TAGS: 3D Printing Sustainability and Bioplastics Part Design & Manufacturing
Filamentive announces the launch of PLA Tough – an industrial-grade material offering the impact strength of ABS, whilst retaining the sustainability and printability of PLA.
Strength Like ABS, Sustainability Like PLA
Meeting the market demand for both strength and sustainability, PLA Tough filament has been specially formulated to provide impact resistance akin to ABS, whilst retaining the printability and sustainability of the
bio-based PLA.
PLA Tough exhibits superior Charpy Impact (Kj/m2) – a high strain-rate test as per ISO 179 – versus other strong PLA / PLA+ / PLA filaments on the market. In real terms, PLA Tough offers more than 750% impact resistance than regular PLA (29.8 kJ/m² versus 3.4 kJ/m²).
As of launch, PLA Tough is available in 5 colors: black, white, grey, blue, red – in both 1.75mm and 2.85mm diameter (1 kg and 750 g reel weights, respectively).
More Hard-wearing and Resistant PLA
To reduce environmental impact, all materials sold are spooled onto 100% recyclable cardboard reels, reducing waste and eliminating hard-to-recycle plastic reels.
Furthermore, PLA Tough is inherently more hard-wearing and resistant than conventional PLA, enabling long-term applications – extending product life cycles and thus reducing the associated material input, energy use and wastage. Carbon offset is another sustainability initiative – Filamentive’s partnership with Ecologi ensures carbon emissions arising from production, transport and employee activity are now offset.
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Whilst ABS and other engineering-grade polymers certainly have their place within 3D printing, the launch of PLA Tough meets demand for an industrial-grade material that is easy to 3D-print but also bio-based – enabling industrial 3D printing to be more sustainable, without compromising performance.” Ravi Toor – Founder & Managing Director, Filamentive.
Beyond tooling and manufacturing aids, Filamentive foresees PLA Tough disrupting 3D printing applications such as jigs / fixtures, functional prototypes and end-use parts – replacing oil-based polymers with a bio-based alternative.
Source: Filamentive
