3DPartCalc › Materials › TPU 95A
TPU 95A 3D Printing Cost Calculator
Real cost calculator for TPU 3D prints. Includes the slow-print and tuning-overhead penalties that make TPU 50-80% more expensive per part than PLA.
Specs
- Density: 1.21 g/cm³
- Print temperature: 220-240°C
- Bed temperature: 50-60°C
- Avg price: USD 32/kg
- Enclosure required: No
- Hardened nozzle required: No
What is TPU 95A?
TPU is a flexible elastomer most often sold in 95A (semi-flexible, like a shoe sole) or 85A (very flexible, like a rubber band) Shore hardness. Excellent abrasion resistance, oil and chemical resistance, and impact damping. Prints slowly (20-50 mm/s typical) and demands well-tuned retraction or it strings everywhere.
Best for
- Phone cases, watch straps, wearables
- Tool grips, ergonomic handles
- Vibration dampers, gaskets, seals
- RC tires, drone landing gear
- Shoe insoles, custom orthotics
Avoid for
- Bowden printers (filament compresses in the tube — direct drive only is realistic)
- Fine detailed miniatures (the flex blurs sharp edges)
- Parts under sustained tensile load (creep over time)
- Anything requiring rigid structural strength
Printing tips
- Direct drive extruder strongly recommended — bowden setups can print TPU but only the harder 95A grade and only slowly
- Print speed 20-50 mm/s, max 80 mm/s on capable machines (Bambu A1 / X1C / Prusa MK4S)
- Retraction 0.5-1.5 mm direct drive, ideally with linear advance / pressure advance enabled
- Bed adhesion: PEI smooth or textured both work well at 50-60°C
- Disable part cooling fan or 30-50% max — TPU likes to flow before it sets
- Dry the spool — TPU absorbs moisture aggressively and prints poorly when wet
Cost notes
TPU runs $25-40/kg mid-tier 2026. Sunlu TPU 95A at $22, Polymaker PolyFlex at $32, Bambu TPU at $38. The real cost penalty isn't sticker — it's print time. A part that takes 60 minutes in PLA takes 120-180 minutes in TPU because of speed limits. Machine + labor amortization doubles or triples per part. Charge customers +40-50% over PLA pricing.