PLA, PETG or ABS in a Texas summer
A dashboard in a Mueller parking lot hits 70 °C. Here is which plastic survives and which one droops.
Central Texas is hard on plastic. Anything that lives in a car, on a patio or near a window needs a material choice made on purpose.
PLA
Crisp detail, great colors, easiest to print accurately. It softens around 55–60 °C, so keep it indoors: display models, desk organizers, fixtures in air-conditioned spaces.
PETG
Our default for functional parts. Tougher, slightly flexible, handles heat to roughly 75 °C and shrugs off moisture. Brackets, enclosures, outdoor clips.
ABS
Best heat resistance of the three and sands or vapor-smooths nicely. It warps on large flat parts, so we orient and enclose prints carefully.
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