| HS Code | 126952 |
| Product Name | 3D Systems VisiJet CR-BK Polymer |
| Material Type | Photopolymer |
| Color | Black |
| Tensile Strength | 48 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 2,400 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 8% |
| Flexural Strength | 68 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 2,000 MPa |
| Hardness | 80 Shore D |
| Notched Izod Impact Strength | 20 J/m |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 62°C at 0.45 MPa |
| Density | 1.12 g/cm³ |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 72°C |
| Water Absorption | 0.4% |
As an accredited 3D Systems VisiJet CR-BK Polymer factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
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In low-volume multi-pin connector prototyping, VisiJet CR-BK is evaluated as a rigid black photopolymer substitute for PBT and PET injection-molding resins before hardened tooling is committed. The resin is processed as a single-component acrylate photopolymer on MultiJet Printing equipment with a 32 µm layer thickness and 800 dpi native resolution; no two-component mixing ratio, viscosity adjustment, or vacuum degassing is required on the production line. Snap-fit retention beams and latch features are oriented at 30° to 45° relative to the build plane to keep layer boundaries out of the primary insertion-stress axis. Wax support removal is performed in a heated agitated bath followed by ultrasonic cavitation in a non-solvent detergent solution; aggressive solvent immersion is contraindicated because it can induce surface crazing at thin wall sections below 1.2 mm. Tensile and flexural test plaques are conditioned for 48 h at 23±2 °C and 50±5 % RH according to ISO 291:2008, then evaluated per ASTM D638-14 and ISO 178:2019; these values are used only for comparative screening against unfilled PBT datasheets. Dielectric withstand and comparative tracking index are assessed on printed plaques, with compliance checks referencing IEC 60112:2003 and UL 94 at the minimum housing wall of 1.5 mm. Printed connector shells are mechanically assembled with stamped crimp contacts, not overmolded with zinc-alloy cores, because the thermoset photopolymer cannot be remelted into an overmold. The terminal component is a 24-pin sensor-side connector shell used for wire-harness fitment trials and continuity cycling on a cable tester.
Under-hood sensor brackets and wire-harness retainers printed in VisiJet CR-BK are validated in thermal-soak fixtures that reproduce ISO 16750-4:2010 exposure cycles. The key processing conflict is that unfilled acrylate photopolymer networks lose retention force as the part approaches heat deflection temperature; heat deflection is determined by ASTM D648-16 at 0.455 MPa on 6.4 mm specimens. Published continuous-service data for this specific grade under simultaneous 120 °C oil spray and vibration is limited; therefore, brackets are restricted to short-duration engine-off thermal validation or low-heat zones below the measured HDT minus 10 °C. Thick bosses and anchoring lugs above 6 mm generate differential crosslink density through the build, producing internal stress that manifests as corner curl during support-wax removal. To reduce this, sections are kept between 2 mm and 4 mm, and support removal bath temperature is held at least 15 °C below the HDT measured on printed coupons. Brackets are post-processed by wax removal, then assembled with threaded inserts using direct-screw bosses with pilot hole diameters 0.8 mm below the insert outer diameter. The terminal article is a black lateral acceleration sensor bracket used in a 20-unit thermal-validation fleet; production-grade glass-filled PBT remains the conversion target after tooling is approved.
Bench-top laboratory instrument enclosures are printed from VisiJet CR-BK when the design requires an opaque black front fascia, low-mass prototype housings, and rapid iteration without polyurethane vacuum casting. The material is supplied as a ready-to-jet resin; no mixing ratio, viscosity adjustment, or degassing step is used on the printing line. For limited-contact medical device prototypes, biocompatibility risk is assessed under ISO 10993-5:2009 cytotoxicity, but the resin is not supplied with long-term implant certification, and repeated autoclave exposure at 121 °C is outside the expected service window unless glass transition exceeds that temperature by a verified margin using ASTM D7028-07(2015) DMA. Leakage current and creepage distances for mains-powered laboratory instruments are reviewed against IEC 61010-1:2010; where EMI shielding is required, a copper-nickel conductive coating is applied to internal surfaces because the unfilled black photopolymer is not electrically conductive. Support removal from thin honeycomb boss fields requires drain apertures of at least 1.5 mm to prevent wax entrapment and subsequent surface eruption during mechanical assembly. The terminal components are matte black faceplates and side covers for a pre-clinical hematology analyzer, produced in batches of 15 to 30 units for usability testing.
