Food-grade TPE enters 3D printing: will it disrupt PLA?

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August 4, 2026 News 10008

In July 2026, we visited Shengjialun, a leading Chinese TPE material manufacturer.

This company, with over 20 years in the industry, took nine years to secure a spot in McDonald's toy supply chain – a strict certification that only six companies worldwide have passed. Now, they are officially entering the consumer 3D printing market.

At their Heyuan production base, we saw a wide range of elastic materials, from baby bathtubs to adult products. Technically, the material has passed EU food‑grade certification and offers excellent sealing performance. For example, beer bottle cap gaskets can withstand carbonation pressure without leaking, and they are increasingly replacing traditional PE materials. Applications extend far beyond toys and infant products to earphone cables, watch bands, Mobike tires, cooling cushions, pet toys, and even Tesla floor mats and interior trim.

More crucial is their strategic vision. A company representative revealed that TPE is widely used in daily life. Once 3D printers gradually support elastomer printing, TPE filament consumption could very well surpass that of PLA. After all, compared to PLA, TPE has clear advantages in feel, sealing, and flexibility.

To tap into this market, Shengjialun has adopted a dual‑brand strategy: the consumer brand "Xiantiao Bodian" targets the children's market, while the flexible filament retains the "Shengjialun" name. It seems that FDM users will soon have a new, safe, and "tactile" choice.