Flexible Materials

BenchRebel currently offers three flexible materials. The properties of a given raw material vary greatly in their strengths, and no single property trumps all others. For example, Silicone 40A and Flexible 80A can withstand flex fatigue by orders of magnitude greater than Elastic 50A, based on Ross Flex Fatigue testing (ASTM D1052). Alternatively, Flexible 80A has the shortest elongation at break (120%) compared to Elastic 50A (160%) and Silicone 40A (230%). In a third example, Flexible 80A has double the tear strength of the other two materials referenced. Finally, for soft seals and gaskets, Silicone 40A and Flexible 80A are up to the task but Elastic 50A is not recommended.

The examples highlighted above, and many more variables, will impact how a product is designed and manufactured. To help with that decision, design guidelines are provided below.

Design Guidelines

Silicone 40A	Elastic 50A	Flexible 80A

Silicone 40A Resin is the first accessible 100% silicone 3D printing material, using Formlabs’ patent-pending Pure Silicone Technology™. Eliminate molding and labor-intensive casting processes by directly printing soft, pliable, and durable silicone parts.	Elastic 50A Resin V2 is a soft, translucent elastomer ideal for prototyping parts normally produced with softer rubbers and silicones. Parts printed in Elastic 50A Resin will bend, stretch, compress, and hold up to repeated cycles without tearing, and spring back quickly to their original shape.	Flexible 80A Resin is a stiff, soft-touch, translucent elastomer with an 80A Shore durometer ideal for prototyping rubber-like parts with the flexibility of harder rubber or TPU. Parts printed in Flexible 80A Resin can withstand bending, flexing, and compression, even through repeated cycles.
Seals, gaskets, actuators and connectors Wearables and flexible products Flexible fixtures and masking masters Keypads, buttons, and human-machine interaction devices	Wearables and prototyping Medical models and devices Compliant features for robotics Special effects props and models	Soft-touch, tactile prototypes Seals and gaskets Wearables and flexible products Medical devices and anatomical models Props and modelmaking
Supported wall thickness Recommended: 1.0 mm Unsupported wall thickness Recommended: 2.0 mm Shallow angles Recommended: 45 degrees Horizontal span/bridge Maximum: 400 microns Vertical wire diameter Minimum: 1.0 mm Clearance between adjacent parts Minimum: 1.0 mm Hole diameter Minimum: 1.0 mm	Supported wall thickness Recommended: 600 microns Unsupported wall thickness Recommended: 800 microns Shallow angles Recommended: 45 degrees Horizontal span/bridge Maximum: 600 microns Vertical wire diameter Minimum: 1.5 mm Clearance between adjacent parts Minimum: 1.0 mm Hole diameter Minimum: 800 microns	Supported wall thickness Recommended: 600 microns Unsupported wall thickness Recommended: 800 microns Shallow angles Recommended: 45 degrees Horizontal span/bridge Maximum: 600 microns Vertical wire diameter Minimum: 1.5 mm Clearance between adjacent parts Minimum: 1.0 mm Hole diameter Minimum: 800 microns
Technical Data Sheet	Technical Data Sheet	Technical Data Sheet