3D Printing Info
PLA · Material guide

Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA)

PLA with a blowing agent. Active-foaming grades expand at the nozzle and reach print densities near 0.40 g/cm³ at reduced flow; pre-foamed grades ship at 0.8–0.9 g/cm³ and do not expand…

4 product listings3 brands
Open in interactive comparison
Free Flight Airplane shown in the Heber Printables listing; reported material: Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA)
Reported material: Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA)Free Flight Airplane Printables listing uploaded by Heber · CC BY-NC 4.0Source image · Image bytes unchanged; displayed in full. Noncommercial reuse only.
Understand the material

At a glance

Before you print

Setup difficulty
Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; flow has to be cut to match the expansion
Nozzle wear
Non-abrasive
Read conditions and sources ↓
Read the full material overview

PLA with a blowing agent. Active-foaming grades expand at the nozzle and reach print densities near 0.40 g/cm³ at reduced flow; pre-foamed grades ship at 0.8–0.9 g/cm³ and do not expand further.

Applications

LW-PLA addresses mass rather than maximum strength. Its clearest established role is model aircraft, where reducing skin and airframe weight changes the aircraft’s overall weight budget. colorFabb also lists cosplay, where a large shell can become more comfortable to wear. Foaming permits a lower-density printed volume instead of merely removing infill from an otherwise dense material.

Active-foaming grades expand at the nozzle and need temperature and flow calibrated together. Pre-foamed grades arrive at reduced density and do not respond the same way. Lower density comes with lower stiffness and strength, while foaming also changes surface finish and dimensional behavior. The gallery’s free-flight airplane is a mixed-material assembly, a useful reminder that lightweight printed shells and separate reinforcement often perform different jobs.

  • RC aircraft and cosplay ↗

    FDM · colorFabb LW-PLA active-foaming filament · Manufacturer-listed applications

    colorFabb lists RC planes and cosplay for its active-foaming LW-PLA. In both, lower printed density reduces the mass of a large shell or airframe.

Sources
Plan your printer setup

Printing quick reference

All print settings ↓

Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.

Go deeper when you need to

Properties & source data

46 documented fields

Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.

