W
hi
te
P
ap
er
20
18
PolyJet
Materials
A Range of
Possibilities
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
2
Materials are critical to prototyping and
production success. At the heart of any great
application is the right material: one that
performs as needed under the application’s
conditions. This is just as true for 3D printing
as it has always been for molding, machining
and casting.
While the 3D printing industry has a wide
variety of materials to choose from, ranging
from plastic to metal and wax to paper, the
selection is often quite limited for a given
technology. It is even more restricted for
specific 3D printers, with one exception.
PolyJet Materials
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
3
3D printing using PolyJet™ technology produces
highly realistic, functional 3D models in a wide range
of materials with properties that span from rigid to
rubber and opaque to transparent. In that range,
there are materials that perform much like engineering
plastics that combine toughness and heat resistance.
Using PolyJet photopolymers, designers, engineers
and artists can create highly accurate, finely detailed
models to answer the prototyping needs of virtually
any industry.
For many, PolyJet materials go beyond concept
models and prototyping. In dental practices,
PolyJet technology makes the tools and appliances
used during treatment. In manufacturing, PolyJet
photopolymers produce manufacturing aids like jigs
and fixtures. Spanning model-making to manufacturing,
companies that use 3D printing need a wide-ranging
portfolio of materials so they can match a material
with the performance requirements of their intended
applications. In a word, they need versatility.
PolyJet technology builds 3D objects by jetting fine
droplets of photopolymers, materials that solidify when
exposed to UV light. Although photopolymers are a
different class of plastics than the thermoplastics and
elastomers used in many production environments,
they can simulate those materials mechanically,
thermally and visually.
Across the PolyJet 3D printer lineup, there are 29 base
resins that make the technology versatile. But what
makes PolyJet technology truly stand out is its ability
to not just combine multiple materials in a single part
(multi-material 3D printing), but also to blend select
base resins from the 29 to create hybrid properties and
colors. This is what is meant by 3D printing with Digital
Materials, and it yields more than 500,000 distinct
material options.
Several common traits span all these materials. PolyJet
3D printed parts have precision, high resolution and
smooth finishes.
When printing is complete, parts can be used
immediately after support material is removed — there
is no need for post-curing. PolyJet photopolymers are
also REACH-compliant and environmentally safe.
Material options and proven applications in the PolyJet
world have expanded greatly in recent years, so it’s
reasonable to expect a great deal of experimentation
among customers. For optimal success, it is important
to understand the mechanics and best practices for
PolyJet photopolymers and their corresponding 3D
printing platforms.
3D Printing Using
PolyJet Technology
PolyJet’s multi-material capability means it can blend materials to create more than 500,000 distinct material options.
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
4
PolyJet technology offers 29 base resins. By “base
resins,” we refer to the unblended material, straight
from the cartridge. In general, these may be used
alone or blended in pairs or trios (and more now with
the Stratasys J735™ and Stratasys J750™) to create
composite Digital Materials.
Considering the high resolution and smooth surface
finish of PolyJet technology parts, these base materials
are ideal for presentation and display models, form and
fit prototypes, and patterns. While testing results will
differ from those of production plastics, these materials
are also used to simulate products in functional testing
for early performance evaluations. Pure base resins 3D
printed in high-quality mode offer the finest available
PolyJet layer thickness: 14-16 microns, or about twice
the width of a red blood cell.
Rigid Opaque
The Rigid Opaque collection of materials, a subset of
the Vero™ family – is just what it sounds like: rigid and
opaque (Figure 1). These seven materials are the most
widely used for PolyJet 3D Printers. Rigid Opaque
photopolymers are the multipurpose materials for visual
models, engineering prototypes, product assemblies
and RTV molding patterns.
Compared with a common engineering plastic
like standard ABS thermoplastic, Rigid Opaque
photopolymers are stronger and stiffer when compared
against industry averages for tensile strength, flex
strength and flex modulus1. However, Rigid Opaque
materials’ total profile of characteristics is more similar
to an acrylic than to an ABS, PC, polypropylene or
polyamide. And this is why Rigid Opaque materials
are generally designated for light functional testing,
patterns, prototypes and models.
