| HS Code | 407568 |
| Product Name | Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A |
| Manufacturer | Formlabs |
| Distributor | Proto3000 |
| Material Type | Elastic Resin |
| Color | Clear |
| Shore Hardness | 50A |
| Ultimate Tensile Strength | 3.2 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 160% |
| Tear Strength | 12 kN/m |
| Tensile Modulus | 1.1 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 3.0 MPa |
| Compressive Set | 5% |
| Density | 1.04 g/cm³ |
| Viscosity | 1,500 cP |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 42°C at 0.45 MPa |
| Compatible Printers | Form 2, Form 3, Form 3B, Form 3L, Form 4, Form 4B |
| Volume | 1 L |
| Layer Thickness | 100 µm |
| Curing Temperature | 60°C |
| Curing Time | 15 minutes |
As an accredited Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | The Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A resin is packaged in a sealed 1 L cartridge for Formlabs SLA printers. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loaded with palletized Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A resin, securely braced, labeled, and compliant with chemical shipping regulations. |
| Shipping | Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A ships as a non-regulated, non-hazardous photopolymer resin at ambient temperature. Use original sealed, opaque packaging to protect from light. No UN number, hazard class, or packing group required under DOT/IATA. Follow SDS and local rules; store cool, dry, away from heat. |
| Storage | Store Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A resin in its original, tightly closed container, upright, in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, UV light, heat, sparks, and flames. Maintain 18–28°C (64–82°F); do not freeze. Keep away from incompatible materials, food, and drink. Observe shelf-life and SDS recommendations. Use appropriate PPE and ensure container is closed when not in use. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is twelve months from manufacture when stored sealed, unopened, in original container away from light at 15–25°C. |
Low-pressure chemical dosing skids and pilot-scale process skids use Proto3000 Formlabs Elastic 50A face seals when groove dimensions fall outside standard die-cut EPDM sheet stock. The resin is introduced into the vat as a single-part photopolymer at 100 wt%; no curative, plasticizer, or mineral filler is added. Seal lip sections are printed at 100% infill with 100 µm layer thickness, washed in ≥99% isopropyl alcohol for 20 min, and post-cured at 60 °C for 20 min. Hardness is checked under ASTM D2240, tensile stress-strain behavior under ASTM D412, and short-term chemical compatibility against the process fluid under ISO 1817; REACH and RoHS 2011/65/EU documentation applies to the liquid resin and cured part. For potable-water or food-contact sealing, NSF/ANSI 61 or FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 extraction testing is required on the printed geometry; published data for this specific resin in these end-uses is limited. Terminal products include custom flange gaskets, manifold face seals, and pilot-plant union seals used below 50 kPa differential pressure.
In wearable clinical-trial devices that require repeated flexing over a 14-day ambulatory period, the housing is printed from Elastic 50A at 100 wt% photopolymer with no diluent or plasticizer added; where the skin-contact surface requires lower leachables, a separate medical-grade polyurethane topcoat is applied at a dry film thickness of 50–75 µm rather than modifying the resin formulation. Cytotoxicity screening follows ISO 10993-5 and sensitization irritation follows ISO 10993-10 on the cured printed specimen, not on the liquid resin. The material is not rated as an implantable material, so tensile or long-term implant testing under ISO 10993-6 is outside the qualified scope. On 405 nm laser-based vat photopolymerization equipment, the housing is built at 100 µm layer thickness with support touchpoints on non-skin-contact internal surfaces; after green-part removal, parts are washed in ≥99% isopropyl alcohol for 20 min and post-cured at 60 °C for 20 min. Recoating consistency across a 33.5 cm build platform requires resin temperature between 25 °C and 35 °C; lower temperatures increase peel defects on thin flexure walls. Terminal products include ambulatory sensor pods, wristbands, and cuff housings that must withstand 10,000 flex cycles without visible crack propagation.
