29: Will Flexible Filaments Take Over the 3D Printing Industry? (ft. DavidZIndustries)

<p>The emergence of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and other flexible materials may completely revolutionize the 3D printing world as we know it. Additive manufacturing methods permit the production of designs that are otherwise not feasible, but maybe more exciting, is that anyone can own a printer. As the understanding of the printing process with flexible filaments develops, we will be able to scale production to enable personalized and customizable products, soft robotics, and many other applications. </p> <p>Before we introduce today’s guest, check out our <a href='https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop'>MSE-themed merchandise</a> if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!</p> <p>Today’s guest is David Zapata (AKA @DavidZIndustries), an engineer and digital influencer with over 264,000 cumulative followers on Instagram and TikTok. In this episode, he goes in depth about the properties of TPU and the processes involved in related additive manufacturing methods. </p> <p>In this conversation, we discuss the following topics:</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">The properties of TPU that make it a unique material for 3D printing</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Using flexible materials in soft robotics</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The evolution of consumer products with 3D printing</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Copolymers: printing with multiple materials</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">3D printing in fashion and customizability</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Comparing TPU with traditional filaments (like PLA)</li> </ul> <p>Also, check out our <a href='https://www.subscribepage.com/mseprofessionaldevelopmentguide'>free professional development guide</a> for materials scientists and engineers!</p> <p>Join our <a href='https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN'>Discord community</a>! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advic