Best filament for drone parts: stiff and light

The short answerPLA+ or CF PLA for stiff and light. PETG for durable.

A drone part must be light, stiff, and tough enough to survive a crash. PLA+ and carbon-fiber PLA give the best stiffness-to-weight. PETG is the pick for parts that take impacts. Standard PLA is too brittle.

What a drone part asks of a filament

A drone part trades weight for stiffness. Arms and mounts must hold rigid under vibration, and they must survive a crash. The filament needs a high stiffness-to-weight ratio and enough toughness to take an impact without shattering.

How the materials compare

When to pick PLA+ or CF PLA

Pick PLA+ for light mounts and brackets. The eSUN PLA+ datasheet rates its impact above standard PLA. Pick carbon-fiber PLA for rigid arms that must hold shape under vibration. The Polymaker PLA-CF sheet lists 8 percent carbon fiber for extra stiffness.

When to pick PETG

Pick PETG for parts that take impacts, like motor mounts or landing gear. It is tougher than PLA+ and survives crashes that would shatter CF PLA. It prints without a heated chamber at 240 to 260 °C.

For stiffness, read is carbon-fiber PLA stronger. For the materials, see the PLA+ guide or PETG guide.