Bellows actuators require the material to sustain repeated folding at low pneumatic pressures below 100 kPa; layer interfaces introduced during photopolymerization act as preferred crack paths when the fold hinge aligns with the build plane. For this reason, the bellows geometry is rotated 30° from the Z axis during slicing, and the wall thickness is held at 1.0 mm with 100% infill; the resin remains a single-part 100 wt% Elastic 50A feed, with no thinning agent added because viscosity reduction changes green-part tear strength. Qualification follows ASTM D624 for tear strength and ASTM D412 for tensile elongation on printed plaques, while cyclic performance is screened using an internal protocol derived from ISO 6943 for elastomer fatigue. After printing at 100 µm layer thickness, parts are washed for 20 min in ≥99% isopropyl alcohol and post-cured at 60 °C for 20 min; compressed air is introduced only after 24 h ambient stabilization to avoid solvent-induced grazing of thin fold sections. Terminal product types include pneumatic gripper bellows, soft robotic finger skins, and low-pressure bladder actuators produced in lot sizes of 5–30 units.
In footwear prototyping, the material is not blended with thermoplastic polyurethane or EVA; the resin is printed at 100 wt% Elastic 50A, and stiffness tuning is achieved by varying gyroid lattice infill between 35% and 65% inside a closed sidewall. Shore hardness is confirmed at 50A under ASTM D2240, rebound energy is screened under ASTM D2632, and compression set after 22 h at 70 °C is evaluated under ASTM D395-B; for finished athletic footwear components, shock attenuation may be measured under ISO 20344 Section 6.8 using a whole-shoe fixture, not on the printed material alone. The downstream process uses 405 nm laser photopolymerization with 100 µm layers, followed by removal of support structures from non-contact regions, 20 min isopropyl alcohol washing, and 60 °C post-cure for 20 min. Printed insoles with a 2 mm base thickness and 5 mm lattice core exhibit visible surface roughness that requires a flexible polyurethane top skin for skin contact. Terminal products include heel cups, cut-to-fit insole preforms, metatarsal pads, and impact-protective boot liners used in functional prototyping rather than high-volume production.
When cast polyurethane sleeves with 50–60 Shore A hardness are unavailable in short lead times, Elastic 50A is used as a single-part 100 wt% photopolymer replacement for low-load vibration isolation mounts. The resin is not compounded with plasticizer, so the cured part retains a 50A durometer under ASTM D2240 and provides vibration transmissibility data that must be confirmed on the actual electronic enclosure because the polymer damps through viscoelastic loss rather than bulk filler. Compliance documentation includes REACH and RoHS 2011/65/EU for restricted substances; vibration qualification is conducted under IEC 60068-2-64 or MIL-STD-810H Method 514.8 depending on the end market, with resonance-search profiles limited to 5–500 Hz. Printing is performed with 100 µm layers and 100% infill in the load-bearing wall; connector boots use a 2.5 mm nominal wall thickness, and internal undercuts are formed without secondary assembly by printing as one piece. Washing in ≥99% isopropyl alcohol for 20 min and post-curing at 60 °C for 20 min are followed by 24 h room-temperature storage before installation to stabilize residual monomer. Terminal parts include cylindrical vibration isolators, cable relief boots, connector shroud grommets, and protective end caps for handheld instruments.
Respiratory mask interfaces are printed from Elastic 50A when functional fit testing must begin before a compression-molded silicone cushion is available. The resin is kept at 100 wt% as a single-part photopolymer; no silicone oil, plasticizer, or curative is added because the part must replicate the 50A durometer of the intended silicone without the 10:1 base-to-curative addition ratio used by RTV silicones. For skin-contact safety, cytotoxicity is screened under ISO 10993-5 and irritation under ISO 10993-10 on fully post-cured printed specimens; for any cushion used in a breathing gas pathway, the printed component must also undergo leachable testing under ISO 18562-1 and ISO 18562-2. Published data for this specific resin in a full breathing-gas pathway configuration is limited, so extraction testing is required on each new cushion geometry. The downstream process uses 405 nm laser photopolymerization with 100 µm layers, support placement on the mask frame side, 20 min isopropyl alcohol washing, and post-cure at 60 °C for 20 min. The cushion wall is maintained at 1.5 mm with 100% infill to prevent collapse under 5–15 cmH₂O interface pressure. Terminal products include nasal mask cushions, full-face trial masks, and respiratory physiotherapy mask interfaces used in short-duration evaluations.
