Lynxter releases food-grade certified silicone for industrial 3D printing
French manufacturer claims the material is the first 3D printable silicone to meet FDA food-contact standards
French elastomer specialist Lynxter has released SIL-004, a liquid silicone formulated for direct 3D printing in food-processing environments, and which meets FDA CFR 21 177-2600 requirements — a standard governing rubber articles intended for repeated food contact.
Free from BPA and PFAS, Lynxter claims it is the world’s first 3D printable silicone to carry this certification.
The material targets production environments where components face continual contact with fatty or aqueous foods, intensive cleaning cycles, and significant temperature variation. With an operating range of -50 °C to 250 °C and a tensile strength of 6.12 MPa, SIL-004 is aimed at functional parts that require both mechanical durability and regulatory compliance.
“Requests for food-grade silicone parts have surged with the widespread adoption of the S300X – LIQ21 | LIQ11, so we decided to tackle the challenge head-on,” stated Thomas Batigne, Chief Executive Officer of Lynxter. “Our materials and process engineering team achieved this breakthrough — a world first.
“It now helps improve the safety, quality, and productivity of modern food-processing operations. Bringing the flexibility of 3D printing into such a demanding regulatory environment is something the entire team is extremely proud of.”
SIL-004 is compatible with Lynxter’s S300X – LIQ21 | LIQ11 and S600D printers, and target applications include custom seals for food-processing equipment, flexible components for conveyor and scraping systems, food-grade molds, and hygienic design prototyping.
The company, which marked its 10-year anniversary earlier this year, claims that with SIL-004, components can be produced within hours and without tooling, compared to lead times of several weeks using conventional casting or molding methods.
The new material shares the 50 Shore A hardness of Lynxter’s existing SIL-001, but is differentiated by its food-contact certification, positioning it for regulated sectors including food processing, cosmetics, and medical applications.
