14 DAY TRIAL // TPE filaments have many similarities with rubber, similar flexibility and elasticity to be precise, but they stick to most print surfaces and have a cohesion force so high that it can't easily delaminate. Due to these benefits, LulzBot decided to make a new extruder for them.
Called Flexystruder, it can work with Fenner Drives' NinjaFlex TPE filament, used by the TAZ 3 3D printer from Aleph Objects.
Flexystruder is open-source, though, so it can be modified to work with various other RepRap 3D printers and older models from Aleph Objects.
The new extruder easily copes with the conditions in which TPE filaments need to be melted and molded, with an optimal extrusion temperature that can range from 210° to 230° C.
On that note, the heated bed temperature (which, admittedly, has nothing to do with the extruder itself) is of 30° to 40° C.
Stronger and firmer filaments like PLA and ABS will require different extruders though. In theory, you could use the Flexystruder, but your 3D printing project will probably suffer deformities, at best.
LulzBot's Flexystruder costs $294 / €211 and a 0.75 kg spool of 3mm filament should be found on order for $59.95 / €43, in grass (green), sapphire (blue), water (semi-translucent), sun (yellow), midnight (black), lava (orange), and snow (white), fire (red), and flamingo (pink) colors.