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Proto3000 supplies Formlabs Elastic 50A Resin as an elastomeric photopolymer for 405 nm stereolithography and low force stereolithography platforms. The material is available in 1 L and 5 L cartridge formats and is compatible with Formlabs systems when Elastic 50A is listed in the PreForm materials library and an appropriate dedicated resin tank is installed. Manufacturer-published post-cured representative values include Shore hardness of 50 A per ASTM D2240, ultimate tensile strength of 3.2 MPa per ASTM D412, elongation at break of 160 % per ASTM D412, tear strength of 11 kN/m per ASTM D624, and compression set of 20 % after 22 h at 70 °C per ASTM D395 Method B. These values should be treated as lot-representative rather than minimum specifications; orientation, post-cure, and solvent removal influence final part properties.
The resin is a free-radical acrylate elastomer rather than a platinum-catalyzed silicone. Its low durometer is derived from controlled crosslink density and soft-segment content, not from migratory plasticizer loadings. This distinction has practical consequences: flexibility does not depend on plasticizer retention, but the material swells in polar solvents and remains surface-tacky unless cured fully. Green parts should be handled only with nitrile gloves, and unused resin should be sealed in the cartridge to prevent light-induced gelation.
A post-print thermal and optical cure is required to reach the published mechanical values. Formlabs specifies 60 °C for 15 min in a Form Cure or equivalent 405 nm curing chamber. Undercure produces reduced hardness, elevated surface tack, and higher compression set; overcure can shift hardness upward and reduce elongation. Because Elastic 50A is more sensitive to post-cure than rigid resins, cure-chamber irradiance, temperature uniformity, and timer accuracy should be verified rather than assumed. Calibration intervals for UV LED arrays and chamber fans are relevant quality controls.
Pre-cure solvent removal is equally important. Residual isopropyl alcohol remains in the network and acts as a transient plasticizer, depressing tensile strength and increasing solvent swell. A Form Wash with ≥ 99 % isopropyl alcohol is the standard route; drying should be confirmed before parts enter the cure chamber. Large flat parts printed parallel to the build platform are prone to edge curl if peel force exceeds green strength. Support-tip diameters of 0.5 mm to 0.6 mm are commonly used for soft sections, and removal should use flush cutters or a sharp blade. Pulling supports from low-durometer parts can initiate tear propagation along layer interfaces.
Dimensional control also depends on layer height. Elastomeric parts are usually printed at 50 µm to 100 µm. Thinner layers improve interlayer adhesion but increase build time and total light dose. If walls are below 1 mm, supplemental ribs or thicker sections may be required to maintain geometry during washing and support removal.
Print speed is not controlled solely by laser exposure. In low force stereolithography, the flexible tank interface reduces peel force, but large cross-section layers still generate separation forces that can cause partial delamination or edge lift if cure depth is inadequate. Cure depth and working curve slope depend on photoinitiator content, absorber concentration, and laser energy. Published working curve coefficients are machine-specific and are not included in the standard Elastic 50A technical data sheet; therefore, process development should replicate cure depth and layer adhesion on the target platform.
Resin temperature affects recoating and layer formation. Formlabs resin tanks are heated to approximately 35 °C to reduce viscosity. Cold cartridges or low ambient temperature can slow recoating and create incomplete fill in thin channels. Cartridges should be agitated and allowed to reach the printer’s resin temperature before starting a build. If the cartridge was stored below 15 °C, conditioning at room temperature is required to avoid viscosity-driven defects.
Elastomeric photopolymers are viscoelastic at ambient temperature because the network operates above its glass transition. Tensile values measured under ASTM D412 at low strain rate may underrepresent stress at installation or impact speeds. This strain-rate dependence is more pronounced than in rigid SLA resins, which are glassy at room temperature. Designs using Elastic 50A as a snap-in compression seal or cushioning element should compare load-deflection response at both quasi-static and converted dynamic rates. Published data for printed Elastic 50A across multiple strain rates is limited; dynamic mechanical analysis is recommended when strain rate exceeds 1 s⁻¹.
