Keep the nozzle temperature as low as possible and cool as much as you can. 

The above-mentioned rule of thumb can be seen as the basis of 3D-Printing. This rule is created with hours of testing and experimenting with different 3D-Printer filaments and 3D-Printing techniques. Of course, there are exceptions and boundaries to this rule, for instance, some filaments react badly to cooling and others cannot be printed below a certain temperature without risking under extrusion. 

PLA (Polylactic acid) is biodegradable thermoplastic derived mostly from corn. Due to its brittle nature, PLA is not recommended for 3D printing. Printed object may break down after a few months. 

Furthermore, the material has sharp edges when it breaks, making it a hazard especially when removing the support material from printed parts. 

ABS, PLA, HIPS, TPU, PETG, PC, Carbon Fiber plastic materials are used on our 3D printers. 

Use of PLA is avoided as it has lower strength as compared to ABS when it absorbs moisture. Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) printed parts have a strong, hard, and rigid output. 

In order to answer this, we need to consider a few things. We need to know the dimensions of the object; the percentage of infill and the part requires support material or not. 

3D printing is tricky beast, and there are many potential reasons why your extruder is having problems. The first thing to do, is to make sure that you know what material you’re using, and that you have the proper temperature settings. 

Each material has an ideal range of temperatures 

PLA: 190-210°C 
ABS: 220 -240°C 
NYLON: 240C-250°C 
LAYWOOD: 175-250°C 
LAYBRICK: 165-210°C 
SOFT PLA/BENDLAY: 220-235°C 
GLOW IN THE DARK PLA: 185-205°C 
PVA: 170-190°C 

To store filament correctly so that it doesn’t come into contact with moist air, you have three practical and relatively cheap options: 

1. Use double-zipped vacuum bags with a valve for sucking the air out with a standard vacuum cleaner. 
2. Store your filament spools in transparent storage boxes with sealed lids. 
3. Another great solution to creating a moisture-free environment for filament storage is a dry box. These cabinets provide the kind of low-humidity environment that is perfect for filament storage. The technology works through an electronic dehumidifier system that constantly dehumidifies the interior of the box. As a result, you’ll limit the contact that your filament has with humid air to practically nothing. For you, this means stronger, more reliable prints. 

For drying PLA filament, you want to ensure more care, as 7°C will be too hot. We recommend at the very lowest temp your oven will go around 4°C. Even at this temp your PLA will soften, so drying PLA in the oven won’t always give you the results you’re after. 

Some of you think that PLA will dissolve in water and/or will degrade in moist or wet environments. That is totally false. The 3D printable plastic, which is often used as a support material with dual extrusion 3D printers and which dissolves in water is PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol), not PLA. 

Wet PETG is significantly more brittle than dry, and the interlayer adhesion is significantly reduced. Fortunately, most of the filaments we print with aren’t very susceptible to hydrolysis at room temperature without the presence of an acid or a base. Nylon and PC can absorb enough water in 48 hours to ruin prints

PET, or ‘polyethylene terephthalate’, is a combination of two monomers. PETG is of the same chemical composition as PET but with the addition of glycol. With just this one addition, the chemical composition is completely changed, creating a whole new plastic.