| HS Code | 843416 |
| Product Name | 3D Systems QuickPlastic Cast Urethane Material PELike 80 A |
| Material Type | Cast Urethane |
| Hardness | 80 Shore A |
| Tensile Strength | 6.5 MPa (943 psi) |
| Tensile Modulus | 12 MPa (1740 psi) |
| Elongation At Break | 200% |
| Flexural Strength | 2.5 MPa (363 psi) |
| Flexural Modulus | 15 MPa (2175 psi) |
| Notched Izod Impact Strength | 100 J/m (1.87 ft-lb/in) |
| Density | 1.12 g/cm³ (0.0405 lb/in³) |
| Heat Deflection Temperature At 0 45 Mpa | 40°C (104°F) |
| Water Absorption | 0.5% |
| Color | Translucent |
As an accredited 3D Systems QuickPlastic Cast Urethane Material PELike 80 A factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
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Silicone tooling produced from an SLA master pattern is routinely cut for vacuum-assisted polyurethane casting of wire-harness grommets, cable pass-throughs, and underhood sealing rings. In a typical vacuum casting cell, the 3D Systems QuickPlastic Cast Urethane Material PELike 80 A polyol side is preheated to 45 °C and the isocyanate side to 40 °C; both components are degassed separately at ≤5 mbar for 15 min before transfer into a two-component low-pressure mixing head. The lot-certified A:B mass ratio is 100:100, and a black pigment dispersion at 0.5–1.0 wt% of total batch weight is added to the polyol side before degassing. Filling is completed under vacuum with mould rotation controlled between 0–10 min⁻¹; the filled mould is then transferred to a forced-air oven at 80 °C for 16 h. Production-scale failure records from vacuum casting shops show that deviation of the A:B ratio by ±1.0 wt% produces a Shore A hardness shift of ±3 points, which is outside the ±2 point tolerance accepted by automotive line-fit part approvals. Finished product types include firewall grommets, split cable glands, connector seals, and battery-tray drain grommets.
Validation specimens are tested for hardness per ASTM D2240-21 and compression set per ASTM D395-18 after 22 h at 70 °C; a typical compression set requirement is ≤25 %. For underhood placement, OEM engineering specifications often require a combined heat-age and humidity exposure at 100 °C for 168 h in an air-circulating oven, followed by visual inspection for surface tack or cracking. Chemical documentation requested for export includes REACH SVHC confirmation and RoHS 2011/65/EU declaration. The silicone tooling should be conditioned at 45 °C before first pour to reduce moisture uptake; at relative humidity above 60 %, the polyol side must be re-dried under vacuum because free water above 0.03 wt% creates foaming and part rejection.
Low-volume medical wearable device enclosures are not injection moulded when annual order volumes fall below 5,000 units because steel tooling amortisation exceeds the material cost; vacuum casting into platinum-cured silicone moulds is the production route used instead. The QuickPlastic PELike 80 A polyol and isocyanate are mixed at a reduced A:B mass ratio of 100:95 to lower the peak exotherm below 55 °C during thick-walled enclosure pours; a hindered amine light stabilizer at 0.2–0.5 wt% is added to the polyol side if the final device is exposed to repeated UV inspection lighting. The silicone mould is evacuated to 3 mbar before casting, and the resin is introduced at 30 °C under vacuum; after gel time of 10–12 min, the mould is moved to a cure oven at 70 °C for 12 h. Cooling must be controlled at 0.5 °C/min or slower because rapid cooling has been observed to induce sink marks at standoff bosses and insert pockets. Finished product types include wearable sensor pods, CPAP mask clips, diagnostic handpiece housings, and hearing-aid shell prototypes.
For medical wearables, the final device manufacturer remains responsible for conformity to ISO 10993-1:2018; raw material batch documentation should be reviewed for ISO 10993-5:2009 cytotoxicity and ISO 10993-10:2010 skin irritation test summaries only when the supplier has certified that specific lot. In the absence of full biocompatibility certification, use is restricted to intact skin contact below 24 h and no mucosal contact. Vacuum casting operators report that residual isocyanate at the mould surface can cause silicone mould fouling; post-curing at 70 °C for 12 h followed by 7 d at 23 °C is required before skin-contact packaging. The A:B ratio must not be adjusted without repeating hardness and tensile checks because a +1 wt% isocyanate drift raises Shore A hardness by 2–3 points.
