PLA-Metal (MetalFill): density, print temperature and when to choose it
PLA-Metal (MetalFill) is PLA with a high proportion of fine metal powder (bronze, copper, steel, less often aluminum) — up to 80% by weight. After sanding and polishing, the surface looks and weighs like real metal, not painted-to-look-like-metal plastic. Density and price depend heavily on the filler metal and its proportion.
Key properties
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | 1.5–4.0 g/cm³ depending on the metal and its proportion (bronze/copper are heavier, steel lighter; the figure shown is for a typical bronze-filled formula) |
| Nozzle temperature | 195–220°C |
| Bed temperature | 45–60°C |
| Part cooling | 30–60% (less than plain PLA — the metal cools more slowly and layers fuse better with less aggressive cooling) |
| Shrinkage | minimal |
| Enclosure required | no |
When to use it
- Souvenirs, statuettes, medals, interior elements that should look like cast metal after sanding and polishing.
- Items where weight matters — the metal filler makes the part noticeably heavier for the same volume.
- Parts intended for artificial aging (patina on bronze/copper after printing).
When to pick something else
- You need metal's mechanical strength, not just its look and weight — MetalFill remains plastic in terms of strength; for loaded functional parts you need metal or PA6-GF.
- Printing with a fine 0.2–0.3 mm nozzle — the metal powder is abrasive and clogs narrow channels; PLA-Wood or plain PLA is better then.
- Lightness matters — instead of heavy MetalFill, take PLA-CF or PLA-GF for stiffness without the extra weight.
Pros and cons
Pros: a realistic metal look and weight after polishing, sandable and can be patinated, prints at almost the same temperatures as plain PLA.
Cons: the metal powder is abrasive and noticeably wears brass nozzles, the spool costs significantly more than plain PLA (due to the metal's weight in the mix), finished parts are much heavier — this affects material consumption in grams per volume.
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Cost comes from three factors: the spool itself costs noticeably more than base PLA, a part of the same volume needs significantly more grams of material due to the high density, and the abrasive filler requires a hardened nozzle — budget that depreciation separately. Post-processing (sanding to a metallic shine) is often more labor-intensive than the print itself — budget it as its own line item.