For aesthetics, the Vero family offers seven hues,
which include blue, white, black, gray, cyan, magenta
and yellow. Regardless of the color, all Rigid Opaque
materials share similar mechanical, thermal and
electrical properties. The medium shades of VeroBlue
and VeroGray provide the best detail visualization,
without glare or darkness, and Vero PureWhite, a
PolyJet photopolymer that is twice as opaque, 20
percent brighter and more UV resistant than VeroWhite.
VeroFlex and VeroFlexVivid on the Stratasys J750 and
J735 offer the stiffness of Vero combined with flexibility
and color vibrancy ideal for rapid prototyping eyewear.
Base Resins
Material options and proven
applications in the PolyJet
world have expanded greatly
in recent years.
Vero Rigid, Opaque Materials
• VeroFlex™
• VeroFlexVivid™
• VeroBlackPlus™
• VeroWhitePlus™ and Vero PureWhite™
• VeroBlue™
• VeroYellow™*
• VeroCyan™*
• VeroMagenta™
• VeroGray™
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
5
PolyJet technology offers two rigid materials that
provide either translucency or transparency, RGD720
and VeroClear™. VeroClear has the same properties as
the rest of the Vero family, and RGD720 is also strong
and stiff.
RGD720: Rigid translucency
RGD720 is the original, multi-purpose PolyJet material.
It is translucent with a slight amber tint. In thin walls,
it approaches transparent, but as wall thickness
increases, light transmission decreases.
RGD720 is used for form and fit evaluation of
assemblies to visualize the placement and interface of
internal components and features. It is also used for
visual analysis of fluid flow through a product. Other
applications include models for artistic expression and
substitutes for cutaway demonstration samples.
VeroClear: Rigid transparency
VeroClear has much in common with RGD720, but
with its clarity, it is the first in the lineup of PolyJet
materials that has a correlation with commercial
thermoplastics. This clear, transparent material
simulates PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), which is
commonly known as acrylic or Plexiglas. Strength,
stiffness, elongation and impact resistance all fall within
the range of average values for PMMA1. VeroClear’s
values can also be enhanced further through post-
processing options.
Like PMMA, VeroClear is used as an alternative to
glass for lenses (Figure 2), clear covers, dispensers
and light pipes for industries that include automotive,
medical, electronics, signs and displays, sanitary
ware and lighting fixtures. For the latter, note that
VeroClear has a lower heat resistance than PMMA, so
temperatures below 70 ºC (160 ºF) are recommended.
Transparent/Translucent
Figure 2. An example of VeroClear material.
Rigid, Translucent/Transparent Materials
• RGD720
• VeroClear™
• VeroYellowV™
• VeroCyanV™
• VeroMagentaV™
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
6
Two PolyJet base resins simulate the characteristics of
polypropylene: Durus™ and Rigur™.
Both are semi-rigid, strong and tough. Compared with
Vero materials, these have nearly twice the impact
resistance, three times the elongation and twice the
flexibility. With these properties, both are used for
models and prototypes of containers, packaging, toys,
battery cases, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers and
automotive components. These materials are especially
useful when prototypes have snap-fit components or
living hinges — features that need to flex. Durus and
Rigur have similar flex moduli and hardnesses, and
they match the average values for polypropylene1.
For all other properties, these materials are quite
different, which extends the range of polypropylene
characteristics that can be simulated.
Durus: Semi-rigid and tough
Durus is the original Stratasys offering for prototyping
semi-rigid polypropylene products that can withstand
contact forces and give when pulled. Durus is a milky
white color.
Rigur: Semi-rigid and strong
This PolyJet material has been formulated for improved
dimensional and visual characteristics as well as
greater strength. Parts made from Rigur are bright
white (Figure 3) and have better surface finishes than
Durus. This makes Rigur great for visual applications,
and its higher temperature resistance (three times that
of Durus) and strength (twice that of Durus) make it a
good choice for form, fit and light functional testing of
parts that will be produced in polypropylene.
Simulated Polypropylene
Simulated Polypropylene Materials
• Rigur
• Durus
Figure 3. Rigur material was engineered for prototyping polypropylene products.
