Bambu Lab’s New PLA Tough+ Has 3x the Impact Strength of ABS, But There’s a Catch
From pickleball paddles to pet toys, Bambu Lab says you can now drop your PLA parts without worry with its impact-resistant new filament. Printing with it, though, may not be the PLA process you know.
If you’ve been looking for a tougher material than PLA without going down the engineering-grade polymer route, Bambu Lab has a new option. Its PLA Tough+ ($23.99) may seem like a half-step on the polymer properties ladder, but it offers a clear application proposition.
Bambu Lab’s new PLA Tough+ is a reminder that PLA can come in a huge range of formulations. Bambu Lab says the additives it has introduced into this polylactic acid polymer base make it more durable and a bit more flexible to take drops, bumps, and daily wear and tear better than PLA. The company goes so far as to say it’s “designed for repeated flexing”. Its use as a pickleball paddle is a good illustration of an ideal application, but other areas where it applies are RC planes and drones, as well as any type of clip or connector.
To be clear, we don’t have a spool yet, and we haven’t tested it, so we’re going from the technical data sheet and the marketing materials, which also say it’s on sale for 20% off right out of the gate, so Bambu Lab really wants you to try it.
Looking at the data, one standout feature of Tough+ is its impact strength: 80.6 kJ/m². It’s more than 3 times as impact resistant as ABS and 2.5 times higher than PC. This measurement indicates that the material is ideal for parts that require durability under mechanical stress, such as functional prototypes, mechanical parts, and impact-prone prints.
Its overall mechanical strength (tensile strength) at 34.9 MPa is comparable to ABS (33 MPa) and PETG HF (34 MPa), slightly better than PLA Basic (35 MPa). It’s more flexible than PLA Basic but still rigid enough for structural parts.
Another positive feature is its ease of use compared to more engineering-grade polymers, yet it is not as easy to print as PLA Basic.
On the plus side, PLA Tough+ has better moisture resistance than PLA Basic and requires a lower bed and nozzle temperature than ABS and PC, and no heated chamber is required. There are no toxic fumes like ABS (although more than PLA), and it’s less prone to warping than ABS or PC, making it more reliable for larger prints.
Because it’s a bio polymer, and not derived from petroleum, so it has a more sustainable profile.
Tough+ PLA comes in 7 colors and retails for $23.99, although it is currently on sale until July 31 for $21.59.
The Catch: Modify Your Usual PLA Printing Process
The boosted mechanical properties come with some downsides. PLA Tough+ requires a higher printing temperature (220 – 250 °C) to deliver enhanced mechanical performance, which may produce some odor during printing, so make sure your workspace is well-ventilated, Bambu Lab says.
To achieve the high interlayer strength that Tough+ delivers, supports can be difficult to remove. Bambu Lab recommends using a dedicated support filament, such as Bambu Support for PLA ($22.99) or Bambu Support for PLA/PETG ($34.99). This means you’ll need a filament changer, and your overall production time will be increased because your machine has to switch between support material and PLA Tough+.
You May Also Like:
License: The text of "Bambu Lab’s New PLA Tough+ Has 3x the Impact Strength of ABS, But There’s a Catch" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.