Overview
3D Systems’ Durable Plastic Materials
Durable parts are those that are able to withstand environmental stresses for the duration of the expected part lifetime with minimal maintenance or repair.
Because parts experience deterioration due to multiple environmental factors, a durable part must perform well in multiple aspects also.
Durability testing typically involves testing multiple material qualities to ensure that the part qualifies. Such tests can include accelerated environmental testing, fatigue testing, and chemical resistance testing.
In this article we will take a look at the various durable engineering plastics available for 3D Systems printers, and what makes each plastic unique.
Durable MJP Materials
MultiJet Printing (MJP) technology produces high fidelity, true-to-CAD parts, with fast print times, easy operation and simple post-processing for high productivity and true simplicity, from file to finished part.
MJP systems are capable of printing a range of durable engineering polymers.
VisiJet M2S-HT90
High temperature & translucent
VisiJet M2S-HT90 (MJP) is a strong and transparent / translucent material ideal for applications requiring temperature resistance and/or biocompatibility. It is well suited for rapid tooling, functional prototyping in warm environments, and medical devices with fine features and internal structures.
This VisiJet material is fine-tuned for use with 3D Systems’ ProJet 2500 Plus MJP printer running in UHD mode.
View Details
- - Stable parts in warm environments
- - Watertightness for evaluation of fluid flow performance
- - Excellent visualization for parts requiring validation of internal features
- - Capable of meeting USP Class VI standards for biocompatibility
| Mechanical & Thermal – VisiJet M2S-HT90 | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.15 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 70-80 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 2500-3000 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 | 4-9 % |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 14-17 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 90-100 °C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 80-90 °C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
VisiJet M2S-HT250
High temperature & translucent
The VisiJet M2S-HT250 (MJP) material is a high temperature biocompatible transparent / translucent plastic that is useful for a range of applications in the domain of high temperature fluid visualisation. It features the best-in-class HDT meaning this MJP material is capable of working in temperatures of up to 250°C.
This VisiJet material is fine-tuned for use with 3D Systems’ ProJet 2500 and 2500 Plus MJP printers.
View Details
- - Highest thermal resistance in its class
- - Clear enough to visualize internal features and flow
- - High fidelity fine features and sharp edges
- - Smooth surface quality
- - UL94 HB flammability test standards
- - USP Class VI certified for biocompatibility
| Mechanical & Thermal – VisiJet M2S-HT250 | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.15 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 44 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 4123 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 | 2 % |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 10 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 250 °C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 104 °C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
Durable SLA Material
Stereolithography (SLA) was the first commercialized 3D printing technology, invented by 3D Systems’ Co-Founder Chuck Hull in the 1980s. It uses an ultraviolet laser to precisely cure photopolymer cross-sections, transforming them from liquid to solid.
Parts are built directly from CAD data, layer-by-layer into prototypes, investment casting patterns, tools, and end-use parts. The Accura range of SLA resins offers a variety of rugged polymers for demanding environments.
Accura AMX Rigid Black
Long-term environmental stability
Accura AMX Rigid Black (SLA) Accura AMX Rigid Black is a production-grade stereolithography resin featuring long-term environmental stability for large-scale plastic parts with demanding mechanical performance requirements and exceptional surface finish.
Engineered for plastic parts requiring a good balance of HDT, flexural modulus and elongation at break, making it ideal for parts that require long-term durability and strength in indoor and outdoor conditions. Accura AMX Rigid Black is biocompatible per ISO 10993-5.
