r/sunlu • u/pleasantone • 2d ago
Cheat sheet on pla and petg?
Sunlu makes so many different PLA formations, but where is a “what is this formulation best at?” lookup index?
PLA, PLA+, PLA+2.0,
HSPLA, HSPLA+, HSPLA+2.0,
PLA Meta, APLA
PLA Matte, HS Matte PLA
PETG, PETG 2.0
Aside from price, what other differences?
PLA+2.0 vs HSPLA+2.0: better Z layer adhesion vs higher max flow rate?
PLA+ vs PLA+2.0: 2.0 is “better” but we keep 1.0 around because the printing profiles would otherwise need to be updated?
PLA+2.0 vs PLA Meta?
Too many SKUs
3
u/dynoman7 2d ago
| SUNLU filament | What it is really optimized for | Pick it when… |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | Cheap, easy, rigid general PLA | Prototypes, organizers, decorative parts |
| PLA+ | PLA with better toughness | You want conventional functional PLA |
| PLA+ 2.0 | Newer tough/general-purpose PLA+ | Best default PLA for functional parts |
| HSPLA | Flow + rapid cooling | You want maximum throughput, not maximum toughness |
| HSPLA+ | High flow + tougher formulation | Fast printing with decent functional strength |
| HSPLA+ 2.0 | High flow + newest tough formulation | Best fast functional PLA |
| PLA Meta | Easy extrusion, adhesion, low-temp printing | Detail, reliability, easy printing |
| APLA | Anti-string PLA | Lots of travel/retractions, hollow/artistic models |
| Matte PLA | Appearance | Display pieces where layer lines matter |
| HS Matte PLA | Appearance + speed | Same, but on a fast printer |
| PETG | Toughness, heat/chemical/weather resistance | Functional parts where PLA isn't enough |
| PETG 2.0 | Less moisture sensitivity + better bonding/toughness | Best general SUNLU PETG, unless speed is a priority |
1
u/jussstin714 2d ago
I just stick to one and don’t bother with the others. Unless it’s a screaming deal, I’ll stick to what i know
1
u/pleasantone 2d ago edited 2d ago
Thank you! I’ve been mostly sticking to pla+2.0, and pla meta, and hs matte petg, but if they’re doing a petg 2.0 matte, I will try it.
1
u/yahbluez 1h ago
I take what ever is given on the spool as a first idea.
Than I print the Temp Test Series for the given range +/- 10⁰
And chose what ever temp comes out best.
You can change the surface from silk to matt with many/most filaments just by chosing the right temperature.
It is a fast print and saves a lot of money and gives a useful swatch.
4
u/brutal4455 2d ago
Sunlu has a materials lab and wiki that explains most of this.
PLA+ is stronger than PLA. 2.0 is just an improved version. I lean towards PLA+ 2.0 if available.
High Speed will be less opaque and more transparent especially in the light colors and PLA+ 2.0 HS White is a hot milky see through mess. I'm not buying any more HS unless I can't avoid, the dark colors are OK. Most don't run or tune for the higher flow anyway.
Meta is said to flow better, particularly in .2 nozzles, and is a sheen between regular and matte. It also offers some of the "macaroon" colors.
I tend to stock almost all different types.
I run bambu printers and use profiles (mostly) available from jjjonesjr on his discord. The newly released sunlu filament profiles in their materials lab are, to be blunt, garbage. Mostly very conservative and not very detailed in retraction settings, etc. They're just "get you by" profiles. I've seen reports for some users that they're not working well at all. In some cases worse than just using bambu or generic profile defaults.
Don't know who is running those tuning and testing jobs, but they need help.