3D printing has been used for prototyping since the dawn of mankind. Literally. We have found that with certain prototypes weight is of the essence and with our brand new lightweight filament LW-PLA we have solved the problem of many prototypers: weight reduction. A great example of this is this in-house designed surfboard fin, part of a bigger project. Weight was of the essence and we needed the part to be as light as possible.

As you can see, the weight has been reduced significantly. It is not the weight of the world in absolute terms, but with print jobs where every gram matters, like these foam core parts LW-PLA is the solution for a lot of users.

We printed this surfboard fin on the Stacker S4 with 0.2mm layer height, 250C and 40% flow.

Curious how the print with LW-PLA? Learn more here!

LW-PLA is the first filament of its kind using an active foaming technology to achieve lightweight, low density PLA parts. At around 230C this material will start foaming, increasing its volume by nearly 3 times. Users can decrease material flow by 65% to achieve lightweight parts, or use the expanding properties to effectively reduce print time by using big layer heights or single extra thick perimeters.

“ColorFabb came up with something really special and in my opinion a real game changer.”  – Bart Tangermann

Read Bart’s review of LW-PLA here.

Decreasing flow means using less filament. Therefore users can expect to print 2-3 times more parts using LW-PLA compared to a regular PLA spool. LW-PLA prints in a fantastic matte looking surface finish and is very easy to post process. Any oozing or stringing artifacts rub right off and the surface is easily sanded for a smooth finish.

LW-PLA is available in Black and Natural and is available now. We ship daily, worldwide and from stock.

“We need challenging materials, we need to work with or find ways around the limitations and allow more people to experiment with exciting developments like this foaming PLA.” – Richard Horne

Read Richard’s review of LW-PLA here.