How Tough are Prints?

We tested the toughness of the sample (not scientific of course) with the Mallet (pictured) by whacking it hard enough to see if it will break. ……

The “Whack Test”

This print is of a simple20x20x10mm solid square with a round10mm solid round column on top. We used PLA, 210′ and solid fill, which is actually overcooking the material by 30′. So it should be unstable… but…

…I wracked it once, hard enough, that if I had my finger under it, I would have broken it. Not scientific… but I know from bitter, painful experience how much damage I can inflict with a 5 pounder…

Conclusion: Is PLA tough? – you bet! … but if you lower the temperature and reduce the fill-in which creates more of a honeycomb, then the strength will change- but the stiffness will remain. Next our bending and whacking test on a Prusa smooth rod holder…

The PLA got dented, but did not break…. then I hit it three more times increasingly harder… until it broke…

How hard did I hit it… well hard enough to spray the broken bits over a 2 meter radius!

…again printed a little too hot, the PLA plastic shows excellent springiness and after hitting it broke after the second, harder whack with a 5 pound hammer.