The fact that ethyl acetate evaporates easily also makes it a great option.

Once the PLA was properly cleaned, it evaporated into the air.

Caustic soda was mentioned to flatten PLA as an affordable and available option. Caustic soda, also known as sodium hydroxide, can degrade PLA but will not properly dissolve PLA if not given enough time and agitation.

It would hydrolyze the PLA instead of flattening it, so most likely it won’t work.

It acts as a sodium hydroxide base and helps break down PLA. However, like most of the solvents mentioned above, it is also very toxic and harmful to the body.

Does PLA dissolve in acetone, bleach, or isopropyl alcohol?

Although many people use acetone, bleach, or even isopropyl alcohol when trying to dissolve PLA, these chemicals are not 100% effective. Acetone, for one, softens PLA but also makes it more sticky, leading to a buildup of residue once dissolution is complete.

If you want to weld two surfaces together you can use acetone, but if you are thinking of complete dissolution you can try other types of solvents.

With isopropyl alcohol, not all PLA will dissolve in this solvent. There is specially made Polymaker brand PLA that can be dissolved in isopropyl alcohol. Before you try it, you should consider what kind of PLA will be printed.

How to properly flatten PLA 3D prints without sanding

Sanding is often the preferred method for smoothing PLA since many solvents are either toxic, unavailable, or harmful to the body. One method to try if you don’t want to sand or stain with chemicals is heat straightening.

This works by heating the PLA print to fairly high heat for a short period of time.

While this method has proven effective at smoothing, the downside is that in most cases the heat is distributed unevenly around the print, resulting in some parts being overheated while others underheated.

The overheated parts can melt or bubble and destroy the model.

A heat gun is very ideal and can solve the above problem.

This means that the PLA filament heats up in a shorter time and more evenly. You can achieve smoother PLA printing with this heat gun. Many people have tried using an open flame to flatten PLA, but the result is always a damaged or discolored print.

A heat gun is more ideal because the temperature can be controlled according to the smoothing needs of the print. The trick with heat guns is to just melt the surface and let it cool.

Do not melt the print to the point where the internal structure begins to sag as this can damage the print.

A great heat gun that many 3D printer users use is the Wagner Spraytech HT1000 heat gun from Amazon. It has 2 temperature settings at 750ᵒF and 1,000ᵒF and two fan speeds to have more control over your usage.

In addition to 3D printing applications, e.g. B. removing discoloration on prints, melting threads instantly and heating smooth objects, it has many other uses, e.g.

Another thing that works great for smoothing PLA is epoxies. These are compounds used in the manufacture of paints, varnishes and primers.

Their success in PLA smoothing stems from the fact that they have the ability to seal PLA prints in either a porous or semi-porous manner. To achieve a perfect finish, many 3D printing enthusiasts add grinding to the process.

However, when done well, epoxy coatings can still give a great end result. Make sure the PLA print is cool and heat the epoxy liquid until it is viscous enough to work with.

I wrote a little more detail about this process in this article How to Finish and Flatten 3D Printed Parts: PLA and ABS.

This is to ensure that both the print and the epoxy are as smooth as possible before you begin the process. Submerge the print in the epoxy and make sure it is completely soaked before removing it.

Let it dry and you should have a smooth PLA print.

The usual choice for smoothing your 3D prints without sanding is Amazon’s XTC 3D high performance coating. It is compatible with filament and resin 3D prints.

This coating fills those gaps, cracks and unwanted seams in your 3D prints and gives them a nice shine after drying. You’ll be amazed at how well this works and why you may never have heard of it!

In summary, there are many methods of dissolving or smoothing PLA depending on the need and required finishing.

If you do decide to try any of the solvents, make sure you are properly protected, as the fumes from many of them can cause nose, eye, and skin irritation.

A combination of heat smoothing and epoxy coating are great methods to try if you want a clean, glossy PLA print with no sanding.

Do your prints need to look super smooth? Or maybe you just want to get rid of those layer lines to make your print look more “factory finished”?

For any 3D printing material that cannot be smoothed with acetone, this quick guide is for you.

This is one of our favorite techniques when smoothing PLA prints: how to polish PLA 3D prints to a shine you won’t believe was ever 3D printed.

And we really are talking about professional smoothing.

The best way to flatten 3D prints compared to other PLA finishing techniques

Can PLA be smoothed with acetone?

It’s often said that ABS is easy to smooth (with acetone baths and similar methods), but what about PLA acetone smoothing?

Most PLAs and similar non-acetone 3D printer filaments cannot be straightened in the same way as ABS. This is because PLA in its pure form does not react with acetone.

If the smoothing works with PLA and acetone, it is due to other materials that are added to the PLA. You will usually find that very cheap PLAs that have been mixed with cheaper plastics to form a less pure PLA can sometimes be smoothed out with acetone.

Or at the other end of the scale, modified PLAs with additives can allow for vapor smoothing PLA, or at least acetone-bonded PLA.

In general, the purer the PLA, the less acetone affects it. We should perhaps note here: Our standard PLA does not become acetone smooth, which is why we have mastered this new technique!

Read on to learn how to grind 3D prints – it’s easy with the right technique.

We also have an article on acetone smoothing ABS and ASA

Sometimes PLA vapor smoothing can be achieved with ethyl acetate or even tetrahydrofuran (THF), but we strongly advise against using any of these chemicals. They are dangerous, the effect only works with some PLAs and you can lose a lot of details.

We recommend finishing PLA prints using the technique we describe here for your most valuable prints as this may take a little time. Also, this technique for smoothing 3D prints (with PLA filament) doesn’t work that well for very complicated prints.

Here’s a closeup of the finished effect. The gold filament is gold/bronze PLA. This is a 6cm 3D bench for scale and we have only smoothed one side of the fuselage for comparison.

This is a smooth PLA print! Honestly it’s like glass!

How to flatten PLA prints: what you need

We come clean – this guide to smoothing PLA is accomplished primarily by sanding 3D printed parts.

When sanding PLA and other lower temperature materials, it’s important not to be tempted to use a powered sander. The heat generated will warp the outer layers of your print.

It’s worth noting that not all PLA are created equal. Inferior PLA cannot be sanded as easily as higher-quality ones. So when you grind PLA, you save yourself the hassle of printing with high-quality filament.

Now for the grinding. To start you will need a selection of fine grit sandpaper.

We recommend the following grits when sanding 3D prints (and if you want a really smooth finish like above, we recommend not skipping any steps): 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500 and finally 3000 .

Don’t worry: this sounds like a lot of work – but if your print already has a nice finish, each layer will only take a few minutes.

It’s best to use wet and dry paper (black grit versus beige effect) when sanding 3D prints, especially with PLA, because sanding quickly can cause heat to build up and interfere with the smooth surface you’re trying to achieve.

Wetting the glass paper lubricates and cools the surface when sanding PLA prints.

This is not as necessary when smoothing higher temperature 3D printed materials, but is still advisable.

1. Starting with the coarsest sandpaper (about 200 grit), sand and smooth the surface until you no longer feel print layer lines.

You need to sand in a circular motion as you don’t want to leave lines from the sandpaper on the surface later.

This is what your print will look like after using 400 grit sandpaper; You can’t see the level lines

2. Begin scaling the grit count. Once you get an acceptable result at 200 or 400, move up and gradually smooth out the pressure. Don’t save time sanding them down in those early stages, it saves more work shift (and get on with the circular motion).

Try to pay attention to details so you don’t lose definition as you proceed.

The good news is that with each finer grit, you don’t have to spend as much time sanding that layer.

After using 1000 grit sandpaper it starts to look really smooth

3. Continue working up the sizes, from 400 to 600, then to 800 and up. Don’t miss any steps when you reach 2000.

It’s going to be really smooth to the touch and polish well at that level – but if you want a 3D printed finish like a mirror you’ll need to build to 3000.

Here we are at 3000 grit; You can see the shine before you’ve polished

4. The last (and funniest) part is when you can actually start polishing PLA prints. Layering up those sandpaper increments doesn’t feel like you’ve made much progress, but once you’ve buffed it the final finish looks great.

How to smooth highly polished 3D prints? Well we’ve found that all you need is a good liquid metal polish. Our favorite is the old faithful Brasso.

The technique for polishing your prints is simple. Take a soft cotton cloth and apply a small amount of liquid polish. Then apply to your 3D printed surface in small circles until all of the polish is rubbed into the surface.

Once you’re done with that, the surface should look reasonably shiny. The final stage is to buff the surface to that mirror-polished shine.

Simply take an unused area of ​​your cloth with no polish and go over the area you just worked on again to bring it to a high shine. And that’s it.

Here’s a before and after reminder of the technique:

I hope you found this guide on smoothing 3D prints useful.

