Three ways to make your part lighter. Shell solid volumes: solid to 2 mm walls saves 40-60% weight. Use lattice or topology-optimised structures for 30-50% extra. Choose a fibre-reinforced material (Carbon LW, PA802CF) to hit the same strength with thinner walls. Combine all three for the biggest effect.
Shell your solid volumes
Simplest step, biggest gain. A solid 200 cm³ part with 2 mm walls and internal ribs drops to 40-80 cm³. Immediately 60-80% lighter.
Important: build at least one outflow opening of 5 mm. Without it loose powder stays inside. On the fence whether a closed cavity really needs to be closed? Often a small service opening suffices.
We flag shell opportunities as standard during the DfAM check.
Lattice structures and topology optimisation
For structurally loaded parts you can create organic, skeletal structures that follow load paths. CAD tools like nTop, Materialise 3-matic or Fusion 360 Generative Design analyse where stress sits and generate a structure that places material only there.
For drone frames, robot brackets, medical orthotics: 30-50% weight saving on top of a shelled design is realistic. Ask our engineers for examples. We have customers who took complete parts 60% lighter by moving from solid to lattice.
Material choice and combined approach
Stronger materials allow thinner walls. Where you need 2 mm in PA12 for 45 MPa, you can go 1.2 mm in PA802CF (89 MPa). Directly 40% material reduction in that zone.
Combination: stronger material + shelling + lattice = fundamentally lighter part. For weight-critical applications (drones, medical devices, sporting goods) that difference is often decisive for product success.
Ask for a DfAM consult to work through these three levers for your specific part.