SLS · Flexible Elastomer

SLS TPU 90A Flexible Elastomer 3D Printing

Name: SLS TPU 90A Flexible Elastomer 3D Printing
Brand: RYSE 3D

The flexible, rubber-like grade of our SLS range — a thermoplastic polyurethane that stretches to over three times its length at 310% elongation in X/Y and springs back. Shore 90A hardness, 66 kN/m tear resistance, printed with no supports so seals, grips, lattices and soft-touch parts arrive free of support marks. Quote from one prototype to 100,000 parts.

Quote in TPU 90A → All SLS materials TPU 90A datasheet (PDF) ↓

Also known as flexible TPU · TPU 90A · rubber-like SLS · SLS elastomer · 3D printed rubber

Overview

Rubber flexibility, powder-bed freedom

TPU 90A brings rubber-like flexibility to powder-bed printing. It combines the high elongation and tear strength of a thermoplastic elastomer with the design freedom of SLS — so soft-touch parts, seals and complex lattices print in one piece, with no supports and no tooling. At Shore 90A it is a medium-soft rubber, and effective stiffness can be tuned further by designing in lattices or hollow sections.

It is tough as well as flexible: 66 kN/m tear resistance in X/Y and 122 mm³ Taber abrasion mean parts survive repeated flexing and everyday wear. Orientation matters more here than in any nylon we sinter — elongation falls from 310% in X/Y to 110% in Z, and tear resistance from 66 to 39 kN/m, so we orient highly strained parts deliberately at quote. Source samples were evaluated to ISO 10993 as non-cytotoxic, non-irritant and non-sensitising, which suits wearables and orthotics. Printed with no supports on the Formlabs Fuse platform — and from December 2026, on the UK’s first Formlabs Fuse X1.

Technical data

TPU 90A material properties

Headline properties for our SLS TPU 90A grade. Full X/Y and Z figures in the specification table below.

Reviewed by the RYSE 3D engineering team · August 2026. Properties vary with geometry and orientation — treat as a guide, not a guarantee. Confirmed with your instant quote.

Property	Value
Shore hardness	90A
Elongation at break (X/Y)	310%
Ultimate tensile strength (X/Y)	8.7 MPa
Tear resistance (X/Y)	66 kN/m
Vicat softening temperature	94.3 °C
Character	Flexible, resilient, tear resistant

Download TPU 90A datasheet (PDF) ↓

Applications

What SLS TPU 90A is used for

Wherever a part needs flex, grip, cushioning or soft touch.

SLS TPU 90A flexible elastomer 3D printed helmet liner lattice shown in cutaway

Printed lattices tune cushioning and impact absorption in a single part

SLS TPU 90A flexible elastomer 3D printed orthotics, prosthetic hand, insole and leg brace in grey elastomer

Soft, precise, skin-safe patient-specific devices

Seals, gaskets & grommetsGrips & soft-touch partsLattices & cushioningPadding & vibration dampersWearablesSoles, splints & orthoticsProstheticsBelts, tubes & plugsGrippers & end effectorsProtective sports equipment

Why TPU 90A

Why choose SLS TPU 90A

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310% elongation at break

In X/Y it stretches to over three times its length and springs back — the figure that separates an elastomer from a merely ductile nylon.

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Shore 90A, flexible and soft-touch

A medium-soft rubber that bends, compresses and grips — suited to soft-touch and functional flexible parts.

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66 kN/m tear resistance

High tear strength in X/Y plus 122 mm³ Taber abrasion means parts last through repeated flexing and everyday wear.

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Lattices by design

No supports means complex lattices and hollow structures print in one piece — tune cushioning and stiffness in CAD rather than in tooling.

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Skin-safe tested

Source samples evaluated to ISO 10993-1:2018 and passed cytotoxicity, irritation and sensitisation evaluations — suited to wearables and orthotics.

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Resists water, salt and oils

Under 3% weight gain after 24 hours in water, 3.5% salt water, diesel, hydraulic oil, mineral oils and petrol. See the full solvent table below for where it doesn’t hold up.