Check out our extensive, comprehensive guide to even more professional 3D printing finishing techniques here. You will also find painting techniques to make these movie quality replicas.

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Author: Matt Tyson/Monday, May 21, 2018/Categories: User Manuals, Materials Manuals, PLA

Author’s Note Thank you for taking the time to read our guide to 3D printing PLA. This article was written to provide both printing and troubleshooting tips, as well as tips for post-printing processes such as varnishing and removing supports. We’ve highlighted important topics with an asterisk (*) so please don’t feel intimidated as sections in this guide may not be relevant to everyone, – Matt Tyson, 3D Printing Solutions This user guide was last updated on October 7th, 2019

With a variety of mixtures that have different mechanical properties, a wide range of colors and excellent resistance to warping; PLA has become one of the most popular 3D printing materials due to its low printing requirements and excellent dimensional stability.

Contents:

introduction

What is PLA?

Requirements *

printer settings

Feed path and winding

Load and unload filament *

Lying surface *

Bed Leveling & Nozzle Height *

preheat

enclosure

filament storage

printer settings

nozzle temperature *

bed temperature *

cooling *

rafts

Supports

reprint

Removing a print after completion

Remove level lines

painting

To join

Troubleshooting

Clogged nozzle / filament jam

heat creep

forgiven

Poor layer adhesion

Parts difficult to remove from platform

Filament links

Buy or find out more about PLA filaments

introduction

What is PLA?

PLA (polylactic acid) is a semi-crystalline plastic and is one of the most popular and easiest materials to print due to its accessibility and minimal printing requirements. PLA is a biodegradable and recyclable plastic, and PLA filament comes in a variety of colors, including opaque and translucent options.

There are of course many types of PLA that can offer different properties.

PLA (aka regular PLA) is a rigid material that exhibits high stiffness/modulus, but its low impact strength limits its overall applications. One of the advantages of regular PLA is that it’s easy to 3D print with almost no warping, making it a viable choice for large demonstration pieces, architectural models, and product design. PLA has low chemical resistance and low temperature resistance, softening at 60 °C (glass transition and Vicat temperature).

PLA+ materials are modified PLA materials that have improved mechanical performance compared to regular PLA. The term PLA+ can have different meanings, but in general PLA+ materials offer some improvement over the already high tensile strength of regular PLA.

PolyMax™ PLA is a nano-reinforced PLA material that has superior impact strength and ductility compared to ABS, PLA+, and regular PLA filaments.

With toughness/impact strength 20% stronger than ABS, and near zero warpage, low odor and low residual stress during printing, PolyMax™ PLA is a suitable replacement for ABS for many applications. Removing supports and rafts is easier compared to PLA+ and regular PLA materials.

There is also a wide range of PLA filaments made with compounds and additives. These composites range from glow in the dark, chopped wood or metal to carbon fiber.

Filaments made with these composites are highly abrasive and will damage the nozzle. For most users, we recommend avoiding PLA materials that use these abrasive composites and opting for alternative materials, as the benefits don’t always outweigh the hassle. For example, printing with a wood-like PLA filament that does not contain real wood improves the user experience.

Requirements * Most desktop 3D printers are capable of printing PLA out of the box. We recommend only printing with a high quality PLA filament. Minimum extruder temperature – 190°C (±10°C) is required (correct temperature depends on your printer)

Heated Bed – Not required on some machines, but low to moderate bed temperatures are certainly beneficial!

Enclosure – PLA has great dimensional stability, but an enclosure protects the print from drafts.

Partial Cooling Fan – The ability to control the cooling fan is recommended.

Feeding / Spooling – No special requirements.

Other notes – N/A Most 3D printing slicers (software) come with a pre-configured PLA profile. The accuracy of this profile may vary depending on whether you are using 1st or 3rd party filament, but we recommend choosing this profile first and making the necessary adjustments covered in this article.

printer settings

Feed path and winding

PLA has no specific delivery route requirements.

As a general tip, we recommend avoiding long and complicated feed paths that can cause bends in the filament, as this can cause tension on the filament, which can cause feeding and extrusion difficulties.

If you usually have problems with moisture in your filament, you can read our tips and comments on filament storage to see if a dry box is beneficial.

Load and unload filament *

Switch between two PLA materials:

If the printer is currently loaded with a PLA material, unload that material at 200-210°C and extrude your PLA filament at the same temperature. Stop extruding the PLA filament after the previous color is completely removed.

Changing from a higher temperature material:

If the printer is currently loaded with a higher temperature material (e.g. ABS), unload that material at its recommended print temperature and then load and extrude your PLA filament at the same higher temperature. It is important to load the PLA at this higher temperature so that the previous material can be pushed out. Stop extruding the PLA filament after the previous material has been completely removed.

Changing from a lower temperature material:

If the printer is currently loaded with another lower temperature material, unload that material at its recommended print temperature and then load and extrude your PLA filament at 200-210°C. Stop extruding the PLA filament after the previous material has been completely removed.

Lying surface *

PLA is one of the easiest materials to print and adheres to most printing surfaces. With PLA, we recommend trying the surface your 3D printer was designed for first.

Platform Material Recommended Finishes Glass Bed Most Popular – Directly to Glass Bed with Glue Other Options – Buildtak or FlashForge Style Sheet | PEI film | Blue painter’s tape Aluminum bed Most popular – Buildtak or FlashForge style sheet Other options – PEI sheet | Perforated board with blue tape Most popular – direct to perforated board Blue tape

Bed Leveling & Nozzle Height*

When printing PLA, it is important that your first layer adheres to the print bed.

Your bed must be properly level.

Your nozzle height must be set correctly. (distance between nozzle and bed)

The ideal nozzle-to-bed distance is typically 0.1mm, which is the thickness of two sheets of paper. When changing between bed surfaces, it is important to re-adjust the nozzle height to compensate for the additional thickness of the bed surface.

preheat

When printing PLA, preheating the heated bed is not necessary.

enclosure

An enclosure is not required when printing PLA, but can be beneficial to protect your 3D print from drafts and external temperature changes.

If your 3D printer is locked and you have the option to open the top lid, we recommend doing so. Leaving the lid open will prevent the PLA filament from softening too quickly, this is especially important during the summer months.

filament storage

When not in use, PLA should be protected from sunlight and stored in a resealable bag with desiccant.

Like many other plastics, PLA is a slightly hygroscopic material that absorbs moisture from its surroundings over time. This process typically takes place over a period of months, however, in high humidity environments (e.g. evaporative air conditioning) this process can occur faster.

Printing with a dry box is generally (in most cases) not a critical requirement for printing PLA, but a dry box can be beneficial and ensure consistent print quality and mechanical results across the entire spool.

Effects of Humidity:

As the filament passes the hot end, the moisture expands rapidly, creating bubbles between layers, poor layer adhesion, uneven extrusion due to material expansion, and thus poor surface quality.

Prevent moisture absorption:

To eliminate all possibility of moisture affecting your 3D prints, you need to store and print your PLA materials in their optimal environment (below 20% humidity) to prevent moisture absorption.

Some users simply dry their filament before use, but over-drying will degrade the filament. We recommend storing all filament in a resealable bag with desiccant when not in use and we recommend using a filament drying box such as the PolyBox™ when printing. The PolyBox™ is a spool holder/dry box that keeps filaments in their optimal environment during printing.

Remove Moisture:

If your filament has absorbed moisture, it can be dried in a convection oven. Visit our “Beginner’s Guide to Humidity, Drying, and Filament Storage” for recommended drying times.

printer settings

nozzle temperature *

PLA prints at a relatively low temperature, typically between 190°C and 220°C.

The optimal printing temperature of a PLA filament varies depending on the printer used and, more importantly, between filament brands. To find the optimal nozzle temperature, we recommend starting with a temperature right in the middle of the manufacturer’s suggested settings. If the manufacturer recommends 190°C – 220°C, then printing at 205°C is a good starting point. Depending on the print quality, we recommend an adjustment of ± 5 °C.

Troubleshoot nozzle temperature

If the nozzle temperature is too high, you may experience streaking/stringing on the printing surface, hard-to-remove and fused substrate, sagging and poor surface quality on overhangs, and a noticeable odor during printing.

If the nozzle temperature is not high enough, you may experience compromised mechanical properties due to poor layer adhesion, under-extrusion (uneven/rough surface quality) and if the filament does not melt fast enough; nozzle clogs.

bed temperature *

PLA can be printed without a heatbed, but a heatbed at 60°C is recommended for best results. Success without a heated bed depends on your print surface, print environment, and model size.

When printing with a heated bed, DO NOT exceed temperatures above 70°C unless specified by the manufacturer, as this can cause most PLA filament to crystallize quickly and actually cause warping.

cooling *

When printing PLA, it is best to print with the cooling fan on. The fan solidifies the plastic faster, which helps improve the print quality of PLA.

