PolyLite Silk PLA – Orange – Polymaker
Features
Polymaker Silk PLA made from the highest quality raw materials – Ingeo® PLA from Natureworks.
- High Quality Polymaker Silk PLA.
- Glossy and silky surface.
- Easy to print.
- Cardboard spool and packaging (made of 100% recycled cardboard)
- Consistent color and tolerance (1.75 mm diameter +/- 0.03 mm)
- This spool is suitable for the A1/X1 AMS system.
- 1kg
PolyLite™ is a family of 3D printing filaments manufactured from the finest raw materials to deliver exceptional quality and reliability. PolyLite™ covers the most popular 3D printing materials to meet your everyday design and prototyping needs. PolyLite™ PLA Silk is a unique and easy to print filament that produces parts with a special silky and metallic surface coating that hides the layers.
Description
Silky Surface – PolyLite™ PLA Silk has been developed to give parts an incredible silk-like shiny surface with no additional machining required. Its unique surface finish makes it an attractive choice for standout display patterns or aesthetic applications that require a bright or metallic surface finish.
View Compatibility – PolyLite™ PLA Silk is an easy-to-print filament and is compatible with a wide range of popular extrusion-based 3D printers[1]. (In some cases, bed heating may be required).
Easy to print – PolyLite™ PLA Silk works well with common printing surfaces such as blue tape, Kapton tape, glass, BuildTak, etc. A heated bed is not required, but can be used for better results (up to 60°C).
Uncompromising quality – PolyLite™ PLA Silk film is made with the highest quality ingredients, including Ingeo® from Natureworks. Natureworks is a leading US-based global supplier of biopolymers with a portfolio of high-quality PLA feedstocks made from rapidly renewable plant resources. Combining Polymakers’ innovative R&D technologies, blending and extrusion systems with Natureworks’ Ingeo® resins yields a reliable 3D printing filament that prints beautiful and accurate models.
Recommended print settings
| Nozzle temperature | 190°C – 230°C |
|---|---|
| Pad temperature | 25°C – 60°C |
| Substrate material | Works well with most building surfaces, e.g. glass or blue tape |
| Treatment of the substrate | Usually not required. Some surfaces work well with Magigoo or PVA adhesive. Best use EcoFixy adhesive. |
| Cooling fan | ON |
| Patch speed | 40 mm/s – 60 mm/s |
| Recommended support materials | Single extrusion: Self-support Double extrusion: PolyDissolve™ S1 or PolySupport™ |
The above printing recommendations are based on a 0.4 mm nozzle. Please note that ideal printing conditions may vary depending on your 3D printer settings. For high-speed 3D printers, be sure to increase the extrusion temperature to use higher print speeds.
Tips for printing with Silk PLA
1. It is not recommended to use Silk PLA on printers that suffer from thermal creep.
2. Under “normal” speed conditions Silk PLA should print with a high gloss, but at high printing speeds Silk PLA may not melt properly resulting in a dull or inconsistent surface. Using a lower speed for the perimeters, limiting the volume flow to 8cc/sec and trying a slightly higher nozzle temperature can help.
For other printing tips on PolyLite™ PLA Silk, feel free to contact us!
Specifications
| Weight: | 1 kg |
|---|---|
| Type of material: | Silk PLA |
| Density: | 1.20 (g/cm3 at 21.5˚C) |
Compatibility
PolyLite™ PLA Silk has been developed with compatibility in mind to print perfectly on a wide range of 3D printers. Although PolyLite™ PLA features Jam-Free™ technology, it is not possible to apply this technology to silk filaments such as PolyLite™ PLA Silk.
Of course, with thousands of unique 3D printer models on the market, we can’t guarantee that every type of filament will work with every 3D printer. It always takes experience with cutting machines and adjusting settings to get the most out of a material. Before embarking on an ambitious project, we always recommend printing some known calibration tests to build or make adjustments to the filament profile.
