PLA
For scale models and appearance prototypes. Stable and easy to finish.
Materials for industrial 3D printing
PLA, ABS, PETG and resin. The material decides whether a part survives the use it will get, and each of the four has a place where it shines and one where it fails.
A design choice, not a catalogue pick
Tesseract’s 3D printing materials are three filaments for FDM (PLA, ABS and PETG) and engineering resins for SLA. The choice comes from how the part will be used, weighing load, heat, detail and finish, and it arrives in writing with the engineering review.
The same geometry in PLA and in ABS gives two different parts. One works for presentations and warps in a car in the sun; the other takes heat and load, and costs more in machine time.
The four side by side
Selection criteria, without catalogue figures: what holds for your part comes from the engineering review.
| Criterion | PLA | ABS | PETG | Resin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load | Gives under constant load | Above PLA under load and impact | Above PLA, and tough | Stiff and more brittle |
| Heat | Softens at around 60 °C | Takes more heat than PETG | Well above PLA | Feels heat more than ABS and PETG do |
| Detail | Limited by the bead width | Same as PLA | Same as PLA | The finest of the four |
| Finish | Takes sanding, primer and paint | Sanding, primer, paint and chemical smoothing | Sanding, primer and paint | Smooth off the printer, ready for fine paint |
| Large parts | Warps little: the most stable | In FDM, in modules if needed | Same as ABS | Gets expensive and fragile |
| Best for | Scale models, appearance prototypes, geometry checks | Parts that run hot, functional prototypes | Jigs, replacement parts, functional prototypes | Panels, valves, miniatures, small prototypes |
| Avoid for | Constant load or heat | Fine detail | Fine detail | Large parts or parts that take a beating |
Which material should you ask for?
Pick the question closest to your part. The answer takes you to the material’s page.
Pick a question and the answer shows up here.
PLA: it prints steadily, warps little and takes a scale-model finish.
See PLAABS or PETG: more load and more heat than PLA can take.
See ABS and PETGResin: the thinnest layer and a smooth surface, on small parts.
See resinOne by one
Where each material wins, where it loses and what to ask for instead.
A rule from the bench
If the part will sit inside a car, in the sun or near a motor, it is not PLA. The conversation starts with ABS or PETG.
Common questions
Which material is the strongest?
It depends on the load. ABS and PETG take more load and impact than PLA; ABS copes better with heat. Resin is stiff but more brittle.
Do I choose the material or do you?
You can ask for whatever you like. The engineering review checks whether the material can take the use you describe and, if not, recommends another and explains why, in writing.
Can one piece use two materials?
Yes. On a scale model it is the norm: the structure in filament and the detail in resin, joined before finishing.
Can the part come out in my brand colour?
Yes. The part gets primer and paint in the colour you specify; send the colour reference with your request.
Which material costs least?
By volume, usually PLA. ABS and PETG take more machine time, and resin works best on small parts: on a large one it gets expensive.
Trade showThe scale piece goes to the booth instead of the real machine.
TrainingThe machine that cannot stop goes into the classroom, cut open.
Sales visitThe rep carries in a suitcase what would never fit in one.
Not sure about the material? Send the part.
The engineering review comes back within 24 business hours with the recommended material, the reason and the lead time.
- FDM and SLA
- ±0.1 mm
- Ships to every country