Recreus Filaflex Foamy Footwearology Edition 1.75mm

Filaflex Foamy is a breakthrough TPU filament featuring dynamic foaming technology, designed to create lightweight, elastic parts with reduced density. This innovative filament includes a unique foaming agent that activates at high temperatures, producing prints with a distinctive foamy texture while enhancing material efficiency. With an initial Shore hardness of 78A that can be adjusted down to 51A, it offers exceptional versatility in hardness and density control.

The material's properties can be fine-tuned through printing parameters, with temperatures of 245-250°C and 60-70% flow rate achieving 1.4-1.6 times volume expansion. This adaptability not only allows for customization of physical properties but also enables colour tone variation based on temperature settings. The efficient material usage provides 30-40% more prints per spool, making it ideal for high-volume production while maintaining excellent flexibility and durability.

KEY FEATURES:

• Dynamic Foaming: Lightweight parts with adjustable density
• Flexible Hardness: Adjustable from 78A to 51A Shore
• Enhanced Efficiency: Up to 40% more prints per spool
• Colour Control: Adjustable tones through temperature
• Versatile Properties: Customizable expansion and texture

PROFESSIONAL APPLICATIONS:

• Footwear Innovation: Complete shoes, insoles, and soles
• Cycling Components: Lightweight grips and seats
• Automotive Parts: Cushioning elements and gaskets
• Protection Equipment: Impact-absorbing pads and gear
• Sound Management: Acoustic damping components

COMPLETE TECHNICAL PRINTING GUIDE - FILAFLEX FOAMY

1. MATERIAL PREPARATION

• Filament Drying (CRUCIAL):
• Temperature: 55°C
• Minimum time: 1 hour
• Proper drying is essential for optimal printing results

2. UNDERSTANDING PRINT SPEED

• Volumetric vs. Linear Speed.
• Volumetric Speed (mm³/s): Like water through a hose - measures how much plastic flows per second, regardless of nozzle size.
• Linear Speed (mm/s): Like walking speed - how fast the printer head moves across the print area.
• Key Formula: Linear Speed = Volumetric Speed / (Line Width × Layer Height).

The Magic: When you set a volumetric speed limit in your slicer, it automatically calculates and adjusts all linear speeds (perimeters, infill, etc.) based on your current nozzle size and layer height. This ensures consistent material flow regardless of your print settings!

3. BASIC PARAMETERS

Unique Characteristics of Filaflex FOAMY

This material contains a foaming agent that activates during printing, causing the material to expand when heated. At 100% flow, the line width expands approximately 37.5% more than the nozzle diameter. To achieve the desired line width, flow rate must be reduced to compensate for this expansion.

Colour And Foaming Effect: The material becomes lighter in colour as foaming increases. Higher temperatures and lower flow rates will result in more foaming and consequently lighter colouring. This effect is normal and indicates proper activation of the foaming agent.

Advanced Weight Reduction & Foaming Control

Further Weight Optimization:

Flow rate can be reduced to 60% to achieve maximum weight reduction

Lower volumetric speed allows more time for the foaming agent to activate during extrusion

Fine-tuning Guidelines:

The optimal balance between flow rate and volumetric speed depends on:

• Your specific printer's characteristics
• Part geometry and requirements
• Desired level of foaming effect

Start with our recommended settings (75% flow) and gradually adjust:

• Reduce flow rate in 5% increments (down to 60%)
• Decrease volumetric speed by 10-15% to allow more foaming time
• Monitor line width consistency and material colour change

Important Consideration: Lighter material colour indicates increased foaming activation. Aim for consistent colour throughout your print to ensure uniform material properties.

4. SPEED SETTINGS

NOTE: All speeds are calculated considering the expanded line width and optimized flow rate (75%) to ensure proper material behavior.

0.4mm Nozzle (Volumetric Speed: 3.5 mm³/s)

0.6mm Nozzle (Volumetric Speed: 7.9 mm³/s)

0.8mm Nozzle (Volumetric Speed: 14.0 mm³/s)

1.0mm Nozzle (Volumetric Speed: 21.9 mm³/s)

5. RETRACTION SETTINGS

IMPORTANT: Due to the foaming nature of this material, stringing will be more pronounced than with standard TPU. Set travel speed to maximum (200-500mm/s) and ensure proper retraction settings to minimize stringing.

6. BED TEMPERATURE SETTINGS

Bed Temperature:

• Small parts: No heating (room temperature)
• Large parts: 50-55°C

7. COOLING SETTINGS

Cooling Configuration:

• General: 0% (fan off)
• KEEP FAN ALWAYS: OFF
• Force fan speed for overhangs and bridges: OFF
• Layers < 10 seconds: 40% fan
• First layer: Always 0%

8. TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

9. BEST PRACTICES

• Keep filament dry - store properly and dry before use
• Preferably use direct drive extruder
• Print multiple small parts simultaneously for better results
• Use maximum travel speed to minimize stringing

PLEASE NOTE: These printing parameters are initial recommendations based on our experience. They may need adjustment depending on your specific 3D printer, environmental conditions, and the geometry of the part you are printing. Use these settings as a starting point and fine-tune them according to your specific needs.

Together, Layer by Layer!

• FILAFLEX FOAMY _ TECHNICAL DATA SHEET _ TDS _ 2023
• EN _ FILAFLEX FOAMY _ MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET _ MSDS _ 2023