{"id":166165,"date":"2023-01-25T17:14:48","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T09:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=166165"},"modified":"2023-01-31T17:28:21","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T09:28:21","slug":"flexible-filament-review-tpu-tpe-flex","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/flexible-filament-review-tpu-tpe-flex","title":{"rendered":"Flexible Filament Review \u2013 TPU, TPE, FLEX"},"content":{"rendered":"

Flexible filaments, including TPU and TPE, are not as frequently used in 3D printing as PLA or PETG. The reason may be that 3D printing using such materials requires certain skills together with the good knowledge and feel of your machine. Also, slicer settings, like in Cura or Simplify3D, have to be adjusted individually. Not all objects can be printed in flexible material. For example, designs with joint parts, that work well in PLA or ABS, may require modification to suit flexible filament. This post is updated frequently with brief reviews, pros and cons, and ideas for 3D printing.<\/p>\n

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Flexible filament is ideal for customized phone cases. iPhone 6 case by Cqdude. (Photo: 3DWithUs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Best Extrusion Type for Flexible Filaments \u2013 Bowden vs Direct Drive<\/h2>\n

Before getting into the filaments department, one important aspect should be considered \u2013 extrusion type. Direct drive extrusion is the best choice, no competition here, as the higher the flexible filament\u2019s \u201cShore\u201d (the extent of flexibility, softness) the harder it is for Bowden systems to achieve a successful print. We 3D printed using this type of material on both types of 3D printers: Bowden \u2013\u00a0Delta Wasp 2040<\/a>\u00a0and Direct Drive\u00a0Original Prusa i3 MK2.5S<\/a>. For Bowden, we had to tweak the slicer settings very carefully. The worst part is that print failure may happen at the end of the print, when the soft filament jams in gears at some point. For this reason, the slicer settings, especially flow rate, should be reviewed and tunned more precisely.<\/p>\n

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Flexible mobile phone case \u2013 upside down supports test (Image: 3DWithUs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SainSmart TPU Filament Review \u2013 Shiny and Transparent TPU<\/h2>\n

TPU \u2013 Thermoplastic Polyurethane
\nSainSmart<\/a>\u00a0TPU filament comes in a number of amazing colors. It doesn\u2019t need high temperature to flow well. This material is great for making mobile phone cases. There is a wide range of printable files on STL sharing websites. While experimenting, we printed one case upside down with supports, to see what it would look like. Supports were hard to remove, but the result was very interesting, like in the picture below. We could not immediately think of any use for the thin membrane that supports created. However, it might be useful in some designs.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Temperature.<\/strong>\u00a0The recommended 3D printing temperature is 200 \u2013 220\u00b0C and 40 \u2013 60\u00b0C for the build plate. We achieved the shiniest result when 3D printed in a vase mode with a 0.8mm nozzle at 230\u00b0C. The filament fused so well that the walls came out transparent. It is possible to see the object through the walls.<\/p>\n

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The shiny transparent result was achieved in Vase Mode 3D printing with a 0.8mm nozzle (Image: 3DWithUs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2013 Spools.<\/strong>\u00a0The only drawback we had with this filament is the filament spool design. Previously, SainSmart shipped their product on small unusual spools which were tricky to setup for most of our 3D printers. A separate spool holder was required. Now, according to the images on Amazon they use standard spools.<\/p>\n

NinjaFlex TPU Filament Review \u2013 Feels Like Rubber<\/h2>\n

We also tested\u00a0NinjaFlex<\/a>\u00a0green semi-flexible material. There was a problem with the flow. First, we had too much material, then not enough. See mobile case pictures below. We had to change the extrusion multiplayer setting twice to get it right. 0.93 gave us the desired result. It could be a sign of inconsistent filament width.<\/p>\n

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Over and under extrusion (Image: 3DWithUs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The green\u00a0Flexible Octopus<\/a>\u00a0by DiabaseEngineer came out well, though cooling the top part is much recommended. Otherwise, melting may cause damage to the object. The finished item felt like hard rubber. Please mind the warping when printing delicate, fine details.<\/p>\n

NinjaTek Flexible TPU Filament<\/a>\u00a0on Amazon (affiliate link)
\nSome materials, not just flexible filament, shrink more than others. Octopus\u2019s legs are thin and they cool down quicker. That\u2019s why they got detached from the printing bed. Stronger adhesive and higher bed temperature help in this situation.<\/p>\n

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Flexible filament tips & tricks \u2013 mind the warping (Image: 3DWithUs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Filament PM RubberJet TPE 32 and TPE 88<\/h2>\n

TPE \u2013 Thermoplastic Elastomer
\n\u2013 RubberJet Collection.<\/strong>\u00a0We had a chance to test the\u00a0Filament PM<\/a>\u00a0test samples we received at the tradeshow. Filament PM has a decent variety of colors in their RubberJet collection. Some of the spools, marked as Shore 32 or Shore 88, are semiflexible and flexible respectively, the higher the number the softer the filament.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Bed Adhesion.<\/strong>\u00a0As manufacturers stated on their product page, there could be a problem with bed adhesion, and so they recommend using MAGIGOO PP GLUE STICK for the best result together with the following printing settings:
\nNozzle Temperature \u2013 220-240 \u00b0C
\nBed Temperature \u2013 0 \u00b0C
\nSpeed \u2013 10-20 mm\/s<\/p>\n

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Blue RUBBERJet TPE \u2013 3D Printed in Vase Mode (Image: 3DWithUs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And indeed, when we tried test samples, we made it right on the 3rd attempt only. While 3D printing on Original Prusa\u2019s powder-coated spring steel sheet, we had our print bed at 100 \u00b0C, prepped with Pritt Power Glues Stick, and fan speed at 0.
\nWe are not sure, yet, if this is due to the specific TPE properties as we didn\u2019t have such a problem with TPU filaments.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Smell.<\/strong>\u00a0Black RubberJet TPE 32 is odorless while Blue RubberJet TPE 88 has a strong rubber smell.<\/p>\n

Overall, we are very impressed with Blue RubberJet TPE 88. It is a very soft material indeed. The filament fused so well that our make could hold water after 3D printed in vase mode.
\nFlexible Filament requires certain skills and a good knowledge of your machine. Not all objects can be printed in flexible material. For example, joint parts designs that work well in PLA or ABS may require adjustment for flexible filament. Check our YouTube video below.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2013 Smell.<\/strong>\u00a0Black RubberJet TPE 32 is odorless while Blue RubberJet TPE 88 has a strong rubber smell.<\/p>\n

Overall, we are very impressed with Blue RubberJet TPE 88. It is a very soft material indeed. The filament fused so well that our make could hold water after 3D printed in vase mode.
\nFlexible Filament requires certain skills and a good knowledge of your machine. Not all objects can be printed in flexible material. For example, joint parts designs that work well in PLA or ABS may require adjustment for flexible filament. Check our YouTube video below.<\/p>\n