Fully-supported on its H-Series 3D printers which, includes the H480 and H479

CHANHASSEN, MN, June 5, 2014 – Afinia 3D, a leading supplier of Desktop 3D Printers, now offers a new line of Premium PLA filament at store.afinia.com. Current colors include green, blue, and gray, with black, white, and natural becoming available in the fall. PLA, also known as Polylactic Acid, is a cornstarch derivative and is the world’s second most commonly-used 3D printing thermoplastic.

“Afiniacs are an enthusiastic and creative bunch, and they have asked us to add PLA filament to our line-up. In our experience, 3rd party manufactured PLA filaments do not print consistently and have issues with brittleness, nozzle clogging, and bridging or spider webbing that can leave users disappointed with the results. Our Premium PLA filament was engineered to mitigate these common issues and to give a great printing experience. One of the biggest problems with PLA is the removal of raft and support material from the model. The new Afinia Premium PLA comes away clean leaving the user with a beautiful, glossy model.” remarked John Westrum, Afinia’s vice president.

The Afinia H-Series software makes it easy to switch between ABS and PLA. Users simply select the Withdraw function to remove their current filament. Once that has been accomplished, they select Maintenance, then New Spool and select PLA from the drop-down menu. The default weight of the spool is 700 grams. Then use the Extrude function to load the new filament, and they are ready to “PLA”. PLA is a bit more rigid than ABS and the surface of PLA models will appear shinier than those printed with ABS.

Advantages of Afinia’s Premium PLA:

• No pre-heating of the platform required – The H-Series platform quickly heats to a low 50°C which is the platform temperature for printing PLA

• Reduced warping, lifting, or curling of models – Afinia’s Premium PLA filament has a reduced thermal expansion coefficient than ABS which means the PLA layers are less likely to shrink after printing

• Less odor – Compared to ABS, Afinia’s PLA has reduced odor and a pleasant, sweet smell like pancakes

Afinia’s Premium PLA filament is fully-supported on its H-Series 3D printers which, include the H480 and H479. Check here for the latest software updates for Mac and PC for optimal support of the new Premium PLA filament. For technical questions, contact Afinia 3D Support at 952-279-2643.

Afinia emerged as a leader in desktop 3D printing when named “Best Overall Experience” over 15 manufacturers in Make: Magazine’s “Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing”. The review hailed the Afinia as a standout, naming it “one of our favorite 3D printers”, and pointing out that “straight out of the box… we printed some of the best-looking examples of the challenge prints.” The review concluded with the high praise, “the Afinia offered the best printing quality with the least amount of effort.”

The Afinia H-Series can print a part or model up to 5” x 5” x 5”, with a resolution of 150 microns (6 thousandths of an inch). The Afinia’s 3D printer software imports .STL files, created with CAD/CAM software or downloaded from a growing number of online libraries. It then automatically generates the support material that a design requires. The Afinia H-Series connects to a PC or Mac with a USB cable and stores the print job so laptop users are free to unplug the USB cable and go about their business. The Afinia 3D printer uses inexpensive plastic filament that is available in more than 20 different colors.

About Afinia

About Afinia, a division of Microboards Technology LLC, is a leader in specialized printing solutions. Their twenty-year history includes leadership in disc duplication, 3D Printing and, most recently, Label Printing. More information can be found at http://www.afinia.com or by phone at 1.888.215.3966.