ESun TPE 83A, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

For some things where the typical 95A TPU is too hard, ESun's 83A TPE really can shine, since it is more flexible, and can provide a rubbery surface where that may be necessary.  I've been working on a couple projects where a more rubbery material is required, so have been having to run some of the ESun TPE though my Bambu X1C.  I say "having to run" since it is a bit of a pain to get it working well.  I have not found a spool roller which did not overly stretch the TPE before it could reach the hotend, so I have been resorting to stabbing a short length of Bowden tube into the hot end (which runs over the side), and then laying out the length of filament to the side of the printer in a figure 8 loop.  That setup allows for a low friction filament path, and works well.. as long as I unspool enough material.  Although that method works, I still have a good share of failures with it, some are just general weird issues where I cannot be sure what happened, while others are my fault for one reason or another.  I do have more successes than failures though, and considering the difficulty of the material, I just consider it a learning experience.  

The only change I make in the slicer when running this TPE, is to run it with gyroid infill, and to use the "Generic TPU" filament profile with the "Max Volumetric Speed" set to 2.0m³/s.

So, although the ESun 83A TPE is a good choice if the 95A TPU won't work, it is a bit more difficult to run, due to it's stretchy nature.  I don't consider that a drawback though, since it is just a more flexible material, and therefore more difficult.  One thing that does concern me though, is that when I've had to open the enclosure when this TPE is running, I notice that my sinuses seem to be a bit irritated afterwards.  It doesn't smell however, and this is just an observation of something that has occurred several times while working with it.  I run this, and really everything, inside a ducted and filtered enclosure, so I don't notice anything normally, which is fortunate.  Needless to say, I don't enjoy running this material, but it's good to know that I can if I have to.  If running this though, I strongly suggest using a vented enclosure.

TL;DR

The GOOD:

• It can print really nicely (when dry).
• It is more flexible and "rubbery" or grippy than standard 95A TPU.
• It is on the less expensive side for a more flexible filament (around $28).

The BAD:

• It takes a bit of work to get enough friction out of the filament path, to get it to feed correctly.
• A top mount, ball bearing, center axis spool holder, and a direct drive, would be the best setup (with the spool almost centered over the bed).
• Even with a smooth filament path, some failures will still happen.

The UGLY:

• I'd only run it in a ducted enclosure.