Pneumatic manifold prototypes are printed from VisiJet CR-BK when low-pressure fluidic test stands require rigid black distribution blocks with integrated barb fittings and threaded ports. The MJP process builds internal channels at 32 µm layer thickness, but interlayer adhesion remains the dominant leakage risk; channel walls are held between 3 mm and 5 mm to reduce the probability of a continuous void path. After wax removal, printed manifolds are sealed by threading NPT fittings with PTFE tape to 1.5 turns past hand-tight; anaerobic thread sealants are preferred for pneumatic circuits because they cure in the absence of air without attacking the photopolymer surface. Pressure retention is evaluated by pressurizing the manifold to 0.3 MPa under water with no continuous bubble stream after a 60 s stabilization period; this test is used for incoming bench validation, not for certified pressure-vessel conditions. Alignment through multi-piece manifolds is confirmed by CMM scanning according to ISO 10360-2:2009 on both end faces over a 120 mm gauge length. The terminal use is a vacuum-gripper distribution manifold for an electronics pick-and-place cell; published fatigue data for cyclic pneumatic service above 500,000 cycles is limited.
| Application | Verification standard / test method | Boundary condition |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical connector housings | IEC 60112:2003, UL 94 at 1.5 mm | 48 h conditioning at 23±2 °C, 50±5 % RH |
| Engine-bay sensor brackets | ASTM D648-16, ISO 16750-4:2010 | Service below HDT minus 10 °C; wall thickness 2–4 mm |
| Laboratory instrument enclosures | ISO 10993-5:2009, IEC 61010-1:2010 | Autoclave 121 °C excluded without DMA verification |
| Fluid manifold test coupons | ISO 10360-2:2009 CMM | Pneumatic pressure 0.3 MPa, 60 s underwater leak check |
Optoelectronic inspection fixtures frequently use cast polyurethane for blackout shrouds, but iterative changes in vision-cell layout justify printing VisiJet CR-BK shrouds directly on MJP equipment. The black opaque formulation eliminates post-dyeing steps that often produce uneven colorant penetration on cast urethane; surface gloss is measured with a 60° glossmeter according to ASTM D523-14(2018) after glass-bead blasting at 40–50 psi. Stray-light absorption is not characterized by total hemispherical reflectance alone; matte texture geometry and bead-blast pressure are controlled to maintain consistent low gloss across each batch. Blind cavity channels and lens-retention features can trap wax support if drain holes are below 1.5 mm; the build fixture is oriented to keep drain holes on the upper surface during support removal. Threaded inserts are installed with a heated insertion tip below the glass transition measured by DMA, preventing localized blushing around the boss. The terminal components are laser-safety enclosures and camera shrouds used in a 12-camera inline inspection station; dimensional fit is checked on a CMM after 24 h equilibration at 23±2 °C.
Functional assembly fixtures printed from VisiJet CR-BK are applied where snap-fit mating of plastic housings requires go/no-go verification without machining acetal or aluminum. The major process limitation is wear at high-pressure contact lines; bare photopolymer locating surfaces are not specified for steel-cam contact, and replaceable POM or hardened-steel wear inserts are added at any surface with projected contact pressure above 1 MPa. Jig base plates are printed flat on the build tray to avoid curl, with critical locating bores reamed to final diameter after printing rather than used as-built; first-article inspection is performed on a CMM according to ISO 10360-2:2009, and batch-to-batch dimensional readouts are compared across 20-part builds. Insertion-force cycling is conducted at 0.5 Hz for 2,000 cycles on a motorized test stand; if a feature fails before cycle completion, the cause is typically interlayer delamination at an unsupported corner rather than bulk fracture. The black color aids visual detection of cracked or chipped edges during routine inspection. Terminal components include snap-fit assembly nests and continuity-test fixtures for consumer electronic connectors, operated in dry assembly rooms at 23±2 °C and 40–60 % RH.