Adequate cooling is also important when printing complex models with unsupported overhangs. To improve the print quality of the overhangs, you can orient the model so that the overhangs face the cooling fan.

rafts

Rafting is generally not required when printing PLA materials, however manufacturers may recommend a raft with some leveling systems to balance and improve bed adhesion.

Supports

When printing PLA, supports can either be printed in PLA or with a second dedicated support material. Printing with a secondary material requires a printer capable of multi-material/dual-extrusion printing.

PLA Supports – Most users own 3D printers with an extruder, so they print their model and supports from the same material. If you print both the supports and the model in PLA, the supports will be harder to remove than with an ABS plastic, but should still come off cleanly.

Soluble Supports – PLA can be printed with a secondary support material that is engineered to dissolve in a liquid or solvent. Soluble support materials enable users to print complex geometries with excellent surface finish on sub-surfaces. PVA is the most popular soluble carrier for PLA because it can be dissolved in water.

When using soluble supports, we recommend not leaving a gap (z-distance) between the model and supports.

Break-Away Supports – PLA can be printed with a secondary material that is designed to break away easily. Break-away supports reduce the risk of model damage that can occur when manually removing supports.

Support Troubleshooting – If the supports are merging with the model, try reducing the printing temperature by -5°C or increasing the distance between the model and the supports.

If your supports fail/collapse during printing, try increasing the support density and printing with a raft. This improves the adhesion of the supports.

After 3D printing

Removing a print after completion

Once your 3D print is complete, it can be removed from the build plate. The best method for removing your PLA 3D prints depends on your build platform, with some of these methods being specific to removing PLA prints.

Rigid build platform

On rigid build platforms like glass or aluminum, a sharp paint scraper can be used to easily remove the model.

Some printers are designed so that the platform can be removed from the bed, while other printers allow the build platform to be secured inside the printer. When the platform is fixed, we recommend supporting the platform with the second hand to avoid uneven pressure on the bed, which could affect the leveling of the bed.

Flexible build platform

Some printers on the market print on flexible build plates. These platforms allow users to flex the plate to remove prints.

Click here if you are having trouble removing printouts from the build tray.

Remove level lines

Like other materials, PLA can be post-processed after printing to remove layer lines and achieve a smooth surface. Additionally, printing at finer resolutions and using a fill primer can drastically reduce sanding/post-processing time.

PLA can also be chemically smoothed, but the chemicals involved in the process are incredibly dangerous and known to be carcinogenic. The process of chemically smoothing PLA is not recommended by 3D Printing Solutions and should only be explored by industrial customers willing to comply with all strict safety precautions.

painting

PLA plastics can easily be painted with acrylic and enamel based paints. Removing layer lines and cleaning the model before painting is recommended.

To join

Parts printed in PLA can be joined using a variety of techniques

Glue

Gluing parts printed in PLA is easy, with your choice of super glue, gorilla glue, and two-part epoxies. In our experience, two-part epoxy is the best adhesive for PLA. We also recommend sanding the contact surfaces with a coarse sandpaper to increase the surface area for the glue, this will result in a stronger bond.

friction welding

Friction welding involves welding two 3D printed parts together using a short piece of PLA filament and a rotating Dremel tool. This technique is incredibly simple and an effective way to create strong connections between your printed parts.

1. Cut a short length of PLA filament and load the filament into the rotary Dremel tool.

2. Turn on the rotary Dremel tool and insert the spinning filament where your two parts meet.

3. The friction of the rotating filament cuts a deep channel between the seam and the melt; Merging the two parts together.

4. Continue this process with a new cut of PLA filament, experimenting with different directions, pressures, and speeds to find the optimal technique for your tool.

Both 1.75mm and 2.85mm filament can be used for friction welding, but this depends on the rotating Dremel tool chuck. Using 2.85mm filament is ideal for this technique as the thicker diameter allows you to cut longer rods of filament, speeding up the process. 1.75mm filament can also be used, but shorter rods must be cut to avoid breaking the filament.

In our experience gluing two parts together and then friction welding the surfaces gives the strongest bond, these weld marks can later be ground down and any indentations in the surface filled with Plasti Bond.

Troubleshooting

Clogged nozzle / filament jam

Filament jams or nozzle clogs can occur in 3D printing, these clogs can be caused by a variety of reasons.

Causes and measures to avoid nozzle clogging and filament jams.

In all of these cases, if the filament cannot pass the extruder, the extruder gear will keep trying to push the filament and will eventually “chew” the filament out. If you hear a clicking or clanking noise from the extruder, this is a good sign that the filament is, or will be, jammed if ignored.

If your extruder temperature is too low during printing, the PLA filament will not flow and will have difficulty extruding. Printing with the correct nozzle temperature solves this problem.

When the filament softens at the hot end, the extruder “chews” the filament out, causing a nozzle jam. This problem is called heat creep. Click here to learn more about this issue.

If the filament rubs too hard, the extruder may have trouble feeding the plastic. Try feeding the filament with a spool holder in different positions (above, beside, behind the printer).

If the nozzle height is set too close to the bed, the filament will have difficulty feeding through the nozzle, eventually leading to filament jamming. When printing with finer layer heights (0.1 and 0.05 mm) the correct nozzle height is even more important. To avoid this problem, it is important to print with a level print bed and the correct nozzle height.

If the part warps or lifts off the bed, the part will push against the die, limiting extrusion and material flow. In this case, it is important to prevent the part from warping.

Filled PLA materials (CF, metal filled, etc.) are commonly known to cause nozzle clogs. It is recommended to print with a different PLA material or to clean and keep some spare nozzles.

Nozzle clogs can occur more frequently with finer nozzles. Most 3D printers come with 0.4mm nozzles. When printing or experimenting with a smaller nozzle (0.2mm) it is important to adjust the print speed and extrusion settings

If the filament is of poor quality, oval shaped, or made with an inconsistent diameter, this can cause the filament to jam in the extruder. The industry standard for filament tolerance is ±0.05mm. If the filament is 1.75mm long, an acceptable diameter variance would be between 1.70 and 1.80mm. Premium and higher end brands can offer ±0.02mm tolerance. If you’re having trouble printing PLA with only certain brands of filament, it could indicate a quality control issue or it could also be related to heat creep.

Clearing a PLA nozzle blockage

If the nozzle is clogged with PLA, one of the most successful solutions is to run a higher temperature, tougher/harder material (e.g. PC) through the extruder. In most cases, the properties of the tougher material and its higher printing temperature help to clean and remove the clogged PLA plastic. It is important to feed the tougher material at the required print temperature, for PC this is 250°C, and to push the filament into the extruder during this process.

If you are unable to unclog the PLA plastic from the nozzle, we recommend replacing it with a replacement nozzle.

heat creep

What is heat creep?

Some users are having difficulty printing PLA due to an issue known as heat creep. Essentially, this problem is caused when heat creeps up the extruder to the extruder gear and softens the filament. Instead of the gear grabbing the filament and pushing it through the hot end, it will chew the filament out.

Heat creep affects lower temperature materials like PLA due to their low softening point of 60°C, and the problem is with printers designed to print high temperature materials, dual-extruder printers that leave a section of filament unused for a long time, or cheap 3D printers more prominent with poorly designed extruders.

Solutions to avoid heat creep.

The first step is to make sure the extruder fan is on and cooling the extruder as intended. When the printer is closed, printing with the front doors and top doors open can help prevent the filament from softening near the extruder gear.

This problem is also more common when printing part models with retraction. The filament is fed past the extruder gear multiple times with each retraction, making it much easier for the extruder gear to “chew” the filament out. Printing simple parts with little or no retraction is more likely to be successful since the filament only passes the gear once.

This problem can sometimes be overcome with a different PLA material as well. All of Polymaker’s PLA-based materials (PolyLite™ PLA, PolyMax PLA, PolyWood™) are manufactured using an innovative Jam-Free™ technology that improves the heat stability of the PLA filament. As a result, Polymakers PLA filaments have a high softening temperature of more than 140°C, so the filament never softens at the “cold end” during printing and can quickly melt upon entering the heating zone. It is important to note that parts printed with Polymaker PLA filament will still exhibit the same heat resistance as other PLA materials

forgiven

PLA materials are considered one of the easiest materials to print due to their near-zero warping and excellent dimensional stability. In some rare cases it is possible for PLA materials to warp or lift. Let’s look at why PLA shouldn’t warp and what can cause PLA prints to warp or lift off the bed.

Simply put, warping is caused by internal stresses in the 3D printed part; This internal stress can be generated in two ways in semi-crystalline materials.

