{"id":126988,"date":"2019-06-05T17:59:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T21:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-cati-marketing.pantheonsite.io\/best-practices-for-tpu-3d-printing-material-part-1\/"},"modified":"2022-06-14T11:24:10","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T15:24:10","slug":"best-practices-for-tpu-3d-printing-material-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cati.com\/?p=126988","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices for Using TPU 3D Printing Material (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TPUIn November 2018, Stratasys announced a <\/span>new breakthrough TPU<\/span><\/a> (Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer) material for their <\/span>F123 Series<\/span><\/a> FDM line of 3D printers. TPU92A is a Fused Deposition Modeling material with a 92 shore value and prints in 0.010\u201d. TPU 3D printing material is excellent for applications like tubing, ducts, hoses, seals, gaskets, and protective covers. However, to get optimal results, like any specialty material, there are some specific precautions to take before you start printing your applications. Let\u2019s take a look at some of these best practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hardware TPU Best Practices<\/b><\/h2>\n

Since TPU 3D printing material is an elastomer, it extrudes with a very gummy and rubbery consistency, unlike other FDM thermoplastics that are rigid. Additionally, be mindful of your brush and flicker – they are relatively inexpensive consumables and easy to swap, but it is crucial that they are clean in order to be functional when printing with TPU. <\/span><\/p>\n

When it\u2019s time to remove finished TPU parts from their build tray, resist the urge to remove support material manually, as it\u2019s more likely to damage the TPU part (as compared to rigid materials). If you find that the thin strands that come off your model are clogging up your support removal tank, a quick and easy way to resolve this issue is to use a heat gun to remove\/melt the strands, so they don\u2019t come loose during cleaning (eventually clogging the tank). <\/span><\/p>\n

My last hardware tip is to make sure your hands are clean! Oils from your fingers and hands will smudge on the tray, which can lead to part-to-tray adhesion issues. I also strongly suggest printing on a fresh tray surface and for optimal part quality, <\/span>one part per build. <\/b><\/p>\n

Software TPU Best Practices <\/b><\/h2>\n

Referencing back to my tip about one part per build, the reason for this is the purge tower. Allowing there to be one purge tower per part maximizes the amount of cleaning the tip goes through for extrusion. You can still recapture some print quality with multiple parts on the same bed by saving individual part files with purge towers for each in <\/span>GrabCAD<\/span>. (Unfamiliar with GrabCAD Print? Here’s what you need to know<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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This particular method won\u2019t achieve part quality as well as printing on a single piece with a purge tower, but it will be an upgrade from printing multiple parts with only a single purge tower. <\/span><\/p>\n

Being less rigid than other materials, stability can be a concern with TPU. But orienting for stability often comes at the expense of strength. Luckily, TPU layer adhesion is much better than most common FDM materials, allowing more flexibility (see what I did there?) when it comes to orientation. This will enable you to find new ways to orient parts when printing with TPU, and still achieve the expected level of strength and flexibility. \u00a0This is particularly useful for thin-walled parts (e.g., living hinges). Let\u2019s say you have a curved hinge that you would normally stand up in the Z to have the layer lines in parallel with the hinge. TPU gives you the option to lay it down and still receive good results as illustrated below.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here is a snapshot of some quick and easy information to help you better understand how TPU works and what factors to keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n