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
7
Rubber-Like
The Agilus30™ and Tango™ families of PolyJet
materials simulates thermoplastic elastomers with
flexible, rubber-like qualities. Use PolyJet rubber
materials for visual, tactile and functional applications
such as non-slip surfaces, soft-touch interfaces and
sealing faces.
Applications include rubber surrounds, overmoldings,
buttons, knobs, grips, gaskets and boot and hose
assemblies. PolyJet rubber material is also used for
prototyping outsoles for footwear.
There are four materials in the Tango family, and three
materials in the Agilus30 family, offering hardnesses
that range from 27 to 75 on the Shore A scale, which
is comparable with rubber bands to tire treads and
shoe heels. Rubber-like materials come in black
(Figure 4), clear and white.
PolyJet Rubber-Like Materials
• Agilus30 Black™
• Agilus30 White™
• Agilus30
• TangoBlackPlus™
• Tango Black™
• TangoGray™
• TangoPlus™
Figure 4. The rubber pads on these headphones have a soft Shore A value of 27. The full model was 3D printed in one piece.
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
8
Medical and Dental
PolyJet photopolymers have expanded beyond their
roots as a tool for engineers and designers to become
a leading 3D printing technology for medical and dental
applications. Recognizing the unique needs of the
medical arts, Stratasys has formulated six materials
specifically for medical and dental applications.
Property-wise, these materials are nearly identical to
Rigid Opaque. The one exception is stiffness, which is
nearly 50 percent greater, so these materials are strong
and very rigid.
VeroGlaze
VeroGlaze has an opaque, white color that is listed as
an A2 in accordance with the Vita shade guide used in
dentistry. The shade and properties make VeroGlaze an
ideal material for realistic veneer samples (Figure 5) that
allow the patient and doctor to visualize the results of a
prosthetic prior to performing the treatment.
Bio-compatible
Bio-compatible material is used by both medical and
dental professionals when the 3D printed part will
have bodily contact. It has five approvals: cytotoxicity,
genotoxicity, delayed type hypersensitivity, irritation
and USP plastic class VI. With these approvals, Bio-
compatible material can be used for direct skin (more
than 30 days) and short-term mucosal-membrane
contact. Please check each medical material for its
specific bio certification.
Medical And Dental Materials
• VeroDent™
• VeroDentPlus™
• VeroGlaze™
• Biocompatible (MED610™)
• Biocompatible (MED625FLX™)
• Hearing Aid (rose and clear)
Figure 5. VeroGlaze, left, produces functional dental veneer try-ins, while Bio-compatible, right, is approved for direct skin and short-term mucosal-membrane contact.
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
9
Engineering Plastic
Simulation
Five PolyJet materials simulate engineering plastics,
which expands the application base further into
functional testing and manufacturing tools.
Four of the five are Digital ABS Plus™, and these are
discussed in the Digital Materials section. The fifth is a
material that can take the heat.
High Temperature: Stiff and strong
As its name indicates, this material is for applications
that have elevated temperatures. Straight from the
3D printer, High Temperature material has up to a
55 °C higher heat deflection temperature (HDT) than
any other PolyJet base resin. With an optional thermal
post cure, HDT climbs to 80 °C (176 °F), which is close
to that of an average ABS1.
But thermal resistance isn’t its only advantage. High
Temperature also has 150 to 200 percent of the
strength and rigidity of the average ABS values. Even
its impact strength reaches the low end of all ABS
materials1.
High Temperature is a wise choice for functional
testing with hot air or water, such as evaluations of
plumbing fixtures and household appliances (Figure 6).
Temperature resistance may also be a consideration
for show pieces that will endure intense, hot lights. If
temperature isn’t a consideration, High Temperature
may be a good choice for prototypes that need very
high stiffness and strength.
Engineering Plastic Simulation Materials
• High Temperature
• Digital ABS Plus (green or ivory)
Figure 6. High Temperature material can withstand hot fluids.
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
10
Digital Materials
PolyJet Digital Materials are composites created
by simultaneous jetting of up to six materials from
the material portfolio of 29 base resins. By blending
materials in specific concentrations and matrices,
PolyJet technology offers a wide palette of properties
and visual characteristics.
