PolyLite™ LW-PLA is a special foamed PLA filament designed to print with similar settings as regular PLA but with half the weight (0.6g/cm3). Its low density makes PolyLite™ LW-PLA an excellent choice for printing light weight parts including fuselages, wing parts and other lightweight components for RC planes. Due to the foaming technology, this LW-PLA also prints with a very matte surface finish which hides the layers for a wide range of aesthetic applications.

Key Features:
Low Density with Stable Foaming - PolyLite™ LW-PLA is a lightweight PLA filament formulated with Polymaker's Stabilized Foaming™ technology to produce pre-foamed filament whose foam structure can survive the printing process and be inherited by the printed parts. PolyLite™ LW-PLA enables 3D printing of lightweight models with a consistent low density (0.6g/cm3), even when printing at low temperatures (~190˚C).

Unlike other LW-PLA filaments that actively foam during the printing process depending on temperature, PolyLite™ LW-PLA's stabilized foaming technology offers significant advantages. Compensating for the varying foaming rate that occurs with competitor LW-PLA usually requires significant tuning, but with Polymakers stabilized foaming PLA the density and extrusion width are consistent regardless of temperature. This not only reduces the difficulty in tuning Polymakers LW-PLA, but also gives more freedom to choose the right nozzle temperature for print quality without worrying about how it changes the material density. 

Matte Finish - The Stabilized Foaming™ technology in PolyLite™ LW-PLA delivers an incredible matte surface finish which makes it a unique material choice for aesthetic applications such as architectural models, figurines, gaming dioramas, decoration or lifestyle parts.

Compatibility / Jam-Free™ - PolyLite™ LW-PLA is compatible with a wide range of 3D printers and is manufactured with Polymakers  Jam-Free™ technology which leads to excellent printing quality with zero risk of nozzle jams caused by heat creep [1]. PolyLite™ LW-PLA works well with many common printing surfaces and a heated bed isn't strictly required but may be recommended with some build plate surfaces or geometries for better results (up to 60°C).

Uncompromised Quality - PolyLite™ LW-PLA filament is a PLA-blend made with the highest quality ingredients including Ingeo® from Natureworks. Natureworks is a world-leading biopolymers supplier based in the USA with a portfolio of high quality raw PLA materials produced from rapidly renewable plant resources. Combining Polymakers innovative R&D technologies, compounding and extrusion systems with Natureworks Ingeo® resins produces a reliable 3D printing filament to print beautiful and accurate models.

[1] Heat creep is the the process of heat spreading irregularly throughout the hot end, one common example is with all metal hot end designs. Once heat creeps towards the cold end, the PLA filament softens prematurely in the cold end and expands resulting in a jam. Polymakers Jam-Free™ technology increases the heat resistance of the filament itself (not the printed part) to 140˚C which prevents the filament from prematurely softening in the cold end and can still melt rapidly once entering the heating zone.

Specific Printing Tips for PolyLite™ LW-PLA

1. Pre-foamed PLA filaments can be quite stiff and more brittle than regular PLA so it is recommended to take extra care and make sure your filament guide system is smooth and with minimal bends. When not in use, please use tape to secure the filament tip to the spool the rather than attempting to bend the filament through the spool guide hole. Do not rewind this filament onto another spool.
2. Like other foam PLA filaments, PolyLite™ LW-PLA can tend to have more stringing than regular PLA which is relatively easy to remove with tweezers or a scalpel. To reduce stringing during printing we recommend to adjust the retraction settings, lower the extrusion temperature and increase the print head travel speed. For some RC applications and geometries, printing with spiralize vase mode can result in better quality compared to simply turning off infil and top layers.
3. Some LW-PLA's are designed to actively foam during printing. If you have downloaded an RC model designed for LW-PLA please check if the model was sliced for a pre-foamed or an active foaming LW-PLA. The ideal flow rate is very different for this material in comparison to active foaming LW-PLA. We recommend starting with a flow rate close to what you would use for regular PLA.

Specifications:
Nozzle Temperature:
190°C - 210°C

Printing Speed:
30 mm/s - 50 mm/s

Bed Temperature:
25°C - 60°C

Bed Surface:
Can apply PVA glue or Magigoo Original to the build surface.

Cooling Fan:
ON

Filament Storage:
Every spool of PolyLite LW-PLA is packaged in a vacuum sealed resealable bag with desiccant. When not in use we recommend storing your spools in the provided resealable bag to prevent moisture absorption. If material does absorb moisture, print quality will be drastically reduced, you can dry this material to remove the moisture and improve printing quality, be careful of drying temperasture.

Setting recommendations are based on 0.4 mm nozzle. Printing conditions may vary with different printers, higher speeds / flow rates and nozzle diameters.

High rigidity materials like PolyLite™ LW-PLA work best in set ups where the filament guide system is smooth and as no harsh bends.