TPU Filament: Uses, Properties and Printing Guide
A flexible filament family used for grips, bumpers and compliant parts; hardness grades vary substantially.
Check whether it fits your part
Best uses and poor fits
Commonly selected for
- flexible parts
- vibration damping
- protective bumpers
Consider another material for
- rigid dimension-critical parts
- very fast unsupported printing
Preparation for the exact spool
Printing difficulty: moderate.
Choose a specific TPU hardness and a compatible feeding path. Flexible-filament handling, stringing and bridge performance are different preparation questions from those for a rigid material.
Flexible materials can adhere strongly to a plate. Use the build-sheet supplier and filament maker instructions for release, rather than increasing adhesion by default.
These starting points summarise the linked material-family guidance, checked 2026-10-25. Use the exact spool and printer profile for temperatures and drying instructions.
Does the part need to bend, compress or simply grip?
These are different design goals. A family name or hardness value does not select wall geometry or the force needed to insert a mating part.
A small check before the full part
Print one corner of a case or a short section of a flexible insert. Check insertion, removal and the deformation you actually need. Change geometry or grade deliberately before printing the entire enclosure.
This is a proposed check for your own process, not a test already performed by InspectMesh. Record the product, orientation, settings and observation before applying the result to a larger part.
Identify hardness before planning deformation
Published product data: Prusa Polymers - Prusament TPU 95A.
Formulation: Thermoplastic polyurethane; ether-diol type identified on product page.
95A is the product name. The sheet separately reports measured Shore A and Shore D results. Neither scale is a percentage of flexibility, and equal hardness would not establish equal fatigue. Feed support and accessible supports still need a printer-specific plan.
| Published claim | Source and test scope | Still to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Density Prusa Polymers Prusament TPU 95A: 1.25 g/cm³ | Prusament TPU 95A technical sheet, p. 2, typical properties. Version 1.0; document date 2025-05-29; checked 2026-10-29. Test and setup detailsMethod: ISO 1183; load: not specified; specimen: not specified; orientation: not specified; conditioning: not specified; test temperature: not specified. | Filament/material density, not sliced-job consumption. |
| Shore A hardness Prusa Polymers Prusament TPU 95A: 92 ± 0.4 Shore A | Prusament TPU 95A technical sheet, p. 2, typical properties. Version 1.0; document date 2025-05-29; checked 2026-10-29. Test and setup detailsMethod: Prusa Polymers; load: not specified; specimen: not specified; orientation: not specified; conditioning: not specified; test temperature: not specified. | Product designation 95A differs from this reported test result. |
| Shore D hardness Prusa Polymers Prusament TPU 95A: 39 ± 0.7 Shore D | Prusament TPU 95A technical sheet, p. 2, typical properties. Version 1.0; document date 2025-05-29; checked 2026-10-29. Test and setup detailsMethod: Prusa Polymers; load: not specified; specimen: not specified; orientation: not specified; conditioning: not specified; test temperature: not specified. | Cannot be ranked against a Shore A number. |
| Heat deflection temperature Prusa Polymers Prusament TPU 95A: 78.6 °C | Prusament TPU 95A technical sheet, p. 2, typical properties. Version 1.0; document date 2025-05-29; checked 2026-10-29. Test and setup detailsMethod: ISO 75; load: 1.80 MPa; specimen: not specified; orientation: not specified; conditioning: not specified; test temperature: not specified. | Test deflection temperature, not continuous operating capability. |
- Printed tests used an MK4S, PrusaSlicer 2.8.1, 0.4 mm brass nozzle, 0.20 mm layers and 100% rectilinear infill; see sheet p. 3.
- Confirm the feed-path and release-layer instructions for your actual printer. No conditioning protocol is specified for the hardness rows.
Your next evidence: For a second candidate, record product: ___; hardness scale/value: ___; feed path/profile: ___; compression or bend requirement: ___. No second product or physical compression test is assumed.
Use this named product's published density in the length calculator.
No physical material testing was performed by InspectMesh. Your observations remain separate from these manufacturer reports.
Read drying instructions with the equipment limits · Check filler requirements and installed nozzle fitment
Printing and design cautions
- Feeding problems in loose filament paths
- Moisture-related surface defects
- Match design clearance to the chosen Shore hardness.
- A constrained filament path can help.
Major limitations and safety notes
- TPU is a family, not one hardness.
- Multimaterial handling varies by printer.
Use normal good workshop practice and manufacturer safety information. This is generic guidance, not a hands-on spool review or a safety certification.
Related comparisons
Plan material and cost
Sources
Catalogue baseline 2026-09-20. Preparation guidance reviewed 2026-10-25 against the linked family source; no physical spool test is claimed.
A protective case is a stiffness and fit experiment
For an illustrative flexible case, distinguish compliance, grip and impact absorption from a certified protection rating. Different TPU hardness grades behave differently; a generic family name cannot choose the wall count, feeding arrangement or clearance for a particular phone or tool.
Confirm the exact hardness, compatible extruder path and spool profile. Print a short corner/clip coupon before a whole enclosure and test insertion/removal with the actual mating item. Use complete sliced consumption for the spool calculation and do not infer a supported high-speed profile from a soft-material label.
Illustrative decision scenario, not a physical material test. Check the exact drying guidance and product datasheet before using a numerical cycle.
Check your partial spool against the job · Calculate requested throughput · Compare requirements in the selector