Markforged has announced the addition of Smooth TPU 95A to its growing portfolio of materials. The new, rubber-like material provides manufacturers with an efficient way to easily and reliably make high-quality, flexible parts on demand in low-to-medium volumes.
3D print flexible parts with geometric fidelity
With the introduction of Smooth TPU 95A, Markforged now offers manufacturers the increased versatility to make customized, flexible parts with high geometric fidelity, which is critical in creating fine-feature details such as the ridges on high precision drive belts or cutouts for complex bushings. Manufacturers now have a better way to make flexible parts additively for design validation, production line tooling, specialty production, aftermarket spares and replacement parts. Smooth TPU 95A has uses in a variety of industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products, electronics, energy, industrial equipment and more.
“I am really excited about the new TPU material and I can see this opening up a lot of new doors and possibilities for the Markforged composite printers.”, says Stian Mork, Application Engineer 3D Printing, PLM Group. “By adding a flexible rubber-like material to the Markforged portfolio together with Precise PLA that was introduced earlier this year, fibre-reinforcements, different kinds of metals and the more exotic materials such as Ultem 9085 filament, Onyx ESD and FR Markforged now really offers a very versatile selection of materials which makes a good fit for a lot of industries and applications.”
TPU material made for production 3D printing
According to PLM Group’s Application Engineer, Stian Mork, some of the main benefits of the new material are:
- Being able to print viable parts with the consistency and mechanical properties required for production
- Opening the possibility to produce flexible parts in low volumes such as prototypes and custom geometries
“I really see this TPU material as a good fit in the machine building industries, because you can produce things like: seals and gaskets, protective coverings, shock absorbers, drive belts, and more”, says Stian Mork. “I also believe that designers and product developers in other industries will see benefits of being able to print flexible materials on their Markforged printers.”
Smarter 3D printed medical devices
Flexible materials are finicky to print, frequently causing jams and clogs, meaning few, if any, 3D printing systems could produce viable end-use parts with the consistency and mechanical properties required for production. Markforged’s platform, The Digital Forge, is designed to overcome these challenges for manufacturers who have historically struggled to produce flexible parts through the synchronous workings of our hardware, software and materials to deliver a consistent and reliable TPU printing experience.
The Assistive Technology Team at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System is introducing Smooth TPU 95A into their practice as a way to innovate new ways to improve the lives of military heroes.
“We have a long history of relying on Markforged technology in our clinic settings. Between the reliability of the printers and the easy to use Eiger interface, we are able to collaborate with medical professionals and veterans to move through design iterations quickly and deliver a high-quality solution faster that truly helps our patients,” said Brian Burkhardt, Central Virginia VA Health Care System Clinical Rehabilitation Engineer.
“With Smooth TPU 95A, we are able to create parts in a material that is a better fit for our patients and their needs, allowing us to do things we couldn’t do before. Whether we are working on a prosthetic or stylus holder, the flexible nature of this new material gives us more capabilities to provide an elegant solution for our patients, making their lives easier.”
The stylus holder, designed as a wrist strap with a slot to help veterans with limited hand dexterity to securely hold a writing implement, stylus, or similar device, is a design that takes advantage of the benefits of Smooth TPU 95A. Prior to utilizing the material on the Markforged printers, the team had trouble printing high-quality models using other technology as the models didn’t meet their quality standards. The capability to print with Smooth TPU 95A enabled the team to move the project forward quickly and efficiently, validating the design, then moving into custom production where they could tailor a unique design for each individual to provide an impactful end-use product.
Availability of the Smooth TPU 95
Smooth TPU 95A is available today, and is compatible with the Mark Two (Gen 2) and Onyx Pro (Gen 2) printers. The new material is also scheduled to be available on the X7 (Gen 2) printers that are equipped with the latest A3648 extruder in Q4 of this year.
Buy Smooth TPU 95 in our webshop
Choose your local webshop below to buy spools of the new Markforged material Smooth TPU 95:
