PLA + carbon fibre print settings
PLA with chopped carbon fibre. Much stiffer and more dimensionally stable, with a matte finish — and it will destroy a brass nozzle.
Abrasive — hardened nozzle required
Nozzle 200–230 °C
Bed 35–60 °C
Part cooling 80–100 %
Enclosure Not needed
Drying 55 °C for 8 h
Shrinkage ~0.2 % — the fibres restrain it, so less than plain PLA
Density 1.22 g/cm³
Enclosure: Prints fine in open air.
Bed surface & adhesion
As PLA — smooth or textured PEI, no glue needed.
Retraction starting points
Direct drive 0.5–2 mm
Bowden 3–6 mm
Retraction speed 25–45 mm/s
Forgiving — start mid-range and fine-tune with a retraction test tower.
Good for
Stiff, flat parts — brackets, jigs, drone frames A matte finish that hides layer lines without post-processing Watch out for
Highly abrasive — a hardened steel or ruby nozzle is not optional Fibres clog 0.4 mm nozzles; 0.6 mm is far more forgiving Stiffer but more brittle than plain PLA — it snaps rather than bends Takes up moisture faster than plain PLA and prints rough once it has Problems this material is prone to
Other filaments
These are widely-published starting points for the generic material, not a specification. Individual spools vary by brand, colour and additive package — always defer to the figures printed on your spool.
Every number on this page is in the app too — next to the calculators that use it, working offline at the printer.
Get it on Google Play