The 3D Systems VisiJet RCL-ENT-A50 Multi-Material Composites system is a two-resin build-material set specified by the pairing VisiJet CR-CL 200** and VisiJet CE-NT. The RCL-ENT-A50 designation denotes a rigid clear plus elastomeric natural architecture with a nominal Shore A hardness target of 50. The system is directed at MultiJet Printing platforms capable of placing two build resins within a single part and of joining those resins to the dissolvable wax support structure. The CR-CL 200** phase supplies a transparent, higher-modulus resin; the CE-NT phase supplies a translucent, elastomeric resin. The two materials are not described as a homogeneous compound, because the printed result may contain discrete macro-scale regions of each resin, transition volumes, and interfacial boundaries controlled by the build file. Current public documentation for the combined composite condition is limited, and independent tensile, tear, creep, and dynamic mechanical data for the two-phase printed condition should be obtained from the latest 3D Systems technical data sheets or lot-specific test reports before committing a production design. The following sections address processing boundaries, qualification standards, cleaning constraints, design rules, and comparisons without substituting for chemical safety or product compliance documentation.

What Operational Boundaries Govern the Two-Resin System on MultiJet Printing Platforms?

The material set is processed by piezoelectric jetting of low-viscosity UV-curable resins through heated multi-jet arrays. Support wax is jetted in the same layer sequence to form overhangs, cavities, and elastomer roofs. The two build resins remain in separate fluid paths from cartridge to printhead, and the machine firmware controls the deposition pattern. The operator should confirm that the ProJet MJP platform configuration supports paired build materials; single-material MJP platforms are not suitable for RCL-ENT-A50 part construction.

Cartridge conditioning should follow the manufacturer’s stated temperature envelope. Storage outside the range of 18 °C to 28 °C may produce viscosity drift, nonuniform jetting, or unstable meniscus behavior in the printhead orifice area. Before loading, cartridges should be inspected for phase separation, crystal formation, and seal integrity. A cartridge that has been opened or purged should not be left exposed to ambient air for extended periods because UV-curable resins can accumulate viscosity at the meniscus and create misfiring jets. Production-scale equipment behavior shows that elastomer-rich cartridges are more sensitive to batch-to-batch viscosity variation than the rigid clear phase; any lot change should be accompanied by a controlled jetting trial on a small validation coupon before production begins.

Build parameters are material-specific. The lower thermal boundary of the paired set is governed by the CE-NT elastomeric phase. When a build file places thin elastomer sections between support-wax regions, the part should contain adequate anchoring to the rigid clear phase or to the build plate. If elastomeric features are not anchored, oven wax removal can produce peeling, curling, or feature displacement. Inspection after jetting but before oven processing should capture voids, missing layers, and material-to-material registration errors. These defects become less repairable after wax extraction and post-cure.

Mechanical qualification for this two-phase composite should not rely on a single hardness number. Because the current public datasheet does not provide a fully independent composite tensile and tear data set, the constituent phases should be tested separately and the printed interface should be screened for cohesive failure. The rigid clear phase should be evaluated with ASTM D638-14 for tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation; the elastomer phase should be evaluated with ASTM D412-16(2021) for tensile stress, elongation, and modulus. Hardness of the composite is typically reported by ASTM D2240-15e1 with a Type A durometer and a target of 50 Shore A. The reading should be taken after the standard dwell interval of 15 s on a conditioned specimen thickness of not less than 6.4 mm to minimize substrate effects. Thin printed sections below the recommended thickness may produce falsely high durometer values because a rigid clear sublayer constrains indenter penetration.

Conditioning should follow ASTM D618-21 at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 10 % relative humidity for not less than 40 h. Tear screening of the elastomeric phase can be performed according to ASTM D624-00(2020), and water uptake should be reported according to ASTM D570-98(2018). Izod impact testing of the rigid clear phase may use ASTM D256-10(2018), but the user must report specimen orientation and notch geometry because MJP parts are anisotropic in the z-axis. Creep and stress relaxation of the composite condition should be tested by ASTM D2990-17 before continuous load applications are approved.

A hardness value that deviates from the nominal 50 Shore A by more than the manufacturer’s lot-tolerance band may indicate an incorrect build ratio, incomplete post-cure, solvent entrapment, or batch mismatch. Because the public datasheet does not specify that tolerance band, users should obtain process capability data from the supplier and establish internal acceptance limits based on measured process performance. The same qualification loop should include destructively sectioned test pieces to confirm that the two phases are not delaminating at interlayer boundaries or at the wax interface during cleaning.

Support-Wax Removal, Solvent Uptake, and Dimensional Recovery in Elastomeric Sections

After jetting, the part is embedded in wax support. The first post-processing stage uses elevated temperature to melt and drain the support wax. The oven setpoint is bounded below by the melt/flow temperature of the support wax and above by the thermal softening threshold of the CE-NT elastomeric phase. Because the elastomer governs the upper thermal limit, parts with thin elastomer membranes should be positioned to allow wax to drain without pooling. Pooled molten wax transfers heat unevenly and can soften localized elastomer regions, resulting in loss of fine texture and dimensional drift.