1. As the filament is extruded through the small diameter of the nozzle, the filament’s polymer chain is stretched and wants to return to its “normal” state, much like a stretched rubber band returns to its position when it is released and curls/puckers . At temperatures moderately close to the material’s glass transition temperature (tg), the polymer chain “relaxes”, relieving internal stress and preventing warping. Due to PLA’s low (tg) temperature (60 °C), PLA should print at room temperature with minimal / almost zero internal stress.

2. Like many other plastics (e.g. nylon, PEEK), PLA is a semi-crystalline plastic. Especially due to the crystallization behavior during printing, internal stresses can arise that lead to distortion and cracking. When it comes to printing PLA at room temperature, the residual stress caused by crystallization behavior should be minimal due to the way the material crystallizes.

So if PLA materials generally print with low residual and residual stresses, why can they warp?

prevent delay.

Printing with a heated bed at 60°C can help improve adhesion and heat up the surrounding area, ultimately minimizing warping and improving print consistency.

Alternatively, note that printing with a bed temperature that is too high can also cause models to warp. If the heatbed is too hot, the PLA will crystallize and warp during printing. For this reason, we recommend never setting the heatbed for PLA above 60°C, unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer.

The most common reason for PLA parts warping or lifting during printing is poor bed adhesion or incorrect nozzle height. If the first layer of extruded plastic does not adhere to the bed, a small amount of residual stress is enough to lift the part off the bed. It is important to ensure that your nozzle height and print bed are properly leveled, you are using the correct print surfaces for PLA.

Drafts, cool air from air conditioners and low ambient temperatures in winter can cause the material to behave differently and print under residual stress. An enclosure with the front door closed can help maintain the proper printing environment for users who have trouble with part warping.

Poor layer adhesion

Causes and measures to improve poor layer adhesion.

If the filament under-extrudes during printing, there will be inconsistencies and gaps between layers, affecting mechanical strength and layer adhesion. It’s important to ensure you’re printing PLA filament at the correct nozzle temperature to ensure smooth flow and minimize resistance or tension that can prevent the filament from being pulled in.

Poor layer adhesion can also be caused when printing with a PLA spoiled with moisture. As the filament passes the hot end, moisture breaks out and creates bubbles in the extruded plastic, affecting the mechanical properties of the parts. If a spool of filament has absorbed moisture it can be dried, but it is important to store the PLA properly and prevent this problem from occurring.

Parts difficult to remove from platform

While excellent bed-to-part adhesion is important to achieve a successful print, it can sometimes be difficult to remove models if your adhesion is too good.

Causes and steps to improve print removal

Some printing surfaces made specifically for PLA materials are designed to maintain adhesion with the part when the bed is heated and release themselves when the part is cool. Try removing the models when the heatbed is hot or cold to see which method best suits your print surface.

Your heated bed may be operating too hot, or your jet temperature may be too close to the bed. You can try slightly adjusting the heated bed temperature or nozzle height if it improves your user experience. This is of course a fine balance as adhesion between the print and the platform is important to achieve successful prints.

Although not required, in some cases with other materials, some users will use a glue stick on their print surface to act as a release agent to remove parts.

Filament links

Introduction to PolyLite™ PLA

Buy PolyLite™ PLA

Introduction to PolyMax™ PLA

Buy PolyMax™ PLA

3D printing has many uses, but one use people are wondering about is whether PLA, ABS, or PETG would melt in a car when the sun hit it. Temperatures inside a car can get quite hot, so the filament needs to have a high enough heat resistance to handle it.

I decided to write this article to try to make the answer a little clearer for the 3D printer hobbyists out there so we can get a better idea of ​​whether 3D printing in a car is feasible.

Continue reading this article for more information on using 3D printed objects in your car, as well as a recommended filament to use in your car and a method to increase the heat resistance of your 3D printed objects.

Will 3D printed PLA melt in a car?

The melting point for 3D printed PLA is between 160 and 180 °C. The heat resistance of PLA is quite low, practically lower than any other printing material used for 3D printing.

Typically, the glass transition temperature of PLA filaments is in the range of 60-65°C, which is defined as the temperature at which a material transitions from a rigid to a softer, but not molten, state as measured in stiffness.

Many places in the world will not reach these temperatures in a car unless the part is in direct sunlight or you live in a hot climate region.

3D printed PLA will melt in a car when temperatures reach around 60-65°C as this is the glass transition temperature or the temperature at which it softens. In places with hot climates and lots of sun, PLA is likely to melt in the car in the summer. Places with cooler climates should be fine.

The interior of a car reaches much more than the general outside temperature, where even a recorded temperature of 20°C can result in a car’s interior temperature reaching as high as 50-60°C.

The extent to which the sun affects your filament varies, but if any part of your PLA model is exposed to the sun or indirect heat, it can start to soften and warp.

A 3D printer user shared his experience, explaining that he’s printed sun visor hinge pins with PLA filament and the print doesn’t appear to have been exposed to direct sunlight either.

In just one day, the 3D printed PLA pins were melted and fully deformed.

He mentioned that this happened in a climate where the outside temperature was no more than 29°C.

If you have a black car with a black interior, you can expect temperatures to be much higher than normal due to heat absorption.

Will 3D printed ABS melt in a car?

The printing temperature (ABS is amorphous, so technically it has no melting point) for 3D printed ABS filament is between 220 and 230 °C.

The more important property when using parts in a car is the glass transition temperature.

ABS filament has a glass transition temperature of around 105°C, which is quite high and even close to the boiling point of water.

ABS can definitely withstand high heat, especially in a car, so 3D printed ABS wouldn’t melt in a car.

3D printed ABS will not melt in a car because it has high heat resistance unmatched in a car even in hot conditions. However, some extremely hot places can reach these temperatures, so you’d better use a lighter color filament.

Another factor to watch out for is the UV radiation from the sun. ABS doesn’t have the best UV resistance. So if it is exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, discoloration and more brittle 3D printing may occur.

For the most part it shouldn’t have that much of a negative effect and should still hold up very well for use in a car.

One user who chose ABS for a project printed a model for their car and the ABS model lasted for a year.

After a year, the model broke in two. He examined the two parts and found that only a few millimeters were affected by the temperature and broke mainly at this one point.

Additionally, printing with ABS can be tricky, especially for a beginner, as you need to fine-tune your process. An enclosure and a heavily heated bed is a good start for printing ABS.

If you can print efficiently with ABS, it could be a good choice for your car because of its UV resistant properties and glass transition temperature of 105°C.

ASA is another ABS-like filament but with specific UV resistant properties that protect it from direct sunlight.

If you are using filament outdoors or in your car where heat and UV exposure can affect it, ASA is a good choice as it is priced similarly to ABS.

Will 3D printed PETG melt in a car?

If you need a model to place in the car, PETG should last longer, but that really doesn’t mean it won’t melt in the car. PETG filaments for 3D printers have a melting point of around 260°C.

The glass transition temperature of PETG is between 80 and 95 °C, making it more efficient against hot climates and extreme temperatures compared to other filaments.

This is mainly due to its high strength and heat resistance, but not as high as ABS & ASA.

In the long term, PETG can perform better in direct sunlight because it can resist UV rays much better than other filaments like PLA and ABS.

PETG can be used for various applications and can also be kept in the car.

If you live in an area where outside temperatures can reach 40°C (104°F), it may not be possible for PETG models to stay in the car for very long without significantly softening or showing signs of warping .

If you are new to 3D printing and don’t want to try to print ABS, PETG can be a good choice as it can stay in the car for a long time and is also easy to print.

There are some mixed recommendations in this regard, but you should try to use a filament that has a fairly high glass transition temperature, ideally near the 90-95°C point.

A person in Louisiana, a really hot place, ran a temperature test inside the car and found his BMW dashboard to be around that mark.

What is the best filament to use in a car?

The best filament for use in a car with excellent heat resistant and UV resistant properties is polycarbonate (PC) filament. It can withstand very high temperatures and has a glass transition temperature of 115 °C. Cars can reach temperatures of around 95°C in a hot climate.

If you are looking for a great spool, I would recommend going with Amazon’s Polymaker Polylite PC1.75mm 1KG Filament. In addition to its amazing heat resistance, it also has good light diffusion and is stiff and strong.

You can expect consistent filament diameter with a diameter accuracy of +/- 0.05mm, with 97% being within +/- 0.02mm, but stock levels can sometimes be low.

No matter what time of year you are in or the sun is beating down, you can rest assured that PC filament can withstand the heat very well.

It has amazing outdoor applications and is widely used in industries that require a high level of heat resistance.

You’ll pay a little more than normal to get the amazing qualities, but it’s well worth it if you have specific projects like this one. It is also very durable and known to be one of the strongest 3D printed filaments on the market.

