
You should keep in mind that different types of PLA are created differently. One study did test PLA for its emissions, and they found that it mostly emits Lactide which is known to be quite harmless. The risk may be similar to other ‘hobby-type’ activities such as woodworking, painting or soldering. Technically, these both materials are not harmful to your health according to the research, but exposure to them daily may cause issues, especially to those with respiratory issues.Īn open window or air purification system should work well enough for ventilating PLA.Īlthough many studies and research mention that PLA is safe, it is hard to measure the marginal health risks over time, and they take many years to properly test for. PLA is made up of eco-friendly material that produces sweet-smelling fumes that are laced with ultra-fine particles (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

To avoid any kind of harmful effect on your health or body, you seriously need to set up a ventilation system. It is said that the average running time for a 3D print can be around 3-7 hours, which is almost a quarter of the whole day when it is producing fumes. If you are printing with ABS, Nylon or resin material in SLA 3D printers, proper ventilation is highly recommended, along with a mask.Ī good enough ventilation system can work very well for ensuring that the surrounding air is clean and not contaminated. It also depends on the chemical makeup of the thermoplastic in the first place. Other than the smell, we also have small particles that are emitted from heating thermoplastics at such high temperatures, the higher the temperature, the worse the particles usually. For example, PLA is much safer when it comes to the smell than other filaments such as ABS.

However, the quality and smell of odor depends on the type of material that is used for printing purposes.

To expel this odor out of the machine and workspace, you can use good ventilation. Do You Need Ventilation for a 3D Printer?ĭo You Need Ventilation for a 3D Printer?ĭuring the printing process, you might have smelled the odor that is produced by the printer.
