Since its reveal at last year’s EuroMold, the ProJet® 5500X has been helping our customers achieve functional, single-build prints with a diverse range of assigned and controlled properties (think flexible versus rigid). This capability was excitedly received, and it is now our pleasure to expand the ProJet 5500X materials portfolio with two new performance-grade elastomeric materials. The addition of these materials extends our customers’ ability to 3D print parts for rigorous functional testing and end-use applications. The ProJet 5500X is 3D Systems’ first multi-material 3D printer that blends two base materials to create a variety of composite materials. With this machine, engineers and designers can more closely simulate the material performance attributes they are looking for, and with the addition of these functional elastomeric materials, the application possibilities are endless.
The ProJet 5500X now includes an elastomeric black (VisiJet® CE-BK) and an elastomeric natural-translucent (VisiJet® CE-NT). Both materials exhibit incredible toughness and tear resistance with an elongation to break of up to 700%. Parts can be stretched, twisted, mashed and otherwise handled to withstand incredibly challenging applications without failure. These durable and versatile elastomeric materials blended with our rigid, ABS-like plastics (CR-WT or CR-CL) produce multiple composite material choices with amazing mechanical properties that answer the most challenging of applications. Combining the base materials into composites with varying strength and color adds considerable new material options. Engineers and designers seeking to create integrated components, such as pipes and gaskets, will be able to design for minimal part count and maximum functionality. The ability to 3D print functional rigid plastic components pre-fused with flexible elastomeric features is advancing the revolution in product design and testing that the ProJet 55000X began last year.
We look forward to the tremendous application opportunities this next generation of elastomeric materials will unlock in the hands of our customers and we encourage you to share your stories with us!