I made a 3d printable eReader case for my wife. Wanted to test what would happen if we water logged them and left them in the sun to dry.
Two of the cases are made from PLA while the other is made from PETG. They are all held together by thread and leather.
The test here is to see if moving from PLA to PETG was the right move since the last time I did this, the case turned into a banana.
My eventual plan once I’ve finished with my testing is to sell these cases and made their designs available for others to print.
empireOfLove@lemmy.one 1 year ago
Yes, PLA creeps ridiculously fast in hot conditions it is unsuitable for use in any environment over 35C tbh.
PETG is better but will still warp over time and likely need replacing.
You need to be printing in ABS or ideally ASA if you want all-weather resistant cases. Which means now your printer needs an enclosure and ventilation…
Rodeo@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
I printed a sprinkler to stick on the end of my watering can out of PLA.
Its been outside in all weather, including direct sunlight, for three years now. And water runs through it almost every day for 8 months of the year. It’s a little faded, but that’s it.
IMO the things people say about PLA regarding exposure are vastly over stated.
empireOfLove@lemmy.one 1 year ago
It can survive fine when under no load. It probably fades color less than abs does actually. However When experiencing any kind of mechanical load - say, a tablet squeezing at the edges for a friction fit - it fails rapidly at elevated temperatures.
radau@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 year ago
I don’t think your particular case would have any creep as it’s not mechanically leveraged in any real way.
If you were to print something like a cupholder for a stroller or bike where it’s holding something up with some weight while in the heat is where you would notice it especially with repeated impact. Most likely wouldn’t outright fail but under constant load you would notice it starting to bend a little. That said you can absolutely over engineer it to prevent that rather than switching materials which can be a huge pain depending on the printer.
I did my hydroponic tower in PETG but it honestly would’ve been ok in PLA since it’s just a static fixture. I’ve had a PLA badge on my car for 3 years in 110+ summers and similar to you I’ve only noticed fading on the raised white lettering.
the16bitgamer@programming.dev 1 year ago
I think it depends on the usage. If the size/shape doesn’t matter or is mated to metal, then PLA is more than fine in colder climates (i.e. not Texas), but as soon as the average temp of it’s operating environment is within the Glass Temp range then PLA isn’t good.
In your sprinkler’s case, the water is chilling it bellow glass temp when operating.
the16bitgamer@programming.dev 1 year ago
Would love to print in ABS, but every time I tried the parts always warped. PETG is nicer and has very rarely warped on me.
empireOfLove@lemmy.one 1 year ago
Yeah ABS is super finicky to print, a temp controlled enclosure is mandatory and you often need perfectly prepped full adhesive plates with large print brims. But it’s definitely the only true weather-tolerant plastic if you can get it to behave.