Carbon launches new color options with EPU 46 resin

After a period of relative quiet, Carbon, the pioneer in high-speed resin 3D printing with reactive materials, is making the news again with the release of the new EPU 46 resin — its newest elastomer material. EPU 46 offers a combination of high-performance material properties, excellent durability, and a myriad of color options, to enable the customizable production of a wide range of premium products like saddles, footwear, and grips.

VoxelMatters got to see a preview of the new color options at OECHSLER’s open house earlier this year, and we can confirm they appear vibrant and durable, opening many new opportunities for 3D printed final products. The EPU 46 resin is designed to meet the growing demands of requirements for a broad spectrum of industries, with a focus on performance, comfort, aesthetics and more. It offers customers the ability to finetune the material stiffness without compromising its printability or changing its material properties. Additionally, the new elastomer further pushes Carbon’s efforts in sustainability as the elastomer contains 40% bio-based material and is designed for solvent-free spin cleaning and resin reclaim to minimize production waste.

“EPU 46 is the future of elastomer customization, combining the benefits of performance, comfort and durability with the excitement of custom colors and tunable material stiffness,” said Jason Rolland, SVP of Materials at Carbon. “EPU 46 furthers our commitment to providing a robust and complete idea-to-production platform that can be fully customized to our client’s specifications. This is truly the next step in our journey to creating anything that can be dreamt up.”

The EPU 46 resin offers a dual-cure solution with remarkable energy-returning properties, ushering in a host of new advantages. First and foremost, it boasts remarkable speed and customization capabilities. The EPU 46 platform provides the flexibility to achieve a diverse array of colors and material stiffness levels, all while maintaining exceptional printability and swift print times. Moreover, its color fastness is unparalleled; thanks to the direct integration of pigments into the resin, the color remains steadfast and unchanging even with extended use.

Additionally, EPU 46 allows for increased stiffness adjustments, offering the ability to fine-tune lattice parameters like strut diameter or cell size to achieve a wide spectrum of part stiffness levels. This unique capability extends to material stiffness as well, facilitating the creation of a broad range of tactile qualities. This makes EPU 46 particularly well-suited for crafting handles, grips, and delicate features where achieving a precise soft compression can be challenging.

EPU 46 is an improvement of Carbon’s production elastomer portfolio, featuring market-leading elastomer printability and broader mechanical properties. It will be available internationally in late September 2023.