Recreus proposes 2.20-millimeter standard for TPU filament for faster processing

Spanish filament manufacturer Recreus aims to simplify the use of flexible TPU materials in FDM 3D printing. Under the FilaFlex brand, the company offers TPU filaments in various Shore hardnesses from 95A to 60A and supplements its portfolio with PLA, PETG, and PP. Flexible plastics such as TPU are in demand because they can be used to manufacture components such as hinges, coatings, seals, and handles. At the same time, they are considered problematic in many setups. This is exactly where the proposed FilaFlex 2.20 system comes in.

The bottleneck lies in the feeding through long PTFE tubes and complex extruder designs. Due to its flexibility, TPU filament is difficult to push through a narrow and long tube, causing it to kink and jam. In the extruder itself, the material tends to wrap around the feed gears or break out sideways instead of following the intended path to the hot end. To avoid clogging and material jams, prints are often performed at significantly reduced speeds. The situation is exacerbated by filament change systems such as Bambu Lab’s AMS, in which multiple spools are located outside the printer and the material is pushed back and forth over long PTFE distances. In many setups, TPU is considered incompatible there.

Manufacturers have so far responded with special configurations for flexible filaments. Bambu Lab’s H2D system has two extruders, but TPU can only be fed via an external spool and not via the AMS. Recreus now proposes increasing the diameter of the flexible filament from 1.75 to 2.20 millimeters. The thicker filament should be stiffer, but still allow for flexible components. According to the company, extensive testing has shown that 2.20 millimeters offers the best compromise between flexibility and stiffness. The evaluated print data shows a speed increase by a factor of two to four, depending on the application. To use it, you need a FilaFlex 2.20 spool holder, an adjusted filament diameter setting in the profile, and a special 2.20-millimeter hot end from Recreus. The first versions are compatible with selected Prusa and Bambu Lab devices, with more to follow.

Technically, the approach seems plausible, as a stiffer filament can stabilize feeding in critical areas, enabling higher speeds. Whether the system will catch on in the market remains to be seen. Users would have to purchase not only new material, but also suitable hot ends. In addition, current filament changers use PTFE tubes for 1.75-millimeter filament, which means that 2.20-millimeter TPU cannot be used there. The 1.75-millimeter standard, which has been established for over 15 years, dominates large parts of the ecosystem, which is why the FilaFlex 2.20 system is likely to remain a niche solution.