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  1. #1
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    Anyone know what type of filament is used in these items?

    I've been trying to find the correct filament to replicate items I've seen for sale on BG for FPV quads (the main reason I purchased my printer) however all the different types of TPU I have purchased are way too rubber like to mimic these prints.


    The great thing about these items is they are solid, yet have a little bit of flex to them without breaking like PLA or ABS. Almost like nylon but much less dense.


    I have purchased several of these items and they all have the same glitter like color to them, and the print quality doesn't look great as if it was printed with wet filament. However the results are exactly what is needed for their designed use.

    I cannot post links ATM but a simple search on bangood for " TPU mount " shows the many items I am referring to. When I say they have a glitter appearance, maybe partially transparent is a better description because that is what reflects the light and gives the glitter look.

    I'm not trying to replicate the exact appearance, although it does have a nice look to it being slightly transparent. I am just describing the material to hopefully better learn its composition and therefore lead to its identification.

    I am leaning toward PETG - I have never printed with it myself but I have heard it described as flexible & translucent, however it is expensive and I don't see every vendor on bangood using pricey material to make parts, some that don't even require flexibility and why they would list the item as a TPU printed item instead of simply saying its a PETG item.
    TPU Mount.jpgTPU Mount1.jpg
    Last edited by Sarcoise; 12-14-2018 at 08:15 PM. Reason: last para

  2. #2
    Super Moderator curious aardvark's Avatar
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    pet-g is priced similiar to good pla. Not expensive - but also not flexible.
    Plus difficult to get the exact print settings to make a really strong print.
    But it will break.

    Sounds like you need flexible pla.
    Tends towards less flexibility than tpu's, easie to print and damn near indestructible.

    The cheaper the flexible pla the more rigid it tends to be.
    And it will not break with impact.

    you will need a little trial and error. I've got flexible pla that is a little more rigid then ninjaflex on up to a roll of red pla that's almost as rigid as nylon. I'll look at the roll and find out what brand it is when I'm, next in my workshop :-)

  3. #3
    May want to try a TPU with a shore hardness of 95. I have some stuff I got as a sample from someplace and it was way to hard for what I was doing (looking for a cheaper Nijaflex)As was said PETG is very flexible and won't snap like ABS or PLA. Check out the Crystal Series from MakerGeek if they ship to your area of the world.. they are US based. https://www.makergeeks.com/collectio...al-series-petg should you want transparent. Esun may have some as wellI just made some clips to hold a rug to a table outside for our stray cat Buddy.. Rug blows off in the wind sending his food bowl flying.. The clips work perfectly at 35% infill one 3 top/bottom and one perimeter you can not really snap this stuff.. very strongCould not attach files taking days to upload for some reason.

  4. #4
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    Am I correct in that higher numbers are less rubber like? I've tried HobbyKings TPU 98A Premium, and while it was flexible and almost stiff enough, it wasn't similar in other areas. If I tried to print at a lower infill, the part would just fall into pieces along printed lines. I'm sure if I played with print settings I could get something that resembles the properties, but it just isn't the same in respect to look, feel, finished weight and durability. There's definitely a good use for this type material, however for my intentions its just too heavy.

    Whatever material they are using retains its shape once bent, it has a nice translucent appearance to it. Here's 3 pictures of an item that is used to protect an antenna. 1st pic is item as is, 2nd is flexed very far, and 3rd is once pressure was released. See how it almost returned to its original position without leaving a crease.

    IMG_20181216_223409242.jpgIMG_20181216_223414183.jpgIMG_20181216_223421920.jpg

    So far 1 person responded that PETG isn't flexible, one says it is. I have read that PETG is somewhat flexible, maybe not in the same way TPU is, but it doesn't show the brittle properties that PLA/ABS has (from my reading - I don't have 1st hand knowledge).

    I am located in the US, so I will give that brand a look.

    I'm also open to further input. If anyone has used PETG Translucent filament - in particular HKs PETG Premium Transparent please pipe in on your experience with printed items. From searching results of items printed with this filament, I can say that the results look similar, but I have no idea in regards to the physical properties.

    Thanks for the replies,
    -Sarc

  5. #5
    it is not like TPU.. it is like hard plastic that won't snap... when bent.. 20181216_133414.jpg20181216_133421.jpgImage4320282619644423296.jpg

  6. #6
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    That's exactly what I'm looking for. The finished print feels like plastic, however it doesn't snap into pieces when flexing it. I placed an order for a reel of the crystal series PETG (mainly because there's a %40 discount running ATM) along with free shipping in the US, that got prices down to almost $15 per kilo reel, shipped.

    Is it the same filament you used in the above pictures - Crystal PETG? If so, I think that will meet my requirements. I'll post an update when it arrives.

  7. #7
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    Duplicate post
    Last edited by Sarcoise; 12-17-2018 at 12:01 AM. Reason: duplicate

  8. #8

    Lightbulb

    Yes the crystal PETG is in the picture. I also have Red and Clear.. also about the same price when I bought it. On my M2 it prints at 245 with a bed temp of 80, I have been Elmers glue stick on the glass plate as it sticks so well the the Polymide tape I normally use, it pulls the tape off when I remove the print. If starting height is not set correctly for your layer height it will give you fits sticking.. other wise it sticks like glue

  9. #9
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    I've been reading up on flexible filament and it seems I may have been mislabeling my needs as a flexible material. It seems when people refer to flexible filament, they are referring to TPU and other materials that have a rubber like feeling, while PETG isn't referred to as flexible, even though it may have some give and be, for all intensive purposes, flexible - but at most its referred to as "slightly flexible The item I pictured is bent in half and retains its shape afterwords. I still believe its made from PETG. In lieu of a better description, I will refer to material like PETG as slightly flexible until someone coins a better adjective.

    @airscapes
    Have you had good experiences in dealing with makergeeks? I assume so because of the referral - however it seems they have quite a bad rep in terms of fulfillment and customer satisfaction. I didn't know any of this until after I placed my order, however I am giving them the benefit and patiently waiting. They have yet to respond to an email I sent to support the day I placed my order about an account/order issue, which is what got me reading up on them and find all the bad experiences from other customers. It seems they are one of the few online retailers that do not use tracking in any form - so no one knows when their item is actually shipped. Its only been a week at most and shipping was free, so my panties aren't bunched up yet.

  10. #10
    I ordered 3 rolls of the Crystal PETG and it arrived as well as some of their PLA which was my first order. The PLA had a lot of variation in thickness and when I emailed them about it, the sent me another roll. Same issue but setting the thinkness to 1.73 in S3D fixed the intermittent under extrude condition.. I assume I am over extruded often but better to fat than too thin.. :-)
    Esun PETG is just as good and just as flexible but not crystal clear.. Esun is softer.. I have designed and fabricated Surveillance camera mounts using Esun PETG

    Image1414857015891618981.jpg



    Image4033822166465838193.jpg
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