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I am curious about the longevity of a PLA printed part used in a commercial application. It would be a mounting bracket installed in an industrial enclosure. The internal cabinet temperature would be less than 100 °F, and have an internal air circulation fan to keep the control PLC cool.

It would be in a steel enclosure, in an industrial environment, with no sunlight or UV exposure.

Would the PLA hold up over time, or have any issues with delamination or brittleness?

Greenonline
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Jcfry
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    I'd be more concerned with the mechanical stresses involved. In particular, parts are very weak in bending forces that can cause printed layers to separate. The environment you describe is certainly benign. – Carl Witthoft Apr 12 '19 at 14:01

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I've had white Hatchbox PLA parts in use outside in direct or partial sun for 3+ years without issue. It may help if you paint the parts for outdoor use, but I suspect the environment you describe would be fine for several years.

Scott Leslie
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