Digital Materials are exclusive to a subset of PolyJet-
driven 3D printers. See details in “3D Printers,”
next page.
Digital ABS Plus: Rigid, tough and opaque
Digital ABS Plus extends the simulation of engineering
thermoplastics beyond the thermal resistance,
toughness and transparency of High Temperature,
Rigur and VeroClear. Digital ABS Plus is an advanced
version of Digital ABS™, improving on the original
material’s impact strength. As its name indicates, this
material closely approximates ABS. Compared with the
averages for ABS1, Digital ABS Plus has the same or
higher values for strength, flexibility, durability and heat
resistance. Its impact resistance is below average for
ABS1 but still within the range of all ABS offerings, and
more than three times that of Vero.
Four Digital Materials simulate ABS. They are Digital
ABS Plus and Digital ABS2 Plus™, both in green and
ivory. The primary difference between them is that
Digital ABS2 Plus retains its rigidity and toughness
in thin-walled parts (< 1.2 mm/0.04 in.). This makes
Digital ABS2 Plus ideal for consumer electronics and
other consumer goods, including small appliances
and cell phones, which require high stability with thin-
walled geometries.
All of the Digital ABS Plus materials can be used for
functional prototypes — even those with snap fits —
patterns, prototype tooling for injection molding and
manufacturing aids such as jigs, fixtures and gauges
(Figure 7).
This range of rubber-like properties is unrivaled in the
3D printing industry. With it, designers and engineers
can match the flexibility of production elastomers or
test a number of slightly different options to find just
the right feel (Figure 8).
Colors and Tints: Product realism
Digital Materials extend more than the range of material
properties. They offer a large palette of opaque colors
and translucent tints. For rigid plastics, there are
thousands of unique color options, some of which can
be created using either a rigid or rubber base resin,
which increases the possible combinations of total
properties in a single part.
Figure 7. Digital ABS Plus features heavily in this design verification prototype for
medical devices. This surgical prototype also features Agilus30 overmolding in
black for superior grip and a 3D printed color handle, printed separately. Digital
ABS Plus has heightened impact strength from Digital ABS, leading to improved
functional performance.
Figure 8. Various colors and Shore A values are displayed on this palette.
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
11
3D Printers
PolyJet-driven 3D printers offer a range of capabilities,
all using the same jetting technology. While all offer
high-resolution, smooth-finish parts that require no
post-printing curing and little effort for support removal,
the family of printers differs in the type and number of
materials available and the number of materials that
can be simultaneously jetted.
Objet® and Objet Eden: One material at a time
These systems print with one base resin at a time.
The number of supported materials ranges from
eight to 15. Systems include the Objet30 Pro™,
Objet30 Prime™ and Objet Eden260VS™.
Connex1™: Triple-Jetting Technology
The Objet500 Connex1™ and Objet260 Connex1™
offer 3D printing with three materials, but they do not
support the blended Digital Materials. There are 14
material options, ranging from opaque to clear and
rigid to rubber. Each 3D printed part and each batch of
parts can contain three base resins.
Material options:
• 5 Rigid Opaque
• 4 Rubber-like
• 1 RGD720
• 1 Durus
• 1 Rigur
• 1 High Temperature
• 1 Bio-compatible
Connex3™: Setting the standard for prototyping
Objet500 Connex3™, Objet350 Connex3™ and
Objet260 Connex3™ add three-component blends to
the portfolio of materials possible. To create the broad
color options, Connex3 uses VeroCyan, VeroMagenta
and VeroYellow. Connex3 can build as many as 496
materials into one part or mixed tray. The Connex3
features two support material options: SUP705,
removed with a WaterJet; and SUP706B, which
is easily removed and soluble for automated post-
processing and increased geometric freedom to print
complex and delicate features and small cavities.
Material options:
• 17 base materials
• All Rigid Opaque colors
• 127 Digital Materials including a range of
durabilities, translucencies and shades; dozens of
Simulated Polypropylene and High Temperature
materials in rigid and flexible composites
• 496 rigid opaque color materials from
combinations of three Vero materials
• 216 flexible colors, each unique in its combination
of color and Shore A value
• 12 strong and durable blends of Digital ABS Plus
with rubber for Shore A values of 35 to 100 in a
variety of shades.