Design guidance

Designing for SLS TPU 90A

Typical guidelines for SLS TPU 90A on the Fuse platform. As a flexible elastomer it opens up lattice and living-flex designs the rigid nylons can’t do. We’ll confirm the specifics for your part with a free design-for-additive review at quote.

Design feature	Typical guideline
Build envelope (current, Fuse 1+ 30W)	165 × 165 × 300 mm
Tolerance	±0.3 mm or ±0.3% — flexible, so part-dependent
Strain orientation	The critical one. Elongation falls from 310% in X/Y to 110% in Z, and tear resistance from 66 to 39 kN/m — tell us where the part flexes and we orient the build to suit
Minimum wall thickness	1 mm
Lattices & hollowing	Supported — tune density and stiffness by design
Minimum hole diameter	1.5 mm — larger for deeper holes
Clearance between mating parts	0.4 mm
Sealing temperature	Compression set rises from 20.5% at 23 °C to 59.9% at 70 °C — design static seals for the temperature they’ll actually sit at
Supports	None required; the powder bed carries the part
Finish	Natural grey, media-blasted or dyed black in-house

Our SLS platform

Printed on the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W

Every TPU 90A part we ship today is sintered on the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W, with powder recovery on the Fuse Sift and finishing on the Fuse Blast — the full workflow in-house, so parts are printed, depowdered, blasted and inspected under one roof. Build envelope is 165 × 165 × 300 mm, and because the powder bed carries the part there are no supports to design around or witness marks to finish out — which matters more for an elastomer than for any rigid grade, since support removal on soft parts is where detail gets torn.

Parts nest densely through the full build volume rather than sitting on a single plate, which is what keeps cost per part falling as TPU 90A quantities rise.

RYSE 3D Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W SLS 3D printer array with Fuse Sift powder recovery and Fuse Blast finishing station used to print TPU 90A — The Fuse 1+ 30W line at RYSE 3D — printers, Fuse Sift and Fuse Blast.

Nested SLS build volume on the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W packed with parts stacked in three dimensions at RYSE 3D — A full 1+ 30W build, packed in three dimensions.

Coming December 2026

We’re taking delivery of the UK’s first Formlabs Fuse X1 — a larger, faster SLS platform that will expand our TPU 90A build envelope and throughput. Talk to us about larger flexible parts and higher-volume TPU 90A runs.

Formlabs Fuse X1 SLS 3D printing platform with powder recovery and finishing stations, arriving at RYSE 3D in December 2026 as the first in the UK for TPU 90A production — The Fuse X1 platform — the first in the UK, landing December 2026.

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Full specification

Every number an engineer needs

Values from the manufacturer’s technical data sheet, reported in both X/Y and Z where the two differ. Reference data, not guaranteed design allowables; confirmed at quote.

Property	Value	Method
Mechanical
Ultimate tensile strength (X/Y)	8.7 MPa	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Ultimate tensile strength (Z)	7.2 MPa	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Elongation at break (X/Y)	310%	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Elongation at break (Z)	110%	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Stress at 50% elongation (X/Y)	6.1 MPa	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Stress at 50% elongation (Z)	5.9 MPa	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Stress at 100% elongation (X/Y)	7.2 MPa	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Stress at 100% elongation (Z)	7.0 MPa	ASTM D412-16 Method A
Tear resistance (X/Y)	66 kN/m	ASTM D624-00 (2020)
Tear resistance (Z)	39 kN/m	ASTM D624-00 (2020)
Compression set (23 °C)	20.5%	ASTM D395-18 Method B
Compression set (70 °C)	59.9%	ASTM D395-18 Method B
Shore hardness	90A	ASTM D2240-15 (2021)
Taber abrasion	122 mm³	ISO 4649
Thermal & physical
Vicat softening temperature	94.3 °C	ASTM D1525
Moisture content, powder	0.19%	ISO 15512 Method D
Water absorption, printed part	0.89%	ASTM D570
Bulk density, sintered	1.14 g/cm³	In-house method
Biocompatibility
Cytotoxicity	Non-cytotoxic	ISO 10993-5:2009
Irritation	Non-irritant	ISO 10993-23:2021
Sensitisation	Non-sensitiser	ISO 10993-10:2021

Method note: elastomer properties are reported to ASTM D412 and D624, which are not comparable with the tensile and impact figures quoted for our rigid nylons or across our FDM range. Source samples were evaluated in accordance with ISO 10993-1:2018; those results relate to the tested samples and do not constitute blanket certification of any finished component.

