Unleash a new level of elegance in your 3D prints with Bambu Lab PLA Metal — a filament engineered to deliver the lustrous, high-end look of metal, without compromising the reliability and ease of PLA. Designed to mimic a true metallic surface texture, this filament gives your prints a sophisticated shimmer and refined finish, making it ideal for decorative pieces, prototyping, architectural models, or any project where visual impact matters.
Thanks to its clever formulation, PLA Metal does not contain actual metal particles, which means it prints smoothly, without extra nozzle wear, and behaves much like standard PLA — but with a rich, metallic aesthetic.
Embedded with RFID intelligence, every spool carries its optimal print settings, enabling seamless "load-and-print" when used with Bambu Lab's AMS (Automatic Material System). No manual tuning needed — just insert the spool, and your printer automatically adapts for perfect results.
The filament comes on a reusable Bambu spool, helping reduce waste. Despite its stylized appearance, PLA Metal retains impressively strong mechanical properties: it boasts good tensile strength, high impact resistance, and great dimensional consistency.
Specifications
- Material: PLA (metallic textured, no real metal fill)
- Diameter: 1.75 mm ± 0.03 mm
- Net Weight: ~1 kg
- Recommended Nozzle Temperature: 190 °C — 230 °C
- Bed Temperature (with glue): 35 °C — 45 °C
- Drying / Storage: 55 °C for 8 hours before use if needed; store in a sealed container with desiccant at < 20% RH
- Recommended Printing Speed: Up to ~300 mm/s
Thermal Properties
- Density: 1.25 g/cm³
- Vicat Softening Temperature: ~62 °C
- Heat Deflection Temperature: ~62 °C
- Melting Temperature: ~160°C
- Melt Index: ~38.6 ± 3.7 g/10 min
Mechanical Properties
- Tensile Strength: ~34 ± 4 MPa
- Elongation at Break: ~14.7%
- Bending (Flexural) Modulus: ~2290 ± 210 MPa
- Bending Strength: ~66 ± 3 MPa
- Impact Strength: ~58.9 ± 3.4 kJ/m²
Features
- Metallic Finish, Without the Weight: Achieves a realistic metal-look texture and shine, while remaining lightweight and easy to print.
- Highly Reliable: No actual metal filler means reduced risk of nozzle wear and fewer clogging issues compared to true metal-filled filaments.
- Smart Printing: RFID chip embedded on the spool stores optimal settings, accelerating setup and reducing tuning time for compatible printers / AMS systems.
- Robust Performance: Maintains a strong balance of mechanical strength and impact resistance, making it more durable than decorative filaments.
- Eco-conscious Packaging: Comes on a reusable spool, reducing environmental footprint.
- Versatile Aesthetic: Perfect for premium models, design prototypes, figurines, and parts that benefit from a metallic look.
Available Colours
Bambu Lab offers PLA Metal in a range of metallic tones, each with its distinct visual character:
- Cobalt Blue Metallic — deep, rich blue metal hue.
- Iron Gray Metallic — sleek, steel-like iron grey.
- Oxide Green Metallic — subtle, oxidised green metal tone.
- Copper Brown Metallic — warm, earthy copper finish.
- Iridium Gold Metallic — luxurious, shimmering gold-metal effect.
Best Uses
- Decorative Models: Perfect for creating statues, miniatures, or ornaments that benefit from a luxurious, metallic appearance.
- Prototypes & Design Pieces: Ideal for design validation where aesthetics matter as much as form.
- Architectural Models: Use it for metallic-look pillars, railings, or accent structures in scale models.
- Functional Parts with Flair: When you want the strength of PLA but with a polished, refined finish.
Tips
- Dry Before Printing: If the filament has absorbed moisture, drying at 55 °C for 8 hours is recommended to ensure clean extrusion.
- Storage: Keep the spool sealed with desiccant to prevent moisture uptake.
- Bed Adhesion: Use Bambu Liquid Glue on the bed for reliable print adhesion.
- Nozzle Compatibility: While the filament isn't abrasive, using a hardened steel or durable nozzle can further extend nozzle life. (Some users note that even regular nozzles can be okay.) > "The Bambu metal filament doesn't actually have metal in it … it prints just like regular PLA."
- Print Speed: For best results, stick under ~300 mm/s, especially for finer details.
In short: Bambu Lab PLA Metal is your go-to filament when you want prints that look and feel like brushed metal — but print as easily as PLA. It's smart, stylish, and strong — perfect for creators who refuse to compromise on either performance or aesthetics.
