Scale modeling is having a moment. Plenty of aircraft builders are using 3D printing to supplement balsa or even replace it outright. Same story with boats and other stuff. Prusament spotted the gap and released a filament aimed straight at us. Light, matte, and it floats. So I gave it a spin.
What is Prusament PLA Lightweight
Prusament PLA Lightweight is a foaming PLA. During printing it expands and traps microscopic air bubbles. Result: up to 65 % lighter than regular PLA, decent thermal insulation, and it floats on water.
That combination isn’t just for aircraft builders. Boat modelers and cosplayers will find it useful too – anywhere every gram counts.
So how light is it really? I printed the usual Bulánek again 😀 Standard size, 100 % infill, 0.25 mm layers, 0.4 mm nozzle.
Important note: this model is a terrible choice for this filament. But what can I say – I print Bulánek from everything.
Bulánek in Prusament PETG weighs 8.17 g. Same part in PLA Lightweight comes in at 3.42 g. That’s 58 % lighter. Regular PLA would have landed almost the same – density difference between PLA and PETG is tiny.
Five colors available: Natural, Galaxy Black, Chocolate Brown, Army Green, and Coral Orange.
The spool carries a rewritable NFC tag in the OpenPrintTag standard. Works offline and the Prusa app can read it. Besides material data it also stores measured production values: diameter, weight, and ovality.
Foaming and print temperature
How much the filament foams depends on print temperature. Higher temperature = more expansion. Downside: noticeably more stringing.
General relationship between temperature and foaming of PLA-LW filament
What it’s good for
As you’ve probably guessed, this stuff is weird. Retraction doesn’t work because the material keeps expanding, so it’s best printed in one continuous motion – ideally in spiral vase mode. The opposite of ideal is printing a Bulánek 🙂
When you use an unsuitable model
Prusa also recommends printing only one model at a time and enabling Avoid crossing perimeters in PrusaSlicer.
A material profile is already available in PrusaSlicer.
A better model for this type of lightweight PLA filament
My take:
PLA Lightweight is up to 65 % lighter than regular PLA, has a nice matte finish that hides layer lines, insulates reasonably well, and floats. You can even cut it with a sharp knife.
On the flip side it strings badly, retraction is useless, it scratches easily, and heat resistance is low.
It printed without drama. Just remember it’s hygroscopic, so dry it before printing. With the right model, printing is trouble-free.
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