So I got this guy that wants me to print him something in tpu I have not had much experience with it and if there is anything I should know I will be printing with 95A do I need any of those tpu nozzles or feeders and should I stick with bambu filament or go with some cheaper sunlu stuff any advice for me would be appreciated
i use sain smart tpu and it prints great i just choose generic tpu and print it and it works great
I’m actually printing some wheelbarrow handles in TPU 95A as I’m writing this.
Sain Smart is very good. Im using Overture high speed at the moment. Use a glue stick, for release, on smooth pei. Wash bottom of print when finished. If you have multiple tall parts use print by object in print sequence or single object on a plate for better finish. When I print flat gaskets and such I print them all at the same time. Box settlings work fine. Overture has downloadable profiles on their site. Filament absolutely needs drying.
You have a H2 series printer, with this you can print the following and more:
- TPU95A (what most people think when you say TPU)
- TPU90A
- TPU85A
- TPU for AMS (shore value 68D)
- PEBA, an easier to use, store and print material with more bounce (info only)
- TPU Air (nozzle temp prints various different shore values, often 65A to 82A
Suppliers are not usually a big problem, most can produce 95A with ease. SainSmart is great at the Air and PEBA in my experience.
Shore values indicate how flexible TPU/PEBA is. If it ends in an A, the lower the number indicates much softer. D is a different scale, 68D is harder than 95A. Bambu Lab sells TPU for AMS specifically to allow a form of TPU to be printed using an AMS. It prints as easily as PLA and colours can be easily mixed, even within layers. The result is a harder to flex material though. You use case decides any trade offs.
If you are printing TPU for AMS, throw it in the AMS and assign it to a model and print, as easy as that.
If you are printing TPU95A, feed it through the external inlet (specific models tell you where to push it) and tell the printer to manually load. This can be annoying if you own an AMS as a convenience factor is removed. Keep loading it until you see it melt out of the nozzle, then print.
If you are using anything else, follow the instructions. 90A & 85A are often recommended to be pushed directly into the print head with the top lid removed. Nozzle size is also a factor.
TPU Air, is usually fed like 95A, but when you go to print, you need to tell the nozzle which temperature you want that matches the eventual shore scale value.
Bambu Lab recently added a TPU Feed Assist Module. It is designed to simplify the boring manual process. It is not required. If you end up printing TPU often then grabbing one will make loading far easier.
The Bambu Lab TPU printing guide.
Shore Guide
TPU/PEBA are great materials and solve lots of problems other rigid materials can achieve.
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PEBA is actually more sensitive to moisture and should ideally be stored in a sealed bag.
Thank you this way vary helpful
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I haven’t shown it any water, are you saying it would cry?
Everyone is far too sensitive these days.
Maybe put some glue on the print plate. SInce I do this, I do not rip off parts of my print plate when I remove the parts. The glue is more used to be a separator layer than to adhere. TPU can have realy ahhesion. If it sticks to good, maybe also use Isopropanol to release it.
A better suggestion is to use the engineering plate (or Glacier or generic uncoated PEI like PyroGrip), no adhesive needed as release layer and even soft 85A TPU and PEBA come right off.
IPA also works great to release TPU from your build plate (as long as the plate is not damaged by IPA, like the Cool Supertack).
Just a couple of drops around the perimeter after printing and capillary effect makes removal a lot easier.
I like to print TPU on a smooth PEI plate that has a thin, even coating of AquaNet hairspray. It’s so much easier to apply evenly than glue stick, is cleanable from the build plate first with IPA and a paper towel, followed by Dawn dish soap and hot water. I usually get a dozen or so prints with light coat touchups before having to do a full clean.