Ultimate Guide to Flexible Filaments for 3D printing (TPU edition)

[@bobcarwell9172]

Alan- thanks so much ! Hands down the BEST treatment of the subject I have ever seen, all in one place. Logical, organized, practical, great videos (more meaningful than just an abstract reference to "Shore 80A") just enough techie detail. And best is its all contained in ONE video. Plenty of videos on individual filament types, but require seeing them all and not comparative. Excellent job !

[@NorseBlade]

This is a great introduction for someone who has never used flexible filaments before. Thanks!

[@thatonesnowboarde]

Alan you have now made me a fan of TPU, i haven't tried printing it because all my printers are boden but I think ill pick up a direct drive soon

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

I've done it on Bowden and seen lots of reviews claiming success printing 95A TPU on Bowden extruders, you just have to print painfully slow, like 10-15mm/s kind of slow. Even though I have direct drive and can technically go faster, I usually keep it about 20mm/s to minimize stringing and blobbing. I have just accepted that anything I print in TPU is going to be slow. 🤷‍♂️

[@SeanLumly]

Printing gears in TPU is an INCREDIBLE idea. Well done. In fact, the flexibility may outlive ridged gears in environments where sand and dust can work themselves into the mechanism: it may be possible to leave them exposed (provided no fingers or large objects can reach), reducing the need for enclosure. And modifying thickness may be an effective strategy at increasing load capacity. Cleverly integrated capillaries may even make these self oiling as well! Silent, durable, and flexible (eg. sand/dust pass through teeth).

[@Stetofire]

Good explanation and nice demonstrations!

[@joell439]

The most concise and actually useful details of printer materials. I have TPU on order now and am excited to see what new designs I am capable of utilizing. Thank You 🙏

[@rasmusdue9057]

Thanks for the video. I just turn on my printer and will try the unopened TPU I have sitting on my shelf

[@OreilleGauche]

Love your Stright to the point yet deep tests / explanations. Thanx.

[@zackj997]

This is an incredible video that makes everything so clear to understand.

[@matthewmathis62]

That was fun to watch! And also, I was wondering how people did those "infill pattern only" prints... I didn't know! (I wanted to make jewelry with them) But now I know! Thanks Alan! :)

[@kspec2001]

just came across your channel. you really should create more content! just subscribed!

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[@trontekkenproductions2975]

hey, this was super cool.... so can I ask you. Say for instance can you turn off wall thickness to 0, and then create the infill only in place of the wall? So that the entire surface has that infill pattern?

[@MakerMindset]

16:02 Very informative and funny! 😁 Thanks for this video! I've learned a lot about TPU.

[@offspec]

I highly recommend using a modifier primitive shape to only change the floor/ceiling behavior within a specified region.

[@remocampagna8780]

This was a very good tutorial. Thanks for posting.

[@DrGeta666]

Thank you, this is wild, I totally wrote off any of the flex filaments just assuming they would just be a bit bendy and not as strong as that!. Wow this is going to open up some projects

[@Fanzindel]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing. I need to make a few shifter/parking brake cable dust boots similar to the part in 11:21 and this video is giving me great confidence that it’ll work just fine. Thanks!

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Just be aware that the temperature resistance of TPU is not that great. I wouldn't trust it anywhere that gets above 60C/140F. Or at least check that for your specific filament before you depend on it

[@PolycultureArt]

Thanks Alan! I cant wait to give TPU a go!

[@ThantiK]

Everyone that ever wants to do TPU does this: Upgrade printer to print in TPU. Print a phone case. Put the TPU on the shelf and never touch it again.

[@daliasprints9798]

TPU is great for so much more. Print it thick and dense and it's mostly rigid and makes indestructible parts that withstand heat, weather, oils, chemicals, abrasion, ...

[@FullCircleTravis]

I'm an inventor. I'm going to use TPU for a lot.

[@jimmym2719]

Good job bro ! Thank you very much for the time you take to experiments and share 💕

[@brycesstuff]

Man, what a great, and informative video. I had no idea about being able to remove top and bottom layers so it just uses infill. That is awesome 👍 thanks for the video, got yourself a new subscriber 😊

[@ElPresidenteBuzzard]

This was a great video! I came to youtube to learn more about TPU for phone cases and this was very informative! Thank you for making interesting and informative content!