Polycarbonate prices have come down a lot lately, so you can get a full 1kg roll of it for around $30.

How to make 3D printer filaments heat resistant

You can make your 3D printed objects heat resistant through the annealing process. Annealing is the process of heating your 3D printed object to a high and fairly constant temperature to change the arrangement of the molecules and give it more strength, typically done in an oven.

Annealing your 3D prints causes the material to shrink, making it more resistant to warping.

To make PLA filament more heat resistant, you need to heat your filament above its glass transition temperature (around 60°C) and below its melting point (170°C) and then allow it to cool for some time.

Simple steps to get this job done are as follows:

Preheat your oven to 70°C and leave it closed for about an hour without putting the filament inside. This will keep the temperature in the oven even.

Check the oven temperature with an accurate thermometer and when the temperature is perfect, turn off your oven and put your filament inside.

Leave the prints in your oven until completely cool. Gradual cooling of the filament also helps reduce warping or bending of the model.

Once the temperature has dropped completely, remove your model from the oven.

Josef Prusa has a great video showing and explaining how annealing works with 3D prints which you can check out below.

PLA gives amazing results when you anneal it compared to other filaments like ABS and PETG.

Your printed model may have shrunk in a few directions after this process. So if you are tempering your printed model to make it more heat resistant, design the dimensions of your print accordingly.

3D printer users often ask if this also works for ABS and PETG filaments. Experts claim that this shouldn’t be possible as these two filaments have highly complex molecular structures, but tests show improvements.

There is no doubting the excellence of what 3D printers have brought to the world, but one crucial thought comes to mind when considering the danger these machines pose. This article focuses on acknowledging whether or not filaments used for 3D printing are harmful to health.

The fumes from 3D printer filaments are toxic when melted at very high temperatures. The lower the temperature, the less toxic a 3D printer filament is in general. PLA is known as the least toxic filament while Nylon is one of the most toxic filaments on the market. You can reduce toxicity with an enclosure and an air purifier.

In layman’s terms, 3D printing is a process that involves thermal decomposition. This means that if the printing filament melts at too high a temperature, toxic fumes and volatile compounds are released.

These by-products are therefore harmful to the health of the users. However, the intensity with which they can prove harmful varies for a number of reasons discussed later in this article.

How can 3D printer filaments affect our health?

The rate at which thermoplastics begin to emit hazardous particles is directly proportional to temperature. Higher temperatures mean more of these dangerous particles are emitted and there is a higher risk.

It should also be noted that the actual toxicity can vary from filament to filament. Some are more harmful, some less.

According to a study conducted by ACS Publications, some filaments release styrene, which is believed to be a carcinogen. Styrene can cause unconsciousness, headaches and fatigue.

Additionally, the toxic fumes released from the molten plastic often tend to target the respiratory tract and possess the ability to directly damage the lungs. In addition, there is also a risk of cardiovascular disease due to the release of toxins into the bloodstream.

Inhaling the particles emitted by thermoplastics also exacerbates the risk of asthma.

In order to get to the bottom of it, we need to understand exactly what the danger is and in what form. Not only that, but general information on the most popular printing filaments and their safety concerns is coming soon.

The toxicity explained

A better understanding of the concept of why thermoplastics can be deadly to human life will help unravel the whole phenomenon.

Basically, a 3D printer works wonders when it prints layer by layer, but it pollutes the air in the process. How it does that is the most important thing for us to focus on.

When thermoplastics are melted at high temperatures, particles are released that can negatively impact indoor air quality and thus cause air pollution.

In locating this form of contamination, it was determined that there are two main types of particles generated during printing:

Ultrafine Particles (UFPs)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Ultrafine particles have a diameter of up to 0.1 µm. These can easily penetrate the body and specifically attack the lung cells. There are also a number of other health risks associated with UFPs entering the human body, such as various cardiovascular diseases and asthma.

Volatile organic compounds such as styrene and benzene also put 3D printer users at risk as they are linked to cancer. The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) also classifies VOCs as toxicants.

Research conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has taken steps to unequivocally demonstrate the negative effects of particle emission from 3D printers.

To do this, they caused the concentration of particles from 3D printers to come into contact with human respiratory cells and cells of the rat immune system. They found that the particles elicited a toxic response and affected the cell’s potential.

Regarding the filaments in particular, the researchers took PLA and ABS; two of the most common 3D printing filaments out there. They reported that ABS proved to be more deadly than PLA.

The reason for this is that as the temperature to melt the filaments increases, more emissions are produced. Because ABS is a print material that takes a large number of degrees to melt, it tends to emit more vapor than PLA, which melts at a lower temperature.

With that in mind, it is quite surprising that many people are unaware of the health risks associated with 3D printing.

Many users have reported headaches, dizziness and fatigue after spending some time with their printers, only to later do some research to find that the main cause of their ailing health was constant exposure.

The five most common filaments and toxicity

To clarify the topic, we will examine and discuss the 5 most commonly used printing filaments, their composition and their dangers.

1 PLA

PLA (polylactic acid) is a unique thermoplastic filament derived from natural resources such as sugar cane and corn starch. Because PLA is biodegradable, it is the top choice for printing enthusiasts and experts alike.

Because PLA is the type of filament that melts at a lower temperature, around 190-220°C, it is less prone to warping and less heat resistant.

Although inhaling the fumes from plastic may not be good for anyone, compared to the notorious ABS, PLA comes out on top in terms of emitting toxic fumes. This is mainly because it does not require intense conditions to be extruded onto the print bed.

On thermal decomposition, it breaks down into lactic acid, which is generally harmless.

PLA is considered environmentally friendly, although it may be more brittle than ABS and also less heat resistant. This means that a hot day in summer with increased conditions can cause the printed objects to warp and lose their shape.

Check out OVERTURE PLA Filament on Amazon.

2.ABS

ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. It is one of the most commonly used printing filaments, used to shape objects that need to withstand high temperatures. Although billed as a non-biodegradable plastic, ABS filament is ductile and heat resistant.

However, with its general use over the years, ABS has begun to raise some eyebrows at its safety measures.

As ABS melts at very high temperatures, specifically between 210 and 250°C, it begins to emit fumes that have been reported to cause discomfort to users.

Not just a minor annoyance, prolonged exposure can cause eye irritation, breathing problems, headaches and even fatigue.

Check out SUNLU ABS Filament on Amazon.

3. Nylon (polyamide)

Nylon is a thermoplastic well known in the printing industry for its superior durability and flexibility. It requires heating between 220°C and 250°C to achieve optimal performance.

Nylon-based filaments require a heated print bed to ensure good adhesion and a low chance of warping.

Although nylon is much stronger than ABS or PLA, a closed pressure chamber is imperative to minimize health risks. Nylon is suspected of emitting a VOC called caprolactam, which is toxic if inhaled and can severely damage the respiratory system.

Therefore, constantly working in an environment where the filament is based on nylon is certainly alarming and caution is advised.

Check out OVERTURE Nylon Filament on Amazon.

4. Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate (PC) is arguably one of the strongest printing materials available on the market. What PLA or ABS cannot offer, polycarbonate truly offers.

Possessing phenomenal physical properties, they are at the forefront of creating high-performance objects such as bulletproof glass and building materials.

Polycarbonate can be bent into any shape without cracking or breaking. They are also extremely resistant to high temperatures.

However, the high temperature tolerance also means they have an increased chance of warping. Therefore, when printing with a PC, an enclosure over the printer and a preheated platform are a must.

Speaking of safety issues, polycarbonate also emits a significant number of particles that can harm a person’s health. Users have reported that staring at the object to be printed with PC for too long causes eyes burning.

Check out Zhuopu Clear Polycarbonate Filament on Amazon.

5. PETG

Polyethylene terephthalate reworked by glycolization has given rise to PETG, a filament that is gaining popularity for its eco-friendly properties and high performance.

PETG has a glossy and smooth surface of the objects, which makes it very practical and a great alternative to PLA and ABS.

Additionally, many PETG users have given positive feedback that they experienced little to no warping and the filament also makes it easier to stick to the print platform.

This makes it a major competitor in the market as it is also water resistant and is commonly used in the manufacture of plastic water bottles.

Check out HATCHBOX PETG Filament on Amazon.

Tips for reducing filament toxicity exposure

Once people are educated on the toxicity of some of the most commonly used filaments, they will all ask the same question, “What do I do now?” Luckily, the precautions aren’t exactly rocket science.

Proper ventilation

Most printers are pre-shipped with highly specialized activated carbon filters to minimize the emission of fumes. Regardless, it is entirely up to us to evaluate and set the right printing conditions.

It is always recommended to print in a place where a good ventilation system is installed or somewhere outdoors. This helps filter the air and expel the fumes.

