3DPrinting
3DPrinting is a place where makers of all skill levels and walks of life can learn about and discuss 3D printing and development of 3D printed parts and devices.
The r/functionalprint community is now located at: or !functionalprint@fedia.io
There are CAD communities available at: !cad@lemmy.world or !freecad@lemmy.ml
Rules
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No bigotry - including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia. Code of Conduct.
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Be respectful, especially when disagreeing. Everyone should feel welcome here.
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Yes, PLA creeps ridiculously fast in hot conditions it is unsuitable for use in any environment over 35C tbh.
PETG is better but will still warp/fade over time if it's exposed to the sun, and likely need replacing.
You need to be printing in ABS or ideally ASA if you want all-weather resistant cases. Which means now your printer needs an enclosure and ventilation...
I printed a sprinkler to stick on the end of my watering can out of PLA.
Its been outside in all weather, including direct sunlight, for three years now. And water runs through it almost every day for 8 months of the year. It's a little faded, but that's it.
IMO the things people say about PLA regarding exposure are vastly over stated.
I don't think your particular case would have any creep as it's not mechanically leveraged in any real way.
If you were to print something like a cupholder for a stroller or bike where it's holding something up with some weight while in the heat is where you would notice it especially with repeated impact. Most likely wouldn't outright fail but under constant load you would notice it starting to bend a little. That said you can absolutely over engineer it to prevent that rather than switching materials which can be a huge pain depending on the printer.
I did my hydroponic tower in PETG but it honestly would've been ok in PLA since it's just a static fixture. I've had a PLA badge on my car for 3 years in 110+ summers and similar to you I've only noticed fading on the raised white lettering.