Light and Strong Airless Ping Pong Ball

Design Goals

I've designed this ball to be strong but still light. My print weighs 2,7g - the same a regular table tennis ball. Due to the fewer and thicker struts, it survives a regular match without problems and handles better than a regular ping pong ball under windy conditions.

Printing

I used a layer height of 0,2mm and the PrusaSlicer setting “Enforce supports for the first: 20 layers”.

Material

Almost all non-flexible filaments with decent layer adhesion are suitable for printing this ping pong ball.

Prusament PLA, 3D Jake Tough PLA and Extrudr PETG are the materials I tested it with, but the same materials from other manufacturers should also work.

Inspiration

When I first discovered the Airless Ping Pong Ball 2.0 by E.T . , I was eager to test it out. Although the ball looks amazing and is really sturdy, but it is quite heavy for my taste.

After some further research, I came across shawn.mek 's "Airless" Ping Pong Ball - Table Tennis Ball . Te hexagons just look stunning. That balls I've printed broke after a few matches. That's why I've created a stronger version.