SpiderMaker Matte Soft Flexible TPE 75A - 500g Roll

A revolution in flexible filaments! 

Spidermaker matte TPE is an easy-to-print and very soft filament, perfect for ultra-durable and flexible pieces such as horns, soft prop weapons, RC car tires and much much more. This filament can be beaten, bent and twisted without failing. 

Soft and durable filaments have never looked so good! The matte texture of Spidermaker TPE lets your designs shine with rich details, minimising the visibility of layer lines and evening-out reflections and giving your prints an amazing rendered appearance. 

This filament must be printed with a direct-drive extruder for best results. All-metal hot-ends are not recommended due to the increased potential for friction and binding, but we have achieved fantastic prints with these by lowering speeds to reduce any chance of binding. 

While good quality prints can be achieved without drying, or by drying only before starting a print, the best results and printing properties are seen running the filament in a heated dry box while printing. It's not a hard requirement for the odd print though!

Specifications

• Material: Matte Finish TPE
• Hardness: 75A Shore
• Suggested Printing speed: 10-30mm/s
• Suggested Printing temperature: 210°C - 230°C
• Diameter: 1.75mm
• Weight: 500g

Usage Notes:

Printing with a soft flexible filaments can be tricky if you are unfamiliar with these materials, but we have a few tips to help you get the best results!

Firstly, a direct-drive hotend is a must. Bowden extruders will create a very challenging and/or slow printing experience. Direct drive extruders with tight filament paths and PTFE tubing up to the nozzle are ideal to minimize any binding of the filament, but all-metal hot-ends are absolutely capable as well.  

Soft filaments such as this are liable to twist, bind or stretch themselves into small gaps in your filament path, wrapping around gears and stopping extrusion. Patience is key. Start at the slow end of the manufacturer's range and work your way up from there.

Binding can also be caused at the start of your print by your nozzle being too close to your bed. Increase the first layer height, or adjust your bed level to minimise this.

Printing temperature varies, but we have had good luck with 230C to achieve the most flow possible without overheating. Adequate part cooling is necessary to get the cleanest overhangs and does not appear to greatly reduce layer adhesion. If overhangs are still not printing cleanly after increasing your cooling, slow your print down in these areas to allow extra time for the filament to cool.

Spidermaker does not recommend a heated bed, but we have achieved good results with around 40C to increase bed adhesion for taller and thinner prints like vertically printed sword blades and rod outserts.

Printing soft filaments (that also have high viscosity when hot) can also have challenges when it comes to printing taller or thinner parts. The model itself can be flexed by the surface tension of the new extruded plastic and moving nozzle. Accurate and clean prints can be achieved by adjusting perimeter and infill to increase the stiffness of the part, increasing cooling and adjusting print temperature and speed. There is no one right answer as it will depend on the desired properties you are trying to achieve with your print.