This Stereolithography resin is fine-tuned for use with the following 3D Systems’ SLA printers: ProX 800, ProJet 7000 HD, ProJet 6000 HD, SLA 750
View Details
- - Strong, durable parts
- - Long-term use parts with high stability of mechanical properties that are significantly better than traditional resins
- - Thermoplastic behavior with necking at break enables high performing snaps and clips
- - Surface quality, accuracy and repeatability with stereolithography printing
- - Similar stress/strain toughness performance to standard thermoplastics
| Mechanical & Thermal – AMX Rigid Black | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.15 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 52 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 2100 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 | 24 % |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 23 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 64°C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 52°C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
Accura Xtreme
Tough & durable
Accura Xtreme (SLA) is an ultra-tough material that resists breakage and handles challenging functional assemblies. It replaces CNC-machined Polypropylene and ABS – also ideal for master patterns for vacuum casting.
Accura Xtreme is a gray plastic with the appearance of a final production part with outstanding durability, impact resistance, accuracy and a thermal resistance over 60 °C
This Stereolithography material is fine-tuned for use with the following 3D Systems’ SLA printers: ProX 950, ProX 800, ProJet 7000 HD, ProJet 6000 HD, SLA 750
View Details
- - Handles challenging functional assemblies
- - Robust parts resisting breakage
- - Withstands modest temperatures without distortion
- - Increased application opportunities
- - Aesthetics of molded parts
- - Ease-of-use and fast processing
| Mechanical & Thermal – Accura Xtreme | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 38-44 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 1790-1980 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 | 14-22 % |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 35-52 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 62°C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 54°C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
Accura AMX Durable Natural
Tough, ABS-like
Accura AMX Durable Natural (SLA) is an ABS-like, tough, production-grade resin with a unique combination of impact resistance, tear-strength, and elongation at break.
Accura AMX Durable Natural is engineered to withstand repeated flexing, bending, and loading, making it ideal for cost-efficiently delivering durable parts with the high surface quality, accuracy, and repeatability advantages of stereolithography.
This Stereolithography resin is fine-tuned for use with the following 3D Systems’ SLA printers: ProX 950, ProX 800, ProJet 7000 HD, ProJet 6000 HD, SLA 750
View Details
- - High impact, high elongation
- - Superior toughness and tear resistance
- - Enables mandrels to be easily removed whole, even from convoluted tubing
- - Withstands repeated flexing, bending, and loading
- - High accuracy and fine detail resolution
- - Aesthetic comparable to injection molded plastics
| Mechanical & Thermal – Accura AMX Durable Natural | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.2 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 32 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 1000 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 | 80 % |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 64 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 42°C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 25°C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
Durable SLS Materials
Plastics printed on SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printers are known as thermoplastics.
This means that the plastic can change between solid and molten phases with application of heat, and it will solidify when it cools. The process can be repeated over and over making many thermoplastics suitable for recycling.
In the case of SLS systems, the heat to melt the plastic feedstock is provided by the lasers, and the feedstock fuses to the preceding layer as it cools.
Let’s take a look at a couple of 3D Systems’ durable SLS thermoplastics in more detail.
DuraForm ProX PA
Tough & Durable / Polypropylene-like
DuraForm ProX PA (SLS) is a polyamide (Nylon 12) feedstock with all the properties you’d expect from a rugged Nylon. This makes it perfect for high quality prototypes and low volume end use parts alike.
DuraForm ProX PA is engineered for long-term environmental stability of mechanical properties, and is tested for up to 8 years indoor and 1.5 years outdoor use, per ASTM methods.
Vapor-honed DuraForm ProX PA parts display an enhanced, smooth surface finish, more comparable to injection molded plastic parts. In addition, vapor honing helps to seal the porous surface of SLS parts, making them suitable for air and water tight applications.
This material is fine-tuned for use with the following 3D Systems’ SLS printers: ProX SLS 6100, SLS 380
View Details
- - Long-term stability of mechanical properties
- - Balanced mechanical properties and processability
- - Build prototypes that withstand functional testing
- - Produce durable end-use parts without tooling
| Mechanical & Thermal – DuraForm ProX PA | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 0.95 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 48 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 2100 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 Type I | 19% |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 47 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 176 °C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 82 °C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
DuraForm PAx Natural
High elongation nylon copolymer
DuraForm PAx Natural (SLS) is a nylon copolymer that offers properties similar to injection molded plastics and features high impact resistance with high elongation at break in any direction, including Z.