Pre-batched two-component cast urethane is metered through a static mixing nozzle into open aluminium or silicone footwear tooling heated to 60 °C; for a 200 g midsole shot, the dispense pressure is held below 1.5 bar to avoid air injection at the mixing nozzle. A hydrolysis-control carbodiimide masterbatch is predispersed at 0.5–0.8 wt% into the polyol side, and the polyol-to-isocyanate ratio remains at the lot-certified 100:100 by mass. If a softer footbed variant is required, 1.0–2.0 wt% of a phthalate-free plasticizer may be added to the polyol side, but this produces a Shore A reduction of 5–8 points and must be re-qualified for abrasion loss. The filled moulds are held at 25 °C for 30 min to degas, then cured at 70 °C for 14 h. Full mechanical properties are not recorded until a 7 d ambient post-cure has been completed because cast urethane systems continue chain extension for several days after demould.
Footwear validation data requested by brand purchasers include flexing resistance per ISO 17707:2005, static coefficient of friction per ASTM D1894-14, and hardness per ASTM D2240-21; typical acceptance bands are 80 ± 3 A for hardness, 0.35–0.55 static COF on dry steel, and no flex cut growth deeper than 4 mm at 30,000 cycles. Finished product types include orthopaedic footwear midsoles, heel wedges, full-length insoles, and toe spacers. Compliance documentation for export normally covers REACH SVHC confirmation, RoHS 2011/65/EU, and California Proposition 65 where aromatic amine byproducts may be scrutinised. The addition of internal release agents beyond 0.2 wt% is not recommended for footwear because it can reduce adhesive bond strength during subsequent sole attachment by 15–25 %.
| Application | Standard | Property | Acceptance band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive grommets | ASTM D2240-21 | Hardness | 80 ± 3 A |
| Automotive grommets | ASTM D395-18 | Compression set 22 h / 70 °C | ≤25 % |
| Medical wearables | ISO 10993-5:2009 | Cytotoxicity | Pass, supplier lot data |
| Footwear | ISO 17707:2005 | Flexing resistance | No cut growth > 4 mm at 30,000 cycles |
| Footwear | ASTM D1894-14 | Static COF | 0.35–0.55 |
| Roller sleeves | ISO 4649:2017 | Abrasion loss | ≤80 mm³ |
| Roller sleeves | ASTM D624-20 | Tear strength | ≥45 kN/m |
| Food handling | FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 | Repeated-use food contact | Dry food only, T < 40 °C |
| Paper converting | ASTM D412-16 | Tensile strength | 18–25 MPa |
Two-part 80 A polyurethane compounds are dispensed onto steel core rollers in a horizontal rotational casting fixture; rotational speed is held at 6–12 min⁻¹ to prevent sag on large-diameter rolls and to maintain uniform layer thickness. Before casting, degreased steel cores are grit-blasted to Sa 2.5 and primed with a two-component polyurethane primer; an adhesion promoter at 0.3–0.6 wt% is incorporated into the polyol side before combining with the isocyanate at the certified 100:100 mass ratio. The mixed material is poured at 40 °C onto the rotating core, gel time is approximately 20 min, and the roll is post-cured for 16 h at 80 °C inside a forced-air oven. Operators report that layer thickness above 25 mm generates internal exotherm above 95 °C, which causes bubble formation in the centreline; therefore, thick sections are poured in two stages with an intermediate 2 h rest at 25 °C.
