3D Rubber Printing
Material: TPU and TPE 70 - 95 Sh°.
Both TPE and TPU are special polymers that have both plastic and rubber properties, so they cannot be specifically called plastic or rubber, but they can be both. It depends on how strictly you take the basic definitions. The most basic difference between TPE/TPU and "classic" rubber is that TPE/TPU is thermoplastic, i.e. it softens when exposed to heat, whereas "general" rubber NK, EPDM, SBR etc. is thermosetting, i.e. it "hardens" and vulcanises when exposed to heat, but both types can still be called "rubber".
Basically produced in black and white, but for harder grades 90-95 Sh° more colours are available (red, blue, grey, transparent, etc.)
Alternative material: silicone 25 Sh°A - currently only available in white.
The 3D printing technology is simply FDM. The printer is an in-house developed, self-assembled, off-the-shelf device.
Our current printing capacity is 200 x 200 x 180 mm.
It is important to note that this technology still does not allow all parts to be 3D printed in high quality, as it has its limitations.
Benefits:
- no expensive tooling costs
- no need to pay expensive tooling costs - fast response (depending on model or sample readiness, complexity, machine load) up to a few working days.
- very good physical properties and chemical resistance
- technology also very useful for prototyping
- Up to 1 product can be produced relatively cost-effectively
Disadvantages:
- The surface quality is "streaky" due to the technology, unevenness may occur, but for functional products, where the customer has to choose between a cheaper product with a functionally perfect but 95% appearance or a much more expensive product, it may not be necessary to choose the more expensive product
- hardness limit max. 70 Sh°A / Sh°D (production for safety and mechanical properties)
- but special technology can also be used to produce hybrid printed silicone products with a hardness of 25 Sh°A
- surface defects due to the geometry of the pressure pads (this of course does not apply to all rubber products, only to those with this geometry).
- FDM technology and the difficulties of rubber printing make production times slow, especially compared to an injection mould, which is clearly a problem for higher production runs, but where tooling is justified. Depending on the size and complexity of the product, even a batch of a few hundred pieces can be more cost-effective compared to injection moulded products.

