FLEXA Black

General purpose elastic TPU material for prototyping. Reasonable elongation with ease of use.

FLEXA Black

Functions:

  • flexible prints with increased extensibility
  • adjustable hardness
  • 100% reusable

Applications:

  • standard rubber items
  • prototypes and design
  • shock and vibration absorbers
  • protectors

Reusing the powder in a simple and cost-efficient way.

What is the refresh rate?

It is the ratio of a minimum amount of fresh powder needed in a mixture of material used in an SLS 3D printer. A lower refresh ratio means better cost-efficiency of the material

How does it work?

The amount of needed fresh powder is automatically calculated by our software and shown on the printer screen after the print job is finished. Just add shown amount of material into the mixing cycle of used material and you can start your next job with refreshed material

Watch webinar

Performance materials for special applications – learn more about PA12 Industrial, PA11 CF & Flexa Performance

Specification

General information
Method
Material type
TPU
Dedicated for
Lisa, Lisa PRO
Software
Sinterit Studio Basic
Material refreshing ratio¹
0² %
Nitrogen needed
No
Color
Black
Mechanical properties
Tensile Strength
3.7³ MPa
PN-EN ISO 37:2007
Elongation at Break
136 %
PN-EN ISO 37:2007
Shore hardness in type A scale
70 / 90⁴
PN-EN ISO 868:2005
Thermal properties
Melting point
160 °C
Internal procedure
Softening point (Vicat method type A50)
67.6 °C
PN-EN ISO 306:2014-02
1 Refresh ratio is the amount of refreshing powder that is required to be mixed after the printing with unsintered material.
2 Flexa materials has 100 [%] of usability. Although to keep the parameters of printouts as high as possible, we recommend adding 10% of fresh powder each time
3 It might need additional refresh with 50% in case of drop of surface quality (every few to over a dozen printouts).
4 Depending on printing settings and the design

Information provided within this document shows values for reference and comparison only. Parameters presented in this specification are subject to change without notice. Final part properties may vary based on a printed part design and orientation, material handling as well as printing environment (humidity and temperature). The manufacturer is responsible for validation whether the printout is accurate and fit for the intended purpose.


Compatible with:
Philippe Bendel
Additive Manufacturing Development Leader – Somfy

The main reason Somfy reached out for the SLS technology from Sinterit was productivity. Printing many pieces in one batch was a game-changer

Alec Bialek
Head of Jetson’s R&D

When we look at Lisa’s line of printers, or Sinterit at general compared to other companies, the two major things that we liked were the materials, that are open source, so we are not locked into one brand […]. We are able to look around the market and use a material that works best for the part.

Rigo Herold
Professor Dr.-Ing., Zwickau University in Germany

It was the best choice for me to fulfill all requirements: possibility to print complex structures, price, speed, reliability.

Maurice Briggs
Director at Lazerthrust

Sinterit LISA is the most accessible means to produce precise constraint-free solutions to modern problems. The technology does what it says on the tin and the team at Sinterit is dedicated to working with their customers to achieve their objectives.

Peter Benthues
H. Gautzsch Firmengruppe

For a company at the beginning of an investigation, support from, and discussion with the technology experts is extremely beneficial. The LISA is one of the few economically feasible solutions in the first stages of any AM Strategy. At lower volumes, it is a perfect solution.

Lluís Llenas
Regner

The FFF and SLA parts are a good choice to get a physical impression of the designs and to assemble rough prototypes. But when it comes to producing reliable prototypes to be verified in our fatigue tests or to send functional samples to our customers for validation, SLS is the only acceptable choice.

Walter Pucheanu
R&D Technician
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBI) / University of Erlangen–Nuremberg

The print quality of the Lisa PRO is impressive.

Sean Higgins
Nabson Inc.

In order to keep up with our production demand, we have been operating the Lisa PRO almost 7 days a week for the past couple of months, without incident, and produced over 1500 sleeves.

