Nexa3D, the maker of ultrafast polymer 3D printers, announced today in partnership with Henkel, the commercial availability of xFLEX 475, a category leading soft rubber material that is ideal for the production of additively manufactured industrial and consumer products.
Within the high growth elastomers market, customers can now access this industrial strength material for applications that require resilience, snap back and tear resistance, such as pipes and manifolds, handles, and grips, seals, and gaskets or sportswear and footwear midsoles. This material also boasts an impressive up to 150 percent elongation at failure and an excellent energy return of up to 50 percent. The new xFLEX 475 material comes in two colors; black, and white and is immediately available through Nexa3D’s growing network of resellers.
Nexa3D’s expanding collaboration with Henkel combines the proven capabilities of both companies to fast-track additive manufacturing towards mass production of functional parts across multiple industries, leveraging the productivity advantage of its ultrafast NXE 400 3D printer. No other manufacturing process offers as many possibilities for greater design agility and supply chain resiliency and ultrafast implementation at every phase of the product lifecycle. Combining Nexa3D’s productivity with Henkel’s rapidly expanding suite of functional polymers, makes it possible for customers to manufacture a wider range of parts such as protective gear, and grips, hoses, and pipes, gaskets, and seals footwear components and tooling for greater performance and functionality.
“Productivity and performance for volume production applications can only be maximized when manufacturers have access to both ultrafast 3D printer technology and advanced polymers,” explained Kevin McAlea, Chief Operating Officer at Nexa3D. “Historically, during prototyping, manufacturers could 3D print aesthetically pleasing models, but they were not durable. Or they could create functional parts that did not match the aesthetic requirements of production parts. We don’t believe manufacturers should have to compromise any longer. Our close partnership with Henkel allows us to expand our suite of functional photoplastic and photoelastic materials, so customers can produce functional prototypes and volume production parts that have both an attractive surface finish and the durability they require.”
“Henkel’s portfolio of photoplastic and photoelastic materials are tailored to the high throughput of the NXE 400 ultrafast 3D printer, allowing design and manufacturing engineers to achieve the best results with both rapid prototyping and mass production,” explained Simon Mawson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of 3D Printing at Henkel. “We plan to further strengthen our collaboration with the Nexa3D team and quickly expand our materials portfolio to help make rapid prototyping and mass production of functional parts more accessible.”
