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Description
Formulated as an easy-to-print replacement to ABS, PolyMax™ PLA is nano-reinforced to deliver superb impact resistance, strength and ductility.
- Advanced Polymaker Tough PLA.
- Best-in class impact strength, higher than PLA, PLA+ & ABS.
- Outstanding fracture toughness and ductility.
- Similar stiffness and mechanical strength to ABS.
- Easy-to-print.
- Jam-free™ technology improves compatibility with all-metal hotends.
- Consistent colour and tolerance (1.75mm diameter +/- 0.03mm)
Produced with Polymaker’s Nano-reinforcement technology, PolyMax™ PLA is the pinnacle of Polymakers PLA range, mechanically outperforming ABS while still carrying the ease of use printing characteristics of PLA. Compared to regular PLA, PolyMax™ PLA has 11 times the durability, allowing your 3D printed parts to absorb impacts without displaying brittle failure modes.
Features
- Superior Fracture Toughness - PolyMax™ PLA is an easy-to-print engineering material which displays an increased impact strength up to 11 times that of PolyLite™ PLA and 2 time better than ABS. This is achieved through the implementation of Polymakers Nano-reinforcement technology which dramatically improves impact resistance and fracture toughness of the material without compromising printing quality. Polymakers Nano-reinforcement also gives PolyMax™ PLA a ductile failure mode. Ductility is the ability of a material to exhibit plastic deformation before fracture, the opposite of ductile materials can be seen as brittle materials. In simple words, PolyMax™ PLA will bend instead of breaking.
- ABS-like Mechanical Properties – Combining the strength and durability of ABS in an easy-to-print material; PolyMax™ PLA is the perfect candidate for professional & educational environments where product design iteration requires a durable material and reliable prototyping process. PolyMax™ PLA offers similar strength and stiffness to ABS enabling production of parts with snap fit components which would otherwise break when printed in a stiff and rigid material like PLA or PLA+.
- Jam-Free™ technology - PolyMax™ PLA is manufactured with Polymakers Jam-Free™ technology which improves the heat stability of the filament with softening temperatures over 140°C and leads to excellent printing quality with zero risk of nozzle jams caused by heat creep [1].
- Easy-to-print - The outstanding mechanical strength of PolyMax™ PLA is achieved with no compromise in printing quality. PolyMax™ PLA can be printed without a heated bed and works well with common printing surfaces, though a heated bed can be used to achieve better results (maximum 60°C).
- Uncompromised Quality - PolyMax™ PLA filament is made with the highest quality ingredients including Ingeo® from Natureworks. Natureworks is a world-leading biopolymers supplier based in the USA with a portfolio of high quality raw PLA materials produced from rapidly renewable plant resources. Combining Polymakers innovative R&D technologies, compounding and extrusion systems with Natureworks Ingeo® resins produces a reliable 3D printing filament to print durable and accurate prototypes.
[1] Heat creep is the the process of heat spreading irregularly throughout the hot end, one common example is with all metal hot end designs. Once heat creeps towards the cold end, the PLA filament softens prematurely in the cold end and expands resulting in a jam. Polymakers Jam-Free™ technology increases the heat resistance of the filament itself (not the printed part) to 140˚C which prevents the filament from prematurely softening in the cold end and can still melt rapidly once entering the heating zone.
Printing Settings
| Nozzle Temperature | 190°C - 230°C |
|---|---|
| Build Plate Temperature | 25°C - 60°C |
| Build Surface Material | Works well with most build surfaces i.e Glass, Blue Tape, BuildTak® etc |
| Build Surface Treatment | Can apply Magigoo Original or PVA glue to the build surface to improve adhesion. |
| Cooling Fan | ON |
| Printing Speed | 40 mm/s - 60 mm/s |
| Recommended Support Material |
Single Extrusion: |
The above are printing recommendations based on 0.4 mm nozzle. Please note ideal printing conditions may vary depending on your 3D printer setup. For high speed 3D printers, make sure to increase your extrusion temperature in order to use higher printing speeds.
For other tips printing PolyMax™ PLA contact us!