Solvent compatibility

24-hour weight gain for a printed 1 × 1 × 1 cm cube immersed in each solvent. Lower is better; a negative figure means the sample lost weight.

Solvent	24 h weight gain
Isooctane / petrol	0.7%
Bleach ~5% NaOCl	0.8%
Salt water 3.5% NaCl	0.9%
Sodium hydroxide pH 10	0.9%
Water	0.9%
Hydrogen peroxide 3%	1.0%
Acetic acid 5%	1.3%
Diesel fuel	2.0%
Mineral oil, heavy	2.1%
Mineral oil, light	2.3%
Hydraulic oil	2.8%
Isopropyl alcohol	4.8%
Skydrol 5	6.5%
TPM	9.9%
Diethyl glycol monomethyl ether	14.4%
Butyl acetate	16.5%
Xylene	20.8%
Acetone	28.6%
Strong acid, concentrated HCl	−5.2%

Honest limits

Where SLS TPU 90A is the wrong call

An elastomer buys flex, grip and cushioning. It gives up stiffness, strength and heat resistance. These are the cases where that trade doesn’t pay — told straight, so you don’t find out after the first batch.

Anything carrying load

At 8.7 MPa tensile, TPU 90A is a fraction of the strength of our rigid nylons — PA12 reaches 42 MPa and PA11 49 MPa. If the part has to hold a shape under load, it is the wrong family entirely.

Rigid fixtures and datums

A flexible part cannot hold a datum. For jigs, fixtures and anything that must stay dimensionally true under load, use PA12-GF at 2,800 MPa tensile modulus.

Hot static seals

Compression set nearly triples between 23 °C and 70 °C, from 20.5% to 59.9% — a gasket that holds cold will take a permanent set warm. Tell us the service temperature and we’ll say whether it works.

Solvent exposure

Ketones, aromatics and esters attack it — 28.6% weight gain in acetone, 20.8% in xylene, 16.5% in butyl acetate, and concentrated HCl strips 5.2% of the sample away. Water, salt water, fuels and oils are all fine. Check the solvent table above before you specify.

Highly strained parts built in Z

Elongation drops from 310% to 110% and tear resistance from 66 to 39 kN/m between X/Y and Z. A flexing part oriented badly has a third of the stretch and little over half the tear strength — tell us where it bends.

High-volume flexible production

For larger flexible runs, our MJF range includes a production TPU elastomer that costs less per part at volume.

Compare

SLS TPU 90A vs PA11 vs PA12

TPU 90A is the only flexible grade we sinter — the comparison below is really a question of whether your part needs to bend or hold its shape. For a tough but rigid part see PA11, for the balanced all-rounder PA12, and for stiffness and heat PA12-GF. Weighing SLS against MJF for a flexible production run? Our MJF materials cover the other powder-bed route.

Property	TPU 90A (this page)	PA11	PA12
Character	Flexible elastomer	Tough, ductile nylon	Balanced nylon
Elongation at break (X/Y)	310%	40%	25%
Ultimate tensile strength	8.7 MPa	49 MPa	42 MPa
Hardness	Shore 90A	Rigid	Rigid
Water absorption, printed part	0.89%	0.07%	0.30%
Minimum wall thickness	1 mm	1 mm	1 mm
Best for	Seals, cushioning & soft touch	Toughness, flex & wearables	Balanced all-round work

Note: TPU 90A tensile figures are reported to ASTM D412-16 for elastomers; the nylon figures are ASTM D638. Different methods on different specimen types, so treat the tensile row as an indication of family rather than a like-for-like ranking.

PA11

SLS PA11 Nylon

The tough, ductile bio-based nylon — 40% elongation without leaving the rigid family.

Explore PA11 → SLS

All SLS Materials

PA12, PA11, glass- and carbon-filled nylon and flexible TPU 90A.

