11/08/2016
When someone asks about the strength of the flexible materials our 3D printer can print with, I often hand them the TPU tank tread we made a while back and encourage them to try to break it. TPU at that thinness feels deceptively light and fragile, and really does feel like it will come apart with just a bit of stretch. No doubt, they’re usually quite surprised (and even nervous) when I ask them to try to pull it apart.
Having done this more than a few times, I’ve become very confident of the outcome, and am usually rewarded by people’s amazement when they try—and fail!—at breaking this thin band of TPU. However, it’s still early days for our company, and so it’s not often that we find someone who is both interested in the details of 3D printing as well as, oh, say, weightlifting and *being really, really strong.*
Late last month at the Renton Comic Con, the amazement was all ours because, well… we met one of those rare people.
At a trade show booth like ours, crowds sometimes gather, making this little demonstration a particularly effective one to do. This is usually best when you can pass the TPU band around to give everyone a shot at breaking it. You can imagine our nervousness when we passed the tread to a gentleman cosplaying as Street Fighter’s Ryu, however. Not only was his costume spot on, but he had the muscle to back it up. See the picture below; check the guns on that guy!
At first, I hesitated, feeling it was too risky. Did we finally bite off more than our TPU could chew? If so, this would be the last time we could get away with this demo, and it wouldn’t end well for our tank tread! Still, we were locked in and we couldn’t back out now.
“No way out but through, I guess…”
Fully committed, we handed the tank tread over, and after a tense hand-to-hand battle between our TPU band and Ryu spanning multiple rounds, we finally determined who the toughest warrior in the world is. Despite our ox-strong friend quite literally pulling, twisting, and stretching the TPU between the combined might of his hands AND feet, the band stayed intact.
Yes, TPU WINS!
The tread, at only 1/8 inch thick, sure did stretch and flex, but it never broke. When returned to us, we were surprised to find that it showed no sigh of wear or even warp—it quietly and quickly bounced back to its original shape and length! If anything, it appeared to do more damage to the skin of Ryu’s hands than anything.
Thoroughly vindicated, we’re now confident we can keep this demonstration going for years to come, and that TPU really is one of the most hardy, reliable filaments we can print in. Who says 3D prints can’t be durable? Well, we definitely know at least one person who won’t be saying that any time soon!