Cyclic loading below 20 % to 30 % peak strain is generally within the recoverable range for a 50 A elastomer, but progressive softening occurs. Layer interfaces can act as fatigue initiation sites if high stresses are oriented normal to layer planes. Orienting tensile strain parallel to layers typically preserves elongation better. For dynamic parts, surface flaws from support removal should be minimized because tear propagation follows the lowest-energy path along surface defects.
Flexible 80A Resin is specified at 80 A Shore hardness and provides higher tensile strength, higher tear strength, and lower elongation than Elastic 50A. The selection boundary is functional load. Elastic 50A is preferred where conformance to rough mating surfaces and low sealing force are required. Flexible 80A is preferred where the part carries structural load, resists tear, or must snap fit without permanent deformation. For tensile loads, Elastic 50A is limited by tensile strength below 5 MPa; for tearing, its 11 kN/m tear strength is substantially lower than that reported for Flexible 80A. Elastic 50A should not be used for threaded bosses, load-bearing brackets, or areas with high shear stress.
Compared with rigid SLA resins, Elastic 50A shows tensile strength more than an order of magnitude lower but elongation more than five times higher. Rigid formulations typically fail below 20 % strain, while Elastic 50A reaches 160 %. This distinction changes design rules: rigid resins are for dimensionally stable housings and fixtures; Elastic 50A is for compression pads, dust covers, soft overmolds, and return-to-shape features.
| Property | Test method | Representative value |
|---|---|---|
| Shore hardness | ASTM D2240 | 50 A |
| Ultimate tensile strength | ASTM D412 | 3.2 MPa |
| Elongation at break | ASTM D412 | 160 % |
| Tear strength | ASTM D624 | 11 kN/m |
| Compression set, 70 °C / 22 h | ASTM D395 Method B | 20 % |
Selecting Elastic 50A for a sealing application requires more than a Shore hardness match. The printed surface roughness and layer orientation must be characterized because sealing force is not evenly distributed across stair-step topography. For a 2 mm thick gasket printed flat, the sealing face is relatively smooth; printing at an angle creates layer ridges that may require post-machining or a conformal mating surface. Prototype gaskets should be tested in the actual flange or cover assembly with the specified closure torque, not in a parallel-plate compression fixture alone.
Gasket performance is often controlled by compression set, not tensile strength. Compression set is determined by compressing a specimen to 25 % deflection and holding at 70 °C for 22 h according to ASTM D395 Method B. After release and recovery, a 20 % compression set means 80 % of the applied deflection is recovered. In a fixed-gap bolted flange, the unrecovered 20 % strain reduces contact force, which can allow low-pressure leakage if initial compression is insufficient. Groove design should limit initial compression to 15 % to 20 % of seal thickness for low-pressure liquid service. For higher closure force or thermal cycling, application-specific testing under ASTM F37 or an equivalent fixture is required; published data for this specific configuration is limited.
Stress relaxation under fixed displacement also occurs. Even if compression set is moderate, elastomeric networks relax over time, and the rate increases with temperature and solvent exposure. Elastic 50A should not be used in continuous sealing above 50 °C unless long-term fixture testing has been completed, because accelerated creep can occur as soft segments gain mobility. For low-temperature service, embrittlement is not expected down to 0 °C, but part stiffness will increase.
Chemical compatibility is a further boundary. The cured acrylate network swells in ketones, esters, and chlorinated solvents; aromatic and petroleum solvents may produce moderate dimensional change. Fluid contact should be evaluated using ASTM D543 immersion testing with the same wash and post-cure workflow intended for production, because residual uncured species and surface oxidation can change swell behavior. The standard Elastic 50A technical data sheet does not establish food-contact, medical-device, or skin-contact regulatory clearance. For wearable or medical-adjacent parts, testing under ISO 10993 must be completed on the final cleaned, cured, and post-finished article. Outdoor exposure to continuous UV may cause surface oxidation and hardness drift; an opaque protective coating is recommended. Cartridges should be stored between 15 °C and 30 °C, agitated before printing, and kept in closed containers to prevent light-induced gelation. Dedicated resin tanks, wash baskets, and finishing tools are required because low-durometer resin residue contaminates rigid resins and can reduce interlayer adhesion in subsequent builds.
