VisiJet RCL-ENT-A60 Multi-Material Composites is a two-cartridge material set for MultiJet Printing systems that support simultaneous deposition of rigid clear and elastomeric natural photopolymers. The set is composed of VisiJet CR-CL 200** and VisiJet CE-NT. The trade designation separates the rigid clear phase (RCL), the elastomeric natural phase (ENT), and a Shore A durometer target of 60 for the elastomer-rich region. VisiJet CR-CL 200** forms a transparent rigid phase after UV cure; VisiJet CE-NT forms a natural-colored elastomeric phase. The product is used to fabricate monolithic parts with discrete stiff and flexible zones without adhesive bonding at the interface. Typical part classes include functional prototypes with snap-fit closures, living hinges, gaskets, damping mounts, and transparent load-bearing windows. The pair is not a miscible blend; the printer deposits each resin in separate voxel domains and creates a geometric transition at the interface. Mechanical continuity therefore depends on interpenetration of the two cured networks at the boundary, not on bulk mixing. This distinction from single-phase resins is the primary processing and validation constraint.

How Does the A60 Composite Compare with Its Individual Phase Datasheets?

Specifications for the kit are controlled by the supplier through the individual resin datasheets for VisiJet CR-CL 200** and VisiJet CE-NT. The rigid phase is tested for tensile properties under ASTM D638-22, density under ISO 1183-1:2019, and heat deflection under ASTM D648-18. Reported values for the rigid clear phase indicate higher tensile modulus and lower elongation at break relative to the elastomeric natural phase. The elastomeric phase is tested for Shore A durometer under ASTM D2240-15e1, tensile set and elongation under ASTM D412-16, and tear resistance under ASTM D624-00(2020). Published data for the transition region in the RCL-ENT-A60 configuration is limited; bulk composite properties should not be derived by arithmetic averaging of the two phase datasheets. The A60 suffix is a durometer target for the elastomer-rich region, not a tensile strength or modulus class for the rigid region.

Because the two phases are cured in discrete voxels, their individual glass-transition or softening behavior remains relevant after part production. The CR-CL 200** phase is formulated for low-ductility rigid response; CE-NT is formulated for high elongation and recovery. The materials are supplied in separate cartridges to prevent premature crosslinking or viscosity drift. The kit is not a co-cured miscible reservoir; color, transparency, and hardness at the transition may differ from the bulk phases. Validation of the interface for a given build orientation should include tensile testing of printed interface specimens and Shore A measurements on the CE-NT-rich region conditioned at 23 °C ± 2 °C and 50 % ± 5 % relative humidity according to ASTM D618.

The interaction of the two phases under load is strongly dependent on the printed transition width. In a tensile specimen where the gauge section contains both phases, cracking can initiate at the interface if the rigid phase terminates abruptly. Build processors therefore may include an interlocking voxel pattern that controls the gradient. The resulting stress concentration is not captured by standard single-material tensile specimens, which is why interface specimens are required. A test plan should include Type IV tensile bars under ASTM D638-22 for the rigid phase, dumbbell specimens under ASTM D412-16 for the elastomeric phase, and an interface pull-off or shear specimen conditioned at the same temperature and relative humidity. Conditioned specimens should be dried to mass stabilization before testing, because moisture and residual cleaning solvent affect tensile properties of the elastomer phase more than the rigid phase.

Build preparation for RCL-ENT-A60 requires assignment of the rigid clear and elastomeric natural regions in the CAD model or build processor. The MultiJet Printing workflow deposits material from separate printhead channels at a layer thickness of 32 µm and an addressable voxel grid of 800 x 900 x 790 DPI on ProJet MJP 2500/2500 Plus-class systems. Support material is removed after build completion in a temperature-controlled oven or ProJet Finisher. Because CE-NT has higher solvent uptake than CR-CL 200**, immersion cleaning must be time-limited and geometry-dependent. Drying after support removal is extended for flexible regions; residual solvent in CE-NT can temporarily reduce Shore A durometer and produce surface tack. The rigid phase resists solvent penetration and slows desorption from embedded elastomer zones. Operators should validate cleaning cycles on representative lattice or channel geometries before committing serial production to a fixed solvent contact time.

Support Removal, Solvent Exposure, and Drying Protocol Limits

Support wax removal for multi-material parts is process-sensitive at the interface. The support material used in MultiJet Printing is a solid wax at ambient conditions and is removed by raising the part to a controlled melt temperature. If the temperature setpoint exceeds the CE-NT softening range, the elastomer phase may deform during wax melt-off. Published data for the CE-NT softening range is provided in the supplier datasheet; validation of the oven setpoint should be performed with thermocouple-instrumented test parts. Solvent selection is limited to the supplier-approved cleaning agents. Aromatic or ketone-based solvents that are not listed in the VisiJet post-processing guide can cause crazing of the CR-CL 200** phase or swelling of the CE-NT phase. The interface region can retain solvent due to capillary forces between rigid and elastomeric domains; a slow drying step at ambient or low-humidity conditions is therefore required before dimensional inspection or mechanical testing. The drying endpoint should be verified by mass stabilization, because solvent retention can mask true part mass and affect density-based quality checks.

