Material Guide: TPU (Flexibles)

Most 3D prints are hard plastic. TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is rubber. You can squish it. It bounces back.

Applications

1. Intake Flaps: Custom “noodle” shapes for your beater bar.
2. Grippers: High friction pads that conform to the game object.
3. Bumpers: Protect your electronics from impacts.
4. Tires: Yes, you can print custom tires.

Printing Difficulty: High

Imagine trying to push a cooked spaghetti noodle into a hole. That is what your extruder is doing.

• You need a “Direct Drive” extruder.
• You must print SLOW (20mm/s).

Shore Hardness

TPU comes in hardness ratings.

• 95A: Typical. Like a shoe sole. easy to print.
• 85A: Softer. like a tire tread.
• 60A: Very soft. Like a rubber band. Impossible to print.

Verdict

Keep a roll of 95A TPU. It solves problems that rigid plastic simply cannot.