{"id":165027,"date":"2022-07-03T15:09:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T07:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=165027"},"modified":"2022-12-09T11:29:37","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T03:29:37","slug":"how-to-3d-print-rubber-filament-resin-services","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/how-to-3d-print-rubber-filament-resin-services","title":{"rendered":"How to 3D Print Rubber: Filament, Resin, & Services"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wondering if you can 3D print rubber? Flexible material can definitely be 3D printed, but read on to get the full scoop!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Keeping it simple, you can\u2019t 3D print pure rubber. But why not?<\/p>\n

This is due to\u00a0how rubber is made<\/a>. Broadly speaking, most rubber comes from latex, which comes from trees, and this latex is \u201cnatural\u201d. For it to be converted to a more durable \u201crubber\u201d, a lot of processing is required to harden it and make it industry acceptable. This processing converts the rubber into a thermosetting polymer.<\/p>\n

Thermosetting polymers such as processed rubber can\u2019t be re-heated to melt and then re-solidify, unlike thermoplastics like\u00a0PLA<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0ABS<\/a>. Heating a thermosetting polymer will simply burn it as well as cause it to release toxic fumes.<\/p>\n

That said, you can easily print flexible materials on an\u00a0FDM<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0SLA<\/a>\u00a0machine. Both technologies operate rather differently from one another, but both have\u00a0their own advantages<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll go over different flexible materials as well as a few suggestions on how to use them depending on your 3D printing technology of choice. Then, we\u2019ll include some popular brands to consider.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Flexible TPU Prints: 25 Cool Things to 3D Print with TPU<\/a><\/div>\n
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The Flexible Scene<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A fun design made all the better by printing it in flexible material (Source: Formlabs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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There are many flexible materials available, but the following are the most commonly known and used. Their acronyms are short and sweet \u2013 compared to the mouthfuls that are their full name. It\u2019s worth noting that the flexible\u00a0filaments<\/a>\u00a0available are directly based on the following materials, while their\u00a0resin<\/a>\u00a0counterparts mimic these material properties and are chemical-based.<\/p>\n

Here are the most recognizable flexible filaments:<\/p>\n