Material & market7 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Identity & Market
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a blowing agent. Two distinct types: active-foaming grades that expand at the nozzle (Bambu Lab PLA Aero, colorFabb LW-PLA) and pre-foamed grades that do not (Polymaker PolyLite LW-PLA, PolyWood)
4 sources
Density (g/cm³)Filament 1.21 (Bambu Lab) and 1.24 (colorFabb); pre-foamed filament 0.8 (PolyWood, at 21.5 °C) and 0.9 (Polymaker LW-PLA); foamed prints reach 0.40
4 sources
Typical price (USD/kg)1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 45
3 sources
Price range across brands (USD/kg)37–50 across brands; Polymaker LW-PLA 37, Bambu Lab Aero 45, colorFabb 50, PolyWood 50
3 sources
Market availability (1–5)Available from several mainstream brands
3 sources
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools
2 sources
Typical applicationsRC aircraft, drone airframes and large props where mass matters more than strength
2 sources
Print settings7 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Printing Parameters
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle temperature (°C)210–260 (Bambu Lab, foaming); 195–260 (colorFabb, foaming); 190–210 (Polymaker, pre-foamed)
3 sources
Bed temperature (°C)35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb); 25–60 (Polymaker)
3 sources
Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5)Open frame is fine
1 source
Part cooling fanFan on
2 sources
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s)3.2–8 at the 40–100 mm/s colorFabb specifies and the 50–100 mm/s Polymaker specifies, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer
3 sources
Overall printing difficulty (1–5)Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; flow has to be cut to match the expansion
1 source
Extruder requirementBambu Lab PLA Aero is 0.4 mm nozzle only on the store and wiki, while its own TDS lists 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8
2 sources
Nozzle wear & reliability3 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Hardware Wear & Reliability
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle hardness required (1–4)Brass fine indefinitely
2 sources
Abrasiveness (1–5)Non-abrasive
2 sources
Nozzle clog risk (1–5)High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; Bambu Lab warns the foamed extrudate swells and easily clogs the nozzle, and rules out 0.2 mm nozzles
1 source
Moisture & drying4 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Moisture Behaviour
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity) (1–5)Moderate — 0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 % equilibrium (Polymaker)
2 sources
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%)0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 equilibrium (Polymaker)
2 sources
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h
2 sources
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion
1 source
Strength & mechanical properties13 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Mechanical Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)24 ± 2 (Bambu Lab) and 24.4 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; colorFabb falls from 43.1 unfoamed to 10.8 at 45 % flow
3 sources
Young's modulus (MPa)1350 ± 250 (Bambu Lab) and 1689 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; colorFabb falls from 3334 unfoamed to 864 foamed
3 sources
Elongation at break (%)2.6 ± 0.7 (Bambu Lab) and 8.8 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527
2 sources
Flexural strength (MPa)45 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 50.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 178
2 sources
Flexural modulus (MPa)1690 ± 120 (Bambu Lab) and 1959 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 178
2 sources
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)8.2 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3.67 foamed
2 sources
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 28.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 5.46 foamed
2 sources
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)18 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z collapses to 17 against 45 in XY
1 source
Brittleness (1–5)Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.6 % in XY and 1.2 % in Z
1 source
Creep resistance / sustained load (1–5)Poor — no foamed-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, and the foam carries less solid
3 sources
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance (1–5)Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation at break falls to 2.6 % in XY and 1.2 % in Z
2 sources
Elasticity / flexibility (1–5)Rigid
1 source
Z strength as % of XY (%)75 by tensile, 38 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)
1 source
Heat & temperature5 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Thermal Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)53 (Bambu Lab) and 54 (Polymaker), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa
2 sources
HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C)48 (Bambu Lab) and 50 (Polymaker), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa
2 sources
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)55 (Bambu Lab) and 59 (Polymaker), DSC
2 sources
Melting point / Vicat (°C)150 peak melt (Polymaker, DSC); Vicat 60 °C
1 source
Annealing responseBambu Lab advises against annealing thin, low-infill Aero prints
1 source
Weather & chemical resistance1 field
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Environment & Chemical
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
UV resistance (1–5)Degrades within weeks outdoors
1 source
Health & safety2 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Health & Safety
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Fume toxicity (1–5)Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission
1 source
Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5)None needed in a normal room
1 source
Finishing & post-processing1 field
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Post-Processing
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Dimensional accuracy & detailFoamed surfaces are rough and matte; dimensional accuracy depends on holding the foaming temperature steady
2 sources
Solvents & solubility3 fields
Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) — Solvents & Solubility
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix; the foamed wall wicks solvent right through instead of only skinning over.
1 source
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.
2 sources
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour reaches only the resin skin; no workshop-safe smoothing agent exists for PLA of any kind.
2 sources
How to read these values

Values describe representative grades, not every spool. Manufacturer datasheets and independent tests retain their source labels and dates. Printed orientation, test method, conditioning and formulation can change results. Unknown values are —. A listed use is not a certification. Shore A, Shore D and Rockwell hardness are separate scales.

Find a specific filament

Product listings and datasheets

4 listings

Historical USD/kg snapshots. Read each listing’s sale/from qualifiers, spool mass, source date, shipping and tax notes. Product figures are separate from the material summary.

Browse 4 products from 3 brands
PolymakerPolyLite LW-PLA37.49 USD/kg

$29.99 / 0.8 kg spool = $37.49/kg, Polymaker product catalogue, Aug 2026

Handle polylite-lw-pla. Pre-foamed — Polymaker states it does not foam further at the nozzle. Filament density 0.9 g/cm³.