Validation for mining and aggregate applications includes abrasion loss per ISO 4649:2017 of ≤80 mm³, tear strength per ASTM D624-20 of ≥45 kN/m, and rebound resilience per ASTM D2632-15 of 25–40 %. If components are intended for underground coal conveyors, the final assembled part may require flame-resistance testing according to MSHA 30 CFR Part 18; the raw polyurethane itself is not flame-retardant, so compliance cannot be claimed without an approved flame-retardant additive package. Finished product types include conveyor impact pads, idler roller sleeves, static bearing encapsulants, classifier screen edge liners, and hopper skirting wipers.
In dry-material handling plants where stainless steel scrapers are rejected for noise, surface abrasion, and product contamination, cast urethane replacements with Shore 80 A hardness and PE-like slip behaviour are formed in low-pressure silicone moulds. The A:B mass ratio is 100:100 as stated on the lot card; a dimethyl silicone internal mould release at 0.1–0.3 wt% is added only after the downstream OEM reviews migration limits under FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 and EU 1935/2004. The mixed material is poured at 35 °C into open moulds with a gel time of 15 min and demould time of 60 min, followed by post-cure at 70 °C for 12 h. For dry granulated sugar, salt, and starch conveying, the material is used for star wheels, guide rails, scraper blades, and discharge chute liners. An operational boundary is that fatty or oily food contact above 40 °C is excluded because the formulation lacks migration testing for lipophilic simulants; parts should be cleaned with 50 °C alkaline detergent and not steam-sterilised.
Compliance documents requested for export include REACH SVHC confirmation, RoHS 2011/65/EU, and a signed FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 letter for repeated-use rubber articles intended for dry foods. Batch certificates should record hardness per ISO 868 and abrasion loss per ISO 4649:2017; a typical hardness acceptance band is 80 ± 3 A and abrasion loss below 90 mm³. The PE-like surface behaviour is characterised by static coefficient of friction per ASTM D1894-14 against polished steel, with typical values between 0.30 and 0.45 after a 24 h conditioning at 23 °C and 50 % RH. Do not combine this material with amine-based cleaning agents after installation because residual surface amines can degrade the urethane network at stress concentration points.
Paper converting lines that run polyethylene wear strips often record replacement intervals below 800 h on high-speed rotary knives; the same housing bore can accept a cast urethane strip with Shore 80 A durometer and a PE-like surface energy, but only if the part is post-cured sufficiently to remove residual isocyanate. The A:B ratio for this large cross-section pouring is set at 100:105 by mass to extend gel time to 25 min; quartz filler at 0.5–1.0 wt% on the polyol side reduces thermal shrinkage in sections exceeding 20 mm. Open moulds are preheated to 50 °C, the mixture is vacuum-degassed at ≤5 mbar before pouring, and the filled moulds are post-cured at 80 °C for 18 h with a subsequent 5 d ambient rest. The extended gel time demands longer clamping before demould; parts demoulded before 90 min have shown edge lifting at machined mounting holes.
Validation includes hardness per ASTM D2240-21 at 80 ± 3 A, tensile strength per ASTM D412-16 between 18 and 25 MPa, and elongation at break between 300 % and 500 %. For converting equipment supplied into the EU, REACH and RoHS 2011/65/EU declarations are required; if the wear strip contacts dry paper for food packaging, the converter must verify overall migration under EU 10/2011 and repeated-use food-contact status under FDA 21 CFR 177.2600. Finished product types include rotary slitting wipers, deckle edge seals, suction-cup pads, and stripper fingers. The main incompatibility is with high-solvent inks and ketone cleaning solvents; methyl ethyl ketone swells the surface layer and reduces abrasion resistance by 30–40 % in laboratory soak tests.
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The material sold under the designation 3D Systems QuickPlastic Cast Urethane Material PELike 80 A is a castable polyurethane elastomer supplied as a two-component liquid system for short-series and prototype moulding operations. The numerical suffix in the product designation identifies a nominal Shore hardness of 80 A when the polymer is cured according to the manufacturer’s revision-controlled processing instructions. Hardness classification is normally established under ASTM D2240-15 or ISO 48-4 on a plaque of sufficient thickness to eliminate substrate effects, typically 6 mm or greater, after conditioning at 23 °C ± 2 °C and 50 % ± 10 % relative humidity. The designation does not indicate direct property equivalence to low-density or high-density polyethylene; polyethylene grades commonly occupy Shore D hardness ranges, whereas an 80 A result places this formulation in the firm elastomer segment. The “PELike” descriptor is best interpreted as a portfolio-level classification for a soft, tough cast urethane rather than a substitution guarantee for polyethylene machined or injection-moulded components. Product-specific tensile, tear, elongation, density, and compression-set values must be taken from the current technical data sheet or a batch-specific certificate of analysis, because formulation adjustments for colour, cure speed, or mould release can shift final properties beyond the nominal hardness class.
