3D Systems VisiJet RCL-ENT-A90 Multi-Material Composites is a two-phase material jetting configuration that combines VisiJet CR-CL 200**, a rigid transparent methacrylate-class photopolymer, with VisiJet CE-NT, a natural-tinted elastomeric photopolymer. The composite designation is applied to builds in which the two materials are jetted from separate delivery channels within the same layer, producing discrete rigid regions, discrete elastomeric regions, and transition volumes without secondary adhesive bonding or manual overmolding. The CR-CL 200** phase supplies elevated flexural modulus and tensile strength relative to elastomer-only material sets; the CE-NT phase contributes recoverable strain and low Shore A hardness. The A90 suffix is retained as part of the supplier nomenclature and is not equivalent to a bulk Shore A 90 material. The CE-NT component alone is characterized at approximately 27 Shore A by ASTM D2240-15, while the CR-CL 200 phase is a Shore D hard material. The double asterisk in the supplier designation is included here as part of the exact trade identifier.

On a ProJet MJP 2500 Plus multi-material configuration, the jetted composite is deposited at a layer thickness of 32 µm. The photo-reactive liquid is maintained in sealed cartridges and jetted through printhead arrays before being ultraviolet-cured; no powder bed, laser sintering, or thermoplastic filament extrusion is involved. Waxy support material is removed after the build using the supplier’s documented post-processing protocol, and residual support wax on elastomer-rich surfaces should be removed before final ultraviolet post-curing. Published process tolerance windows for jetting temperature and printhead voltage are controlled by the platform firmware; however, end-users report that cartridge conditioning at 18–28°C reduces the incidence of jetting dropout and stiffness drift in CE-NT regions. The material set is not intended for vat photopolymerization, fused filament fabrication, or powder-bed fusion systems, and attempts to process CE-NT or CR-CL 200 in those platforms are not supported by 3D Systems.

Rheologically, the two feedstocks differ by orders of magnitude in cured modulus but both must meet the printer’s low-viscosity jetting window. CE-NT behaves as a low-viscosity liquid before cure; its jetting stability is sensitive to entrapped moisture and pigment sedimentation, though the natural tint has lower pigment loading than black elastomer variants. Cartridge dwell times above several weeks can introduce localized viscosity drift if the cartridge is not rolled or equilibrated. Production-scale experience on multi-material builds shows that repeated short runs without full printhead purge can produce intermittent droplet misfiring at the elastomer channels, leading to randomized soft-spot formation near the rigid interface. This failure mode is not captured by bulk mechanical property tables and must be controlled through platform maintenance and supplier-recommended printhead cleaning cycles.

What Happens at the Rigid-Elastomer Interface During Co-Jetting?

Because both components are jetted as low-viscosity liquids and ultraviolet-cured in the same pass, the interfacial region is formed by in-situ polymerization rather than by post-bonding. This generates a transition zone in which local modulus changes from rigid to elastomeric across a few hundred micrometers, but the absence of an adhesive bondline does not eliminate delamination risk. Peel-dominated load paths can concentrate strain at the interface if the CE-NT phase remains undercured or if support wax infiltrates the open elastomeric surface. Production-scale experience on multi-material MJP builds indicates that touch-off from residual support wax is a recurring source of boundary porosity and local delamination when parts are exposed to repeated flexure. Published standardized peel-adhesion values for this specific composite configuration are limited; therefore, design engineers should generate geometry-specific peel data rather than relying on bulk tensile values for the individual materials.

The CR-CL 200 phase contributes tensile strength and flexural modulus; values reported in supplier literature for the rigid phase fall near 35–45 MPa tensile strength and 1200–1400 MPa flexural modulus under ASTM D638-14 and ASTM D790-17, respectively. The CE-NT phase is reported near 0.8–1.5 MPa tensile strength and elongation at break near 150–200%. These bulk values should not be read as composite properties. The multi-material system can display a stiffness cliff when elastomer fills a small volume fraction. Published volume-fraction mechanical property data for this exact formulation is limited, and the transition from a rigid continuous phase to a compressible structure is sensitive to segment thickness and interlayer cure. Design verification should include instrumented indentation or tensile testing on representative co-jetted specimens rather than inference from single-phase datasheets.

Dimensional tolerance is influenced by photopolymer shrinkage during cure and by differential shrinkage between the two phases. CR-CL 200 regions shrink less than CE-NT regions; when thick elastomer volumes are attached to thin rigid webs, differential cure shrinkage can induce curl or shift the neutral plane. Build orientation should place the rigid phase on the lower shrinkage plane and avoid large unsupported elastomer overhangs. Support wax on elastomer surfaces can alter local cure depth. Dimensional verification using ISO 286-1:2010 or equivalent part-level acceptance criteria is recommended for precision fits. After support removal, the composite can be clear-coated or dyed; however, dye uptake differs between phase types, and color uniformity cannot be guaranteed across rigid and elastomer regions. Solvent-based coatings should be tested on the CE-NT phase for swelling. Mechanical post-processing such as tumbling, bead blasting, or vibratory polishing can erode the elastomer phase faster than the rigid phase, producing step discontinuities at the interface. Manual finishing with abrasive pads is preferred when surface blending is required.

