PLA vs PETG vs ABS: which filament for your part?

There is no “best filament.” There is a plastic that matches the job. On TechHobby the catalog is FDM: PLA, PLA Glass, ePLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU 95A, and an engineering PA-CF. Colors go in and out of stock — the quote wizard is current. How the machine actually prints is in how FDM 3D printing works.

Start with the job, not the brand name

Ask four questions: will it sit in a hot car, will it live outdoors, does it need to flex, and is this a first fit-check? That list usually picks the family before anyone argues about silk PLA.

Materials TechHobby actually prints

PLA is the easy indoor plastic. Cooler nozzle, low warp, sharp detail. It softens in a parked car and chalks in UV. Use it for models, school parts, jigs that stay on a bench, and “does this hole line up?”

PLA Glass and ePLA (silk, marble, wood-look, glow) are still PLA chemically. Buy them for appearance. Do not treat silk PLA as a mechanical upgrade.

PETG is the usual step up for functional indoor parts: more toughness and heat than basic PLA, less drama than ABS. It can string. Dry it if the spool has sat open through a monsoon.

ABS takes more heat. It wants an enclosure and it smells. Use it when PLA would sag. Warping is the tax.

ASA is the outdoor-minded cousin of ABS — similar print habits, better UV. Garden brackets, camera housings, anything that will see Indian sun.

TPU 95A is flexible. Bumpers, pads, grommets. Print it slowly. It is the wrong choice for a stiff arm or a precision hole.

Engineering / PA-CF (nylon-carbon) is the stiff, dry, abrasive option. It needs a wear-resistant nozzle and a dry box. Stock is limited; the wizard says if that spool is on the shelf.

A simple decision path

• Easiest print, cheap prototype, school model → PLA.
• Looks matter more than load → ePLA / PLA Glass.
• Functional indoor part, electronics box, general bracket → PETG.
• Heat in a cabin or near a motor, and you can enclose the printer → ABS.
• Outdoor sun → ASA, not PLA.
• Must bend → TPU 95A.
• Stiff engineering aid and you will dry the spool → PA-CF if it is in stock.
• FPV canopy or GoPro mount that stays on the bench for fit → PLA or PETG; if it lives on a 5" that sits in a hot boot, step to PETG or ASA. Process notes: orientation and walls.

Typical temperatures — not universal

Exact numbers belong on the filament label and in the slicer profile. These are typical ranges you will see across consumer FDM, not TechHobby lab results:

• PLA: nozzle about 190–220 °C, bed about 50–60 °C, cooling on.
• PETG: nozzle about 230–250 °C, bed about 70–85 °C, less fan than PLA.
• ABS / ASA: nozzle about 240–260 °C, bed about 90–110 °C, enclosure, limited fan.
• TPU: nozzle about 220–250 °C, slow feed, often little retraction.
• PA-CF: hot, dry, wear-resistant nozzle — verify the current manufacturer card.

If a print strings, warps, or smells stronger than usual, check moisture and enclosure before blaming the CAD.

Moisture and storage

Nylon and TPU drink water. PETG and PLA do too, just slower. A wet spool pops, goes fuzzy, and loses layer weld. Store with desiccant. Dry hygroscopic rolls before a paid job. Do not invent a single drying temperature for every brand — use that spool’s card.

Safety, briefly

Nozzles and beds are hot. ABS/ASA want ventilation more than PLA. Do not leave a first print unattended in a bedroom. Children can watch a PLA print with an adult; they should not clear a 250 °C nozzle. This is ordinary workshop caution, not a claim that PLA is “toxic-free.”

Before you order a custom print

1. Export STL, OBJ, or 3MF. Keep units in millimetres.
2. Check the part fits 256 × 256 × 256 mm, or split it.
3. Decide the job (prototype, outdoor, flexible, stiff).
4. Upload on 3D printing and pick a color that is in stock.
5. Choose quality. 0.20 mm standard is the usual functional start; go finer for text.
6. Leave room for ~0.2 mm process tolerance on fits. Test holes if they must click.
7. Approve the live quote (grams + time + quality). Do not reuse an old screenshot of a price.

Lead time on many jobs starts at one business day after payment, then shipping. Prints are made to your file, so they are not a standard off-the-shelf return. Questions: techhobby.in@gmail.com, or the Jaipur workshop via Meet our team.

If the printed part is a canopy or GPS mount on a custom quad, keep the rest of the BOM on custom build. The plastic choice and the video system are separate decisions.