Z-axis material boundaries in MJP are exposed to different peel loads than XY boundaries. When the phase transition is oriented in the XY plane, the printer can create a wider interpenetrating zone because the addressable voxel grid is fixed in the plane. When the transition is oriented along the Z axis, the interface is formed between sequential layers and may exhibit lower toughness. For living hinge applications, the hinge region should be printed as a CE-NT zone with the hinge axis aligned to the XY plane; a Z-axis orientation through the hinge can produce premature fracture. These orientation effects are common to all multi-material photopolymer systems and should be evaluated on representative production builds rather than on CAD screenshots.

Cleaning validation for RCL-ENT-A60 should include a minimum of three replicate builds with identical support removal time and solvent chemistry. Mass before and after drying should be recorded on an analytical balance; a drift greater than the measurement uncertainty indicates incomplete desorption. Shore A durometer readings on the CE-NT phase should be taken at a controlled delay after indentor contact according to ASTM D2240-15e1. Because durometer results are time-dependent and thickness-sensitive, test plaques should be printed at the same thickness as the final flexible feature. Thin elastomer sections below the standard test plaque thickness can produce erroneously high readings due to the rigid substrate effect.

Observed failure modes in multi-material MJP parts include boundary delamination, rigid-phase stress whitening at sharp fillets, and elastomer-phase tearing at notches. These failures are consistent with stress concentrations at the material discontinuity and with incomplete support removal in convoluted channels. Industrial users report that support wax retention in blind elastomeric pockets below the supplier-recommended minimum channel size can interfere with flexure. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; therefore each production application should map defect location against build orientation and cleaning logs before scaling.

Differential shrinkage between CR-CL 200** and CE-NT during UV cure creates residual stress at the interface. The build processor compensates by adjusting the voxel pattern at the transition, but residual stress can relax during support removal heating. If the support removal temperature is too low, wax remains; if it is too high, the elastomer may release stress as dimensional deformation. The acceptable process window is narrow because the two phases have different thermal expansion behavior. Published data for thermal expansion of the composite transition is limited; validation of part dimensions at ambient and at the expected upper service temperature is required.

Material cartridges are not mechanically agitated in the printer. Users should follow supplier instructions for cartridge rolling or ambient stabilization before installation. Cartridge storage outside the recommended range can increase jet dropout rate due to viscosity drift. Because VisiJet CR-CL 200** and VisiJet CE-NT have different rheological profiles, they are not interchangeable in the printhead channels; the build software identifies cartridge bay assignment from RFID or barcode data. The elastomer phase is more sensitive to idle time between builds. If the CE-NT cartridge remains in the machine beyond the supplier-recommended open time, jetting reliability declines, particularly in small-drop transition zones. Purge routines and jet health checks are required before multi-material prints with fine interface features. Printhead contamination between adjacent channels can create satellite droplets that cure at the material boundary and appear as surface roughness or local hardness variation.

RCL-ENT-A60 is specified where a single printed component must combine a transparent rigid region and an elastomeric region with a Shore A durometer target of 60. In fluidic manifolds, the rigid clear phase provides a visual window for flow observation while the CE-NT phase acts as a sealing lip or compression gasket; the interface eliminates adhesive bondline variability. In wearable device prototypes, the rigid phase supports electronic modules and the elastomer phase forms straps, grommets, or impact isolators. For comparison, an all-CR-CL 200** part lacks flexible features, and an all-CE-NT part lacks dimensionally stable locking features. The RCL-ENT-A60 configuration allows both functions in one build file, which reduces part count and assembly alignment steps. The material pair is not intended as a direct replacement for thermoplastic elastomer overmolding in production; process performance at serial volumes must be evaluated against molding economics and cycle time.

When Single-Phase VisiJet Materials Are More Appropriate Than the RCL-ENT-A60 Kit

Selection of RCL-ENT-A60 is not optimal when a part requires isotropic mechanical properties or when the entire volume must be transparent. Single-phase VisiJet M2R-CL or M2G-DUR provides uniform clarity and uniform tensile response; the RCL-ENT-A60 interface introduces a mechanical discontinuity that can define the failure location under tensile or impact loading. In high-cycle fatigue applications, the rigid-elastomer transition may be the first zone to fail if build orientation places the boundary perpendicular to the principal stress axis. For applications requiring ISO 10993 testing, the individual phases must be assessed against the final printed and cleaned geometry; the kit-level designation alone is not a biocompatibility claim. When the elastomer region dominates the build volume, a single-phase CE-NT build may reduce cost and cleaning time because the rigid clear phase contributes additional material cost and stricter solvent handling requirements. Conversely, when the flexible region is small, a single-phase rigid clear part with an external gasket or overmolded elastomer may be simpler. The RCL-ENT-A60 kit provides integration at the CAD-to-part level, but it introduces interface quality as a separate inspection requirement.

Safety data sheets for both phases list handling precautions. The elastomer phase should not be solvent-cleaned with strong polar solvents not approved in the post-processing guide. If the final part is subject to EU market access, the finished printed article may require evaluation under RoHS 2011/65/EU and REACH; the raw material safety data sheet is not a finished-article declaration. When a final device is intended for medical device use, the finished device must undergo material biocompatibility testing according to ISO 10993-1:2018; the kit-level trade designation is not a substitute for a biological evaluation. Operating procedure should include batch-to-batch verification of CE-NT Shore A durometer on a printed test block, because elastomer hardness can shift with cleaning solvent contact time, drying conditions, and build orientation.