TPE

TPE, or thermoplastic elastomer, is a category of rubber-like plastics that are great for printing anything that needs impact or vibration resistance, non-slip characteristics, or just plain old flexibility. We recommend starting printing flexible materials with a harder material like 32 Shore D. The printing experience with TPE and TPU is very individual. Some claim better experience with TPE some with TPU. 

TPE mechanical and thermal properties

TPE is flexible and soft with an excellent fatigue resistance. Compared to TPU, TPE has a more "rubbery" surface, TPU is more "greasy". TPE has a high impact strength and good tear and abrasion resistance. It is resistant to low and high temperatures (-30 to +140 °C).

Printability of TPE filament

The best results when printing with TPE will be seen when printing with a slow and consistent speed. As TPE has a high level of elasticity, it can mean that any sudden changes can cause a loss of control in the print speed. Fast print speeds can result in the filament compressing and will lead to a jam. Concluding: slow and steady is the best approach to take when printing TPE. The recommended printing speed is 5-40 mm/s (higher for harder filaments, lower for softer materials). 

Challenges

TPEs have the problem of being poorly handled by extruders owing to their softness. As TPEs are hygroscopic, they absorb moisture. As a result, prints will pop up and sizzle if the filament isn’t stored properly. Being flexible, TPE has a tendency to buckle or squeeze through any gaps in the filament path. Make sure this path is well-constrained, with no gaps or obstacles. Towards this end, a direct-drive style extruder is recommended.

Browse all TPE filaments in stock in our warehouse in Senec, Slovakia. For comparison, see also TPU and FLEX.