Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely. Francofil is a filament manufacturer.

We have our own extrusion lines. From R&D to the shipment of your spool, we control the entire life cycle of the filament.

100% of our filaments are manufactured by our team at our production site in Normandy.

Passing through the area? Come and see for yourself!

Each spool is vacuum-sealed with a desiccant bag. Once vacuum-sealed, the spool is placed in an individual cardboard packaging box.

If you have only ordered one spool, it will be shipped as is. If you have ordered several spools, each individual packaging box will be placed in a larger box to ship your entire order.

For shipments of multiple spools, we will always prioritize shipping the minimum number of boxes possible.

These spool sizes are not often requested, but we have kept in mind those who consume large quantities of filaments.
That's why it's indicated that they are available on request.

Send us an email at contact@francofil.fr with the desired references and we will indicate the procedure to follow.

There are conflicting opinions on this. Old habits die hard! No, a PLA spool left in the open air for a few days does not need to be dried in the oven for several hours.

As with any item, the more careful you are, the better you will preserve your filaments. Once your printing is complete, store your filament in a dry place, away from excessive light exposure.

Stored in its box in your living room or bedroom, your spool will be very well protected.

Be careful with the term biodegradable! Our PLA is bio-sourced (entirely made from materials of biological origin, in this case corn starch). Regarding the biodegradable aspect, it must be taken into account that PLA is biodegradable but under industrial composting conditions.

This means that it needs to be exposed to a temperature of around 65/70°C and be in the presence of micro-organisms. If these conditions are met, decomposition can be considered in 45/50 days (on average and depending on the printed part in question).

In a domestic compost, a minimum of two months should be necessary to observe the start of decomposition.

In nature, PLA will biodegrade in a minimum of 4 years. Therefore, do not throw it away in nature.

We remind you that the filaments on the market generally contain dyes that can alter your compost (not all are food contact compatible. The majority of Francofil dyes are. See product data sheet for each filament). Similarly, many PLA filaments contain additives (which you will not find in our PLAs).

These are 100% bio-sourced filaments. The base material is PLA (corn starch).
The color is provided by the reuse of waste after its first life cycles in various sectors (catering, agriculture, etc.).
This is waste and not products of first consumption.

All these wastes are natural wastes: mussel, oyster, scallop shells, wheat scraps and downgraded grains, coffee grounds, beer grains, etc.

The result of your prints depends on many factors. Depending on the infill density, layer thickness, your printing speed, your printer, and the settings of your slicer, the results can be completely different.

Each print is unique because every maker is!

Depending on the grades of materials used, the additives used, etc., some filaments tend to expand more than others. However, a nozzle does not clog (as long as a material is not filled).

The issue very often comes from the hot end. Initially of inconsistent quality, they are becoming increasingly efficient and considerably reducing this type of problem.

Always opt for high-quality hot ends to avoid such issues.

Are you having trouble printing our filaments? Don't panic! Before blaming the filament, let's try to find out where the problem might be coming from together.

In general, problems can be identified at different levels:

• Nozzle temperature
• Bed temperature and adhesion
• Enclosure ventilation and aeration
• Print speed
• Withdrawal
• PTFE tube wear

Find our specific advice per material.

– Nozzle temperature: The nozzle heating range for our filaments is between 190°C and 230°C. Most of the time, prints are made around 210°C. Don't hesitate to heat it up! Your machines are designed for it!

– Bed temperature: It all depends on your machine. The average bed temperature is often between 50°C and 60°C, but PLA can be printed cold.

– Ventilation: Make sure the fans are working properly without cooling too quickly.

– Print speed: The recommended speed range is between 30 and 100 mm/s, but most prints are made between 40 and 60 mm/s.

– Retraction: Some printer models are sensitive to this factor. Try to eliminate or minimize retraction.

– PTFE tube: If you are using a Bowden extruder, check the wear of the PTFE tube. Several makers have reported counterfeit PTFE tubes that do not allow the filaments to slide properly.

If you experience printing difficulties, and if all these factors have been checked, you can perform a machine reset to the factory settings.

Still not working? Still no luck? Send us an email at contact@francofil.fr, detailing your problem as precisely as possible.

– Nozzle temperature: The nozzle heating range for our filaments is between 250°C and 270°C.

– Bed temperature: It all depends on your machine. The average bed temperature is often between 90°C and 110°C for printing ABS.

– Ventilation: Make sure the fans are working properly without cooling too quickly. Do not lower the ventilation below 80% of its maximum power.

– Print speed: The recommended speed range is between 30 and 100 mm/s, but most prints are made between 40 and 60 mm/s.

– Retraction: Some printer models are sensitive to this factor. Try to eliminate or minimize retraction.

– PTFE tube: If you are using a Bowden extruder, check the wear of the PTFE tube. Several makers have reported counterfeit PTFE tubes that do not allow the filaments to slide properly.

– Bed adhesion: If you are experiencing difficulties with bed adhesion, you can use adhesion-promoting products in the form of spray or glue to apply to the bed before printing.

If you experience printing difficulties, and if all these factors have been checked, you can perform a machine reset to the factory settings.

Still not working? Still no luck? Send us an email at contact@francofil.fr, detailing your problem as precisely as possible.