colorFabb unveils varioShore TPU filament with tunable flexibility
Dutch filament producer colorFabb has introduced a new filament to its ever-growing portfolio. The 3D printing material, called varioShore TPU, is a filament with versatile, flexible properties which is suitable for applications in the footwear and sporting equipment sectors because of its soft touch.
One of the more interesting things about colorFabb’s latest filament is that its flexible properties can be tuned to achieve different shore hardness levels. By adjusting print settings, the company says it is even possible to integrate multiple shore hardnesses into a single print.
varioShore TPU was developed by the Belfeld-based filament producer using the same technology it applied to create its lightweight foaming PLA material (LW-PLA) which launched earlier this year. This means that the TPU material has the added benefit of being more lightweight than other brands—though the weight reduction is not as drastic as that of the PLA-based filament.
The material is also notable for its soft touch feel, which makes it well suited for applications in footwear, such as shoe soles, or in sporting goods, such as for bicycle handle bars.
colorFabb’s new varioShore TPU will become available as of mid-October (and pre-ordering will begin early October). Prior to then, the Dutch company will be showcasing its new material—along with many other filaments—at the Kunststoffenbeurs 2019, a leading plastics and rubber trade show in the Netherlands.
Material releases of the week
This past week has seen its fair share of material releases from the 3D printing industry. In addition to colorFabb’s new varioShore TPU filament, German 3D printing company EOS introduced a new flexible, industrial-grade material, TPU 1301; desktop 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot released a Precision ASA filament ideal for outdoor applications; Markforged launched Inconel 625 for its Metal X metal 3D printing platform; and 3D Systems launched several new materials for its Figure 4 system, including Figure 4 PRO-BLK 10 for digital production parts.