Exposure Limitation

It’s a good idea to make sure your 3D printer is in an area that people aren’t constantly exposed to. Rather a designated area or space that people do not need to enter to get to a desired area.

The goal here is to limit exposure to particulates and harmful emissions emanating from your 3D printer.

The dos and don’ts

The Do’s

Setting up your 3D printer in a garage

Using non-toxic printer filament

Maintaining public awareness of the threat posed by some thermoplastics

Regularly replace your printer’s carbon-based filter, if you have one

The don’ts

“Here you will find the best heat guns shortlisted after several hours of testing and analysis”

Heat guns are versatile hand tools that are useful in a variety of applications from carpentry, arts, crafts to electronics.

The heat from heat guns can strip paint, thaw frozen pipes, remove stubborn labels, bend plastic, and more.

They work in a similar way to a hair dryer, but produce more hot air in a higher temperature range.

Before investing in a heat gun, we recommend considering these key factors.

temperature range –

The temperature range of a specific heat gun tells you what type of work you can use. For example, heavy-duty jobs like plumbing and paint stripping require a heat gun with a temperature of 120° – 1100° Fahrenheit. While DIYers for household projects will need a heat gun rated at 392° – 752° Fahrenheit. Therefore, before buying, check the temperature range.

Temperature setting –

An adjustable temperature is essential when working with a wide range of materials. Basic models have a single temperature setting, but the modern ones offer 2 – 3 different temperature settings, allowing you to set or control the temperature range or fan speed based on your work needs.

Nozzles –

These are the attachments that allow the heat gun to focus the heat on the object in a controlled manner. There are different types of heat gun nozzles for different purposes. Since most of the heat is discharged at the tip of the nozzle, it must be made of solid metal to withstand the heat and stress of using the gun.

Although they are a bit dangerous, you can accidentally get burned or melt things. Therefore, it is important to choose the model that is designed with security in mind. Here is a list of some heat guns that are perfectly safe to use for various applications.

In addition, we have put together all the important information for buying your best heat gun in our detailed buying guide.

The 7 best heat guns of 2022

The 7 best heat gun reviews

The SEEKONE 1800W heat gun offers tremendous power and is capable of heating up in seconds. It has a wide temperature range, with built-in temperature control and overload protection.

One of the most important things about dual temperature heat guns is that they require a rheostat heater with safety measures in place. The black dial on the heat gun allows you to control the heat of the tool and also make adjustments to the airflow control.

With a temperature range of 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat gun is capable of meeting most DIY project needs. Unlike other dual temperature heat guns on the market, the SEEKONE offers variable temperature control. The ergonomic design allows the user to avoid strain injuries that often occur when using other heat guns. The 1800w heat gun is capable of shrink wrap, mobile phone repair, PCVV heating, floor tile paint removal, heating, defrosting and other purposes. The kit comes with a fitted nozzle and three additional interchangeable nozzles so you can work on any surface. It also comes with a reflector to help you spread heat evenly across surfaces.

What we liked

High output power

Additional nozzles included in the kit

overheat protection

stand

Ergonomic design

What we didn’t like

Not suitable for projects with low output power

Long warm-up time

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a heat gun kit capable of wrapping cars, shrinking PVC, or removing rusted bolts, the SEEKONE Heat Gun 1800W is a versatile tool to pick. The even heating mechanism paired with the built-in safety measures offers a great DIY experience.

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The Wagner HT1000 heat gun is one of the best tools available for removing paint, loosening rusted screws, working on phone repairs and more. The Spraytech’s ease of use is second to none and is one of the most popular options with DIY enthusiasts.

There are two temperature settings that you can switch between depending on your needs. The corrosion-resistant nozzles ensure that you can use the heat gun for a long time without overheating problems.

With a temperature range of 750 degrees Fahrenheit to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat gun was built to last. In terms of performance, there are no issues when the tool is used at higher temperatures for longer periods of time. You can use it for complex projects using the additional accessories and nozzles that are included. With an offered 2-year warranty, Wagner users are protected against all manner of manufacturing issues or defects. One of the great features of the heat gun is that it can be used hands-free. You can use the stand to work on your projects without ever touching hot surfaces that can create work hazards.

What we liked

high heat

Two year guarantee

Hands-free operation

Complicated security measures

Corrosion-resistant construction

What we didn’t like

Not suitable for thawing

No wireless capabilities

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a heat gun with adjustable fan settings, the HT1000 is one of your best options. It features an integrated kickstand for safe and hands-free operation, making it one of the easiest tools to use on the market.

Buy now on Amazon

The Genesis GHG1500A is one of the best 1500/750w heat gun kits on the market. It comes with an air reduction nozzle and makes adjustments depending on the project. You can switch between three temperatures to get the results you want.

Most DIY projects that require precision and care require the proper built-in safety measures. The GHG1500A is equipped with overload protection to ensure you don’t injure yourself or damage the work surface you’re using the tool on. The package contains several accessories, including additional nozzles and reflectors. There is no need to invest in additional products as this is an all-in-one package designed to give you premium quality and versatility.

The stand makes using the GHG1500A a breeze. You can make adjustments between low, medium and high settings to get your desired temperature. The heating element of the heat gun is equipped with a temperature protection to ensure that you do not accidentally touch the heating element and hurt yourself. When it comes to design, Genesis has outdone itself with great protections and added customization in the mix. The RC motor available in the heat guns is extremely powerful and can heat up the nozzle in seconds so you can start your project as soon as possible.

What we liked

RC motor for high power output

Bundled nozzles for all kinds of DIY projects

Comes with reflectors

Suitable for all work surfaces

What we didn’t like

Loud at high temperatures

Small heating element

Conclusion: If you are looking for a heat gun that does not require lighter fluid to heat and self-heat, this is one of the best kits to go for. The adjustable airflow and temperature controls make it one of the most versatile and effective heat guns on the market.

Buy now on Amazon

The DeWalt D26960K is a heat gun with a built-in LCD display that makes most DIY projects extremely handy. The LCD screen lets you check the current temperature and make adjustments in 50-degree increments.

Most complex projects require a high level of care. The automatic overload protection of the D26960K enables precise work on projects. There are 12 accessories that come with the product, including extra nozzles, meaning you don’t have to buy extra nozzles for different projects.

The heat gun will shut off if it overheats. Using the D26960K is very convenient thanks to a kickstand that allows you to make easy adjustments for stability. The heating element is protected all around so you don’t accidentally touch it. The ergonomic and lightweight design ensures that the D26960K is easy to control even when working on precision driven projects. Nozzle options include cones, fishtails and scraping. You can swap in and out different nozzles to get the right adjustment you need. The heat gun also comes with a carrying case so you can take the tool and its accessories with you wherever you go. If you use your heat gun a lot and want maximum versatility, this DeWalt product is one of the best options out there.

The DeWalt D26960K is a versatile tool for DIY projects that require adjustable airflow and temperature.

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Pulde’s efficient heat gun is an ideal choice for all types of DIY projects. It has undergone a drop test and an aging test to prove that it offers drop protection and can work continuously for 500 hours.

It features powerful turbofans that allow the gun to heat up in a matter of seconds, which can boost your work speed. In addition, the gun has built-in overload and overheat protection to prevent burning and ensure safe and reliable use. Unlike other conventional guns, the Pulde heat gun uses ceramic heating elements instead of mica elements, improving safety and service life.

This compact gun measures 9.06 x 3.15 x 7.87 inches and weighs only 1.9 pounds, making it easy to carry. It features a non-slip handle for better grip throughout the job and its flexible hose protects the cable from damage caused by tangling. The 1200W heat gun is ideal for paint stripping, PVC shrinking, phone repairing, crafting and many more heating and thawing activities.

What we liked

Ultra tough

Safe and durable

Wide application

Dual temperature control

Ergonomic design

What we didn’t like

No tote bag

Conclusion: This is a delightful tool to own at an amazingly low price. If you are looking for a perfect air pistol with adjustable temperature settings, then this model is for you. You can choose the most suitable temperature between low 752℉ and high 1112℉.

Buy now on Amazon

The Xpeoo Heat Gun Kit is a versatile option with 10 multi-purpose attachments for a variety of uses. It has 5 nozzles, 1 paint scoop and 4 paint scoop attachments.

The heat gun adopts hands-free operation design with flat and black back cover to keep it upright when working. This ensures that the heat gun does not fall and burn nearby objects.

Rated at 2000W, the heat gun has 2 gears to control the temperature settings. You can adjust the temperature between 5720F and 10220F to heat the tip according to your purpose. The heat gun heats up in seconds so you can do all your DIY tasks. It is perfect for shrink wrap, heat shrink tubing, epoxy, cell phone repairs, electronics repairs, tube thawing, vinyl wrap and paint stripping.

