Materials · Demanding
PP (polypropylene)
Light, flexible and resistant to many chemicals. Hard to get to stick to the plate.
FlexibleHandles impacts
What changes most if you're coming from PLA:
What it's for
- One-piece hinges that flex thousands of times.
- Containers and parts that touch cleaning liquids.
- Light parts that take impacts.
What it's not for
- Stiff parts or exact sizes.
- If you don't have a surface it sticks to: almost nothing sticks to it, the plate included.
If you're coming from another material
- Nozzle temperature220 °C 235 °C15 °C hotter. PP (polypropylene) needs more heat to melt properly; printed like PLA, the layers don't fuse and the part breaks easily.
- Bed temperature65 °C 55 °C10 °C cooler. With PLA's bed temperature, the base gets too soft and comes out deformed.
- Part fan60–80 % 100–100 %More air. This material needs to cool quickly to hold its shape, especially on overhangs and small details.
- Max volumetric speed12 mm³/s 12 mm³/sSimilar: it prints at a similar speed.
- Softens at45 °C 110 °CIt handles 65 °C more before softening: good for parts that will sit in the sun or near something hot.
What it's like to print
- The hardest part is keeping it on the plate: it usually needs a special PP surface or tape.
- Fan at full, as its profile says.
- It warps as it cools: small, flat parts work best.
Starting values
From Bambu Studio's generic profile for the A1: they're meant for any brand, so they're cautious. They're a starting point; the calibration tests get you to your filament's own values.
| Nozzle | 235 °C (220–250) |
|---|---|
| Bed, textured plate | 55 °C |
| Bed, smooth plate (PEI) | 55 °C |
| Bed, cool plate | 35 °C |
| Fan | 100–100 % |
| Max flow | 12 mm³/s |
| Softens at | 110 °C |
| Hardened nozzle | not needed |
Moisture
It barely absorbs moisture: one of the easiest to store.
Drying time and temperature come from your filament's maker: every brand and blend is different, so we don't give numbers here. Look for them on the filament's label or the brand's data sheet.
The settings that change the most
- Bed on the Textured PEI PlateFilament › FilamentIt helps, but with PP the plate's surface matters more than its temperature.
- Brim typeProcess › OthersA wide brim gives the base more grip.
Typical problems:The part comes off the plateThe corners lift
Calibrate first:1Temperature
The numbers come from Bambu Studio and the A1, but the material is the same on any FDM printer: on another machine or slicer, the values are similar and everything explained here still applies.
Other materials
PLAPLA SilkPETGPCTGTPUABSASAPC (polycarbonate)Nylon (PA)HIPSFiber-filled (CF and GF)Soluble supports (PVA and BVOH)