Knowledge

Comparison table

PA12 Smooth
PA11 Onyx
PA 11 ESD
PA 11 CF
PA12 Industrial

Cost-efficent rigid polyamide. Best surface quality

Great mechanical and impact resistance. High elongation at break

ESD material for cases. Bio-sourced material

One of the strongest and most versatile materials available on the powder market dedicated to SLS printing technology

A high resistance nylon 12 with very good dimensioning accuracy of prints

KEY FEATURES
Material base
Polyamide 12
Polyamide 11
Polyamide 11
Polyamide 11
Polyamide 12
Intended for
Lisa, Lisa Pro, Lisa X, NILS 480
Lisa Pro, Lisa X, NILS 480
Lisa Pro, Lisa X, NILS 480
Lisa Pro, Lisa X, NILS 480
Lisa X, NILS 480
Software
Sinterit Studio Basic
Sinterit Studio Advanced
Sinterit Studio Advanced
Sinterit Studio Advanced
Sinterit Studio Basic
FUNCTIONS
Stiff/rigid
Non-rigid / durable-tough
High-temperature resistance
High elongation
High-impact strength
Surface Finish
Color
Navy Grey
Black
Grey
Black
Grey mat
APPLICATIONS
Production parts
Snap-fits / Living Hinges
Automotive design
Medical applications
Jigs / fixtures / tools
Visual aid
GENERAL PROPERTIES
Refresh Ratio¹
22%
33%
60%
40%
30%
Nitrogen needed
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Tensile Strength
32 MPa
48 MPa
46 MPa
81 [MPa]
52.3 MPa
Tensile modulus (Young)
1470 MPa
1680 MPa
1850 MPa
2950 [MPa]
1840 MPa
Flexural Strength
47 MPa
62 MPa
56 MPa
100 [MPa]
60.6 MPa
Flexural Modulus
1160 MPa
1420 MPa
1240 MPa
3050 [MPa]
1380 MPa
Elongation at Break
10%
55%
27%
24.5%
7.8%
Impact strength Charpy method – unnotched
16
179+
59
114
29.5
Shore Hardness in scale
D74
D76
D76
D81
D75
THERMAL PROPERTIES
Melting point
185 °C
200 °C
204 °C
197 °C
184.4°C
Heat deflection temperature (HDT A/B)
68 °C
47 °C
103 °C / 171 °C
170 °C / 191 °C
N/A
Flexa Black
Flexa Soft
Flexa Bright
Flexa Performance

Rubber material for prototypes. Standard material for TPU parts.

Softest material for SLS. Pleasant-to-touch rubber

Visual prototypes can be dyed. Best elongation rubber

New TPU with high strength and flexibility, ideal for use in gaskets, flexible joint covers, vibration dampers

KEY FEATURES
Material base
TPU
TPU
TPU
TPU
Intended for
Lisa, Lisa Pro
Lisa Pro, Lisa X, NILS 480
Lisa Pro, Lisa X, NILS 480
Lisa X
Software
Sinterit Studio Basic
Sinterit Studio Advanced
Sinterit Studio Advanced
Sinterit Studio Advanced
FUNCTIONS
Elastomeric / rubber-like
High elongation
Surface Finish
Color
Grey
Light Grey
Oyster White
APPLICATIONS
Production parts
Automotive design
Medical applications
Gaskets, seals and hoses
Footwear
Visual aid
GENERAL PROPERTIES
Refresh Ratio¹
0%²
0%²
0%²
Nitrogen needed
No
No
No
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Tensile Strength
3.7 MPa⁴
1.8 MPa
10 MPa
5 MPa
Elongation at Break
136%
137%
318%
100%
Shore Hardness in scale
A70/A90³
A45/A58³
A79
A81-86
THERMAL PROPERTIES
Softening point (Vicat method type A50, 10N)
67.6 °C
60.0 °C
75.1 °C
Melting point
160 °C
150 °C
160 °C
1 Refresh ratio is the amount of refreshing powder that is required to be mixed after the printing with unsintered material.rn2 Flexa materials has 100 [%] of usability. Although to keep the parameters of printouts as high as possible, we recommend adding 10% of fresh powder each timern3 Depending on printing settings and the designrn4 It might need additional refresh with 50% in case of drop of surface quality (every few to over a dozen printouts).rnrnInformation provided within this document are average values for reference and comparison only. Parameters presented in this specification are subject to change without notice. Final part properties may vary based on printed part design, print orientation and material handling.
Good
Better
Best

Order sample model

printed with FLEXA Black powder

See also powders:

PA12 Smooth
PA12 Onyx
PA11 ESD

FAQ

How should I store the printing powder?