| Property | Standard designation | Specimen geometry or conditioning | Reporting unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indentation hardness | ASTM D2240-15 / ISO 48-4 | Stacked 6 mm plaques, 23 °C ± 2 °C, 50 % ± 10 % RH | Shore A |
| Tensile strength and elongation at break | ASTM D638-14 / ISO 527-2 | Type IV or type 1A dumbbell, 500 mm/min crosshead speed | MPa, % |
| Tear resistance | ASTM D624-20 / ISO 34-1 | Die C or trouser specimen, nicked condition | kN/m |
| Density | ASTM D792-20 / ISO 1183-1 | Cast plaque, water displacement at 23 °C | g/cm³ |
| Compression set | ASTM D395-18 Method B | 22 h at 70 °C or 23 °C, 25 % deflection | % |
| Abrasion loss | ISO 4649 | Rotating drum abrasion, non-rotating specimen | mm³ |
The two-part liquid system is processed primarily in vacuum casting chambers where silicone rubber moulds replicate prototype geometry from stereolithography or other master patterns. Because the mixed material may exhibit limited working time before viscosity rise, cavity filling must be completed before gelation begins. The material is sensitive to moisture ingress, which is a characteristic of isocyanate-containing castable urethanes. Water reacts preferentially with isocyanate groups to generate carbon dioxide and urea-containing by-products, producing bubbles, reduced crosslink density, and localised soft spots. For this reason, feedstock containers, mixing vessels, and mould surfaces must be dry, and processing should not proceed when ambient relative humidity exceeds the threshold specified in the manufacturer’s processing guide. Published data for the current QuickPlastic PELike 80 A configuration regarding moisture tolerance at a specific relative humidity level is limited; therefore, vacuum-drying of moulds and use of dry air or nitrogen purging are prudent process controls rather than optional measures.
Vacuum degassing controls the removal of entrained air that enters during component weighing, mixing, and pouring. The mixed liquid should be degassed in a chamber at reduced pressure until visible bubble collapse ceases and the surface rises without foaming. Chamber pressure during this step is typically maintained below 50 mbar for formulations in this viscosity class, but the exact vacuum level and duration are product-specific. Air entrapped in deep ribs, blind holes, or small-diameter gates does not always escape through simple vacuum alone; overfilling and venting of the silicone tool are additional controls. Low-viscosity mixed resin may fill thin sections more readily than heavily filled systems, yet reduction of viscosity through excessive mould heating shortens pot life and can advance gelation before the cavity is fully charged.
Mixing ratio precision is a primary determinant of final hardness, tear response, and compression set. Off-ratio mixing, particularly on the curative side, reduces effective crosslinking and can produce a surface that remains tacky after demoulding or exhibits lower resistance to set under load. Metering accuracy, blade clearance, and mixer speed should be configured to avoid high-shear vortices that pull air into the mass. A mix vessel with a wide base is often used to maximise degassed area and reduce material depth. After degassing, the liquid is poured into the lowest point of the mould cavity to minimise trapped air as the level rises. Silicone tools with Shore A values between 40 A and 60 A are widely used for vacuum casting because they permit demoulding of negative draft features and tolerate repeated exothermic curing cycles; however, tool silicone should be selected for low moisture absorption and negligible plasticiser migration into the cast urethane surface.
