TPU 90A is a soft, rubber-like material for selective laser sintering (SLS) parts that flex into place and spring back through daily use. It is the most flexible material in the Formlabs SLS range, resists tearing at thin edges and is certified for long-term contact with intact skin, so it suits orthotics, splints, straps and anything worn against the body. Grips, cable guides and tool covers absorb knocks and protect finished surfaces, and parts come in grey or black with a soft matte finish. For larger parts, wear surfaces and vehicle interiors, choose TPU 88A.
How TPU 90A is manufactured
TPU 90A is manufactured using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) on a dedicated Formlabs Fuse printer that runs TPU 90A around the clock, so orders from a few parts to production quantities turn around in as little as 2 business days. A laser fuses the powder layer by layer, and the unfused powder around each part holds it in place, so lattices, bellows, undercuts and print-in-place loops and clasps build without support structures. Parts are depowdered and glass-bead blasted to a clean, uniform finish that is soft to the touch.
Upload CAD files to Forge Labs Steam for TPU 90A pricing and a manufacturability review, and fix issues before production.
Upload CAD files to Forge Labs Steam for TPU 90A pricing and a manufacturability review, and fix issues before production.
SLS parts feature a fine-textured matte surface finish that is durable and functional, making them ideal for a wide range of applications. While the natural finish is suitable for many uses, SLS parts can be further enhanced through post-processing techniques. Deep color dyeing with DyeMansion technology provides vibrant, uniform colors, while painting allows for a smooth, professional finish that can match precise aesthetic requirements.
Parts are depowdered and bead blasted to an even, fine-textured matte finish in grey, with clear, well-defined detail and a durable surface for functional and end-use parts.
Deep color dying provides a rich, uniform color, improving the overall aesthetics. Suitable for both functional and visually appealing applications. The dye also enhances scratch resistance, making the parts more durable in handling and use. This process ensures consistent color uniformity across the entire part, even for complex geometries or intricate designs.
TPU 90A brings rubber-like flexibility to SLS parts that people wear, hold and fit over other parts. Orthotics, straps and liners sit against the skin all day, grips and covers absorb knocks and protect finished surfaces, and thin clips and boots stretch over hardware without tearing, all printed without moulds or tooling.
TPU 90A and TPU 88A sit in the same hardness class, so the choice depends on the part. Choose TPU 90A for parts worn against the skin, for thin straps, clips and covers that must stretch far along the build plane, and for small to mid-size parts in grey or black. Choose TPU 88A for parts larger than about 160 mm across, for soles and grips under sliding wear, where it loses less material, for vehicle interior parts that need FMVSS 302 and IMDS data, and for white or dyed colours.
Every part is built in one piece from the CAD model, so lattice cushioning, living hinges, snap clasps and print-in-place loops need no assembly, and each orthosis or liner can be printed from a scan to fit one person. With no tooling or minimum order, the same file goes from a fitting prototype to a production lot.
Water, salt water, bleach and gasoline add less than 1% in weight after a day of immersion, and oils, diesel and hydraulic oil less than 3%, so covers, boots and grips keep their size and feel through washing and splashes on the shop floor and in the field.
Medical and Wearables
Scan-fitted orthoses, splints and liners in a skin-safe elastomer, delivered in one week instead of two.
Robotics and Automation
Cable guides and sensor covers that shield cables from friction wear and keep machines running.
Automotive
Lattice tool covers and protective sleeves that stop scratches on painted bodies and interiors.
Film and TV
Soft, light armour and creature parts, 10 to 16 kg a month, ready the next morning.
Sports and Consumer Products
Lattice liners, grips and straps with a high-grip finish close to moulded TPE.
Aerospace
Impact-resistant drone parts and cushioning, several hundred printed in days instead of a tooling change.
Sports and Protective Equipment
Lattice helmet liners and impact pads tuned zone by zone, comfortable against the skin all day.
Medical and Wearables
Orthotics and prosthetics teams use TPU 90A for hand and wrist orthoses, splints, orthotic liners and prosthetic covers that patients wear every day. Each device prints from the patient's scan with ventilation holes and strap slots built in, and the soft, flexible material is light, comfortable to wear and easy to clean. One orthotics maker that moved its hand and wrist orthoses to in-house SLS TPU 90A cut delivery from about two weeks to one, and can print a device one day and ship it the next.
Robotics and Automation
Robotics and automation teams use TPU 90A for cable guides, flexible covers for sensors and end-of-arm tooling, bumpers and wire clips that flex into place and hold. High tear strength helps thin clip arms, cover lips and strap slots resist splitting. One printing-press machine builder prints TPU 90A cable guides that shield electrical cables from heavy friction, so cables last longer and presses stay running, and protects sensors and end-of-arm tooling with flexible TPU 90A parts.
