PLA print parameters — temperature, bed, cooling and drying

PLA is the material for prints that do not work in heat and do not carry large loads — models, prototypes, enclosures, decorative parts. The manufacturer declares a temperature resistance of 60 °C, so anything that has to sit in a car in summer or stand next to a heat source needs a different material.

Porima lists twelve PLA variants in its FDM technical data table. They differ in nozzle temperature, recommended nozzle diameter, cooling and surface finish — the rest of the parameters are shared. Drying (2–4 h at 30–40 °C) and the declared temperature resistance (60 °C) are identical for all twelve. We cover carbon-fibre PLA separately, because it differs fundamentally: PLA/CF print parameters.

The Porima PLA family — 12 variants

Source: the official Porima FDM technical data table (FDM Technical Data). The descriptive ratings (none / low / medium / high) are the manufacturer's own labels, not the result of testing to any standard. Temperature resistance is the manufacturer's own declared figure — it is not HDT, nor any other normed test. The ±0.03 mm diameter tolerance comes from the manufacturer's data, not from the FDM table. See also the print temperature table and the filament drying guide.

Full FDM parameter table for the base PLA

Parameter	PLA
Nozzle temperature	200–230 °C
Bed temperature	0–60 °C
Recommended nozzle diameter	0.4 mm
Cooling (fan)	100%
Drying	2–4 h at 30–40 °C
Enclosure (chamber)	open frame, no enclosure
Recommended printers	all desktop-class FDM printers
Bambu AMS compatibility	Yes
Print difficulty level	very easy
Print speed	high
Detail resolution	0.2 mm and above
Abrasiveness (nozzle wear)	none
Warping tendency	none
Stringing tendency	low
Layer bonding	good
Support removal	easy
Temperature resistance	60 °C
Impact resistance	high
Flexibility	low
Moisture resistance	low
Surface finish	smooth
Opacity	opaque
Colour saturation	high
Odour	none
Post-processing	easy
Chemical solubility	poorly soluble
Spool material	recycled plastic
Recycled content in filament	no
Recyclability	yes — 100% biodegradable
Diameter tolerance	±0.03 mm

How to print PLA

Cooling: 100%, and it is not optional

For plain PLA the manufacturer states 100% fan power, and for Tough PLA it adds explicitly that the fan is required. The variants with additives (Silk, Premium, Army, Stone, Wood, Star, Pastel, Smart, Eco) are given a range of 80–100%, so there is a small margin downwards. The exception is the first layer — print that one with no cooling or the minimum, so the material has time to bond to the bed. Too little cooling on the layers above gives sagging overhangs and holes in the top layer.

Bed: the range starts at zero

0–60 °C means PLA will also bond to an unheated bed if the surface is right. In practice 50–60 °C on PEI or glass gives the most reliable first layer. The upper limit has a cost, though: a hot bed softens the bottom layers and, with a large contact area, produces elephant's foot. If you see a squashed first layer, drop to 50 °C before you change anything else.

Drying: 2–4 h at 30–40 °C

PLA has a reputation for being insensitive to moisture, but the manufacturer does give a drying schedule for it and rates its moisture resistance as low. The symptoms of damp filament are crackling at the nozzle, a matt surface where it should be smooth, and filament that snaps in the feeder. Do not exceed the stated 40 °C — the margin to the declared 60 °C of resistance is small.

Enclosure: open, and deliberately so

The table lists an open frame for the entire PLA family. In a closed, heated chamber PLA softens above the heat break before it reaches the melt zone — the result is rising resistance and a clogged nozzle. If you print PLA on a printer with an enclosure, open the door and the lid.

Speed and nozzle diameter

The manufacturer rates PLA print speed as high for the whole family except Silk PLA and PLA Wood, where it gives a medium value. Detail resolution: 0.2 mm and above. PLA Wood and PLA Star require a 0.6 mm nozzle, and PLA Premium in the Granite version — 0.6 mm instead of 0.4 mm; with a smaller nozzle the filler blocks the flow. PLA Wood also has moderate abrasiveness, so a brass nozzle will wear out on it faster than on plain PLA.

Which variant to choose

Tough PLA (PLA+) — the only variant rated very good for layer bonding and high for flexibility, for parts that may get dropped. Hyper PLA+ — 220–250 °C, built for fast printing. Silk PLA — a silky sheen and very high colour saturation, at the cost of medium speed. PLA Premium — a special texture, also very high saturation. PLA Stone, PLA Army, PLA Wood, PLA Star, PLA Pastel — decorative textures. All except PLA Wood are marked as Bambu AMS compatible.

The most common problems with PLA

• First layer will not stick — with a bed range as wide as 0–60 °C it is tempting to print cold; PLA forgives less than it seems to, and first-layer calibration becomes the most important parameter
• Elephant's foot — the upper end of the bed range with a large contact area spreads the bottom layers — a problem typical of PLA in particular
• Clogged nozzle — PLA softens at 60 °C already, so in a closed chamber or with poor heatsink cooling it jams the heat break
• Stringing — the manufacturer rates PLA's stringing tendency as low — if you still see strings, the culprit is usually too high a temperature or moisture
• Ghosting and ringing — PLA takes high speeds well, so the limit here is the printer's mechanics, not the material
• Brittle filament — a spool left for months in an open room snaps in the feeder, even though PLA is reputed to be moisture-resistant

Filaments from this page: PLA, Tough PLA (PLA+), Hyper PLA+, Silk PLA, PLA Premium, PLA Army, PLA Stone, PLA Wood. The whole category: PLA filaments. For xPLA, Rainbow PLA and Rainbow Silk PLA the manufacturer did not include rows in the FDM table — no manufacturer data, which is why they are not in the comparison above. PLA Star, PLA Pastel, Smart PLA and Eco PLA are available to order, see the full Porima range.