PLA and Wizzdrum; the whole story

 

The material used to produce the Wizzdrum kit, parts, and carrying case is PLA (polylactic acid). This bioplastic is developed explicitly for 3D printing.

For our purposes it has some fantastic characteristics:

  • It’s easy to use with a 3D printer. Much better compared to other materials like PET, PETG, or ABS.
  • It has its own sound characteristics, which contributes to rim clicks and gives the sound an extra dimension.
  • It’s a sturdy material. Even hitting the drum edge with considerable force (e.g., rim shots) only leads to deformations on the stick and not to the side of the drum.
  • It enabled us to realize our extraordinary product at an acceptable price level.
  • More than half of the PLA produced is made from recycled material, and PLA is entirely plant-based, making it a more environmentally friendly option.

PLA also has some disadvantages.

  • At a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, the material enters the glass transition temperature zone. Meaning the printed parts can deform under these conditions. Therefore it’s best not to expose the drum kit or parts of it to direct sunlight for an extended period. We also advise against storing the drum kit inside a hot car trunk or behind a (car)window in the sun.
  • The material is relatively brittle, which means that it can break easily after a short, high impact (like a fall onto a hard surface).
  • We also use PLA to create the tuning mechanism. But there’s a limit. With the tuning key, there’s a limit on how high you can tune the drum without breaking a tooth. You can feel the limit when you’re tuning. If it breaks, you can order a replacement part. You can also tune the 8” tom much higher compared to the 10” tom. So we advise you to use the 8” the higher notes.

We’ve looked at the pros and cons of the material for a long time and concluded that PLA allows us to create our product brilliantly. We want our potential customers to profit from these benefits. And we believe that the possibilities with the Wizzdrum are so tremendous that it’s worth overcoming the disadvantages of the material specifications.

 We want to be as transparent as possible and that’s why we share all our thoughts around this. We give full warranty on the production of the items in case of regular use. However, we cannot be held responsible for the damage that might occur when the drum kit or parts of it (including the carrying case) fall onto a hard surface.

 All parts can be (re)ordered and replaced by the customer. These parts will be made available at a reasonable price, so this won’t be an issue. The 3D printing process helps us in this matter. Naturally, we will continue our search for new and better materials. The 3D printing revolution has only just begun.

If you want more information about PLA, please check out the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid