3D Systems VisiJet RBK-RWT-L10 Multi-Material Composites is a matched two-cartridge material set comprising VisiJet CR-BK and VisiJet CR-WT 200**. The set is identified by the model code RBK-RWT-L10 and is intended for MultiJet Printing platforms that accept dual rigid-part material cartridges. VisiJet CR-BK is the black rigid photopolymer; VisiJet CR-WT 200** is the corresponding rigid white grade. The two materials are not pre-mixed into a single resin. They remain in separate cartridge reservoirs, are jetted as discrete voxels through dedicated print-head channels, and are consolidated by in-situ UV cure. The resulting part can contain co-printed black and white rigid regions within a single build cycle. A sacrificial wax support material, typically VisiJet S400, is used for overhangs and internal cavities and is removed downstream by low-temperature melting and solvent rinse.

What mechanical test standards anchor the rigid black and white property set?

Mechanical characterization of VisiJet CR-BK and VisiJet CR-WT 200** follows rigid photopolymer test protocols rather than thermoplastic melt-flow methods. Tensile response is measured under ASTM D638-14 at 23 °C ± 2 °C and 50 % ± 5 % RH. Flexural modulus is determined under ASTM D790-17 or ISO 178:2019 using a three-point bend configuration. Heat deflection temperature is reported under ASTM D648-18 at 0.455 MPa using Method B. Shore D hardness is recorded under ASTM D2240-15 with a 15 s dwell. Density is measured under ASTM D792-20. Because cured photopolymers are anisotropic, test specimens are normally harvested from X, Y, and Z build orientations. Z-oriented tensile and flexural values tend to be lower than X/Y values due to interlayer boundary effects. Published data for this specific RBK-RWT-L10 pairing indicates that CR-BK generally produces a higher flexural modulus and lower elongation than CR-WT 200**, although the exact values depend on build orientation and post-processing state. When checked against manufacturer literature, tensile strength for the rigid CR-series grades commonly falls between 45 MPa and 55 MPa under ASTM D638-14, while flexural modulus is typically reported between 2,000 MPa and 2,800 MPa under ASTM D790-17. These ranges are broad enough to account for orientation effects and laboratory-to-laboratory variation.

Rigid multi-material build preparation and support removal

On production-scale ProJet MJP 2500 series hardware, the RBK-RWT-L10 set is typically processed at 32 μm layer thickness in high-definition mode and 58 μm in high-speed mode. The nominal build volume for this platform is 294 mm × 211 mm × 144 mm. The printer controls two part-material channels independently, allowing the black and white resins to be assigned to different regions of the same build. Droplet placement is governed by the piezoelectric print-head actuators; the two materials must remain within their specified viscosity windows to prevent nozzle dropout, satellite droplet formation, and print-head face plate contamination. Cartridge temperature is controlled by the printer cartridge bay, but batch-to-batch dispersion variation can shift inkjet break-up behavior. On manufacturing lines, cold cartridges loaded directly from storage below 15 °C tend to increase initial startup defects. A practical control is to equilibrate cartridges to printer ambient conditions for 24 h before loading. The printer should also be verified for clean nozzle orifices and nominal UV lamp output before a multi-material job, because an unbalanced jetting condition between CR-BK and CR-WT 200** can produce visible interfacial striping or weak mechanical interlocks.

After the build is complete, the wax support material is removed in a heated support-removal station. The support removal temperature is typically held below 50 °C to minimize thermal stress on the cured rigid photopolymer. Residual wax film is removed with a warm solvent rinse, followed by compressed air drying. Hard mechanical scrubbing is not recommended because CR-BK and CR-WT 200** are rigid but can notch at sharp grooves. Where surface conditioning is required, production shops sometimes use wet-blasting with plastic media at pressures below 2 bar. The exact rinse solvent and support-removal temperature should be sourced from the current 3D Systems process manual for the ProJet MJP platform on which the kit is installed.