Component classes that exploit the co-jetted structure include overmolded grips, handheld medical or industrial enclosures, vibration-isolation mounts, sealing gaskets, flexible ducts, and fluid-handling manifolds where rigid fittings and elastomeric seals are required in one part. In low-volume functional prototyping, the material set replaces multi-step molding or manual insertion of O-rings. In operation, CR-CL 200 regions provide alignment features and threaded boss strength under assembly torque, while CE-NT regions provide surface conformance and compression-set behavior. However, the CE-NT phase should not be specified for continuous dynamic sealing against abrasive media; its low Shore A hardness and limited tear strength, reported near 3.0–3.5 kN/m by ASTM D624-00, are below many compression-molded liquid silicone rubber grades. Applications requiring hydrolytic stability or prolonged immersion should be tested for water uptake and dimensional shift using ASTM D570-98. Published water absorption values for CE-NT are below 1%; CR-CL 200 values are also low, but water absorption at the interface may be greater due to boundary microporosity.

Electrical and electronic enclosures can use the rigid phase for snap-fit features and the elastomer phase for edge seals. The material set is not inherently flame-retardant; no UL 94 V-0 classification should be assumed without end-use certification. For industrial tooling, the composite is suitable for low-cycle gripper jaws and positioning nests where contact stress is below the compressive yield of the rigid phase. Repeated high-frequency compression of elastomer regions can generate heat and accelerate compression set; users should limit duty cycles until dynamic mechanical analysis is performed under the expected service frequency and strain amplitude. The composite is not recommended for continuous dynamic sealing against abrasive media or for applications requiring the high tear strength and low compression set of platinum-cured silicone.

When Ketone, Heat, and Cyclic Strain Exceed the Composite’s Operational Envelope

The combined material is a thermoset photopolymer network and therefore does not melt; it degrades or chars above its heat deflection and thermal stability boundaries. CR-CL 200 is reported with a heat deflection temperature near 45–50°C at 0.455 MPa by ASTM D648-18, while CE-NT is not rated for structural load-bearing thermal deflection. Continuous exposure above 50°C in load-bearing rigid regions should be avoided unless the part is stress-relieved and tested. Low temperature service has not been characterized for the co-jetted interface; the CE-NT phase may increase in Shore A hardness below 0°C, but published brittleness temperatures are not available. Ketone-based solvents, chlorinated solvents, and strong ester solvents are contraindicated because CE-NT swells and loses dimensional stability. Short alcohol wipe-downs are generally accepted, but immersion in isopropanol should be limited to the shortest feasible duration. The material is not recommended for continuous exposure to steam above ambient pressure or for repeated autoclave sterilization; no supplier validation is available for autoclave cycles.

Because of the high crosslink density of the cured photopolymer system, parts should not be expected to exhibit thermoplastic weldability or solvent reflow. Surfaces are not inherently conductive. Paint, coating, and adhesive bonding require surface preparation; untreated elastomer surfaces may have low surface energy, and adhesion to cyanoacrylate or structural acrylics may be inconsistent. Users should conduct bond-strength testing using ASTM D3163-01 or similar lap-shear protocols on actual production geometry. The rigid phase can be machined, drilled, and tapped with conservative feed rates; the elastomer phase is difficult to machine and is best molded into the design rather than altered after build.

The following table collates typical single-material values reported in supplier technical literature. Multi-material co-jetted values should be verified on part geometry, and the table is not a certificate of analysis.

The second table identifies the standards and regulatory cross-reference applicable to the material set as supplied. End-use certification is not automatic and must be verified for the final part configuration.

In comparison with other VisiJet materials, VisiJet M2R-CL provides a clear rigid single-material path but does not place elastomer; VisiJet CE-BK offers a black elastomer but lacks the clear rigid phase supplied by CR-CL 200 and cannot reproduce the same translucent visual cues; VisiJet M2 CAST sacrifices mechanical service to ash-free burnout for investment casting patterns. VisiJet M2S-HT90 offers higher thermal resistance than CR-CL 200 but is a single-material rigid system. The RCL-ENT-A90 co-jetted set is differentiated by its ability to produce two hardness domains in one build. This distinction is relevant for functional prototypes, assembly consolidation, and low-volume production, but the design must respect the limited tear strength of the elastomer phase and the unresolved need for standardized multi-material peel data.

Operational boundaries include storage in sealed cartridges at 18–28°C, avoidance of aggressive solvents, limitation of continuous load-bearing thermal exposure above 50°C, and verification of support-wax removal before final ultraviolet post-cure. These constraints are common to low-viscosity jetting photopolymers but are amplified by the presence of two phases with divergent stiffness and solvent uptake. Published process capability data for the RCL-ENT-A90 combined state is limited; users should generate application-specific data for peel adhesion, fatigue, and compression set rather than inferring performance from single-phase material data.