Description

Proto-pasta founders, Dustin and Aaron Cram, lead the 3D Printing Industry by introducing Carbon Fiber and High Temp PLAs nearly 3 years ago.  Today, Proto-pasta Carbon Fiber is still a fan favorite for it’s quality and iconic matte black finish, but what if you could get that Carbon Fiber look in colors and without special nozzles?

Introducing the latest innovation from the ProtoPlant team, Proto-pasta Matte Fiber HTPLA, a more colorful, lower wear alternative to Carbon Fiber.  Fall in love with that fiber texture and sheen all over again, but with more color choice and less nozzle wear.  It’s a perfect match for your many sculptural, architectural, and technical parts.

The majority of 3D Printed parts are glossy and smooth, but the rest of our world has more texture and sheen variety.  Look around, on your desk, at home, and in your car.  What do you see?  More texture and less gloss than in 3D Printing, right?  Why shouldn’t 3D printed parts have more texture and less gloss too?

Based on Proto-pasta’s HTPLA resin, Matte Fiber HTPLA can be heat treated for higher temperature performance. The addition of plant-based fibers, reduces dimensional change during the heat treating process compared to standard HTPLA.  Matte Fiber HTPLA can also be smoothed by carving or shaving with a sharp edge as well as glued, sealed, and painted more easily than most plastic thanks to it’s more wood-like characteristics.

Whether you use Matte Fiber HTPLA for it’s beautiful as printed finish, or push the boundaries of possibility through heat treating, machining critical features, or sealing surfaces, and so on, you’ll appreciate the many possibilities of Matte Fiber HTPLA.

Designer Finish + Engineering Performance for Every Printer!

A bright, bold alternative to Carbon or Glass Fibers, Blue Matte Fiber HTPLA is great for both artistic and technical parts with no special hardware required!

Finish

Printed parts have a low luster, textured surface which creates a highly desirable contrast between light and shadow.  Texture, color, and sheen can be somewhat manipulated by printer settings as well as post-processing.  Printed parts can also be smoothed or weathered with paint for alternate aesthetics.  The plant-based fibers lend well to adhesion of paint and other aesthetic coatings.

Performance

Based on Proto-pasta HTPLA, this Matte Fiber version can be heat treated to retain more stiffness to higher temperatures.  Dimensional stability is improved compared to HTPLA without fibers.  The plant-based fibers improve adhesion of glues and coatings.  Performance is similar to Carbon Fiber HTPLA but processing of Matte Fiber does NOT require a wear resistant nozzle.

Compatibility

No special hardware or nozzles are required for this plant-based composite.  This material is not overly brittle, but is stiff and will break under excessive load.  It prints like PLA on non-heated beds.  Suggested print temperature is 190-230C, but we had good luck with a slow 1st layer at 230C on cold blue tape and 210C thereafter for a balance of strength and aesthetic.

This material does absorb moisture and dry filament is recommend for best results. When saturated with moisture, this material oozes more readily.  Lowering flow and/or temperatures can minimize oozing and improve detail, though higher temperatures are recommended for best mechanical properties.  With higher temperatures, ooze artifacts can be removed post build.

Finishing

This material can be shaved/carved with a sharp blade for a smooth finish.  Experiment with weathering or other painting techniques for a unique look.  Also, expect improved bonding strength with glue compared to plastic without fiber.

Check out Proto-pasta’s blog here and some handy how-to guides here

Additional information