Objet and Objet Eden Materials
• Rigid Opaque*
• RGD720
• Durus
• Rigur
• Rubber-like
• High Temperature
• Bio-compatible
• VeroDent/VeroDentPlus
• VeroGlaze
• Hearing Aid
*Excludes VeroCyan, VeroMagenta and VeroYellow
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
12
3D Printers
Stratasys J735 And Stratasys J750: The
Breakthrough Solution In Realism, Versatility
And Efficiency
The Stratasys J735 and J750 are the only true full-color
3D printers that deliver the best aesthetics and material
properties. These 3D printers feature new PolyJet print
heads and run six base resins simultaneously. Full-
color parts can incorporate a range of flexible Shore
A values or translucencies along with the ability to
print more than 500,000 colors. The Stratasys J735
and J750 offer finer layers compared with previous
PolyJet capabilities with 14-micron layer lines in high
quality mode. They are the fastest multi-material 3D
printers, printing two- and three-component Digital
Materials in high speed, giving them high efficiency and
a lower cost per part with virtually no need for material
changeover. The 3D printers feature the capability for
texture mapping and gradients. These features can
be used for photorealistic detail that transfers directly
from the designer’s native software. Like the Connex3,
the Stratasys J735 and J750 also feature two support
material options: SUP705, removed with a WaterJet;
and SUP706B, which is easily removed and soluble for
automated post-processing and increased geometric
freedom to print complex and delicate features and
small cavities.
Material options:
• 21 base material options
• More than 500,000 color options when cyan,
magenta, yellow, black and white are loaded
• 216 flexible colors, each unique in its combination
of color and Shore A value
• 12 strong and durable blends of Digital ABS Plus
with rubber for Shore A values of 35 to 100 in a
variety of colors
• Enhanced color vibrancy with vivid colors
VeroMagentaV, VeroYellowV and VeroCyanV
W
hi
te
P
ap
er
1 Holtzman St., Science Park,
PO Box 2496
Rehovot 76124, Israel
+972 74 745 4000
+972 74 745 5000 (Fax)
© 2018 Stratasys Inc. All rights reserved. Stratasys, Stratasys logo, PolyJet, Objet, Objet30 Pro, Objet30 Prime, Eden, Objet Eden260V, Objet Eden260VS, Objet Eden350V, Objet
Eden500V, Connex, Objet260 Connex1, Objet260 Connex3, Objet350 Connex3, Objet500 Connex1, Objet500 Connex3, Objet1000 Plus, Stratasys J735, Stratasys J750, Durus,
Rigur, Vero, VeroBlue, VeroBlackPlus, VeroClear, VeroCyan, VeroMagentaV, VeroYellowV, VeroCyanV, MED610, MED625FLX, SUP706B, VeroDent, VeroDentPlus, VeroGlaze, VeroGray,
VeroMagenta, VeroMagentaV, VeroWhitePlus, VeroYellow, VeroYellowV, Tango, TangoBlack, TangoBlackPlus, TangoGray, TangoPlus, Digital ABS Plus, Digital ABS2 Plus and Agilus30 are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Stratasys Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Product specifications
subject to change without notice. Printed in the USA. WP_PJ_PolyJetMaterials_1118a
Stratasys Headquarters
7665 Commerce Way,
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
+1 800 801 6491 (US Toll Free)
+1 952 937-3000 (Intl)
+1 952 937-0070 (Fax)
stratasys.com
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
13
PolyJet technology delivers a large portfolio of material
possibilities to meet the 3D printing needs of a wide
range of industries and a diverse set of requirements
in design, engineering, manufacturing and artistic
applications. Through color and properties, product
realism is possible well before a product launch. With
more than 500,000 options, PolyJet materials offer the
versatile 3D printing solution that lets you see, touch,
feel, test, analyze and use new products that have
thermoplastic or elastomer characteristics.
Conclusion
1. Source: MatWeb.com
