3D4M Base Performance

PLA Filament.

The most forgiving filament we make, and the one that asks the least of your printer. A low shrinkage factor keeps parts flat as they cool, which is what makes PLA the default for models and everyday prints. read further

  • Great printability
  • Biodegradable
  • Food contact approved
PLA Filament, Sky Blue, 2300 g, 2.85 mm
Configure
Color
Diameter
Weight
€50.95
€22.15/kg · excl. VAT
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For custom specs, technical validation, or bulk pricing. Speak with an engineer before you order.

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Freshly produced on demand and typically shipped within 3 working days.

About this material

PLA: the easy, plant-based starting point for everyday prints.

Polylactic acid is a polyester built from lactic acid units, made from renewable plant sources such as corn starch or sugarcane. It is colourless and transparent in its raw form, recyclable, and decomposable in an industrial composting plant. In our catalogue it is the entry point: it asks the least of your machine.

What makes it easy is the low shrinkage factor. The material does not deform as it cools, so parts stay flat on the bed and hold their dimensions without a heated chamber and with the bed barely warm. Layers bond strongly, and that is where a printed PLA part gets its stiffness and its clean surface.

That ease has a ceiling, and it is worth knowing before you choose it. PLA softens at a low temperature, well before a part reaches the temperature of a car in the sun, and the polymer is flammable. Reach for another grade once heat, chemicals or the outdoors come into it.

We produce this filament in Haarlem with a dry extrusion process. The strand never touches a water bath, so it goes into vacuum packaging without picking up moisture, which keeps diameter and roundness constant across the spool.

PLA Filament

A 3DBenchy printed in PLA. The standard calibration model, and a fair test of how cleanly a filament lays down fine detail.

Physical properties
PropertyConditionValueTest method
Density 1.24 g/cm3 ASTM D1505
Mechanical properties
PropertyConditionValueTest method
Tensile Strength MD (machine direction) 110 MPa ASTM D882
Tensile Strength TD (transverse direction) 145 MPa ASTM D882
Tensile Modulus MD (machine direction) 3310 MPa ASTM D882
Tensile Modulus TD (transverse direction) 3860 MPa ASTM D882
Elongation at Break MD (machine direction) 160% ASTM D882
Elongation at Break TD (transverse direction) 100% ASTM D882
Elmendorf Tear MD (machine direction) 590 g/mm ASTM D1922
Elmendorf Tear TD (transverse direction) 510 g/mm ASTM D1922
Spencer Impact 2.5 J
Thermal properties
PropertyConditionValueTest method
Melting Point 145 to 160 ºC ASTM D3418
Other properties
PropertyConditionValueTest method
Oxygen Transmission Rate 17.1 cc-mm/m2-24hr-atm ASTM D1434
Carbon Dioxide Transmission Rate 72.4 cc-mm/m2-24hr-atm Internal
Water Vapour Transmission Rate 9.53 g-mm/m2-24hr ASTM F1249
Haze 2.1% ASTM D1003
Gloss 20º 90 ASTM D1003
Printer settings & data sheets

Low temperatures, no chamber, and very little to go wrong.

PLA prints at low temperatures and needs no heated chamber. The bed barely has to warm up. Keep the printer in a room without draft or temperature swings and out of direct sunlight, because a stable environment is most of what this material asks for. Do not place it in a room where people sleep.

Storage.

A fresh spool arrives vacuum-sealed and dry. When you finish, seal the spool in a bag and keep it in a cool room between 15 and 25 °C, dry and away from UV light.

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Recommended print settings
ParameterValue
Nozzle temperature170 to 220 °C
Heated bed temperature20 to 60 °C
Print speed30 to 80 mm/s
AdhesionMagigoo Original on glass, or blue painter's tape
Empty spool weight
Filament weightSpoolEmpty weight
750 g RS 200 GH2L PS 213 g
1000 g RS 200 KDL PS 228 g
2300 g RS 300/20 L PS 666 g
4500 g RS 350 5K ABS 790 g
8000 g LE 355 PS 1035 g
Measurements & tolerance

Precision-engineered consistency.

Consistent prints start with a uniform filament shape. We continuously monitor diameter and roundness during production. When filament varies in size or loses its round profile, material flow becomes erratic. This causes under-extrusion and weak layer bonds.

Our manufacturing process keeps the cross-section stable across the full spool. Your printer receives a steady volume of material without pressure drops in the nozzle. You get predictable extrusion on every job, so with PLA you can focus on your design, not your material.

1.75 mm filament
±0.05mm
Diameter tolerance, edge to edge across the spool.
2.85 mm filament
±0.10mm
Diameter tolerance, edge to edge across the spool.
Both diameters
≥95%
Cross-section roundness across the spool.
The production process

Sealed at the source. Never touched by water.*

Unlike manufacturers who cool filament in a water bath, our filament never touches water during production. Moisture inside the material creates bubbles and weakens layer bonding during printing. Water-free production keeps extrusion consistent and bubble-free.

Sealed and ready to print.
We produce on demand. Every spool is vacuum-sealed immediately after extrusion, so it reaches you dry. This process keeps every spool of PLA ready to print out of the box.

* At times of high demand, and for some variants, production may run on a conventional water-cooled line. Contact us before ordering if you require material produced with our water-free process.

Vacuum-sealed filament spool, straight off the extrusion line

Vacuum-sealed on the production line, before it ever leaves the machine.

Traceability & quality assurance

Precision you can track. From pellet to part.

We produce every spool on demand in our own facility. This gives us direct oversight that mass-produced stock lacks. Your spool comes from a fresh, identifiable batch rather than long-term warehouse inventory. We document the production trail for every run.

Documented, not just shipped.
We keep the production logs for every batch we make. On request, we link a Certificate of Analysis and Technical Data Sheet to your specific batch. You get clear data for your spool of PLA.

About 3D4M

Dutch engineering for parts that define the future.

At 3D4M, we develop and manufacture high-performance thermoplastic filaments for demanding applications across aerospace, defence, semiconductor, automotive, medical research, and industrial manufacturing. We work with engineers, researchers, and manufacturers who need materials that go beyond standard specifications.

Our engineering starts with the machines themselves. We design and build our own extrusion lines around our patented extrusion process, combining material expertise with technology developed in-house. For moisture-sensitive polymers, our air-cooling technology offers a water-free cooling option, allowing us to tailor the production process to the material.

Our production facility is built on a single, uncompromising principle: control. From our extrusion technology to precise diameter monitoring and vacuum-sealed packaging, we control every stage to deliver consistent filament with batch traceability.

Trusted by global leaders
Supporting over 100 universities alongside global industry leaders, we have become a trusted partner to advanced research labs and manufacturers worldwide. We bring together material expertise and Dutch engineering to help turn ambitious ideas into reliable, high-performance parts.

3D4M headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands

3D4M headquarters, Haarlem, the Netherlands.

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Talk to an engineer

Validating this material for your application?

The leap to a high-performance polymer can be complex. Speak directly with one of our material engineers about your printer setup, target specifications, and material performance. We are here to help you de-risk your validation phase.

Ready to order

Specify your specs. We'll start your batch.

Experience the benefits of freshly extruded, water-free filament. Select your required diameter and spool weight in the order panel to initiate our on-demand production process. We ship worldwide, vacuum-sealed and ready.

Place your order