Automotive
Vehicle assembly and maintenance teams use TPU 90A for soft covers on tools, fixtures and handling aids that touch painted or finished surfaces. One vehicle assembly plant fitted TPU 90A lattice covers to its fastening tools to stop scratches on car bodies and give line workers a better grip. In rail coach restoration, slim TPU 90A covers on luggage racks were the first method to completely eliminate scratches on freshly painted coach walls, where bubble wrap masking had not.
Film and TV
Effects and costume shops use TPU 90A for armour segments, animatronic claw flexion parts, helmet inserts and mask components that must be soft, flexible and light on a performer. One effects studio now prints 10 to 16 kg of TPU 90A parts a month and is close to replacing cast soft urethane parts entirely. Parts come off the printer the next morning with no layer lines, almost ready to seal and paint.
Sports and Consumer Products
Sports and consumer product teams use TPU 90A for lattice padding, insoles, handlebar grips and watch bands with snap clasps. Lattices tune cushioning zone by zone in a single part. One e-bike and toy maker prototypes soft-grip handlebars in TPU 90A and finds the high-grip finish closer to its injection-moulded TPE and TPU parts than any other printed elastomer it has tried.
Aerospace
Drone and FPV makers use TPU 90A for impact-resistant drone components, cushioning fixtures that hold delicate parts such as GPS modules, and soft-touch goggle components. Flexible parts need no tooling, so a design change reaches production without waiting on a mould change. One drone and FPV goggle maker printed several hundred soft TPU 90A end-use parts in a few days instead of changing its injection mould tooling.
Sports and Protective Equipment
Sports and safety equipment teams use TPU 90A for helmet liners, impact pads and protective padding. Each liner prints as one lattice part with its density tuned zone by zone, firm where impacts land and open elsewhere for airflow and low weight, and it can be printed from a head scan to fit one rider or player. The lattice recovers its shape after compression, and the material is certified for long-term skin contact, so liners stay comfortable against the head through a full day.
Values from the Formlabs TPU 90A Powder datasheet, tested to the standard listed with each property; X/Y is along the build plane and Z across the layers. The powder melting range and bulk density come from the Formlabs safety data sheet.
Mechanical performance
Tensile strength, elongation at break and the stress at 50% and 100% stretch show how far a part extends and how firmly it pulls back. TPU 90A stretches much further along the build plane than across its layers, so straps, bands and clips that must stretch furthest are best oriented flat in the build.
Tear strength shows how well a nicked or notched edge resists splitting, which matters for thin lips, clip arms and strap slots. Compression set shows how much of a squeeze a part keeps after the load is removed, so lower is better: recovery is good at room temperature and drops at 70 °C, so cushions that stay compressed in hot places should be tested in service. Abrasion is the volume lost on a rotating abrasive drum, where a lower value means better wear resistance.
Material makeup
Part density shows how light parts are for their size, and water absorption shows how little moisture printed parts take up when immersed, so fit and feel stay stable in humid use and after washing. Moisture content, melting range and bulk density describe the powder before printing, not the finished part.
Heat performance
The Vicat softening temperature marks where a part under a small load begins to soften. TPU 90A suits parts that stay well below this point, such as parts worn on the body or used at room temperature; keep it away from hot surfaces and out of processes, such as pressure dyeing, that run above this point.
Compatibility data
The table lists the weight a printed 1 cm cube gains after 24 hours in each fluid. Small gains mean the part keeps its size and feel; large gains mean it swells. Water, salt water, bleach, dilute alkali and gasoline leave almost no change; oils, diesel, hydraulic oil, hydrogen peroxide and dilute acetic acid add a little; isopropyl alcohol, Skydrol and tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether swell it moderately; acetone, xylene, butyl acetate and diethylene glycol monomethyl ether swell it heavily; and concentrated hydrochloric acid removes material, shown as a weight loss.
Clean parts with water rather than alcohol or solvents, and confirm long fluid exposure with application-specific testing before production release.
Medical readiness
Formlabs certifies that TPU 90A parts, printed and post-processed to its instructions (cooled in the printer, depowdered, blasted with glass media, washed with water and blown clean), meet ISO 10993-1 for long-term (more than 30 days) contact with intact skin and limited (up to 24 hours) contact with mucosal membranes. Printed samples were non-cytotoxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing in testing at NAMSA.
The device maker validates the final part for its intended use. Formlabs states no sterilization method, USP Class VI rating, food contact approval, flammability rating, or RoHS or REACH declaration for TPU 90A Powder.
Datasheets, design guidance and supplier documentation for TPU 90A.
Access the most recent datasheet and supporting documentation maintained by our engineering team.
TPU 90A datasheetExplore printable geometry recommendations, wall thickness tips, and finishing playbooks for SLS.
View SLS design guide
TPU 90A is manufactured with industrial SLS on a compact Formlabs Fuse system set up for elastomers. Small parts nest throughout the build chamber, so a full lot of clips, straps or covers prints in one run, and each build reuses unfused powder with only 20% fresh powder added, which keeps the cost per part low.
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