--- title: "TrueSilX50: Axtra3D pushes boundaries of silicone 3D printing" url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/truesilx50-axtra3d-pushes-boundaries-of-silicone-3d-printing/ date: 2025-04-21 modified: 2025-04-18 lang: en author: "Tess Boissonneault" description: "Since it launched just a couple years ago, Axtra3D’s Hi-Speed SLA has offered manufacturers a more efficient method for producing molds and mold inserts, among other applications. The company’s HPS..." categories: - "Advanced Polymers" - "Materials" - "Photopolymer Resins" - "Polymers" - "Sponsored" tags: - "Featured" image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7741-640x360.jpg word_count: 789 --- # TrueSilX50: Axtra3D pushes boundaries of silicone 3D printing Since it launched just a couple years ago, [Axtra3D’s ](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/axtra3d/)[Hi-Speed SLA](https://www.voxelmatters.com/axtra3d-hybrid-photosynthesis-scale-speed-resolution/) has offered manufacturers a more efficient method for producing molds and mold inserts, among other applications. The company’s HPS technology, brought to market in the Lumia X1 platform, is a hybrid photopolymerization technology that combines an SLA laser with a DLP projector for high-throughput *and *high-resolution printing. In mold making, these capabilities—along with a broad material compatibility—have been vital to producing ceramic mold inserts, low-pressure molds, high-temperature micro molds and thermoforming molds with a high degree of accuracy, speed and cost efficiency. But the real innovation lies in the Axtra3D trifecta**: **a convergence of** **breakthrough technology**, **flexible business models**, **and an** **expansive material ecosystem**.** ## Silicone AM emerges Even those with limited knowledge of [silicone 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/a-look-at-the-latest-advances-in-silicone-3d-printing/) know that it is a cutting-edge capability that for years was limited by the material’s viscosity and thermosetting properties. Only now are we seeing commercially and industrially viable solutions for 3D printing the rubber-like material with products like Axtra3D’s TrueSilX50 coming to market. [![Axtra3D TrueSilX50 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/PlatformAndZAxis-copy.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/PlatformAndZAxis-copy.jpeg) TrueSilX50 was developed specifically for the Lumia X1 and has the same properties as molded silicone, including biocompatibility, flexibility and durability. In more specific terms, the new 3D printing material has the following properties: - Shore Durometer of 48A - Elongation at Break of 330% - Tear Strength of 22 N/mm - Rebound Resilience: 55%  “TrueSilX50 is our first true silicone material, featuring a 48 Shore hardness, exclusively developed for our Lumia X1 printer,” explains Rajeev Kulkarni, Chief Strategy Officer of Axtra3D. “It maintains the composition and properties of true silicone, offering unmatched durability, flexibility and biocompatibility, making it invaluable for both healthcare and industrial applications. TrueSilX50 delivers these benefits with the added advantage of digital manufacturing, significantly reducing time and cost.” [![Axtra3D TrueSilX50 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7795.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_7795.jpg) ## Maximizing the benefits of silicone 3DP The advantages of being able to 3D print rather than mold silicone components are clear. For one, manufacturers can create designs and geometries not possible with molded silicone. Directly 3D printing silicone also minimizes material waste and accelerates turnaround times by eliminating the tooling step entirely.  Axtra3D emphasizes that its new material also offers a number of benefits compared to other silicone 3D printing methods, extrusion processes in particular. With HPS and TrueSilX50, users can create products with a superior surface finish, free from any layer artifacts, as well as achieve ultra-fine resolutions and intricate geometries with micron-level accuracy. Typically challenging design features for extrusion 3D printing, like flat surfaces and sharp edges, can also be printed with ease using the HPS photopolymerization process, which cures parts uniformly and ensures isotropic properties and smooth finishes without extensive post-processing. ## Spectrum of applications The aforementioned capabilities open up applications for silicone 3D printing in a number of segments. In the medical industry (including dental and audiology), for example, the technology can rapidly produce customized anatomical models, wearable medical devices, custom-fit hearing aids, dental devices and more.  In the industrial sector, Axtra3D’s new silicone 3D printing material can be used to manufacture seals and gaskets, soft robotics, food processing components, keypads, waterproof enclosures and much more. There are also opportunities in the consumer segment for the production of cosmetic applicators, headphones, baby care products and household appliances, to name but a few.  [![Axtra3D TrueSilX50 3D printing](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_9712.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_9712.jpg) It’s worth mentioning that using TrueSilX50 on the Lumia X1 is as straightforward as 3D printing more standard resins and Axtra3D has finalized print profiles for the material, which enable easy integration into existing workflows as well as scalability and repeatability.  Notably, the launch of TrueSilX50 is just the beginning for Axtra3D when it comes to silicone 3D printing. Kulkarni elaborates on the company’s vision for silicone 3D printing, saying that more varieties are in the pipeline. “We plan to expand our portfolio with additional silicone materials, targeting a range of durometers for diverse applications,” he says. “It offers a strong value proposition by reducing costs, accelerating iterations and shortening the time to final part compared to traditional methods, while also delivering superior precision, detail, resolution and surface quality over extruded silicone.” Ultimately, by combining the benefits of HPS technology (which has 2 to 20 times faster print speeds compared to traditional DLP, LCD and SLA platforms) with the unique properties of silicone, Axtra3D is opening up a world of possibilities for flexible components, biocompatible devices and beyond. ### A Material Ecosystem That Scales With You In addition to silicone, the Lumia X1 is compatible with a wide variety of different materials developed in collaboration with leading resin manufacturers, from high-temperature resins and ceramic-filled resins to micro-detail resins and elastomers. Axtra3D also offers two business model pathways to meet the needs of different customers: AxtraSolutions, a turnkey solution that offers validated workflows and performance, and Axtra OpenAccess, which gives users full control over parameters, ideal for experimenting with third-party materials.