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The product designation 3D Systems VisiJet CR-BK identifies a rigid black ultraviolet-curable acrylate photopolymer supplied in sealed cartridges for MultiJet Printing systems in the ProJet MJP 2500 series. The formulation is an opaque black part material rather than a castable, transparent, or elastomeric grade. On the ProJet MJP 2500 Plus platform, the material is jetted alongside a melt-away support inside a build envelope of 294 mm × 211 mm × 144 mm. The high-definition mode deposits layers at a nominal 0.032 mm thickness, with system addressability documented as 800 dpi × 900 dpi × 790 dpi. CR-BK is specified for dark visual prototypes, jigs, fixtures, and assemblies where post-print black painting should be minimized. Its black surface provides useful contrast for visual inspection, although glossy black surfaces may require matte developer before some structured-light scanning operations.
Physical property specifications are tied to the following test designations: tensile properties by ASTM D638-14, flexural properties by ASTM D790-17, notched Izod impact by ASTM D256-10, heat deflection temperature by ASTM D648-18, Shore D hardness by ASTM D2240-15, and density by ASTM D792-20. The manufacturer’s revision-controlled cartridge insert supplies lot-specific values. Within this rigid opaque MJP photopolymer class, tensile modulus typically falls between 1.0 GPa and 2.5 GPa, with elongation at break below 15 %. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; users performing structural simulation should obtain lot-specific tensile data and not substitute clear unfilled acrylate values as direct equivalents.
| Qualification domain | Test designation | Specimen or condition | Process-control use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile modulus and strength | ASTM D638-14 | Type IV specimen, 5 mm/min crosshead speed | X-Y and Z orientation comparison |
| Flexural properties | ASTM D790-17 | Three-point bend, 16:1 span-to-depth ratio | Rib, boss, and housing stiffness |
| Notched Izod impact | ASTM D256-10 | Pendulum energy 2.75 J | Snap-fit and drop-risk parts |
| Heat deflection temperature | ASTM D648-18 | Flexural stress 0.455 MPa | Oven drying, automotive interior use |
| Hardness | ASTM D2240-15 | Shore D, 15 s dwell | Scratch and handling assessment |
Material properties are anisotropic. The droplet-based deposition path and layer interface can reduce Z-axis tensile values relative to X-Y. If the datasheet value is used as a preliminary design allowable, a reduction factor of 0.7 is commonly applied in the Z direction until orientation-specific ISO 527-1:2019 tensile data are available.
Black pigmentation increases photon absorption at the jetting wavelength. In clear resin, photoinitiator concentration primarily limits cure depth; in CR-BK, the dispersed black pigment also absorbs radiation and can lower effective cure depth per voxel. On production-scale MJP equipment, underexposure may appear as weak interlayer bonding rather than immediate build failure. The defect is detected by tensile testing of Z-oriented bars under ASTM D638-14, where delamination occurs in the first few layers if exposure compensation is not matched to the black formulation. Build preparation should therefore include exposure test coupons printed at three different layer exposure settings before dense batch work begins.
The same pigment effect means that CR-BK should not be processed with the same cure assumptions as clear or white VisiJet grades. Build parameters optimized for low-pigment resins can produce underconverted surfaces on downward-facing or shadowed features. For thin sections below 1.0 mm, premature fracture or chipping at support removal is the primary field failure mode. Sectioned test channels with diameters of 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, and 4.0 mm are used to verify cure and washout behavior before committing to full build loads.
Because CR-BK does not carry a burnout specification, it is not a direct replacement for VisiJet M2 CAST in investment casting. Castable materials are qualified by ash residue and burnout expansion; CR-BK is not formulated for this pathway. Direct attempts at shell burnout leave carbonaceous residue in the ceramic and are outside the product’s intended operating envelope. For sacrificial patterns, the castable grade is selected; for opaque black visual prototypes and low-load tooling, CR-BK is used. This is the primary portfolio distinction governing material interchange.
For silicone tooling masters, CR-BK is used to provide a hard black master for room-temperature vulcanizing silicone molds. The black surface allows visual verification of parting-line flash and surface defects before molding. Because some platinum-cure silicones may be inhibited by uncured acrylate residue, the master should be fully cured and cleaned with isopropanol; a small compatibility plaque should be cast before committing to production tooling.
