FAQ's
Fusion Filaments takes pride in creating the highest quality, no-compromise filament. Unlike many other manufacturers, we don't use fillers to save on costs. Unfortunately, this practice is extremely widespread in the industry, and common printing profiles are set up to print this cheap filament. We hope this FAQ helps new Fusion Filaments customers spin up on the important differences when printing with our high-quality products!
What PLA resin manufacturer do we use? There are plenty of places to get raw PLA from, but here we only use pure NatureWorks resin.
What do all the grades of materials mean? What is the difference between PLA and HTPLA+? Without getting too complicated, each grade has a specific amount of this, that, or the other thing to make it unique. At the end of the day, filament is filament, and it prints in your 3D printer.
PLA (4043D) has been around the longest, and it's the most used PLA material for prototyping. It has many good qualities and some negative qualities. 4043D is great at rigidity. It holds its shape and does not like to bend much. It doesn't warp when printed. It is prone to cracking before bending, which gives it a brittle quality. It also has the lowest melt temperature of any material.
HTPLA+ (3D870) is the new kid on the block. It too can be heat treated, but it works just as well without it. This is the best PLA material to use for objects that require all of the best properties of PLA and ABS. It stays rigid like 4043D, but it also can bend like 3D850 and ABS before it breaks. It prints like ABS (which everyone seems to love). Layer adhesion is also the best with this material. The only drawback is that it's hard to pigment. The base material is milky white when extruded, so most colors are earth tones or pastels. Ongoing research is being done right now to provide us with a material that is more clear like 3D850. 3D870 is an engineering-grade PLA.
How should I adjust my printing profile to get the best results? By far, the biggest issue we see users running into is printing filament at the wrong temperature. Since we don't include fillers in our filament, the print temperature is typically higher than our competition. We include a recommended printing temperature on the side of each Fusion Filaments roll. We recommend this temperature as a starting point, and you may need to adjust up or down from it depending on the accuracy of your printer's hotend thermistor reading and your print speeds.
Why are my prints suddenly stringy? Nearly all filament types absorb moisture from the air, degrading print quality. This can present as surface roughness caused by moisture and audible "popping" during extrusion, or as stringing. Fusion Filaments ships filament rolls in sealed bags with desiccant to help keep your filament dry during the shipment process; however, it is nearly impossible to keep filament "dry" for an extended period of time.
Some users create dry boxes filled with desiccant to help keep moisture away, but in most cases, this merely delays the issue and doesn't actually fix the problem. Some filament types (such as PET) may absorb enough moisture to degrade performance within a day of being out in open air. Users truly concerned with performance and print quality need to invest in a filament drying system. Several third parties make units specifically for drying filament before use, or DIY-savvy users really like using repurposed food dehydrators. Either way, this should be considered as important as any printer mod to improve your quality!
If you don't have access to drying equipment and have to make the best of it, turning down print temperature in a pinch may decrease the bad effects of wet filament. Just be sure to test part strength and ensure you don't drop too low to extrude properly.
How do I dry my filament properly? Please reference the table below for recommended drying temps and durations on various Fusion Filaments material types.
NOTE: Not all drying devices are built equally. Failure to follow these temperatures could result in a damaged spool.
| Resin | Spool Type | Temp (C / F) | Drying Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTPLA+ | Refill Spool | 46 / 115 | 12 hours |
| HTPLA+ | Injection Spool | 55 / 131 | 6 hours |
| PLA | Refill Spool | 46 / 115 | 12 hours |
| PLA | Injection Spool | 55 / 131 | 6 hours |
| PETG | Refill Spool | 46 / 115 | 16 hours |
| PETG | Injection Spool | 55 / 131 | 12 hours |
| HTPET+ | Injection Spool | 74 / 165 | 12 hours |
| ABS | Injection Spool | 74 / 165 | 12 hours |
| Polycarbonate | Injection Spool | 74 / 165 | 16 hours |
What guarantee do I have that your material will work in my printer? Our filament is made with only pure resins, no fillers. Our filament is held within the industry standard of ±0.05mm, but we try harder to make sure it is held within ±0.025mm. Our filament is filtered during extrusion to prevent any possibility of debris getting into your nozzle and causing a jam. Please feel free to contact us with any questions/concerns/refund issues or even just to say hi. We care and we listen!
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Contact Information: Fusion Holdings LLC 1701 Creek Rd Unit F West Bend, Wisconsin 53090
Email Address: management@fusionfilaments.com
Effective as of March 17th, 2024