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From rapid prototyping to production, discover all benefits of plastic 3D printing with SLS technology using our TPU material. Get all information about this plastic 3D printing material!
The Selective Laser Sintering TPU (or SLS TPU) is a Thermoplastic Polyurethane material. If you are looking for a resistant, flexible, and rubbery material, this TPU is the perfect option.
With a good resilience after deformation and a high UV stability, this SLS TPU offers numerous advantages for your projects requiring an elastomeric material. By creating an interesting structural design, parts can be 3D printed for various applications, from automotive to footwear industries. The material also offers good hydrolysis resistance, great shock absorption, and a smooth white surface.
This material is made to meet industry-specific quality standards. However, to be sure to make the most of the benefits of this TPU material, please keep in mind that you will have to respect the minimum wall thickness of the material to avoid any problem during the additive manufacturing process. Be sure to check the material design guidelines while creating your 3D file. Moreover, information related to tensile modulus, chemical resistance, or heat deflection temperature for this SLS material are available in the technical section of this material page.
What are the possible applications for this material?
Our flexible TPU has great mechanical properties. Indeed, this material offers versatility and can be used for many different applications. Parts requiring the use of a rubber-like elasticity or flexible lattices can easily be 3D printed with this material. From functional prototyping to production, these material properties offer a lot of opportunities.
High Flexibility
Shore A 88
With its flexibility, TPU can also be used in the automotive industry, to create car interior components for example. Air filter covers, bellows gimbal, or any flexible and resistant parts needed in the automotive industry can be 3D printed using TPU.
Rubber-like
TPU is a strong plastic material and can be 3D printed to create industrial tools or pipes for example. It also offers high friction possibilities, allowing to 3D print grippers, used for robotic or industrial uses.
Shock absorption and rebound
Rebound resilience: 63%
Thanks to its quality, high flexibility, shock absorption, and rebound, our Multi Jet Fusion TPU can be used to manufacture footwear, orthopedic models, and sports protection equipment.
Pricing
The printing price of your design is calculated automatically the moment it is uploaded. As you modify your object (changing material, finishing, size, using batch control or hollowing feature, etc.) you will note that the price changes automatically. The pricing is based on a series of factors, including total volume, object size, and bounding box – to name a few.
The estimated shipping time is also calculated automatically as the object is uploaded and each time you make a modification on it. Delivery time should be added to processing time.
The Selective Laser Sintering technology uses a highly specific laser that sinters thin layers of powder together one layer at a time. After each round of lasering, the printing bed is lowered and another layer of powder is evenly swept across the top for another round of sintering. This process is repeated at a layer height of 100 – 150 µm until the object is completed. After the printer cools, the block of sintered powder is removed from the 3D printer and the printed objects are removed by hand. A part of the powder that was not sintered is recycled back into the printer for a future print.
The object is then brushed, which removes a large portion of the powder, and sandblasted, which removes the fine powder that the brush may have missed.
The maximum size of your models are limited by the physical size of our 3D printers – nothing can be printed larger than the printer bed.
Due to the printing process, your objects will have upskin and downskin. Upskin is a little concave, whereas downskin will show slight convex. Upskin will appear on the top of your object, downskin at the bottom. This is important to consider when you set the orientation of your 3D model. If the upskin and downskin will affect your design, set the orientation beforehand and we will honor it, if you are not sure, our technicians will choose the best one.
Standard layer thickness
100µm
Accuracy
± 0.3% (minimum of ± 0.3 mm)
Minimum wall thickness
0.8mm
Stemmed elements with support
1mm
Stemmed elements without support
1.2mm
Minimum height and width details
Embossed : 0.7 mm
Engraved : 0.7 mm
Ratio Depth / width
1/1
A detail’s minimum precision is mainly determined by the resolution of our 3D printers. However, during the cleaning process, a fine layer of detail can also be lost. In order for a detail and text to be visible we recommend following our recommended sizes at the very least.It’s possible that particularly fine embossings and engravings will not be visible, as the carving could get filled with excess powder that is later unable to be cleaned out. If an embossing or engraving is an essential part of your design we recommend making them as deep as possible. To ensure a better powder removal (thus a better detail visibility), the width of your details must be at least as big as depth.
Enclosed parts ?
Yes
Interlocking parts ?
Yes
Our material has the ability to print the most complex designs of our materials . An example of a complex design is a volume enclosed within another volume, like a chain or a ball joint connection. Our printers have the ability to print a fully interlocked chain, with no support structures to remove.
Minimum spacing between fixed walls
0.5 mm
Minimum clearance between parts
0.5 mm
For a successful 3D print a minimum clearance between objects is required to allow excess material to be sand blown out. If this space is not left within the design, the object will be a solid. This is particularly important for articulated objects – as the space left between the walls will define the object’s ability to move.
Do not forget
Clearance should be at least 0.5 mm, however that is the minimum for small objects. Larger objects require more space between their parts. Our printer beds are heated during the process, and larger objects are heated for longer periods. A small space between large objects runs the risk of melting together as it remains under heat for a long period of time. In some other cases, holes should be added to allow us to drain for the excess powder material within the clearance.
Hollowing ?
Yes: 5mm
Our online hollowing optimization tool has the ability to greatly reduce the price and the weight of a print by reducing the amount of material used.
Using the tool requires adding two holes to your model, which will serve as the drain for the excess powder material within the object. The minimum size of these holes is determined by our website. Otherwise, it is possible to hollow your object manually in your 3D modeling software.
With Sculpteo’s online 3D printing service you’re just a few clicks away from professional TPU 3D printing. Your 3D model is printed with the highest quality and delivered straight to your door.
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