[@berenguerx]

i use alcohol on the bed to release tpu prints, works super well and you dont have to pull on them with any force

[@brooksbarnes1066]

Great coverage! Well done :)

[@vladvasyliev5838]

Awesome video!

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Thanks!

[@julieta203]

its actually the most impressive of all the filaments i had no idea it was this flexible and strong

[@CanadianWinters]

One of the weaknesses of TPU is low temperatures. Below freezing temperatures, TPU becomes really rigid and brittle and will break easily (like PLA would but worse). I've only noticed as I used a few TPU straps for my bike panniers last winter on a cold day (-10C / 14F or lower) and the TPU shattered when I tried to detach them from the panniers.

[@samvossen5239]

my guy, this video is amazing. Best explanation of flexible filaments i have ever seen, and blows everyone else's explanations out of the water. but you have to make the title something like "Understanding flexible filament | You can FEEL these filaments through the internet" or "flexible filament explained | You can FEEL these filaments through the internet" i was only able to find this video again because it was listed in my liked videos, and even then it took me a while to find. all the best, ya boi

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Oh excellent point! That might explain why this video under performed my previous one. Thanks so much for the feedback, I'll update the title (and of course glad you liked it!)

[@TechieSewing]

A good title and totally made me click ;) Not regretting it at all.

[@joet.4756]

Subscribed! Awesome information, and i dont have a printer yet. Thanks!

[@anon_y_mousse]

I always thought ABS was the most brittle. Neat to see this test so now I know better. Love the subtle nod at the end to the build plate coating destruction. Since you're into engineering, I'd like to suggest for a video idea 3D printing a mechanical watch. Both from a single filament type and different filaments to see how well it would function, but also perhaps for looks. For instance, print the case out of a hard brass colored filament, print the spring out of something more flexible or maybe even come up with a unique mechanism for driving it. Could the gears turn efficiently while rubbing against each other to keep accurate time?

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

I was actually a little surprised to see both PLA and ABS breaking similarly, but that was a flexure test, not an impact test. That may be driven more by low elongation spec for both. Admittedly, I'm not all that into watches and especially trying to print super tiny things. Might be possible to do some cool things in that domain with resin,, since you can get such amazing detail (though dimensional accuracy can be difficult given shrinkage, and I feel like most resin prints are pretty low on both impact resistance, and fatigue resistance).

[@anon_y_mousse]

@@ObsessiveEngineering Fair enough. Though that does give me an idea. They do make some cheap metal printers, though you could make it yourself for cheaper and get the same quality. It might get one closer to spec than doing everything by hand to print overly large parts then file them down a bit. Might be a project for me when I finish moving, if I ever finish moving.

[@rescuemethod]

awesome video! have you tried varioshore TPU? the one that foams and varies the density based on nozzle temp... what bed type do you feel is best with TPU and PETG?

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Actually yes! I have tried it at max foaming, printed a 3dbenchy with it and a calibration cube. It is crazy light and spongey. And it was surprisingly not very difficult to print, besides a couple shots to calibrate the flow rate for the temp. I haven't run into the right application to use it for something yet, but it's standing by ready to go :) I always use the textured side of my PEI flex plate for TPU and PETG, with lots of glue stick. Both TPU and PETG are risky on the smooth side, even with a release agent. That said, I'm not sure if textured PEI is *best*, but it's simply the better of the two build surfaces I always use.

[@dondec]

Excellent video concept, more show... and less numbers. In terms of making a cell phone case, what's your final recommendation? My "drops" are usually from about waist height?

[@antonkukoba3378]

The blobing and stringing at 11:03 is not because of moisture. It is because of retraction settings.

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Maybe! I've printed a LOT of TPU over the years and by far the most significant factor is moisture. After this video, I realized I was using PLA settings which may not be aggressive enough to get it dry. I have seen mixed guidance on retraction settings-- most say to disable retraction, and I usually turn retraction off and print slow, but even when I leave it on by accident it usually turns out okay. If it looks like this, it will look 90% better after drying it properly (55C for 6-8 hrs). I didn't think retraction settings are a settled matter, but TPU's moisture absorption is.

