eSUN PLA plus (view on Amazon) filament can sometimes present a “stiff” nature, where small loops might protrude from the sides of prints. At times, a stray filament stub might stick up and get burned by the nozzle, creating a noticeable burn mark. Due to the stark white color of the filament, any small particles that wearing wheels shed can get caught and embed within the print, marking its surface. Despite the filament’s toughness, its lack of flexibility means parts can shear under enough stress, relying on extra hardness and stiffness rather than flexibility for its strength. Adhesion to smooth PLA surfaces becomes excellent once users properly set the Z offset and temperature. Parts will readily separate from the print bed once cooled, thanks to their lack of flexibility, avoiding peeling or leaving residue behind. Post-processing proves difficult as the hard filament challenges cutting or filing. It feels glassy under a knife blade, and filing tends to roughen rather than remove material.
Surface Finish/Appearance
The material exhibits a translucent appearance and a moderately glossy surface finish.
Settings
Temperature
A temperature tower test ranging from 200°C-230°C with this PLA+ filament shows excessive filament drooping at the highest temperatures of 230°C and 225°C. At 220°C and 215°C, the filament becomes disconnected at the bridges, whereas bridging at 210°C appears acceptable. More disconnected filament occurs at the bridge at 205°C, yet 200°C also yields acceptable bridging. Considering the manufacturer's suggested temperature range of 210°C - 230°C, with an ideal temperature at 215°C, and noting the filament's high viscosity at lower temperatures, we select 210°C as the optimal temperature. This choice balances acceptable bridging with adequate layer fusing.
Retraction
A retraction distance tower from 1-5mm highlights extensive stringing at 1mm and moderate stringing at 2mm, with only slight stringing at 3mm. No stringing occurs at 4mm and 5mm, though the bridge bulges slightly at 4mm. Therefore, 5mm retraction emerges as the ideal distance.
Retraction speed tests from 10-50mm/s reveal few differences across the board. We decide on 30mm/s as a moderate setting, striking a balance between the slow extreme of 10mm/s and the commonly recommended setting for PLA of 45mm/s.
A test part printed with 5mm retraction at 30mm/s demonstrates almost no stringing, validating our settings.
Fan Speed
Given the Ender 3 V2 Neo’s limited cooling capacity and the necessity of cooling PLA, we opted not to alter Cura’s default fan settings, maintaining 0% fan on the first layer, incrementally increasing to full operation by the fourth layer.
Test Prints
A Benchy print with this filament results in a relatively poor outcome. Advantages include minimal to no stringing. However, the window arches display poor overhang performance, and the port (left) side suffers from an extensive Z seam. The underside shows a well-executed first layer but reveals burnt filament and black debris. A pronounced notch at the hull's front, visible from the side and bottom, likely stems from the poor overhang performance. Another embedded piece of black debris near the front of the cabin roof marks the print.
The Cali Cat print, while endearing, unveils further issues with overhangs under the head at the corners and beneath the tail. The tail exhibits additional filament burning, yet the print shows no stringing and the face details remain sharp, indicating no ringing at this print speed.
Printing a watermelon helmet for Cali Cat as a humorous addition perfectly fits, demonstrating the dimensional accuracy of both the Cali Cat and the helmet.
The most impressive outcome from this spool is a Voronoi toothbrush holder. For this design, lowering the nozzle temperature aided significantly with the numerous overhangs, with a reduction to 205°C improving their quality substantially. They are not perfect but mostly very good. The applied retraction settings proved effective as well, with thousands of retraction movements executed in this print but resulting in no stringing whatsoever. Despite its thin and fragile appearance, this print possesses a surprising level of toughness.
