3D printing with flexible filaments is a prevalent technique. What are some of the filaments available? Which manufacturers offer the most excellent products? Before choosing a filament, you must first know what your alternatives are. Which varieties of filaments are there?
What are Flexible Filaments?
3D printing using flexible filaments is a popular manufacturing method. The material is composed of thermoplastic elastomers, as you may have thought.
So, what precisely is TPE?
TPEs are polymers with rubber-like plastic, i.e., they can be twisted and stretched with ease yet retain some stiffness. There are many types of TPEs, and each has a different chemical structure – which means that one will be more elastic than the next!
Different manufacturers can create elastic filaments like rubber bands or as supple as a tire by mixing chemical compounds.
Not all flexible filaments are made of TPE.
Flexible Filament Types
There are numerous forms of TPEs, and this is a list of the most frequent ones:
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Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
TPU or thermoplastic polyurethane is the most preferred flexible filament. It’s sturdy and long-lasting, making it more rigid compared to others. The advantage of utilising a rugged filament is that it can quickly go through the ouster!
TPU is an elastic, transparent thermoplastic that has a variety of uses in 3D printing. If you’ve ever bought a personalised phone cover, it’s almost certainly TPU! It may also make ski boots, rubber mats, or shoe insoles.
The suitable characteristics in TPU make it ideal for producing shock absorbers, O-rings, seals, and even tires in the RC car sector. The maximum number of parts this material can endure without breaking is 2 million cycles.
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Thermoplastic Polyamide (TPA)
TPA is a combination of flexible nylon and TPE known as a copolymer.
What happens when you combine these two materials? You get a flexible filament with the smooth finish of nylon and TPE’s flexibility!
It’s also used to manufacture everything from golf balls to medical devices and, yes, ski equipment.
TPC is another flexible filament consisting of an alternating order of short and long-chain diol. That means it has soft and complex parts, making it an engineering-grade plastic.
In other words, although it is used in different industrial applications, it is not typical for home 3D printers to utilise this material.
Companies will, for example, create self-expandable polymer splint and bellows with TPC!
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Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
ABS, which is also a thermoplastic polymers category member, may also be used. Its chemical ingredients are butadiene, acrylonitrile, and styrene.
ABS is a common choice for making sports equipment, toys like legos, and cheap prototypes for various sectors.
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Polylactic Acid (Soft PLA)
The last flexible filament on this list is polylactic acid. This thermoplastic is created from inexhaustible sources such as sugarcane or cornstarch. It is also known as soft PLA as it can be rubbery.
PLA can soak up impacts and vibrations, making it ideal for objects that must bend and retain their form in industrial settings. It is also safe to consume and may be used for kitchenware and food carriers.
This hardener is also ideal for pen grips and shoe insoles because of its blend of firmness and flexibility.
Popular Flexible Filament Brands
Let’s take a look at some of the most well-known brands to see what they have to offer.
MaterHackers provides a variety of different filaments to select from. Their colour varieties are fantastic, and they’re well-known for making high-quality TPU supple filament.
This particular material has a shore hardness of 90A, making it more bendable than other choices. With their Pro Series Flex TPE, MatterHackers provides an even more flexible alternative!
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Cheetah TPU
Cheeta TPU is a NinjaTek product, which means it’s a high-quality filament. This material was created to print faster while maintaining quality and durability.
It has a 60 mm/s, which is near the ABS speed! Because of its hardness of 95A, you may print quicker with this choice.
The cost ranges between $55 and $85 per kilogram, and it comes in a variety of diameters and sizes: 5. kg or 1 kg, and 3 mm or 1.75 mm. NinjaTek, in addition, offers a wide choice of hues, so you may make whatever you want in any colour!
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Polymakr Polyflex Filament
This material features a shore hardness of 90A, similar to the NinjaTek we mentioned previously. They claim that the hardness can easily vary down to 90A; however, temperature and humidity may influence it.
This is not the best choice if you require exceptionally high or low hardness. They also have a limited colour palette to choose from, and only 750 g spools are available.
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FormFutura FlexiFil TPC
The third type of flexible filament is made from bio-oils, distinguishing it from Polyflex and other similar materials. Flexifoil TPC is a Bioink with a hardness range of 92 to 94A, comparable to Polyflex.
This is a more environmentally responsible choice if you have time to wait.
It’s also worth noting that some consumers have complained that the colours do not resemble what was advertised, so keep this in mind if you need certain hues.
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Taulman3D PCTPE
Taulman 3D PCTPE, often known as plasticised copolyimide, is a thermoplastic polyether ester-containing nylon because it is slightly elastic and supple but has the resilience of nylon; this material prints easily because it is more robust.
Whether or not they advertise a specific hardness level, it is expected to be greater than 100A. This isn’t the ideal material for things that require bending or flex; however, it will do in a pinch! It will do the job if you need something as hard as nylon and slightly flexible!
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XYZ Flexible Filament
The proprietary filament made by XYZ is designed for both flexibility and durability. It’s water-resistant and non-toxic thus has a lot of potential applications.
It’s available as a cartridge, and it includes a chip that tells you how much spool material is left.
ABS, PLA, and XZYZ plastic filaments are suitable for shock absorption, longevity, and flexibility projects.
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Recreus Filaflex TPE
Last but not least, there is Filaflex TPE by Recreus. This flexible filament is a potential rival to those supplied by Ninjaflex.
Filaflex is the lightest of all the materials listed here. It boasts a hardness level of 82A, making it ideal for producing highly flexible items. You’ll need a particular banish and thermal insulator to get the best out of this material!
This fibre has very impressive elongation, with a breaking strain of 700 per cent. However, for most purposes, you won’t require this much stretch. This is available in various hues and comes on 250g and 500g spools.
