TRF+H is a Thermo Reactive Filament, which can be deformed and processed by heating it to 45 degrees Celsius. This means that the printed product can be processed as desired, using a hair dryer, which everyone has. After processing, the material hardens at room temperature within minutes, making it suitable for a variety of applications.

For example, a supporter used for the purpose of assisting rehabilitation and movement. Or, you can also easily process the small figure, into a pose of your choice by heating it. With this filament, you can 3D print in the shape of a plane, heat it up with a hair dryer, and fit it along the curved surface of your body.

It takes advantage of the 3D printer’s ability to change the internal fill rate and filling pattern easily. 3D print a structure that is breathable and can be stretched in multiple directions.

We have already published a research paper in which we asked 35 occupational therapists in Japan to evaluate the supporters using this production method, compared to the conventional one and received positive feedbacks.

“TRF+H” is thermo reactive filament with innovative features for FDM 3D printers produced by UNITIKA LTD.. Although TRF has gained a certain reputation in the market, conventional TRF sometimes cracks or breaks due to the large deformation applied to the material during the bending process; the company has continued to develop the material to improve the bending processability (cracking resistance) of TRF.

FabLab Shinagawa, as a co-researcher, has been searching for examples of applications in the real world, and has presented the results of our research on the development of a PPC supporter manufactured by a 3D printer at academic conferences. Now that the mass production system is ready, we will start selling it as “TRF+H”.