The product designated 3D Systems VisiJet RWT-ENT-A80 Multi-Material Composite consists of two separately jetted photopolymer precursors: VisiJet CR-WT 200** (a rigid white-tough acrylate) and VisiJet CE-NT (an elastomeric natural acrylate). The cured product is classified as a digital composite with nominal Shore A durometer of 80, as indicated by the A80 suffix and reported under ASTM D2240-15e1. It is not a precompounded resin and is not supplied as a single liquid; both materials remain in separate feed paths until droplet-scale co-deposition in a MultiJet Printing head. The product is intended for ProJet MJP 2500 Plus and ProJet MJP 2500W class machines operating with wax support deposition and planar UV curing. In the printed solid, the rigid phase contributes tensile stiffness and machinability, while the elastomeric phase contributes elongation, recovery, and tear resistance. The exact cured-property envelope depends on the surface-to-volume ratio of the elastomeric domains and on post-cure completeness. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; the supplier technical bulletin should be consulted for batch-specific values.

When Multi-Material Deposition Replaces Overmolding and Two-Shot Molding

In the MultiJet Printing sequence, the two liquid components are deposited as adjacent voxels in one layer. Unlike a two-shot injection-molded assembly, the boundary between the rigid CR-WT 200** phase and the CE-NT elastomeric phase is not created by melt flow and freezing but by spatially resolved UV cure after planar layer spreading. This permits a continuous gradient of mechanical properties across a part volume. For a functional grip, a rigid core can transition to an A80 skin without adhesive bonding. The digital transition zone can be as narrow as a few print layers or as wide as the part wall, depending on the build file. The result is mechanically distinct from homogeneous VisiJet M2R-WT rigid white material: tensile modulus is lower, elongation at break is higher, and the surface exhibits a dry elastomer-like compressibility. The composite also differs from neat VisiJet CE-NT by higher hardness and reduced surface tack after post-curing. Because the two monomers cure simultaneously, some interpenetrating network morphology is possible at the interface; however, the degree of interpenetration is limited by diffusion time before UV polymerization. In additive manufacturing environments, reported failure modes include delamination along the transition zone when wax removal is incomplete and soft-phase bleed into the rigid region when head purge cycles are insufficient. The processing advantage relative to injection-molded overmolding is that no draft angle, tooling split line, or mechanical interlock is required; the failure mode shifts from sink-mark and knit-line defects to residual wax occlusion and interlayer adhesion variability.

Production-scale use of VisiJet RWT-ENT-A80 is concentrated in low-volume adaptive fixtures, soft-touch control surfaces, gasketing prototypes, and over-molded consumer-electronic housings where a Shore A 80 contact face is required. The material is not a replacement for high-elongation silicone elastomers; neat CE-NT has higher elongation and lower hardness, while the A80 composite sacrifices some tear resistance for stiffness. Applications requiring repeated dynamic flexure at low temperature should be prototyped and tested because the elastomeric phase exhibits reduced recovery below its glass transition. All application performance claims should be anchored to part-level test methods such as ASTM D412-16 for elastomer tensile behavior, ASTM D638-14 for rigid-phase tensile behavior, and ISO 527-1:2019 for comparative polymer tensile data. Water absorption is evaluated under ASTM D570-98, and dimensional stability after humidity exposure is governed primarily by the rigid phase. The printed composite is electrically insulating and is used for functional prototyping; it is not intended for long-term implantation or direct food-contact unless specific regulatory approvals are obtained. The material differs from multi-material polyjet systems in the wax support path and in the solvent resistance of the CE-NT phase; users transferring a build file between platforms should not assume equal durometer or tear behavior.

What Limits Solvent Compatibility in Post-Processing?

MJP support wax is not dissolved by water. The standard sequence removes bulk wax in a heated oven, then clears residual wax from internal channels in an ultrasonic bath containing a compatible wax-removal solvent. The VisiJet RWT-ENT-A80 composite tolerates short immersion in isopropanol and aliphatic wax-removal fluids; aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, and strong esters are not recommended because the CE-NT phase absorbs solvent and swells. Swelling in the elastomeric phase produces temporary dimensional distortion and can reduce interfacial adhesion in transition zones. The rigid CR-WT 200** phase has lower solvent uptake than the elastomer; differential swelling at the phase boundary is therefore the main post-processing failure mechanism. Support removal time and bath temperature should be kept to the minimum required to eliminate wax occlusion. If a part contains blind channels, solvent trapping can cause delayed surface cracking as the low-volatility washing agent migrates through the printed cross-section. Drying after solvent exposure should be performed at controlled temperature. Exposure above the material-specific heat deflection threshold accelerates stress relaxation but may cause permanent set in thin elastomeric walls. Published comparative swelling data for this specific composite in industrial washing fluids is limited; qualification trials with production bath conditions are required before scaling.