When co-printed CR-BK and CR-WT 200** regions meet at an interface

At the voxel-level boundary between CR-BK and CR-WT 200**, the printer does not blend the two resins into a continuous gradient unless the build software applies a dithering or transition zone. Default operation places adjacent droplets that reflow slightly before UV cure. The resulting interface is therefore a mechanical interlocking of cured voxels rather than a co-polymerized homogeneous phase. Interfacial strength is controlled by droplet overlap in the XY plane, layer reflow time, and the relative cure kinetics of the two photopolymers. If one material reaches gelation before the adjacent material at the interface, localized shrinkage stress can form. This is why matched cartridge lots, proper thermal stabilization, and standard UV lamp calibration are not cosmetic controls. On high-volume production lines, interface quality is often monitored by sectioning a witness part and measuring the transition boundary under a stereomicroscope at 20X magnification. Published data for this specific interface configuration is limited, so internal qualification is required when the black/white transition is load-bearing.

Why the CR-series rigid pair differs from single-material cartridges and earlier rigid grades

The RBK-RWT-L10 set differs from a single-material CR-series cartridge in that it provides two validated rigid part materials in one matched package. A single-cartridge configuration builds a monochrome part; the RBK-RWT-L10 configuration allows black and white rigid regions to be co-printed without manual assembly or secondary painting. Compared with general-purpose rigid photopolymer grades, the CR-series formulations are designed with a higher rigidity response. VisiJet CR-BK typically exhibits higher flexural modulus and lower elongation than VisiJet CR-WT 200**, but the white grade is selected when visual contrast is required adjacent to the black grade. The black grade contains a pigment or carbon-based dispersion that can produce a stiffer network after cure; the white grade contains an inorganic pigment that may slightly reduce tensile strength relative to CR-BK. These pigment-dependent differences are not uniform across all build orientations and must be evaluated under end-use loading rather than assumed from color alone.

The paired set also differs from multi-color elastomeric or wax-based kits in that both CR-series materials are rigid photopolymers. They are not intended to simulate rubber-like behavior or cast-wax burnout patterns. Uses are concentrated in functional housings, mounting brackets, panels, and product prototypes requiring high-contrast rigid features. The two materials are also not compatible with all third-party support materials; the use of a non-qualified support wax can alter surface finish or interfere with support-removal solvents. Manufacturer-matched support chemistry is therefore part of the RBK-RWT-L10 process envelope rather than an interchangeable consumable.

Operational boundaries are defined by UV, temperature, moisture, and equipment maintenance

Uncured cartridges should be stored in sealed packaging at 15 °C to 30 °C and protected from direct sunlight. Once opened, cartridges should not be exposed to ambient relative humidity above 60 % for extended periods because moisture ingress can change jetting behavior and promote print-head contamination. The CR-series resins should not be combined with amine-based additives or solvents not listed on the manufacturer safety data sheet; premature polymerization or viscosity drift may result. The cured rigid parts are industrial photopolymers and are not automatically qualified for food-contact or implant use under FDA 21 CFR unless a specific application validation is completed. Regulatory status under RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 should be confirmed for the exact cartridge lot before export or integration into electronic assemblies. Production release of the RBK-RWT-L10 set should also include a check that the printer’s UV lamp energy density remains within the manufacturer-specified window. Low lamp output may leave the white grade insufficiently cured at the surface, while excessive thermal load from the lamp can distort thin black regions during extended builds.

MultiJet Printing equipment with dual rigid-part material capability must maintain balanced jetting conditions between the two cartridges. Production experience shows that a partially clogged nozzle in one channel may not immediately fail the build, but it can create localized weak interfaces between CR-BK and CR-WT 200**. The defect may appear only after support removal as microvoids along the black/white transition. For this reason, nozzle purge cycles and print-head face plate inspection should be performed before each multi-material build. Batch-to-batch viscosity should also be monitored at incoming inspection using a controlled temperature viscometer or by recording printer cartridge pressure during initial purge. If a cartridge lot falls outside the printer’s accepted purge-pressure band, it should not be installed until manufacturer technical support has evaluated the lot. These boundary conditions are part of production release and are not applicable to single-material printing where only one rigid part-material channel is active.