Need a test print / photos of an engineered TPU Heel Coupon (No printer owned)

[west bolt]

How many top and bottom surfaces? Cos that will also affect your rigidity....concentric or arc is only the top layer i believe? Although it might be interesting to see how it holds up with durability. (Round might wear and tear faster than monotonic)

I would probably print that face down, as overhangs are nightmare with tpu...

Also any particular tpu? Theres foaming($$), which is significantly more grippy than normal tpu. ($) (Both same or similar durometer).

While i like the idea....i've something like this in a few shoes (tevo). My main complaint is always the fact that the edges of square (usuaully around the edges of the heel) pull aways from the surrounding material. Both are solid and glued.
They also tend to a lot softer than 95a, so maybe typically 60 - 70a? For that you'd want probably ninjaflex. ($$$)

So maybe consider #make-a-request so you can get someone with commercial level experience and a range of materials to try. (And or they maybe have a duro-meter)

[tropic vale]

?shore requested by: wolfesbluebox

[stray walrus]

Wow, thanks for such a detailed and professional breakdown, MT! You made some amazing points. You completely hit the nail on the head regarding the square edges pulling away — that's exactly why I'm moving toward continuous curvilinear and concentric wave geometry in this v2 design, trying to completely eliminate those failure/stress concentration points.

Regarding your questions: I specified 4 top/bottom layers in the draft config, but testing different layer counts is exactly why I need these physical samples. I really want to feel the structural difference.

You're totally right about the durometer too — 95A might be too stiff, and trying something softer like NinjaFlex (60-70A) or foaming TPU to get that perfect adaptive compression is the ultimate goal here. I will definitely check out the #make-a-request channel as you suggested to find someone with commercial-grade flexible setups.

Thanks again for the feedback, man!

[west bolt]

Just want to note to also maybe (if you aren't one) get a podiatrist \ orthoses person to check as well.
Anything in your feet and shoes is exposed to your full weight + then some (say steps or jumping). Something going in the wrong direction or shape has the potential to cause injuries when used, or used in the wrong circumstance, so checking would help learn some more nuance of the field as well.

Oh also they preeetty good at eyeing up your gait and determining how it affect you. 😉

[stray walrus]

Totally agree with you, man, safety is the number one priority here. Foot biomechanics under full weight and dynamic impact are no joke. That’s exactly why I’m taking this step-by-step approach and starting with this single Heel Coupon first — to physically test the deformation, flattening limits, and structural feedback before moving into full-scale production.

[cobalt geode]

You are not allowed to share your printables link outside of #self-promotion so upload the stl directly and remove the link or I will

**What I designed:**
I’ve been developing a modular sensomotoric insole project called "Pixel Fit v2", focused on dynamic load distribution using concentric wave geometry. I’ve engineered a free test model for the heel section (Heel Coupon) that is optimized for flexible filaments and prints 100% support-free.

**What actually happens (The Problem):**
The issue is: I don’t own a 3D printer myself yet. Big hosting platforms like MakerWorld keep auto-blocking my uploads because their automated filters demand real-life photos of printed plastic instead of my high-quality slicer screenshots. 

**What I expect / My Request:**
If anyone here is currently printing with flexible materials, could you please slice and print this small coupon and drop the photos right here in this thread? I really want to see how the layers turn out in reality and get some feedback on how the local compression feels.

**Recommended Print Settings:**
* Material: TPU (95A / 85A)
* Infill Type: Gyroid (Essential for continuous 3D wave stress-distribution)
* Infill Density: 15% - 25% (depending on your weight)
* Perimeters/Walls: 3 - 4 (crucial for outer frame rigidity)
* Supports: Strictly NO supports needed.

Huge thanks to anyone who can help with the prints and photos!```

I removed the link, please adhere to the #rules

[stray walrus]

Here is the raw STL file attached directly for slicing. Thanks, guys and admin.

[versed crypt]

cant find my TPU, but with A in my default, only one layer is there for infill, and that means it will very closely follow that shore chart

even reducing top/bottom layers its like 4 layers of infill that i would find alright to print

[tropic vale]

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[versed crypt]

is this AI slop?

[stray walrus]

my english bro not perfect , im using AI Assistant a lot

I dont have actuali 3d printing expirirnce3 ))

[versed crypt]

from that, i got no good information

[stray walrus]

wht?

[versed crypt]

it says to check the things ive already mentioned, or are useless here

[stray walrus]

ok man , im trying to find company to help me with all that , thanks for hepl

sorry for missunderstanding