Following wax removal, residual wax films are removed with the manufacturer-approved cleaning fluid in an ultrasonic bath. The CR-CL 200** clear phase usually tolerates a shorter solvent cycle than the elastomer; the CE-NT phase can retain solvent in pores and interfacial channels. Aggressive hydrocarbon or ketone-based solvents should not be substituted. If solvent is absorbed by CE-NT, the part may exhibit transient swelling, a lower durometer reading, and compromised interfacial adhesion until the solvent fully desorbs. Drying should proceed under controlled ventilation at conditions consistent with the solvent’s flash point and the resin’s temperature limit.

Dimensional recovery should be checked after cleaning and after drying. Critical dimensions such as bore diameters, clamp gaps, and seal grooves should be measured with non-contact methods because contact probes can indent the elastomer. If measurements drift beyond the drawing tolerance after cleaning, the cleaning protocol should be revised rather than compensating in the CAD model. This is especially relevant for thin walls, blind channels, and multi-material interfaces that solvate preferentially.

Humidity exposure before mechanical testing should also be controlled. Conditioning under ASTM D618-21 stabilizes moisture content and reduces variability in elastomer stiffness. If parts are tested immediately after drying, residual solvent or low moisture content may produce misleading stiffness values. Conversely, storage at elevated humidity can plasticize the elastomer phase and reduce the apparent Shore hardness. The direction of the shift should be documented for each build lot because the two-phase structure does not respond uniformly to moisture uptake.

When the Elastomeric Phase Dominates the Rigid Clear Frame

Builds in which CE-NT occupies the majority of the part volume behave closer to an elastomeric structure than to a rigid clear component. The final Shore A50 hardness is a bulk response; localized rigid clear inclusions can raise apparent stiffness at the indentation site if they are near the outer surface. Therefore durometer measurements should be taken away from embedded rigid inserts and transition interfaces. If dimensional stability is required during wax drainage, the part should be designed with a rigid clear skeleton or support frame even when the exterior is predominantly elastomeric.

Residual stresses develop at the boundary because the two phases differ in polymerization shrinkage and thermal expansion. The current public datasheet does not quantify the interfacial shear strength of the co-jetted boundary. To screen interface quality, tensile bars containing a butt-joint material boundary can be pulled under ASTM D638-14 at constant crosshead speed, and the failure mode should be recorded. A cohesive failure in the elastomer phase is preferable to an adhesive failure along the material boundary. Tear tests using ASTM D624-00(2020) can also be performed with the notch at the material boundary to determine the weakest mode.

Sharp transitions between the rigid clear phase and the elastomer phase should be avoided in load-bearing regions. A gradual transition zone, a mechanical interlock, or a thickened interface can reduce notch sensitivity. On production-scale MJP platforms, knife-edge features at the material boundary are more likely to show separation after support removal because cleaning fluid can accumulate in the narrow interphase recess. Drainage channels and rounded transition fillets improve wax evacuation and reduce solvent entrapment.

Compared with single-material VisiJet CE-NT, the paired RCL-ENT-A50 system provides clear rigid regions and an intermediate Shore A target rather than a uniform elastomer. Compared with single-material VisiJet CR-CL 200**, the system introduces recoverable elastomeric strain and lower-modulus regions within the same part. This integration removes the need for secondary adhesive bonding in prototypes requiring soft-touch grips, gasketed interfaces, or clear rigid housings with elastomeric ribs. However, the performance difference is design-dependent: a build dominated by CR-CL 200** will approach rigid clear behavior, while a build dominated by CE-NT will approach elastomer behavior.

Operational boundaries for the finished composite are governed by the lower-performing phase for each environment. If the elastomer phase is not validated for the service temperature, the entire part must be derated. If the clear rigid phase is not resistant to a cleaning chemistry, the part must not be exposed to that chemistry. Users should not assume that the composite is autoclavable, solvent-resistant, or biocompatible without written manufacturer documentation. For medical device applications, evaluation under ISO 10993-1:2018 is required; cytotoxicity screening per ISO 10993-5 and irritation or sensitization testing per ISO 10993-10 may be necessary. Food-contact, implant, and clinical use are outside the scope of this technical description unless specifically declared by 3D Systems.

Safety data sheets for the two resin cartridges should conform to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200 and REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Annex II. RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU status should be confirmed through the supplier’s lot-level certificate. Do not combine the two resins outside the machine fluid paths, and do not add diluents, dyes, or non-approved cleaning agents to the cartridges. Such additions can alter jetting viscosity and polymerization behavior. The user is responsible for validating that the finished composite meets application-specific standards for mechanical performance and regulatory compliance.