If cartridges are removed from cold storage below 10 °C, condensation must be prevented by equilibration to the print-room temperature before insertion. Jetting stability is sensitive to dissolved moisture and oxygen; the elastomeric CE-NT phase is more susceptible to viscosity drift than the rigid phase when exposed to humid air. The ProJet MJP 2500 Plus platform maintains separate heated reservoirs and individual jetting-head temperatures for the two components. The nominal Z layer thickness is 32 µm, with an XY deposition resolution of 1200 dpi; the planar roller spreads each layer before UV curing. If the roller is contaminated with partially cured elastomer, the surface of subsequent layers shows repetitive banding aligned with the roller axis. Nozzle deviation caused by viscosity drift appears first as satellite droplets at the edges of small text and thin gasketing walls. Batch-to-batch variation in the CE-NT liquid is controlled by viscosity and cure-speed release tests. A bridge specimen with a 1 mm unsupported gap and a thin-wall flexure strip reveals both interlayer adhesion and soft-phase cure completeness before high-value builds.

Material loading follows the two-cartridge configuration of the ProJet MJP 2500 Plus. VisiJet CR-WT 200** and VisiJet CE-NT are not interchangeable with each other in the feed path; label-specific fill sensors or machine-readable identifiers prevent cross-loading. The elastomeric component should be gently rolled before installation if settling or oligomer stratification is specified by the supplier. Spills are cleaned with isopropanol before UV exposure; uncured liquid should be kept away from strong amines and thiols because these species interfere with acrylate radical cure. Maintenance of the jetting head, planar roller, and waste tray follows the platform service schedule. Failure to remove cured elastomer from the capping station produces intermittent drop-out and requires a head purge cycle. These operational limits are taken from MJP platform behavior and general photopolymer handling; material-specific safety and handling documentation remains the governing reference.

Formulation-Specific Viscosity and Jetting Temperature Bands

The two precursors are engineered for matched piezo-jettability, but their low-shear viscosity values at room temperature are not identical. At the print head, shear rates exceed 10⁵ s^-1 during droplet ejection; the elastomeric phase must remain shear-thinning enough to prevent nozzle clogging while preserving absolute viscosity for stable droplet formation. Temperature deviations outside the closed-loop head temperature control band can shift droplet mass and produce visible step lines. Cure kinetics are governed by UV irradiance, exposure time, and oxygen inhibition at the layer surface. The rigid phase has a higher crosslink density and lower oxygen sensitivity than the elastomer; under-cured CE-NT surfaces remain tacky and can transfer residue into adjacent support wax. The A80 hardness is obtained only when the two phases are sufficiently cured. If UV lamp output decays outside the maintenance window, the part surface drops in durometer and the transition zone becomes susceptible to oil ingress. Compliance with the platform’s lamp-hour counter and periodic artifact verification under ISO/ASTM 52921:2013 is process-critical. Generic UV flood lamps with broad UVA output between 320 nm and 420 nm may not match the spectral sensitivity of the CE-NT photoinitiator; the supplier-approved post-cure unit should be used.

Part orientation also governs mechanical anisotropy. Tensile properties in the Z direction can be lower than in the XY plane because interlayer cure depth and oxygen inhibition reduce crosslink density at layer boundaries. Orienting an elastomeric flexure hinge in the XY plane, rather than across build layers, generally increases flexural fatigue life in MJP photopolymers. Support wax maintains overhangs but acts as a thermal bath during layer curing; thick rigid sections adjacent to elastomeric skins may retain heat and alter local cure rate. The build file should therefore preserve continuous elastomeric regions and avoid isolated thin tabs that rely on transition-zone adhesion alone. If a part requires a pressure-holding seal, the elastomeric wall should be oriented to avoid long Z-direction bond lines.

Environmental exposure limits for the cured composite are governed by the lower resistance of the elastomeric CE-NT phase. Humid aging under 85% RH at 25 °C can cause slight mass uptake and dimensional expansion in thin elastomeric sections; rigid sections remain dimensionally stable because water uptake is concentrated in the soft phase. Repeated exposure to automotive coolant or ester-based oils can plasticize the elastomer and lower Shore A durometer; the user should specify immersion testing under the intended fluid rather than relying on dry-room measurements. UV weathering of the CE-NT phase can produce surface chalking and a rise in modulus; this response is typical of unfilled acrylate elastomers. For indoor functional prototypes, the composite has acceptable short-term stability; outdoor weathering requires a protective coating or acceptance of property shift. Parts should not be autoclaved; steam sterilization above 121 °C can permanently distort the rigid phase and degrade the elastomer.

Available property documentation for VisiJet RWT-ENT-A80 is organized around the following method designations.

Compared to homogeneous rigid materials in the VisiJet MJP line, the composite lowers tensile modulus and increases damping at the contact surface. Compared to neat VisiJet CE-NT, the composite raises hardness and reduces blocking or self-adhesion. Compared to fused-filament TPU and laser-sintered elastomer powders, the MJP material provides smoother sidewalls and finer negative features, but has lower elongation than many thermoplastic polyurethanes and may be more sensitive to humid aging. The product is therefore positioned for form-and-fit validation of elastomeric assemblies, not for production rubber replacement. Materials imported into a different MJP platform or transferred from a polyjet build file require revalidation of durometer, tear, and solvent behavior because the wax support path and CE-NT phase response differ from other systems.