See SLS materials → All

All 3D Printing Materials

Every material across SLS, MJF, FDM and SLA.

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FAQ

SLS TPU 90A FAQ

What is SLS TPU 90A?

TPU 90A is a flexible, rubber-like SLS elastomer — a tough thermoplastic polyurethane with high elongation and tear strength. It bends, stretches and springs back, and source samples are evaluated as skin-safe. RYSE 3D prints TPU 90A on the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W with no supports, so lattices and complex flexible geometry come free.

How flexible and soft is TPU 90A?

Shore 90A on ASTM D2240-15 — a medium-soft rubber, firmer than a silicone wristband and softer than a shoe sole. It stretches to 310% elongation at break in X/Y, and stress at 100% elongation is 7.2 MPa. Effective softness can be tuned further by designing in lattices or hollow sections rather than changing material.

How tough is TPU 90A?

Tear resistance is 66 kN/m in X/Y to ASTM D624-00 and Taber abrasion 122 mm³ to ISO 4649, with 20.5% compression set at 23 °C. Those three together are what let a printed seal or grip survive repeated flexing and everyday wear rather than tearing at the first stress riser.

Does build orientation matter for TPU 90A?

More than for any nylon we sinter. Elongation at break falls from 310% in X/Y to 110% in Z, and tear resistance from 66 to 39 kN/m. A part that flexes in the wrong axis has roughly a third of the available stretch, so tell us where the strain goes and we orient the build around it at quote.

Is SLS TPU 90A chemically resistant?

It depends entirely on the chemical. Over 24 hours a printed cube gains under 1% in water, salt water, bleach, sodium hydroxide and petrol, and under 3% in diesel, hydraulic oil and mineral oils. Ketones, aromatics and esters are another matter — 28.6% in acetone, 20.8% in xylene, 16.5% in butyl acetate — and concentrated hydrochloric acid causes a 5.2% weight loss. The full table is above.

Is SLS TPU 90A skin-safe?

Source samples were evaluated in accordance with ISO 10993-1:2018 and passed cytotoxicity (ISO 10993-5:2009), irritation (ISO 10993-23:2021) and sensitisation (ISO 10993-10:2021) evaluations, which is why the grade suits wearables, orthotics and prosthetic liners. Those results relate to the tested samples and are not device certification. If you have a specific regulatory requirement, contact us and we’ll set out what evidence is available.

What is TPU 90A used for?

Seals, gaskets and grommets, grips and soft-touch parts, lattices and cushioning, padding and vibration dampers, wearables, soles, splints and orthotics, prosthetics, belts, tubes and plugs, grippers and end effectors, and protective sports equipment.

Can TPU 90A print lattices?

Yes — this is the main reason to choose it. Because the powder bed carries the part, no supports are needed, so complex lattices and hollow structures print in one piece with nothing to remove from the internal geometry. Cushioning and effective stiffness become CAD parameters rather than tooling decisions.

What colour is TPU 90A and how is it finished?

TPU 90A prints in a natural grey. Parts can be left raw, media-blasted for an even matte surface, or dyed black for a finished, product-like appearance — all done in-house on our Fuse Blast.

Should I choose SLS TPU, MJF TPU or a flexible resin?

SLS TPU 90A suits prototype through mid-volume flexible parts, lattices and skin-contact devices. MJF TPU costs less per part on larger production runs. A flexible SLA resin wins where the part needs crisp fine detail and a smooth surface rather than a matte powder-bed finish. Send the CAD and we’ll recommend one.

How do I order TPU 90A 3D printed parts in the UK?

Upload your CAD to our instant online quote and select SLS TPU 90A. As a UK 3D printing service bureau we print, finish and inspect every part in-house in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, and ship UK-wide — from a single flexible prototype to 100,000 parts.

Get your TPU 90A parts priced in seconds.

Upload your CAD for an instant online quote in SLS TPU 90A flexible elastomer — from a single flexible prototype to 100,000 production parts. Printed, finished and inspected in the UK.

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Printed and finished at our own ISO 9001 facility in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire. Call us on 024 7736 0144.