If your printer suffers from thermal creep and is having difficulty printing other brands of PLA or PLA Silk due to clogging associated with thermal creep, PolyLite™ PLA Silk can create a clogging risk on your extruder.
Technical data
All test specimens were printed under the following conditions: nozzle temperature = 220˚C, build plate temperature = 40˚C, leachate = 100%, cooling fan = on.
All specimens were conditioned at room temperature for 24 hours prior to testing.
Thermal properties
| Values | Test method |
|
| Glass transition | 56°C | DSC, 10°C/min |
| Heat deviation temperature | 0.45MPa – 61.1°C 1.8 MPa – 59.3°CHDT Curve |
ISO 75 |
| Vicat softening temperature | N/A | ISO 306, GB/T 1633 |
Mechanical properties
| Values | Test method |
|
| Jung’s module (X-Y) |
3098 ± 147 MPa | ISO 527, GB/T 1040 |
| Tensile strength (X-Y) |
51.5 ± 1.9 MPa | ISO 527, GB/T 1040 |
| Bending force (X-Y) |
104 ± 1.3 MPa | ISO 178, GB/T 9341 |
| Sharpie impact strength (X-Y) |
3.46 ± 0.32 kJ/m2 | ISO 179, GB/T 9343 |
Storage and drying
All plastics are hygroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture from the air, which can affect the print quality and strength of printed parts. How quickly this absorption occurs depends on the material and the environment. Polymakers PolyLite™ Silk PLA fibers are dried and packaged in a vacuum sealed bag with a desiccant to ensure the best print quality. When not in use, PolyLite™ Silk PLA should be stored away from sunlight and sealed in the packaged resealable bag.
Although the strands can be dried, drying will accelerate the aging process of the plastic, making it more brittle over time. Preventing moisture from being absorbed by the filament in the first place is the best solution to keep your filament working to its maximum potential. For long-term storage, we highly recommend storing it in a sealed container with a desiccant dryer that reduces the relative humidity to 10-20% RH.
Here, we manage our filaments with Polymakers’ PolyDryer™, which offers best-in-class sealing to protect filaments from absorbing moisture.
If you hear crackling sounds and notice that the surface quality of your print is uneven or the color is not consistent, it is probably an indication that the filament has absorbed too much moisture. PolyLite™ Silk PLA spools can be dried with Polymaker PolyDryer™ using power level 1. Alternatively, if you have a convection oven that is accurate at low temperatures, users can dry the filament in a pre-heated convection oven at 55˚C for up to 6 hours. Results may vary depending on the accuracy of your oven, so please use caution. For more information on drying filaments, please read our user guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does PolyLite™ PLA Silk have Jam-Free™ technology?
A: To achieve a silky surface finish, PolyLite™ PLA Silk does not feature the Jam-Free™ technology used in PolyLite™ PLA and other Polymaker PLA filaments.
Q: Can PLA be printed on large scales without deforming?
A: One of the advantages of PLA is the ability to print large parts with excellent dimensional stability; we have many customers who print large full-scale projects from PolyLite™ PLA Silk. Please note that while PLA materials do not warp in most situations, printing with poor adhesion on the first layer can cause any material to warp, and printing or heating the bed too hot can cause any PLA filament to crystallize quickly, creating internal stress and warpage.
Q: What auxiliary materials can I use with this product?
A: Polymaker’s PolyDissolve™ S1 or PolySupport™ are the recommended support filaments for PolyLite™ PLA Silk. If your 3D printer is not equipped to handle many materials, a self-supporting filament can be used.
Q: Do I need to rewind this thread if I want to use it with another spool?
A: We strongly recommend not to interfere with the product by rewinding. See our article for full information on the risks. All Polymaker filaments are wound with tension but without strain. Rewinding completely rearranges the curvature of the coil and this tension over time can cause catastrophic breakage of most plastics. If for some reason your printer is blocked from mounting smaller than standard size spools, there may be safe print adapters or external mounting solutions available.
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