Specification
| Net Weight | 3kg |
|---|---|
| Material Type | Tough PLA |
| Density | 1.17 - 1.24 (g/cm3 at 21.5˚C) |
| Technologies | Features Nano-reinforcement and Jam-Free™ Technology |
Compatibility
PolyMax™ PLA has been engineered with compatibility in mind to print excellently on a wide range of 3D printers. The Jam-Free™ technology implemented into PolyMax™ PLA can improve compatibility with all metal hot end designs that suffer from heat creep.
Of course with thousands of unique 3d printer models on the market, we can't guarantee each filament type will work with every 3D printer. Slicer experience and setting adjustment is always required to get the most out of a material. Before jumping into an ambitious project we always recommend printing some known calibration tests to build or make adjustments to the filament profile.
Technical Data
All testing specimens were printed under the following conditions: Nozzle Temperature = 205˚C, build plate temperature = 45˚C, infil = 100%, cooling fan = ON
All specimens were conditioned at room temperature for 24h prior to testing.
THERMAL PROPERTIES
| Value | Testing Method | |
| Glass Transition | 61°C | DSC, 10°C/min |
| Heat Deflection Temperature |
0.45MPa - 54.3°C HDT Curve |
ISO 75 |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 62.4°C | ISO 306, GB/T 1633 |
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
| Value | Testing Method | |
| Youngs Modulus (X-Y) |
2,150 ± 67.8 MPa | ISO 527, GB/T 1040 |
| Tensile Strength (X-Y) |
41.3 ± 2.2 MPa | ISO 527, GB/T 1040 |
| Tensile Strength (Z) |
32.4 ± 1.2 MPa | ISO 527, GB/T 1040 |
| Bending Strength (X-Y) |
62 ± 0.9 MPa | ISO 178, GB/T 9341 |
| Charpy Impact Strength (X-Y) |
38.9 ± 2.4 kJ/m2 | ISO 179, GB/T 1043 |
We have full MDS and technical data sheets for PolyMax™ PLA and all other Polymaker products. Contact us to enquire!
The typical values presented in Polymakers data sheet are intended for reference and comparison purposes only. Due to the nature of 3D printing they should not be used for design specifications or quality control purposes.
STORAGE & DRYING
All plastics are hygroscopic meaning they absorb moisture from the air which can affect printing quality and strength of printed parts. How quickly this absorption occurs depends on the material and your environment. Polymakers PolyMax™ PLA filaments are dried and packaged in a vacuum sealed bag with desiccant to ensure the best printing quality. When not in use PolyMax™ PLA should be stored away from sunlight and sealed in the packaged resealable bag.
Although filaments can be dried, drying will speed up the aging process of the plastic making it more brittle over time. Preventing the filament from absorbing moisture 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 in a sealed container with dry desiccant that reduces the relative humidity to 10-20% RH.
In-house we manage our filaments with Polymakers PolyDryer™ which keep offers best-in-class sealing to protect filaments from absorbing moisture
If you hear popping sounds and notice that the surface quality of your print is uneven or the colour is not consistent, this is a likely indicator that the filament has absorbed too much moisture. Spools of PolyMax™ PLA 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 filament in a preheated convection oven at 55˚C for up to 6 hours. Results may vary depending on the accuracy of your oven so please be conservative. For more information about filament drying please read our user guide.
FAQ
Q: Is PolyMax™ PLA a PLA+ material?
A: PolyMax™ PLA could be classified as a PLA+ material however it offers some significant advantages over PLA+ that ultimately make it a better replacement for ABS-like properties. PoyMax™ PLA has a higher impact strength than regular PLA but uniquely features a high fracture toughness and ductile failure mode while maintaining excellent printer compatibility. Ductility is the ability of a material to exhibit plastic deformation before fracture, the opposite of ductile materials can be seen as brittle materials. Whereas PLA and PLA+ will snap suddenly and violently, PolyMax™ PLA will gradually deform before fracturing. PolyMax™ PLA also mimics the stiffness of ABS enabling production of snap fit componentry which would otherwise be too stiff in PLA or PLA+.
