Why there is nothing here for GraviTrax Junior

GraviTrax will be expanding in fall 2023: GraviTrax Junior is aimed at the younger target group ages three and up. It would normally be a paradise for developing 3D printing extensions for this model, but those won't be available here.

Of paint, spit and grooves

Everyone knows: Small children put pretty much everything in their mouths. The tongue also serves as an important sensory organ during the first years of life. This is one reason why GraviTrax Junior is made from bioplastic.

The PLA material from which the supplements offered here are made isn't the main reason. PLA consists largely of corn starch or sugar cane, which actually sounds quite natural. Using it probably wouldn't pose any real problem, even if it contains other plastics such as plasticizers or stabilizers.
The problem lies more in the dyes used in PLA production. It's very time-consuming to determine which dyes are used, their composition, and how harmful (or not) they may be.

3D printers typically process the plastic with a brass nozzle. To print products that come into contact with food (or children's mouths), stainless steel nozzles must be used.
But even then, contamination cannot be completely ruled out, which is simply the nature of 3D printing.

Grooves are also typical of 3D printing. The material is always applied layer by layer, inevitably creating grooves in the surface.
Even though these grooves are really small thanks to modern printing, saliva can still harbor bacteria. That doesn't sound healthy, and it isn't, if the toy ends up back in the mouth days later.

Is this perhaps an exaggeration?

Maybe. Maybe not! We have a lot of ideas for GraviTrax Junior, but for the reasons mentioned above, there will unfortunately be no add-ons for GraviTrax Junior here.


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