What we liked

High output power

Large temperature range

Comes with additional attachments

Hands free design

Safe to use

What we didn’t like

No tote bag

Not suitable for heavy use

Bottom Line: This heat is a multi-purpose tool that will suit all of your DIY needs. Besides, the high power output and hands-free design make it a very convenient and effective tool.

Buy now on Amazon

There are very few cordless heat guns that offer the power and versatility of their corded counterparts. The Milwaukee Electric Tool 2688-20 is one of the best deals out there when looking for premium portable heat guns.

The first thing you will notice about the Milwaukee heat gun is its premium build quality and its glowing LED that makes it easy to work even in low light. It’s one of the best high-end products out there that comes fully loaded with customizable temperature settings and other key features.

One of the best things about the 2688-20 is that it’s able to switch between its dual temperature settings very efficiently. It only takes 7 seconds to be ready, which is very impressive considering most heat guns take up to a minute to be ready before they can be used.

The lightweight and portable design of the 2688-20 heat gun is very impressive. The airflow in the device is quite large and although it is portable, the battery does not heat up even with prolonged use. The kit comes with a carry case, and you also get access to some of the best nozzles that you can swap out for easy access. Whether you want to remove paint or use the tool for other purposes, the portable heat gun is capable of it all.

What we liked

Efficient heating time

Illuminating LED light

wireless capabilities

The battery does not heat up even at high temperatures

Stand for hands-free use

What we didn’t like

No tote bag

Requires additional third-party nozzles for versatility

Conclusion: If you are looking for a lightweight and portable heat gun for your DIY projects, this is definitely the right choice. Its wireless capabilities make it one of the best tools out there, and the fact that it stays extremely cool despite being wireless is impressive. With an operational efficiency rate of just 7 seconds, it gets a thumbs up from us.

Buy now on Amazon

Buying advice for heat guns

Heat guns are versatile tools that are very easy to use. If you have access to a good heat gun, you can do DIY projects at home without needing professional help. Typically you want to look for a heat gun that has the right mix of features, including interchangeable heads, an LCD display, and preferably a lightweight design. Safety features are often overlooked, but they must be available to prevent any type of work hazard.

The three types of heat guns that you can buy online include gas powered heat guns, infrared heat guns, and electric heat guns. Industrial heat guns can also be used but are not needed for simple home projects. Electric heat guns are the most convenient for most users due to the temperature control and lack of flammable liquids to power them.

How to choose a heat gun:

A perfect heat gun should have the right mix of features including best quality, lightweight design and safe use. In this ultimate buying guide, you learned how to choose the right heat gun based on your job needs, without sacrificing safety features related to job hazards.

Let us know what factors to consider when buying a heat gun.

1. Temperature range:

It is essential to check the temperature range of a heat gun before buying it. This range will inform you about the type of work that you can do with this heat gun.

For example, use a heat gun that has a temperature range of 120°F – 1100°F to get heavy jobs like plumbing and paint stripping done with ease. For DIYers who do daily household projects, such as A heat gun with a temperature range of 392°F to 752°F may be required for tasks such as softening the adhesive on floor tiles or shrinking plastic.

Most modern heat guns allow you to adjust the temperature to get different types of tasks or projects done without overheating issues.

2. Temperature control:

A perfect heat gun can do a variety of jobs, especially one with adjustable temperature output is a must when dealing with different materials.

Typically, base models operate at a single temperature. This is where the gun heats up to its maximum temperature, and to adjust the heat simply move the gun away from or closer to the targets. While advanced/modern heat guns offer 2-3 different temperature settings that allow you to adjust the heat to low, medium and high depending on your needs.

Variable temperature heat guns offer a dial to select the correct temperature between the low (minimum) and high (maximum) range. Some modern heat guns are equipped with electronic displays that allow you to set the exact temperature required and adjust it in 50°F increments.

Choose a heat gun with a detailed fan and temperature controls for precise heat adjustment and to get the job done effectively.

3. Fan speed:

Fan speed tells you the area of ​​the surface that a heat gun can hit. A lower fan speed model is perfect for precision projects like removing labels or de-soldering. On the other hand, a model with a higher fan speed contributes to a better heat distribution over the entire area. If you move a heat gun running at low fan speed quite far from the target, the temperature will drop but the surface area will increase.

So, a powerful fan increases surface coverage without temperature drop, thereby allowing a larger area to be heated at once. Therefore, this fan speed setting is useful when working on larger projects, such as B. de-icing pipes or stripping paint.

4. Airflow Settings:

A fan in the heat gun determines its airflow, which affects user control. With some models, you can therefore adjust the airflow to do your job efficiently. Especially when you need to slow the airflow to avoid melting sensitive components. Alternatively, you will need to increase the efficiency to use the hot air gun’s highest airflow setting.

Similar to the temperature control, the airflow settings have a speed dial that indicates how fast the fan spins in the heat gun. However, airflow is an issue when heating tight spaces or nearby materials receiving the heat. Here the hot air gun must be convertible so that other covered areas do not cause any damage.

5. Nozzles:

Nozzles are attachments that fit onto the heat gun so they can direct the heat towards whatever object you are dealing with. They offer precise temperature control and direct the flow of heat efficiently.

Some of the most popular heat gun nozzles are.

Cone or Reduction Nozzles – Allows heat to be focused on a specific area.

Allows heat to be focused on a specific area. Flat Nozzles – Applicable when dealing with a wide, horizontal line.

Applicable when dealing with a wide, horizontal line. Spoon Reflector Nozzles – Wrap around the pipe to distribute heat evenly around the entire circumference.

Wrap around the pipe to distribute heat evenly around the entire circumference. Glass Protection Nozzles – Used to strip paint off a window by preventing direct heat on the glass.

6. Nozzle quality:

We learned how important nozzles are for a heat gun. Most of the time, heat is given off at the tip, resulting in a large load. Therefore, it must be made of the best quality materials such as solid metal that will not warp or melt. The same applies to the nozzle attachments. As the nozzles that come with a heat gun should have many uses. Therefore, it should be of the best quality to endure stress and heat effectively.

7. Accessories:

Heat guns offer a wide range of accessories designed for precise temperature control and easy, effective use of the gun.

Here are some popular heat gun accessories.

Thermal Cut-Out – Shuts off the heat gun if it becomes overheated.

It shuts off the heat gun when it gets overheated. Dead Man’s Switch – Automatically shuts off power when pressure is released.

It will automatically turn off the power when the pressure is released. Hanging Hook – Used to store the tool.

It is used to store the tool. Surface Stand – Allows you to safely park the weapon while pausing your work. Also, it offers a hands-free option to perform the task that requires two-handed operation. However, make sure that the weapon is stationary and kept away from flammable objects.

This allows you to safely put down the weapon while pausing your work. Also, it offers a hands-free option to perform the task that requires two-handed operation. However, make sure that the weapon is stationary and kept away from flammable objects. LCD Display – A tool with an LCD gives you complete control over its operation. It allows you to adjust the temperature, especially when working on delicate or precise things like PC circuits, mobile phones, etc.

8. Ergonomics:

Ergonomics plays a crucial role in providing safety and comfort to the user as it sheds extreme heat. Most often, heat guns feature pistol grips, which in turn provide the operator with a safe place to rest their hands between work breaks.

Plus, these pistol grips have built-in controls that allow for seamless adjustment changes. We usually notice models with back and side mounted dials. All of this ergonomics has been designed to ensure your hands stay clear of the nozzle. Some models have built-in stands, where some stands turn the heat gun into a hands-free work surface, while other stands help keep tools cool.

9. Additional Features:

Aside from the plethora of heat gun accessories and nozzles, some heat guns offer additional built-in features. Here are some additional features that the heat guns offer.

Some models have extended cord lengths for more freedom of movement.

Some have high temperature protection on the nozzle to keep safe hands.

Few devices offer built-in memory settings to instantly tune fan speed and heat to the exact level needed for the precise project you’re dealing with, such as: B. remove color, with a single keystroke.

Types of heat guns:

Heat guns are mainly classified into four types – gas, electric, industrial and infrared. Regardless of their type, you should be aware that they are dangerous if used improperly. Let us know in detail about them.

Gas Heat Guns –

This type of heat gun uses either propane or butane gas instead of a heating element. They are less popular compared to the electric type for certain reasons. As they are a bit expensive and gas canisters need to be purchased and filled to use this heat gun which requires more work than just connecting or charging like an electric model.

Electrical or plumbing professionals can use this gas heat gun when they need to work away from nearby outlets (or) to avoid the safety hazard of using an extension cord. Beyond this professional craft, this heat gun lost its popularity in the home improvement market nowadays.