Q: Does Polymakers Nano-reinforcement technology impact printability?
A: The nano-reinforcement of PolyMax™ PLA is NOT a fiber reinforcement, so customers can confidently print this material with a standard brass nozzle. The excellent mechanical properties of PolyMax™ PLA are achieved with no compromise in printing quality or usability.
Q: Does Jam-Free™ technology prevent all filament jamming?
A: Jam-Free™ technology is designed to prevent jamming caused by heat creep. There are many reasons why a material may jam, such as a partially blocked nozzle, printing with the wrong extruder temperature or incorrect nozzle height; Polymaker's Jam-Free™ technology won't prevent jamming in these cases.
Q: Will PolyMax™ PLA warp like ABS?
A: Short answer is no, PolyMax™ PLA won't warp like ABS and offers excellent dimensional stability. This has enabled customers to confidently print large full-size printing projects in PolyMax™ PLA. When printing large parts in PLA it is recommended to print with a heated bed, to avoid high infil densities and to partially enclose the printer to protect the print from drafts and sudden temperature changes. It is important to consider that while PLA filaments won't warp like ABS does, there are many reasons why a print may warp such as incorrect bed levelling or poor bed adhesion. If the heated bed is set too hot it can cause PLA filament to undergo a crystallisation process which creates more internal stress and in turn warping.
Q: What support materials can I use with this product?
A: If your 3D printer supports multi-material 3D printing, PolyMax™ PLA is compatible with Polymaker’s PolySupport™ and PolyDissolve™ S1 filament. PolySupport™ is a breakaway support material which can be easily peeled away and PolyDissolve™ S1 is a water dissolvable support material, ideal for complex geometries.
Q: Should I rewind this filament if I want to use it with a different spool?
A: We strongly advise against tampering with the product by rewinding. See our article for full details about the risks. All Polymaker filaments are wound with tension but without strain. Rewinding completely rearranges the curvature of the winding and this strain over time can cause most plastics to catastrophically break. If for some reason your printer is locked into fitting less than standard sized spools, there may be safe printable adaptors or external mounting solutions available.
Don't know where to start? Or which filament will suit your application? We have a broad range of support options including telephone support. Contact us today!
| Filament | |
| Diameter | 1.75mm |
| Spool Weight | 3kg |
Applications
PolyMax™ PLA is an advanced Tough PLA material chosen for applications which require an easy-to-use material with high impact resistance, durability and ductility. It features very similar mechanical properties to ABS making it an ideal replacement for many applications that don't require the heat resistance that ABS offers.
With a strong and dedicated engineering, professional and prototyping customer base, PolyMax™ PLA has been the go to choice for a wide range of applications including:
- Durable Toys
- Consumer products.
- Fashion and lifestyle accessories.
- Educational and mechanical projects.
- Conceptual models.
- Functional prototypes.
- Props and models for the entertainment industry.
- Prosthetics and robotics.
- Jigs, fixtures and manufacturing aids.
- Models which require some flexibility for snap fit designs.
- Replacement to ABS where heat resistance isn't required.
For Sarolea's Manx 7 electric superbike, the entire bodywork was prototyped using PolyMax™ PLA. Prototyping with 3D printing and PolyMax™ PLA enabled Sarolea to quickly produce low cost and lightweight components and quickly verify the appearance and functionality of their design. The printability, reliability and toughness of PolyMax™ PLA played a role in this application.
Many users have found that the ductility of PolyMax™ PLA can help when removing supports and rafts. Rather than supports being brittle and regularly snapping during support removal, PolyMax™ PLA can be easier to grip and peel away without support breaking into many pieces. Additionally PolyMax™ PLA has found popularity in the entertainment industry as both a durable and reliable 3D printing material for prop and model making due to it's improved sanding capability when compared with regular PLA materials.
For applications which need an enhanced PLA with better impact resistance than regular PLA and require high rigidity more than the ductility, impact strength and the ABS-like stiffness that PolyMax™ PLA offers; PolyLite™ PLA Pro may be worth considering. PolyLite™ PLA Pro combines the high tensile strength and rigidity that PLA is known for with improved impact strength.
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