Lubrizol’s TPU Solution for HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing Technology

Lubrizol’s Estane 3D TPU M88A thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has been exclusively designed and certified for HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 series, a 3D printing solution well suited for production applications. The company says Estane 3D M88A is a flexible, highly durable material suited for production parts and the printing of complex geometries and lattice structures.

As a certified HP materials partner, Estane 3D TPU M88A has been developed in close collaboration with HP. The material is a soft, flexible polymer with excellent processing and unpacking properties for HP’s industrial-grade Jet Fusion 5200 printers which employ powder bed fusion technology. The company says the material has gone through extensive development and testing at Avid Product Development and Lubrizol Advanced Materials facilities, together with their beta partner Prototal AB.

The material, available beginning in the first quarter of 2023, will enable additive manufacturing companies to effectively target a variety of final parts, taking advantage of the benefits of HP’s advanced 3D printing technology. The material is said to enable much faster printing time — 45% less than the current Lubrizol TPU in the market.

Applications can be easily unpacked at room temperature, enabling for free schedule production runs.

Estane 3D M88A enables softer TPU-based, lattice designs that can be dyed — rather than coated — to provide a wide range of color choices, resulting in finished colors that are brighter than other TPU parts. The material is applicable for prosthetics and orthotics, and is well suited for a wide range of consumer, industrial and automotive applications with opportunities for customization and personalization.

“The team has been working diligently with our partners to develop a new grade that is flexible, durable with good aesthetics and design flexibility, while maximizing operational efficiencies for our customers by minimizing manual labor needed,” says Gert-Jan Nijhuis, general manager for Lubrizol 3D Printing Solutions. “Our material expertise and solutions combined with a broad portfolio of 3D printing capabilities enables us to transform customers’ visions into new innovations, providing end-to-end solutions.”

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