Part geometry determines whether the QuickPlastic PELike 80 A formulation will demould cleanly without tearing the green part or damaging the silicone tool. Extremely thin walls below 1 mm may cool after casting in a way that traps residual monomer or prevents full cure before demoulding, while thick sections above 20 mm can retain exothermic heat and develop visible colour gradients or internal porosity. Cast urethane systems of this hardness class are not normally machined to final dimension after cure unless allowances are made for compression set and part distortion. When a prototype is intended to simulate an injection-moulded thermoplastic elastomer in a functional assembly, the urethane’s notch sensitivity, surface tack, and shrinkage must be assessed using test specimens before committing to silicone tooling.
Venting is particularly important in cavities that form bellows, convoluted dust covers, or sealing lips. Vent channels at the highest points of the mould cavity permit displaced air to escape during filling and allow resin to pack the tool under gravity. A fill path that moves from thin sections to thick sections can cause early gelation in the thin region and starve the thick region. Reversing the fill direction or adding secondary flow channels may be necessary for consistent bubble-free production. Demoulding agents are sometimes required, but amine-based release compounds should be avoided with isocyanate-cure cast urethanes because they can accelerate surface gelation and create visible skin defects. Wax or non-reactive silicone-free release products are generally preferred, with compatibility confirmed on scrap plaques before production begins.
The material is applied in low-volume production of flexible gaskets, sealing strips, protective boots, impingement bumpers, cable grommets, and soft-touch housing elements where a thermoplastic-like finish is less critical than geometric conformance and short lead time. In these applications, the cast urethane grade is expected to provide useful elasticity at room temperature and moderate resistance to abrasion and minor chemical exposure. However, service conditions involving repeated flexure, hot water, polar solvents, or continuous load should be evaluated with the specific test methods listed in the table above. A prospective user should not infer suitability from Shore hardness alone, because two materials at 80 A can differ materially in tensile modulus, tear propagation, and compression set depending on curative chemistry and plasticiser content.
The primary difference between this PELike 80 A cast urethane and rigid QuickPlastic grades intended to simulate ABS, polycarbonate, or glass-filled nylon lies in the modulus and recovery behaviour. Rigid QuickPlastic formulations typically exhibit high Shore D hardness, elevated flexural modulus, and low elongation before yield. The PELike 80 A system occupies the opposite end of the portfolio: it deforms under much lower stress, recovers elastically over a wider strain range, and resists brittle fracture in applications where rigid grades would crack. This difference is not limited to hardness; it also affects mould design, demold timing, and post-cure distortion. Because softer urethanes release more easily from silicone tooling, they may allow deeper negative draft features than rigid grades, but they may also reproduce surface texture less crisply due to local deformation during demoulding.
Relative to unfilled HDPE or LDPE, the cast urethane does not provide a direct mechanical substitute. HDPE typically sits in the Shore D range and offers significantly higher stiffness and lower rubber-like elasticity than a Shore 80 A urethane. The “PELike” nomenclature should therefore not be used to specify a part for load-bearing polyethylene service without supporting mechanical data. Any claim of polyethylene-like behaviour must be confirmed by comparing tensile modulus, creep behaviour, coefficient of friction, and chemical exposure under the applicable end-use conditions. A more defensible interpretation is that the formulation offers a processing shortcut to an elastomeric prototype with lower hardness than engineering thermoplastics, while still providing a non-silicone surface that can be used in silicone-free assembly environments.
Compared with silicone castable elastomers of similar hardness, the urethane system often provides higher tensile strength and tear resistance but narrower high-temperature capability and greater sensitivity to moisture during cure. Silicone formulations may retain flexibility at lower temperatures and tolerate higher continuous service temperatures, while urethanes generally exhibit better abrasion resistance and superior resistance to tearing after mechanical damage. Selection between these families should be driven by thermal conditions, chemical exposure, and regulatory constraints rather than by hardness alone. Published data for the quick comparison of this specific QuickPlastic PELike 80 A grade against a particular silicone or rigid QuickPlastic material is limited; comparative selections should rely on current supplier datasheets and in-house ageing trials.