[@theo._.5593]

Hey nice video, can you screw in tpu ?

[@osamaomoregbe1504]

Hi, I recently bought a Lenovo Yoga Book 9i with dual screens, and since there isn't a case available for it, I'd like to design a unique case. Before diving into an ambitious design, I want to start with a simple protective case. I need some advice on measuring the dimensions of my laptop accurately. I tried scanning an image of the laptop, then cropping and resizing the image to convert it from PNG to OBJ, but it didn't go as planned. What is the best way to measure my laptop for this purpose? Additionally, I am planning to 3D print the case using SainSmart TPU 95A. Can you provide guidance on how to proceed with the measurements and 3D printing?

[@TechieSewing]

Love the video, really makes me want to dig out that elastic filament from the corner where it still lives ;) TPU gears! That's not something you see every day.

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Thanks! I was kinda weirded out by the TPU gears at first, too. But I've seen two different maker videos now, where people did it and said that they not only worked but were surprisingly quiet. As long as you're staying well below a reasonable load for the gear material, I don't see why not.

[@wherearetheavocados7012]

Thank you for this informative video!!! Can i ask what 3d printer did you used?

[@wherearetheavocados7012]

omg im so stupid 😅 it's ultimaker right?

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

It's an ancient "Makergear M2" printer, that has been heavily modified. It was one of my first printers, got it around 2015, and was kind of obscure even back then. I wouldn't expect anybody to actually recognize it 😅

[@sylas9762]

will these tpu with different shore a stick together if you blend them, I've been wanting to know if it mixed together? One side harder and one softer so its easier to bend in 1 direction but harder the opposite direction.

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Really interesting question. I assumed as long as they are both chemically TPU they probably would, but I haven't tried it. Sounds like a fun experiment to run.

[@v1ncen715]

I tried TPU for the first time after printing PLA, ABS, ASA and PCTG. It's been a nightmare so far, every print looks like one of these speed benchies with holes everywhere in them. Even slowing down to 10ms/seconds only showed very minor improvements. I went back to non flexible for now. Maybe I ll give it another try, but I am not sure what I should tweak next.. I dried the filament thinking it was the issue, but still not good. Maybe I am unlucky with the filament.. I have a fairly standard setup with a direct drive printer (Sovol sv06)..

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

Drying the filament would be my first inclination. TPU sucks up a lot of moisture and can become a bubbly mess if it isn't dried. It's up there with Nylons in the "obnoxiously hygroscopic" category. 55C/130F for 4-6hrs. One thing you should try is a vase-mode print ("spiralize outer contour", if you use Cura like me). It will do the entire outer shell of the object as a single, continuous, constant-flow, spiral, like the vase I show in this video. If I'm really struggling with a filament I will do a vase-mode print, because it eliminates retractions and really all rapid changes in filament speed. If a vase-mode print comes out well but not a regular print, it usually means your extruder & hotend combo may not well-suited to manipulating this filament. Also, sometimes you just need to try a different brand (if you're committed to getting this material to work). It's worked for me, before. Some recommend turning retraction off when printing TPU, however I find my extruder and hotend work well with retraction, and I've printed many TPU benchies with decent-enough success. But for other printers, retractions may just be too aggressive and cause these problems.

[@GigglingGobby]

I'm really keen to try TPU but I've seen lots of pics and vids of people who destroyed their textured PEI bed because of severe TPU adhesion to it. I'm terrified of ruining my currently perfectly still-as-good-as-new PEI bed (Elegoo Neptune3 Pro) - you mention in the comments using "lots of glue stick", is this the trick to making sure it DOESN'T stick too much? 😃

[@ObsessiveEngineering]

It's funny how glue both helps to get some filaments to stick AND make some easier to remove after printing. In this case the glue prevents the TPU from bonding too much with the plate so it can be removed. I won't print TPU on a smooth PEI plate anymore, but I print it all the time on my textured plate. I just always make sure to put a fresh layer of glue under where it will print and I never have a problem. Try it with small parts first to get comfortable with it. GLHF!

[@GigglingGobby]

@@ObsessiveEngineering That's great, thank you very much 😃

[@poepflater]

Cool trick

[@genin69]

10:50 i stretched that hole

[@MosesCarr-g2b]

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