The low printing temperatures of DuraForm PAx Natural contribute to high throughput when using this material, and its designation as a clean running material means low operator maintenance. With impressive long-term stability of over five years indoors, DuraForm PAx Natural is among the top performing SLS materials for long-term use.
This material is fine-tuned for use with the following 3D Systems’ SLS printers: sPro 230, sPro 140, ProX SLS 6100, SLS 380
View Details
- - Durable and tough for true functional plastic parts
- - High reuse rates reduce waste and decrease production costs
- - Low temperature printing enables faster parts in hand
- - Excellent long-term stability; 5+ years indoor for mechanical properties and color
- - Vapor-honed parts have excellent translucency and smooth finish
| Mechanical & Thermal – DuraForm PAx Natural | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.03 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 40 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 1300 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 Type I | 282% |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 41 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 105 °C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 46 °C |
| UL Flammability Rating | UL94 | HB |
Durable Figure 4 Materials
3D Systems’ Figure 4 technology is the scalable non-contact membrane Digital Light Printing (DLP) solution offering ultra-fast and affordable resin printing.
Parts printed with the Figure 4 materials on 3D Systems printers are generally isotropic in mechanical properties meaning the parts printed along any axis of orientation will give similar results in terms of strength.
Figure 4 PRO-BLK 10
Production-grade & rigid
Figure 4 PRO-BLK 10 enables true direct digital production of plastic parts. Go from CAD to manufacturing line in one day with tool-less, same day part production.
With a fast print speed and simplified post-processing that includes a single curing cycle and single solvent cleaning, this material delivers exceptional throughput. It is a high precision resin producing parts with a smooth surface finish and sidewall quality, and has excellent mechanical properties and long-term environmental stability that brings a new level of assurance to 3D production.
This material is fine-tuned for use with 3D Systems’ Figure 4 printers.
View Details
Applications
- - Improved environmental stability of mechanical and performance properties over time
- - Fast throughput for part-in-hand with no secondary thermal cure required
- - Simple, single solvent cleaning
- - Excellent surface quality and repeatability
- - Accurate, low distortion material for fast first article print success
| Mechanical & Thermal | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.16 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 63 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 2320 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 Type I | 12% |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 24 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 70 °C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 56 °C |
| UL Flammability Rating UL94 | HB | HB |
Figure 4 Rigid 140°C Black
Heat-resistant & rigid
Figure 4 Rigid 140°C Black is a heat-resistant material combining high strength and high elongation for tool-less, direct plastics production. It provides toughness comparable to injection molded polybutylene glass fiber (PBT GF).
Under-the-hood components produced with Figure 4 Rigid 140°C Black demonstrate excellent reliability when subjected to HTOL testing. These parts also demonstrate good part-to-part friction. Figure 4 Rigid 140°C Black was tested to the equivalent of eight years indoors and one and a half years in outdoor environments per ASTM D4329 and ASTM G195 methods.
This material is fine-tuned for use with 3D Systems’ Figure 4 Standalone.
View Details
- - Parts can withstand years of indoor UV and humidity exposure with minimal degradation to dimensional stability or functional performance
- - Surface finish comparable to injection molding
- - Suitable for repeated snap-fit use without deformation
| Mechanical & Thermal – Figure 4 Rigid 140°C Black | ||
| Density | ASTM D792 | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength Ultimate | ASTM D638 Type I | 80 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 Type I | 2800 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | ASTM D638 Type I | 5.6 % |
| Impact Strength (Notched Izod) (J/m) | ASTM D256 | 16 J/m |
| HDT @ 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648 | 140 °C |
| HDT @ 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648 | 124 °C |
| UL Flammability Rating UL94 | HB | HB |