Dark consumer electronics mock-ups benefit from the elimination of primer and matte black topcoat. The gloss and surface texture are build-surface dependent: down-facing surfaces in contact with support often have a different roughness than up-facing surfaces. Cosmetic acceptance should be defined with a surface profilometer rather than visual inspection alone; roughness data are recorded with a 0.8 mm cutoff and 4.8 mm traverse length. The material’s thermal limit is anchored to ASTM D648-18; if an enclosure is positioned near a heat source above the published HDT under load, creep deformation occurs over time.
For structured-light scanning, glossy black parts may reflect insufficient light for some sensors. A temporary matte developer or a vapor-blasted surface can improve measurement repeatability. Dimensional inspection on a bridge CMM is recommended for reference features because tactile probes avoid the local gloss and diffuse-light errors that optical scanners can exhibit on black polymer surfaces. Feature tolerances below 0.1 mm are typically reamed or post-machined rather than accepted as printed.
On CNC machining lines, CR-BK jigs and fixtures are used where black color improves contrast in camera-based tool-setting. However, the heat deflection limit of this material restricts use near hot spindles or in continuous contact with elevated-temperature cutting fluids. If a fixture locates holes below 0.1 mm tolerance, inserts or reamed bushings are recommended because as-printed holes can drift through support residue and Z-axis anisotropy.
Storage and handling for CR-BK follow photopolymer cartridge practice. Sealed cartridges are held at 15 °C to 27 °C and conditioned to the print head temperature before jetting. Static storage can allow black pigment to settle; the manufacturer’s cartridge agitation interval should be followed. Overheating a cartridge above the specified conditioning range risks thermal polymerization and jetting streak defects. On production lines, cartridge lot changes are recorded against the build job so that batch-to-batch shifts in pigment dispersion can be traced if surface streaking appears.
Support material is removed by heating in a convection oven. The oven setpoint is kept below the part’s heat deflection temperature under load; prolonged residence at higher temperature can allow black thin-walled sections to creep. Blind holes with a depth-to-diameter ratio above 3:1 often retain molten support after the first oven cycle. A second oven dwell with fresh absorbent material, followed by ultrasonic agitation in a compatible solvent, is used for these features. Process qualification should include sectioning of sealed channels at 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, and 4.0 mm diameters to document complete support removal before production build loads begin.
Build orientation affects support contact. Critical sealing surfaces, snap arms, and small holes are oriented away from the support side where possible. If a sealing surface must face downward, an additional 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm stock allowance is added for post-finishing. The use of as-printed holes below 1.0 mm is discouraged; they are drilled or reamed after support removal.
Cured CR-BK has limited resistance to ketones, esters, and chlorinated solvents. Wiping with strong solvents can cause swelling and stress cracking; non-aggressive cleaning with isopropanol or a manufacturer-approved cleaner is preferred. For service in contact with cutting fluids, mild acids, or mineral oil, compatibility is evaluated by ASTM D543-20 immersion testing. If the part will be exposed to outdoor sunlight, UV degradation and color shift are expected for unpainted acrylate polymers; sealing and opaque coating reduce this effect.
Compared to high-modulus rigid or durable VisiJet grades, CR-BK is selected for black opaque appearance rather than maximum tensile strength. For load-bearing snap-fit prototypes, a higher-modulus material is specified if the published CR-BK tensile modulus is insufficient. Compared to elastomeric VisiJet CE-series materials, CR-BK is rigid and does not exhibit large elastic recovery; seals, gaskets, and soft-touch overmolds require an elastomeric grade. Compared to vat photopolymerization resins, CR-BK is jetted with a support material that can be melted out of enclosed cavities, but the droplet-based process introduces orientation-dependent mechanical behavior.
Article-level compliance statements for RoHS 2011/65/EU and REACH 1907/2006/EC should be obtained from the supplier for the specific cartridge part number. Uncured liquid resin is an industrial skin and eye irritant; cured parts are not food-contact approved unless a specific compliance statement is supplied. These regulatory limits are part of the operational boundary and should be reviewed before use in consumer-facing or medical-adjacent environments.