Electric Heat Guns –

This type of heat gun can be either cordless (battery operated) or wired (AC outlet). They can be small or large, affordable, and are considered a very popular type of heat gun. Fan speed and temperature range can vary greatly by model. Most manufacturers focus on developing electric heat gun technology for use in everyday tasks. As a result, gas-powered hot air gun models are losing popularity.

Industrial Heat Guns –

This type of heat gun is quite different from the above two types due to its sturdy construction, higher fan settings and high heat levels. Most often, professionals use this type of heat gun for heavy-duty work in auto repair shops, mass retail factories, and packaging units. Because they’re designed for industrial work, small precision jobs don’t require fine-tuning of fan speed or temperature control.

Infrared Guns –

It’s a new type of heat gun on the market that uses infrared heat. These run effectively to carry out your work safely. It produces a maximum temperature of 1112°F, which is more than enough for various household projects.

Safety tips for using heat guns:

These guns do not use an open flame, but can generate a temperature of up to 1200°F. Therefore, care must be taken when operating the heat gun to avoid burning yourself or damaging the material you are dealing with.

Here are some of the precautions and safety measures to take when using a heat gun.

Do not place the heat gun near or near any flammable or combustible products such as exposed flammable hoods, fluid hoses or fumes, etc.

Make sure there is at least an inch of space between the work surface and the outlet nozzle while operating the heat gun.

Always work with awareness of heat direction.

Be sure to unplug the heat gun, especially if the floor is empty while not using the heat gun.

On all surfaces/subsurfaces, switch off the heat gun frequently before storing it properly.

When using this gun, avoid any cloth or skin contact with the hot metal nozzle.

Allow the heat gun to cool completely before storing.

Never spray anything into the nozzles of the heat gun. Also, don’t look at the nozzle before twisting the heat gun.

Avoid using an extension cord to control the heat gun. This is because overheating can lead to high current draw, thus creating an electric shock or fire hazard.

Make sure to wear protective gloves and eye protection even if you are an expert/professional.

Do not direct the hot airflow at people’s bodies.

Avoid carrying a sample without tweezers while using a heat cartridge. Or face direct heat exposure to the hand.

Never obstruct the airflow of the device or cover the intake grille during use.

Common uses of heat guns:

Heat guns are used for various applications and here we have mentioned some of their common uses.

Remove Wallpaper – Run the gun to soften the glue behind the old wallpaper, making it easy to scrape off.

Run the gun to soften the glue behind the old wallpaper, allowing it to scrape off slightly. Shrink Wrap – A heat gun is used to quickly shrink wrap, which allows it to be used for item storage, retail, gift basket making, etc.

Eine Heißluftpistole wird zum schnellen Schrumpfen von Verpackungen verwendet, wodurch sie für die Aufbewahrung von Gegenständen, den Einzelhandel, die Herstellung von Geschenkkörben usw. verwendet werden kann. Abbeizen – Die perfekte Alternative zum schnellen Ablösen von Farbe ohne Verwendung von Lösungsmitteln oder Chemikalien auf umweltfreundliche Weise.

Die perfekte Alternative zum schnellen und umweltfreundlichen Ablösen von Farbe ohne Verwendung von Lösungsmitteln oder Chemikalien. Schrumpfschläuche – Verwenden Sie sie, wenn Sie Drähte verbinden möchten, um ein sicheres und sauberes Aussehen zu erzielen. Zum Beispiel Autoradio-Installationen oder andere Elektronik.

Verwenden Sie sie, wenn Sie Kabel verbinden möchten, um ein sicheres und sauberes Aussehen zu erzielen. Zum Beispiel Autoradio-Installationen oder andere Elektronik. Gefrorene Rohre auftauen – Meistens tritt dieses Problem im Winter auf. Verwenden Sie eine Heißluftpistole, um die Rohre (Innenleitungen) langsam aufzutauen und das Wasser zurückfließen zu lassen. Tauen Sie auch unterirdische Rohre nach einigen Ausgrabungen auf.

Meistens erleben Menschen dieses Problem im Winter. Verwenden Sie eine Heißluftpistole, um die Rohre (Innenleitungen) langsam aufzutauen und das Wasser zurückfließen zu lassen. Tauen Sie auch unterirdische Rohre nach einigen Ausgrabungen auf. Kunststoffschweißen – Genau wie beim Stabschweißen können wir mit dieser Heißluftpistole problemlos zwei Kunststoffrohre befestigen, anstatt verschiedene Klebstoffe zum Verbinden von Kunststoffen zu verwenden.

Genau wie beim Stabschweißen können wir mit dieser Heißluftpistole problemlos zwei Kunststoffrohre befestigen, anstatt verschiedene Klebstoffe zum Verbinden von Kunststoffen zu verwenden. Trockene Farbe – Eine Heißluftpistole auf niedriger Stufe trocknet die neu aufgetragene Farbe in kurzer Zeit, besonders geeignet für kleinere Flächen.

Eine Heißluftpistole auf niedriger Stufe trocknet die neu aufgetragene Farbe in kurzer Zeit, besonders geeignet für kleinere Flächen. Kleber aufweichen – Eine Heißluftpistole ist eine perfekte Option, um alte Aufkleber von Autos oder Möbeln (oder) Preisschildaufklebern (oder) Gorilla-Kleber von Metall zu entfernen.

Eine Heißluftpistole ist eine perfekte Option, um alte Aufkleber von Autos oder Möbeln (oder) Preisschildaufkleber (oder) Gorilla-Kleber von Metall zu entfernen. Entlöten – Sehr nützlich bei der Reparatur von Elektronik wie dem Entlöten von Drähten in einem Schaltkreis (oder) Entfernen von Schäden an der Leiterplatte.

Sehr nützlich bei der Reparatur von Elektronik wie dem Entlöten von Drähten in einem Schaltkreis (oder) dem Entfernen von Schäden an der Leiterplatte. Röstkaffee – Eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit, mit dieser Heißluftpistole Ihren eigenen Kaffee zu rösten.

Eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit, mit dieser Heißluftpistole Ihren eigenen Kaffee zu rösten. Trocknen von feuchtem Holz – Eine Heißluftpistole wird verwendet, um die Feuchtigkeit aus dem Holz zu saugen, während das Holz zum Streichen oder Anzünden vorbereitet wird.

Eine Heißluftpistole wird verwendet, um die Feuchtigkeit aus dem Holz zu saugen, während das Holz zum Streichen oder Anzünden vorbereitet wird. Emboss Heat – Eine Heißluftpistole ist ideal für geschickte Leute, die sie mit Embossing-Pulver, Gummistempeln usw. verwenden können, um hervorragende geprägte Designs zu erzeugen.

Eine Heißluftpistole ist großartig für schlaue Leute, die sie mit Prägepulver, Gummistempeln usw. verwenden können, um hervorragende Prägedesigns zu erzeugen. Anbringen von Planen – Suchen Sie nach einer großen Plane, anstatt eine teure große Plane zu kaufen, dann können Sie mehrere kleine Planen zusammenfügen, um die Plane in der gewünschten Größe zu erhalten.

Suchen Sie nach einer großen Plane, anstatt eine teure große Plane zu kaufen, dann können Sie mehrere kleine Planen zusammenfügen, um die gewünschte Plane zu erhalten. Biegen von PVC-Rohren – Klempner verwenden Heißluftpistolen, um PVC schnell in den gewünschten Winkel zu biegen, ohne Winkelstücke oder Klebstoffe zu verwenden.

Klempner verwenden Heißluftpistolen, um PVC schnell in den gewünschten Winkel zu biegen, ohne Winkelstücke oder Klebstoffe zu verwenden. Scheibentönung – Mit einer Heißluftpistole können Sie Zeit und Mühe sparen, um die Scheibentönung zu entfernen.

Mit einer Heißluftpistole können Sie Zeit und Mühe sparen, um Fenstertönung zu entfernen. Leder- oder Vinylreparatur – Heißluft/Hitze kann Druckstellen oder Falten leicht entfernen. Außerdem repariert es einen Riss im Leder oder Vinyl.

Heißluft/Hitze kann Druckstellen oder Falten leicht entfernen. Außerdem repariert es einen Riss im Leder oder Vinyl. Fleisch anbraten und Marshmallows braten – Wir können eine Heißluftpistole verwenden, um Fleisch anzubraten oder Marshmallows zu rösten, ohne eine Pfanne zu verwenden.

Wir können eine Heißluftpistole verwenden, um Fleisch anzubraten oder Marshmallows zu rösten, ohne eine Pfanne zu verwenden. Lose festsitzende Schrauben/Muttern – Funktioniert gut, um diese verrosteten/festen Schrauben oder Muttern mit ihrer Hitze zu entfernen oder zu lösen.

Häufig gestellte Fragen: