When you want to buy TPU filament in South Africa, 3D Unique is your supplier of various 3D printer consumables. Our online store has a variety of filaments and resins to choose from, ensuring that you can keep on printing to your heart’s content. We also stock printers, scanners, and components for your hardware.
With such a wide variety of filaments and resins that can be used for 3D printing, you should always have a solid grasp on the unique elements of each of these print materials. Furthermore, you should know which filaments and resins are compatible with your specific printer. You can consult our filament guide on our website for more info. Today, we talk about TPU filament and what you can expect from this specific type of print material.
TPU Filament: What Should I Know?
- Composition: Thermoplastic Polyurethane filament – or TPU for short – delivers a strong, flexible, and durable 3D print material. It has rubber-like qualities and resist abrasion and tearing – making it the perfect material for mechanical parts. It also has high impact strength resistance qualities to underline its usefulness for mechanical and moving parts.
- Compatibility: If you want to use TPU filament, you need a printer that can print at slow speeds. You also need a printer with a direct-drive extruder for optimal results. The print bed must be heated to suitable temperatures, which are between 40 °C and 60 °C. The extruder nozzle must reach temperatures of between 225 °C and 250 °C to efficiently melt the TPU filament and apply it to print bed. The filament should be dried before use, as it is prone to absorb moisture. You should also print with minimal retraction to ensure that the extruder nozzle does not clog during builds.
- Uses: Since TPU filament resembles properties of both rubber and plastic, you can use this material to print a wide variety of useful, elastic parts that fit within a mechanical system. Its high resistance to tearing, puncturing, and abrasive damage will work in favour of being exposed to elements such as heat, oil, lubricant, impact, and stress. Therefore, you can expect created parts to bend, stretch, and move without the worry of ever tearing, failing, or breaking.
3D Unique is your supplier of TPU filament in South Africa. We also stock and sell a variety of other filaments and resins to ensure that you never run out of printing consumables. Feel free to browse our online store and place your order with us today.