Demoulded cast urethane components frequently have not reached their final property state. A post-cure step, typically performed at elevated temperature for several hours, completes the reaction and reduces residual reactive groups that would otherwise contribute to surface tack, odour, and time-dependent hardness drift. The post-cure duration and temperature must be selected from the product datasheet because excessive temperature can soften the moulded part during handling and may alter dimensions. Compression set is also affected by post-cure. Inadequate post-cure leaves unreacted chain ends and suppresses the network maturation that imparts resilience under continuous load. Parts that must function as seals, dampers, or gaskets should be tested after the same post-cure cycle intended for production, not after a shortened laboratory cure.
Environmental conditions after cure impose additional limits. Urethane elastomers of Shore 80 A hardness may swell or soften in prolonged contact with ketones, chlorinated solvents, and some polar fluids, while short-term splash contact may be acceptable. Strong alkaline or acidic exposure can hydrolyse ester-based urethanes, and sustained hot-water contact above the glass-transition or hydrolysis threshold can promote irreversible softening. The manufacturer’s chemical resistance chart should be consulted, and immersion tests should be conducted under realistic temperature and load conditions. Because the QuickPlastic PELike 80 A material is intended for prototype and short-run cast urethane moulding, its long-term ageing behaviour may differ from production thermoplastic elastomers that have been formulated for years of UV and thermal cycling exposure. Outdoor weatherability, UV resistance, and food-contact status are not assumed and require explicit certification review.
Production-scale processing differs from benchtop mixing in ways that are sometimes understated. In multi-cavity silicone tools, the operator must maintain identical fill rate, degassing time, and demoulding interval across every cycle to reduce hardness variation and flash formation. Vacuum casting machines with programmable degassing cycles and heated moulds reduce some variability, but the batch-to-batch reactivity of prepolymers and curatives can still cause pot-life drift. For this reason, in-process monitoring of mixed liquid temperature and visual gel time is a practical complement to the standard property tests. If a batch gels more rapidly than expected, the mould may not fill completely or the resulting part may contain knit lines at the merging fronts. Such processing evidence is relevant to the material’s usable service range and should be documented in the same manner as mechanical test data.
In assemblies that mate a PELike 80 A seal or boot with rigid components, dimensional tolerances must account for urethane shrinkage and compression-set behaviour. Silicone tooling generally produces cast parts with dimensions close to the master model, but the accuracy of local features depends on tool shrinkage and the expansion behaviour of the mould material. A flexible part can seal effectively if its compression force remains within the service range over the assembly’s temperature cycle. Continuous compresssive strain at elevated temperature can cause the material to lose thickness and reduce sealing force over time, a limitation quantified by compression-set testing under ASTM D395-18 Method B. The part geometry should therefore be designed with sufficient initial compression to tolerate measured set, or the material should be prototyped with post-cured samples tested under the intended service load and temperature profile.
Regulatory documentation for the material, including EU REACH status and EU RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II metals restrictions, must be obtained from the supplier and verified for each production batch. No independent conformity statement is made in this technical introduction. Users in regulated industries should request a complete material declaration and confirm that the cast urethane does not introduce phthalate plasticisers or other restricted additives into the final assembly. For applications that require skin contact, medical device, or food-contact certification, the material’s status must be reviewed against the applicable country-specific standard or directive before use. Cast urethane systems are generally not supplied ready for implant or prolonged mucous-membrane contact unless expressly certified.
The final application scenario for this material is the short-run replication of a soft, non-brittle component whose production injection-moulded equivalent might be a thermoplastic polyurethane or a soft thermoplastic elastomer. In this usage, the QuickPlastic PELike 80 A grade provides a castable path to test shape, assembly fit, and basic mechanical function without cutting steel injection tooling. The material is demoulded, post-cured, and then evaluated under ASTM D638-14 tensile and ASTM D624-20 tear protocols where necessary. Published data for the specific performance of this product in every application configuration is limited, but the process window and property expectations for Shore 80 A cast urethane are well established within the field of vacuum-assisted prototyping. Selection should proceed only after confirming the current datasheet, mixing instructions, mould material compatibility, and end-use test results from first-run prototype parts.
