---
title: PLA
lang: en
type: notion
tags:
  - mme
  - notion
prerequis: []
aa: []
draft: false
source_fr: meca/pla.md
source_sha256: 0283e7330255a3fbb2553369019eaf692c50f2bdd787567a4ea3523e4fe22eb5
---

**PLA** (polylactic acid) is the most common thermoplastic filament in FDM [[impression-3d-en|3D printing]]: easy to print, cheap and derived from plant resources, but poorly resistant to heat and rather brittle.

## In the project

PLA is the default choice for the non-critical printed parts of the running example, such as brackets, housings and jigs: it prints without difficulty and allows fast iteration. Its **limits** are what steer the trade-offs. It creeps from around 60 °C, so it is best kept away from a motor that heats up or from direct sunlight, and it snaps cleanly under impact. For a part that is loaded or exposed, a PETG, an ABS or a [[usinage-en|machined]] part is preferable. This is a textbook criterion for a materials [[matrice-de-decision-en|decision matrix]], part by part.

*The detailed comparison of polymers, covering mechanical and thermal strength, recyclability and environmental footprint, belongs to the **materials course**. The wiki confines itself to placing PLA as the default prototyping choice and to its limits of use.*

## See also

- [[impression-3d-en|3D printing]] — the process that puts PLA to work
- [[ecoconception-en|Eco-design]] — material choice and end of life
- [[matrice-de-decision-en|Decision matrix]] — arbitrating the material and part pairing
- **Materials course** (colleagues) — comparison of polymers