Reflecting on the past
I can still remember dressing up as a ninja for Halloween. My parents we're a little worried about me dressing in all black when trick or treating in the dark. Good thing I wasn't a real ninja seeking to avoid detection because my stealth was spoiled with reflection. Yes, I wore a high visibility lightbulb-shaped reflective sticker so every car's headlights would light up this ninja.
I love that when searching "ninja wearing reflector" the first statement in the google AI overview is "A ninja wearing a reflector is an unusual concept because it contrasts the core principle of ninja operations, which is stealth and remaining undetected, with a device explicitly designed for high visibility."
When I think of reflectors I certainly think of being seen, particularly at night. Bikes, roadway stripes, signs, and clothing can all be reflective, but what about filament? This month's exploration was to see if we could make filament (and ultimately 3D prints) reflective with the same ingredient used to make roadways reflective, glass beads.
Reflective glass filament
There are a number of glass spheres grades available that vary in size and refractive index. A higher index refractive and large beads are said to increase reflection. It was no problem sourcing high index beads, but getting them small enough for 3D printing nozzles and layers was more challenging. Luckily we found a source and could make our exploration.
Having to choose smaller beads for compatibility is a trade-off and supposedly reduces reflectivity. It's advised to put beads on the surface, not mix them in, but we have to mix them with plastic to get them in the filament.
At first, the lack of reflection was discouraging. I almost gave up after adding as many as possible so they would be at the surface (above left). I then added pearl too (middle). In the end, I got more reflection by adding less glass and pearl (right). Once I had a reflective base, I was pleasantly surprised to find the style could be applied to multiple colors.
For this exploration, I chose white, gray, yellow, and fluorescent yellow colors because they seemed like traditional reflective colors. They are relatable and also look great looking. I hope you enjoy aesthetic whether using for safety or just for fun.
3D Printing Reflective HTPLA
We 3D printed Reflective HTPLA at 240C nozzle and 55C plate at maximum volume rate of 12 mm3/s using the generic PLA profile on the Bambu P1S with a 0.4 steel nozzle.
I can't wait to see what you print with these. Will you make bike parts? Car parts? Print on fabric like Kaizen 3D Prints? Whatever you make, I hope you are inspired by this fun and useful reflective effect! Tag Protopasta to show us what you make!!!
Missed out on November's Endless Exploration? Get Reflective HTPLA at Protopasta.com starting in December and/or subscribe to our next Endless Exploration by December 31st for our January shipment (materials TBD).
Take care and enjoy the pasta,
Alex and the Protopasta Team
More about Protopasta
Protopasta is 100% made in the USA by Protoplant Inc. Founded in 2013 by engineers, Dustin and Aaron Cram, we control every step of the process with in-house made machinery and materials. We’re a small team with a passion for making things, just like you! We’re here because of you. We’re here for you. Thank you for choosing Protopasta!