{"id":2337,"date":"2026-05-21T16:25:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T08:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/?p=2337"},"modified":"2026-06-30T17:10:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T09:10:19","slug":"thermoplastic-polyurethane-tpu","status":"publish","type":"material","link":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/materials\/thermoplastic-polyurethane-tpu\/","title":{"rendered":"Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Comprehensive TPU Grades & Brands We Mold<\/h2>\n

We process premium Thermoplastic Polyurethane resins from leading global chemical producers, catering to applications requiring ultimate tear resistance, oil barriers, and low-temperature flexibility:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
TPU Material Class<\/th>\nTypical Brand & Grade<\/th>\nKey Characteristics & Advantages<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Polyester-based TPU<\/td>\n\u2022 Lubrizol Estane 58211 \/ 58212
\n\u2022 BASF Elastollan C 85 A \/ S 90 A
\n\u2022 Covestro Desmopan 487<\/td>\n		Ultimate abrasion resistance, outstanding tensile strength, and excellent resistance to oils, greases, and fuels. Highly suited for dynamic mechanical seals, gears, and automotive bellows.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Polyether-based TPU<\/td>\n\u2022 Lubrizol Estane 58300
\n\u2022 BASF Elastollan 1185 A
\n\u2022 Covestro Desmopan 385S \/ 9385<\/td>\n		Outstanding hydrolytic stability, superior low-temperature flexibility, and excellent resistance to microbes and fungus. Preferred for medical-grade parts, outdoor seals, and plumbing components.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
High Hardness \/ Specialty<\/td>\n\u2022 Lubrizol Estane GP72DB
\n\u2022 Wanhua Wanthane WDP-95A<\/td>\n		Formulated to exhibit high durometer values (60D\u201380D) or reinforced with glass fibers to enhance load-bearing capacity and rigidity while retaining high toughness. Engineered for heavy-duty caster wheels and protective covers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/section>\n

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Applicable Molding Processes for TPU<\/h2>\n

TPU’s exceptional mechanical strength and robust chemical bonding characteristics support high-performance molding setups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Molding Process<\/th>\nProcess Suitability & Application<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Standard Injection Molding<\/td>\nExcellent. Highly suitable for dynamic seals, expansion bellows, wear rings, industrial wheels, and protective cases.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Overmolding (Multi-Shot)<\/td>\nExcellent. TPU is often overmolded over rigid engineering plastics (such as polycarbonate, ABS, and nylon) to provide high-impact, abrasion-resistant outer bumpers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Insert Molding<\/td>\nGood. Allows precision encapsulation of metal shafts, bearing sleeves, and structural brackets directly inside dynamic TPU wheel treads.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/section>\n

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Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Injection Molding Guide<\/h2>\n

TPU is a hygroscopic elastomer that requires highly experienced processing and tooling controls to prevent sticking, warpage, or hydrolytic degradation:<\/p>\n

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  • Rigorous Pre-Drying:<\/strong> TPU absorbs atmospheric moisture aggressively. Moisture causes hydrolytic degradation of polymer chains, resulting in surface splay, bubbles, and a major loss of tensile strength. We pre-dry the raw resin in desiccant dryers at 100\u00b0C\u2013110\u00b0C (212\u00b0F\u2013230\u00b0F) for 3\u20134 hours, keeping moisture strictly below 0.02%.<\/li>\n
  • \u7194\u81a0\u6eab\u5ea6\uff1a<\/strong> Kept within a narrow processing range, typically 190\u00b0C to 225\u00b0C (374\u00b0F to 437\u00b0F). Exceeding 230\u00b0C will degrade the polyurethane structure, leading to low viscosity and severe flashing.<\/li>\n
  • Low Mold Temperature:<\/strong> Maintained cold between 15\u00b0C and 40\u00b0C (59\u00b0F to 104\u00b0F) using pressurized water chillers. Rapid cooling is mandatory to prevent the soft elastomeric part from sticking to the mold core.<\/li>\n
  • Ejection and Draft Optimization:<\/strong> Due to TPU’s high elasticity and stickiness, draft angles must be kept large (minimum 2\u00b0 to 3\u00b0). We apply vapor-honed or bead-blasted textures on core\/cavity surfaces and implement broad ejector pins or stripper plates to ensure clean release.<\/li>\n
  • High Elastic Shrinkage:<\/strong> TPU exhibits high shrinkage (typically 1.0% to 2.0% depending on durometer hardness). Our tooling division scales mold cavities precisely to compensate for this shrinkage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n

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    Key Application Industries for Molded TPU Parts<\/h2>\n
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    • Automotive Powertrains & Chassis (IATF 16949 Certified):<\/strong> Protective shock-absorbing boots, steering rack bellows, vibration-damping grommets, dust covers, and wear-resistant sealing ring cores.<\/li>\n
    • Industrial Machinery & Fluid Systems:<\/strong> High-pressure oil seals, hydraulic gaskets, dynamic couplings, drive belts, heavy-duty caster wheel treads, and wear blocks.<\/li>\n
    • Consumer Electronics & Wearables:<\/strong> Protective shock-proof phone bumper cases, smart-watch bands, wearable straps, and durable soft-touch bumpers.<\/li>\n
    • Medical Device Components (ISO 13485 Compliant):<\/strong> Biocompatible fluid tubing connectors, soft-touch medical instrument handles, diagnostic device protective casings, and elastic membranes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Comprehensive TPU Grades & Brands We Mold We process premium Thermoplastic Polyurethane resins from leading global chemical producers, catering to applications requiring ultimate tear resistance, oil barriers, and low-temperature flexibility: TPU Material Class Typical Brand & Grade Key Characteristics & Advantages Polyester-based TPU \u2022 Lubrizol Estane 58211 \/ 58212 \u2022 BASF Elastollan C 85 A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2412,"template":"","meta":[],"material_type":[19],"application_feature":[],"machining_process":[],"class_list":["post-2337","material","type-material","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","material_type-thermoplastic-elastomers-tpe-tpu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/material\/2337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/material"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/material"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"material_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/material_type?post=2337"},{"taxonomy":"application_feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/application_feature?post=2337"},{"taxonomy":"machining_process","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcinjectionmolding.com\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/machining_process?post=2337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}