In the ENG Makerspaces we only print PLA on the Ultimaker Printers as it is most reliable and does not emit toxic chemicals.
You have the choice of White, Grey or Black Filament for your prints.
PLA is the cheapest 3D printed material and is great for most projects.
Your prints will be strong under compressive force loading, however weaker under tensile or torsional forces due to the layering of the plastic.
PLA is great for printing due to it's relatively low melting Point (280C) however this makes it a poor choice for objects which must be heat resistant.
The base 'Onyx' filament on the Markforged composite 3D printer is a nylon based material with small pieces of carbon fibre reinforcement throughout. This is already a very strong material with significant flexibility in comparison to PLA prints on the Ultimakers.
In addition to carbon fibre infused filament, the composite printer also has the option of using continuous strands of carbon fibre, kevlar or fibreglass to reinforce prints.
