pla vs lwpla vs polylite foamy pla

edit April 2024
please note that polymaker lw-pla support very badly heat. even slightest one.
mine is black which doesn't helps at all but that was the only one available when I ordered it.
compared to the white lw-pla from colorfabb, which is also known to not loving heat, polymaker is worse.
I'm gonna try lw-pla-ht from colorfabb.
original description:
In this video i talk about the differences in weight and stiffness about the pla, the Light Weight PLA by colorfabb or E-sun and a new material from polymaker: the polylite light weight pla (found only on amazon US and hidden amongst regular polylite pla)
Once i find suitable sourcing i'll update the description with links.

[@wwjoesr]

Started using the polymaker prefoamed orange to print my next plane. I love it!

[@paulolim5182]

im also using the same filament the polymaker lw pla gray color and i really love the results for my 3d printed rc planes. this is great and can also withstand the heat just dont leave it really exposed i always carry a big cloth to cover it just dont leave it exposed for long period of time. and i live in a tropical country and heat hear is really really hot.

[@ARGON023]

Thanks..........................!

[@dalerbsr.5061]

Thanks for the info

[@DenisFerrari]

Very interesting video indeed, thank you! Question: printing Polilite PLA-LQ (pre-foamed), do you leave same retraction speed set on your printer settings when printing normal PLA, or do you increase to something like 3mm (with retraction speed set to 40mm/s and deretraction something like 30mm/s), as indicated in Polilite PLA specs pdf? Thanks in advance 👍

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

Didn't change anything but just like regular lw-pla it ooze a lot.

[@habiks]

you can print lw-pla at bit lower temperature and higher extrusion rate, to get exactly same stiffnes to weight as with polylite..

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

Yes but you will still ooze like hell. I think both are valid but for slight different purpose. The polymer can be used with standard pla settings. But a little heavier and stiffer than lwpla with lighter settings.

[@ripmax333]

did you test the new Colorfabb LW-PLA HT? (High Temperature)

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

Nope I didn't knew they made it.

[@haoxu223]

I am little confusing that I use same preset to print LW-PLA with regular PLA, and my LW-PLA is only exact 20% lighter than regular PLA. What speed and temp and flow rate are you using?

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

First for lw-pla print at maximum 40mm/sec to have good foaming effect. Then you can check CNC kitchen video about it. But flow at 0.4-0.45 at 240degres is a good start

[@cl18t]

I printed the Eclipson model A with eSun Lw pla. The fuse or tail broke in flight and crashed. The wings were much too weak in lw pla and broke in assembly and needed repair. Without a carbon spar and protection from rubber bands the lw wings are too fragile.

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

Yeah you really have to consider lwpla as a skin so it needs bones. I didn't check about the model A but the model S do have carbon tube reinforcements.
And the lwpla is made for quiet conditions, not sturdy ones.
I think you would have the same problem with polylite. Honestly I think carbon tubes and rods are mandatories for a correct strength even in pla.
Also when I said that lwpla is more for quiet conditions and speeds, it's because the first people I saw making plane with lwpla went back to pla because the surfaces where too elastic and the plane suffer lots of fluttering with higher speeds.

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

Another solution would be to laminate with light glassfiber and sla uv resin instead of epoxy resin. It sticks better to pla than epoxy and you can cure it fast using an uv lamp.

[@cl18t]

@@SebastienChedalBornu I have an Eclipson model c that I’m building. I did glass the lw pla wing with 1 oz glass cloth and water based polyurethane. That plane also has no spar. It adds very little weight and the parts are still much lighter than pla only parts.

[@SebastienChedalBornu]

@@cl18t yeah I do think that light weight pla will open a way to have complex parts that you can after laminate and reinforce with composite materials. Thus having a cheap way of creating composite planes (not as light as pure empty carbon wings).