Flexible Series

What this series makes easier

Once a part has to flex, the job changes. The habits that work in a rigid material — tight press fits, thin walls, sharp corners — behave differently here; the part should give way under pressure and return to its shape. That is what this series is about: gaskets, bumpers, cable protectors, grip surfaces, vibration pads and lids that snap over an edge.

A series is not a product list, it is the name of a job. Below you will find which material families fit that job, and why.

Which material family to look at

TPU 95A — the main route for a flexing part

This is the mainstream choice on the flexible side. In the material comparison its flexibility sits at the top of the scale and its mechanical strength is high, so the part can flex and still work where it gets rubbed and pulled. For gaskets, bumpers and protective sleeves, start here.

You pay for that in printability: flexible filament tends to buckle in the extruder. The brand’s own printing note says the same — Direct Drive extruders run flexible filament more reliably than Bowden setups. The printing range the brand gives: nozzle 210–230 °C, bed 60–75 °C.

PEBA 90A — when springing back is the job itself

On flexibility and strength it sits in the same place as TPU 95A. The difference is in the brand’s own wording: high energy return. The part does not only absorb an impact, it gives part of it back. If you are designing an insole, a bumper meant to rebound or a mechanism expected to push back, that behaviour is the point.

The trade-off is a narrow path: surface choice in this family is limited, so you pick PEBA for how it behaves, not how it looks. The brand does not state nozzle and bed temperatures for this type — take the settings from the spool’s own label.

When to look at another series

If the part does not actually need to flex, don’t come here — a flexible material only makes a rigid part harder to print.

The part just has to be sturdy: Functional.
Mechanical load plus heat: Engineering.
The part will live outdoors: High Performance.
First print, or the look is the job: Standard and Specialty.

Practical notes

Extruder type. A Direct Drive extruder is steadier with flexible filament. Bowden does not rule the material out, but it will fight you.
Temperature. The only range the brand gives is for TPU 95A: nozzle 210–230 °C, bed 60–75 °C. No values are stated for PEBA 90A; take them from the spool’s own label.
Storage. The brand’s text notes that TPU is hygroscopic and should be kept away from moisture. The same care applies across the flexible class.
Surface. Flexible materials do not offer the range of finishes you get on the PLA side. If you are after gloss or texture, you need a different series.
Diameter. Filament diameter is 1.75 mm across the products in the collection; moving to a flexible material does not change the diameter, it changes the feed path.