It’s no secret that each filament type has a distinct set of optimal values for parameters such as the print temperature, bed temperature, and print speed since the physical properties of the plastic used in the filament are considerably different between distinct types.
On the other hand, what does not get mentioned a lot is the fact that the optimal values for the print settings also vary between different brands of the same type of filament (even though not as large of a difference), as each brand uses a different formula for the manufacturing process.
In today’s article, we will be diving into configuring the settings as optimally as possible for the Sunlu brand of PLA filament, in particular, allowing you to achieve higher quality prints than using the generic PLA profile and configuration you can find in your slicer software.
So, what are the optimal settings for Sunlu PLA (and PLA+) filament?
Below, you can find the optimal settings for Sunlu PLA according to the manufacturer’s recommendations:
- Nozzle (Print) Temperature – 200 to 230 degrees Celsius
- Bed Temperature – 60 to 80 degrees Celsius (or no bed heating)
- Print Speed – 50 to 100 millimeters per second
- Filament Diameter – 1.75 mm
On the other hand, for Sunlu PLA Plus (PLA+), the only difference is the print temperature, with the rest remaining the same:
- Nozzle (Print) Temperature – 215 to 235 degrees Celsius
- Bed Temperature – 60 to 80 degrees Celsius (or no bed heating)
- Print Speed – 50 to 100 millimeters per second
- Filament Diameter – 1.75 mm
In the upcoming sections, we will take a deeper look into configuring the print settings optimally for Sunlu PLA and find out how to permanently save the settings you have created explicitly for Sunlu PLA in popular slicers such as Cura and PrusaSlicer for later usage.
Table of Contents
What Are the Optimal Settings for Sunlu PLA?
While it’s logical to assume that PLA is PLA, regardless of the brand, the actual situation is much different, as each manufacturer uses an entirely different material composition that consists of varying amounts of actual PLA and other filler materials, creating a distinction in the optimal print settings.
According to the manufacturer’s specifications, a print temperature range of 200℃-230℃, a print speed of 50-100 mm/s, and a bed temperature of 60℃-80℃ (or no bed heating) are optimal for printing Sunlu PLA.
As the filament diameter of the Sunlu PLA is a standard 1.75 mm, it’s also crucial that you set this value correctly for the slicer to perform the calculations accurately and prevent issues that can arise from a filament diameter mismatch from happening.
To find the values that will work the best for you, we highly recommend running a series of test prints with the figures that are in the range of what the manufacturer recommends and fine-tune as much as possible.
What Are the Optimal Settings for Sunlu PLA Plus (PLA+)?
As the configuration that PLA plus (PLA+) requires is slightly different than what’s optimal for PLA due to the differences in material composition between these two filament types, it’s vital to keep an eye out for the distinction and perform the configuration accordingly.
For Sunlu PLA Plus (PLA+), the recommended values by the manufacturer are a print temperature range of 215℃-235℃, a print speed of 50-100 mm/s, and a bed temperature of 60℃-80℃ (or no bed heating).
Since the filament diameter of the Sunlu PLA Plus (PLA+) is also a standard 1.75 mm, similar to the Sunlu PLA, ensure that you configure the value accordingly in your slicer as well.
Once again, we highly recommend conducting test prints with different values that stay in the ranges we have mentioned and using the configurations that performed the best in the tests for your actual 3D prints.
How Can You Configure Sunlu PLA & PLA Plus (PLA+) Settings in Cura?
If you plan to switch back and forth between Sunlu PLA and other spools of filament you have at hand, creating a set of configurations in Cura that you can load whenever you desire explicitly for Sunlu PLA will come in extremely handy.
To start the process, the first thing you will need to do is to add Sunlu PLA as a material into Cura by following the steps we have listed below:
- Click the Prepare tab that you can find on the top of the Cura window.
- Click the middle pane for the material and nozzle size settings.
- Click the material dropdown and select the Manage Materials option.
- Click Generic PLA from the left pane, and click Duplicate.
- Choose the entry you have created from the left pane, which should have the text in Italic.
- Type Sunlu into the Brand input and 1.75 mm into the Diameter input.
- Switch to the Print Settings tab.
- Fill the default values, such as the printing temperature, that you will be using with Sunlu PLA into the corresponding inputs.
Now that you have added Sunlu PLA as a custom material in Cura, it’s time to create a custom profile that contains the non-material-related print settings you will be using while printing with Sunlu PLA:
- Click the Prepare tab.
- Click the rightmost pane for the print settings.
- If you see the Custom button, click it; else, skip this step.
- Click the Profile dropdown menu, and choose Manage Profiles.
- Duplicate a profile you would like to use as the base, such as Standard Quality, and name it Sunlu PLA.
- Activate the profile by choosing it and clicking the Activate button.
- Make the necessary modifications through the Print Settings dialog of Cura.
- Click the Profile dropdown, and choose the “Update profile with current settings/overrides” button to save the current settings into the profile.
Once you have both the custom material profile and the custom print profile ready, all you will need to do is select both of these profiles whenever you plan to print with Sunlu PLA, which will automatically load all the related settings.
How Can You Configure Sunlu PLA & PLA Plus (PLA+) Settings in PrusaSlicer?
Like in Cura, you can also add Sunlu PLA (and any other filament you plan on using regularly) as a custom material preset in PrusaSlicer, which allows you to quickly switch between different filaments without having to re-configure all the time.
Below, you can find the steps we recommend taking to add Sunlu PLA as a custom preset in PrusaSlicer in the quickest way possible:
- Navigate to the Filament Settings tab located on the top of the PrusaSlicer window.
- Click the Save button (floppy disk icon) next to the dropdown.
- Type Sunlu PLA into the input that will determine the preset’s name.
- Modify the parameters such as Filament Diameter, Filament Density, Filament Cost, Spool Weight, Nozzle Temperature, and Bed Temperature accordingly.
- Click the Save button without making any changes to the name to write the settings onto the current filament preset of Sunlu PLA you have just created.
Once you save the preset, you will be able to choose Sunlu PLA from the Filament dropdown menu in the Plater tab of PrusaSlicer whenever you need it, and PrusaSlicer will automatically load all the custom settings you have configured.
Wrapping Up
Even though using generic values for the filament type you’re using won’t necessarily cause the printing process to become a failure, creating profiles that have the exact figures recommended by the manufacturer for each brand and type of filament you use will always yield the best results.
To quickly recap, here are the optimal settings that you can use for 3D printing with Sunlu PLA and Sunlu PLA Plus (PLA+) filament:
- Extruder Temperature – 200-230°C for PLA | 215-235°C for PLA+
- Heated Bed Temperature – 80-90°C
- Print Speed – 50-100 mm/s
- Filament Diameter – 1.75 mm
While any value that falls in these ranges should produce successful results, refining the configuration further by testing with different figures will allow you to obtain the best results possible.
Happy printing!
Mike started his 3D printing journey with the Anet A8 when it first came out back in 2017, and has been obsessed with 3D printers ever since. Nowadays, he primarily uses his Ender 3 to print functional parts that make his life more convenient whenever possible.