How should I store the printing powder?
  • Store the powder at room conditions ( ~23°C and 50% humidity – the lower humidity the better)
  • Always store the material in a sealed dry box/container.
  • Do not leave the container open.
  • Clean the machine directly after printing and store the material immediately after removing the print cake.
  • Do not let the powder stay in the printer for more than a couple hours.
  • Put a few silicone absorbers in the container (but don’t add them to the printer)

Contact Sinterit support with your questions.

How are the powders different?

The differences between the powders are described in the table below.

What is the difference between “Fresh” powder and “Starter powder”?

Starter powder is basically a print-ready powder.

In Sinterit we distinguish three powder conditions: print-readyused, and fresh.

Used is a type of powder that you get after the printing, present in overflow bin or remaining after printout cleaning.
Fresh is a type of powder that is being used for refreshing the powder. After mixing this powder with used powder you will receive print-ready.
Print-ready is a type of powder that you can simply pour into the printer and start printing.
Although printing using Fresh is possible it’s not economically optimal therefore Sinterit printers are optimized for using a refreshed (print-ready) powder.

Why do I need an ATEX vacuum cleaner to clean powder?

SLS polyamide powder used for 3D printing is considered particulate matter because of its size. Polyamide powder particles are generally 40 micrometers or smaller. If vacuumed in an ordinary vacuum cleaner, the powder could cause an explosion.

Such materials are subject to labor regulations on air quality and occupational safety. The procedures call for appropriate maintenance of powder at work. Only certified industrial vacuum cleaners should be used to clean such materials. More information about the ATEX Vacuum cleaner can be found here.

Contact Sinterit support with your questions.

I’m just starting to get into 3D printing, which powder will be optimal for the beginning?

Flexa Black is a flexible general-purpose material. It has increased stretchability and adjustable hardness, and it is 100% reusable. It works well for beginner users.

Among rigid powders, PA12 Smooth would be the best choice.

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Need more information? Contact us

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Click the button and list all your requirements so we can best prepare to contact you.
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Katarzyna Wcisło
International Sales
Specialist
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International Sales
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    Resources

    Flexa Black
    Check the full specification
    DOWNLOAD

    Pricing

    Below there are approximate costs for some example models.
    Be aware that the quotation assumes that there is only one piece printed. In SLS technology, the cost per part will be much lower with a higher number of elements printed at once.
    • Flexible
    • Standard
    Model
    Dimensions
    PA12
    Smooth
    PA11
    Onyx
    Flexa
    Grey
    Flexa
    Bright
    Flexa
    Soft
    TPE
    Below
    Model volume:
    Model volume:
    Total print height:
    6.82 cm
    Dimensions:
    65 x 65 x 63 mm
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Total print height:
    6.82 cm
    Dimensions:
    65 x 65 x 63 mm
    49,90 €
    49,90 €
    49,90 €
    49,90 €
    49,90 €
    49,90 €
    Derailleur
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Total print height:
    6.82 cm
    Dimensions:
    65 x 65 x 63 mm
    71,80 €
    71,80 €
    71,80 €
    71,80 €
    71,80 €
    71,80 €
    Driller housing
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Total print height:
    6.82 cm
    Dimensions:
    65 x 65 x 63 mm
    157 €
    157 €
    157 €
    157 €
    157 €
    157 €
    Model
    Dimensions
    PA12
    Smooth
    PA11
    Onyx
    Flexa
    Grey
    Flexa
    Bright
    Flexa
    Soft
    TPE
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    Crank
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    Model volume:
    28.12 cm^3
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €
    51,30 €

    Get a free sample box

    Universal joint + turbine
    The free samplebox contains two printouts made from PA12 Smooth. They are both movable designs, and each one is printed in one piece.

    These are examples showing high precision and freedom of design ensured by SLS technology.
    order free sample box
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    SEE ADVANCED samples
    This product includes GeoLite2 data created by MaxMind, available from https://www.maxmind.com.