Open product listing ↗
Polymaker PolyLite LW-PLA — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)0.9 (ISO 1183)
Nozzle temperature (°C)190–210
Bed temperature (°C)25–60
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%)0.40 equilibrium water absorption at 70 % RH, 23 °C
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)24.4 (printed XY, ISO 527)
Young's modulus (MPa)1688.5 ± 80.8 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 1726.3
Elongation at break (%)8.8 ± 0.3 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 2.0
Flexural strength (MPa)50.2 ± 1.6 (printed XY, ISO 178)
Flexural modulus (MPa)1958.9 ± 72.6 (printed XY, ISO 178)
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)2.4 ± 0.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)20.8 ± 0.9 (printed Z, ISO 527)
Z strength as % of XY (%)85 (printed Z 20.8 vs XY 24.4, ISO 527)
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)54 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)
HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C)50 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)59 (DSC)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)150 melting (DSC); Vicat 60 (ISO 306)
Bambu LabPLA Aero44.99 USD/kg

$44.99 / 1 kg spool, us.store.bambulab.com, Aug 2026

Active-foaming: filament density 1.21 g/cm³, nozzle 210–260 °C, 0.4 mm nozzle only per the store and wiki.

Open product listing ↗
Bambu Lab PLA Aero — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)1.21 filament (ISO 1183)
Nozzle temperature (°C)210–260
Bed temperature (°C)35–45
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%)0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)24 ± 2 (printed XY, ISO 527)
Young's modulus (MPa)1350 ± 250 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 1240
Elongation at break (%)2.6 ± 0.7 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 1.2
Flexural strength (MPa)45 ± 4 (printed XY, ISO 178); Z 17
Flexural modulus (MPa)1690 ± 120 (printed XY, ISO 178); Z 1410
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)8.2 ± 0.7 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 28.8 kJ/m² XY, 3.1 kJ/m² Z (printed, ISO 179)
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)18 ± 3 (printed Z, ISO 527)
Z strength as % of XY (%)75 (printed Z 18 vs XY 24, ISO 527)
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)
HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C)48 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)55 (DSC)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)153 melting (DSC); Vicat 54 (ISO 306)
PolymakerPolymaker Wood PLA (PolyWood)49.98 USD/kg

$29.99 / 0.6 kg spool = $49.98/kg, Polymaker product catalogue, Aug 2026

Handle polymaker-wood-pla. Contains no wood — the TDS describes it as a wood mimic made entirely from PLA by foaming. Density 0.8 g/cm³.

Open product listing ↗
Polymaker Polymaker Wood PLA (PolyWood) — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)0.8 (ASTM D792 / ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)
Nozzle temperature (°C)190–210
Bed temperature (°C)25–60
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)23.2 ± 0.4 (printed XY, ISO 527)
Elongation at break (%)8.2 ± 0.9 (printed XY, ASTM D638 / ISO 527)
Flexural strength (MPa)52.9 ± 0.3 (printed XY, ASTM D790 / ISO 178)
Flexural modulus (MPa)2607 ± 50 (printed XY, ASTM D790 / ISO 178)
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)2.1 ± 0.2 (printed XY, ASTM D256 / ISO 179)
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)62 (DSC)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)151 melting (DSC); Vicat 60 (ASTM D1525 / ISO 306)
colorFabbLW-PLA50.00 USD/kg

$37.50 / 750 g spool = $50.00/kg, colorfabb.us, Aug 2026

Active-foaming: starts foaming near 230 °C and expands nearly three times in volume; colorFabb advises cutting flow by 65 %.

Open product listing ↗
colorFabb LW-PLA — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)0.40 foamed to 1.24 unfoamed
Diameter tolerance (± mm)±0.05 max roundness deviation
Nozzle temperature (°C)195–260
Bed temperature (°C)50–60
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)43.07 at 200 °C and 100 % flow, 10.83 at 250 °C and 45 % flow (printed, ISO 527)
Young's modulus (MPa)3350 unfoamed at 200 °C, 860 foamed at 250 °C (printed XY, ISO 527-1A)
Elongation at break (%)8.1 unfoamed, 12.8 foamed (printed XY, ISO 527-1A)
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)3.7 foamed at 250 °C (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)60 (HDT-B, ISO 75, unfoamed resin data)
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)55–60 (DSC, ISO 11357, unfoamed resin data)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)150–160 melting (DSC, ISO 11357, unfoamed resin data)
Keep exploring

Related materials

All PLA guides ↗

Compare Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) with another filament