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Rubber-like materials in 3D printing | 3D ACTIVATION

Rubber-like materials in 3D printing

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What you should know about 3D materials with rubber-like properties

In the chemical world, plastics with rubber-like properties are called elastomers. This already includes the concept of elasticity, which is probably the greatest advantage of rubber-like (flexible) materials. What is meant by this is the peculiarity of these materials to return to their original shape after deformation. Typically, elastomers are found in tires, rubber bands, sealing rings, etc.

However, rubber-like materials have long since found their way into the ever-expanding range of 3D-printable materials.

Polyjet printing of rubbery materials from photopolymers

Rubbery Polyjetphotopolymers (= light-curing plastics) enable the reproduction of rubber in different degrees of hardness, elongation and tear strength.

TangoBlackPlus, a (as the name already suggests) a black elastomer, is probably the most widespread 3D material with rubber-like properties at the moment. TangoBlackPlus feels a little smoother than real rubber, but is in no way inferior in terms of flexibility and breaking strength. For processing, TangoBlackPlus comes in the Polyjet process. With this 3D printing technology, the starting material, which is in liquid form, is applied to the printing plate in the form of the structures defined in the 3D files and cured immediately using a UV light source contained in the print head. TangoBlackPlus is used, among other things, for handles, hoses, seals and shoes, but also for soft coatings and non-slip surfaces of tools and prototypes.

Rubbery materials shoeGummy materials colorfulAlso processed in Polyjet-Print is VeroWhitePlus, a universal resin with similarly good elastic properties as TangoBlackPlus, which can also offer translucency (= transparency) and is very popular as a tool among designers, for example.

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TPU 92A in selective laser sintering

A counter-pool among the flexible 3D materials is TPU 92A, a lightweight PA (=polyamide) plastic that is Selective laser sintering (also known as SLS printing) is processed. TPU 92A can be processed in both black and white and offers just as good rubbery-elastic properties as the two elastomers described above. TPU 92A is used, among other things, in textiles or for flexible prototypes.

Learn more about rubbery 3D materials at 3D Activation by visiting our website. Of course, you will also get to know our other materials, processes and services there.

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