Carbon und Arkema entwickeln elastomerische Harze für DLS

Key Takeaways

Carbon und Arkema haben sich zusammengeschlossen, um ein UV-aushärtendes elastomeres Harz zu entwickeln, das für Carbon-s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS)-Drucker optimiert ist.
Das neue Material kann über einen weiten Härtebereich (Shore A 30-80) abgestimmt werden, um spezifische Dämpfungs-, Stütz- oder Energie-Rücklauf-Eigenschaften zu liefern.
DLS druckt bei 25-100 µm Schichtdicke und Geschwindigkeiten bis zu 10 cm h⁻¹, was eine schnelle Fertigung von Gitterstrukturen für Schuhe, Sportgeräte und passgenaue Accessoires ermöglicht.
Frühe Anwender wie Vivobarefoot nutzen Fuß-Scan-Daten, um Sandalen on-demand zu 3-D-drucken, wodurch der Lagerbestand um bis zu 70 % reduziert und der Materialabfall um 30 % gesenkt wird.

Introduction: Why Elastomeric Resins Matter for DLS

Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) platform relies on a continuous vat of photopolymer that is cured by a moving UV light source. Historically, the technology has excelled at producing rigid, high-resolution parts (e.g., aerospace brackets, dental models). However, the growing demand for flexible, performance-oriented consumer goods—especially in athletic footwear and sports equipment—required a resin that could combine elastic recovery with dimensional stability.

Enter Arkema, a global leader in specialty chemicals with a 30-year portfolio of UV-curable materials. By leveraging Arkema’s expertise in UV-curable elastomers, Carbon has introduced a new resin family that can be fine-tuned for a spectrum of mechanical properties while maintaining DLS’s hallmark speed and surface finish (≈ 10 µm RMS).

How the Collaboration Works

Aspect	Carbon’s DLS Platform	Arkima’s Elastomeric Chemistry
Curing Mechanism	405 nm UV light, continuous vat	UV-initiated radical polymerization
Typical Layer Thickness	25 µm – 100 µm	Same (compatible with DLS)
Print Speed	Up to 10 cm h⁻¹	Not a limiting factor
Hardness Range (Shore A)	30 – 80 (tunable)	30 – 80 (via monomer blend)
Tensile Strength	10 – 30 MPa	10 – 30 MPa
Elongation at Break	150 % – 400 %	150 % – 400 %
Typical Use Cases	Rigid prototypes, dental models	Lattice midsoles, sport-tech inserts
Environmental Impact	Recyclable resin cartridges	Low-VOC, solvent-free formulation

The table highlights that the chemistry and hardware are fully compatible, allowing Carbon’s existing DLS printers to switch to the new elastomeric resin without hardware modifications.

Real-World Applications

Custom Footwear

Vivobarefoot’s 3-D-printed sandal is the flagship example. The workflow proceeds as follows:

Foot Scanning – A handheld scanner captures a 3-D mesh of the user’s foot (≈ 0.5 mm accuracy).
Design Generation – Proprietary software translates the mesh into a lattice-based midsole, assigning hardness gradients (e.g., Shore A 35 under the arch, Shore A 70 at the forefoot).
DLS Printing – The part is printed in ~ 6 minutes (≈ 150 mm³ min⁻¹) and post-cured for 2 minutes.
Finishing – Minimal sanding; the part is ready for assembly.

The result: a sandal that matches the wearer’s biomechanics while cutting material consumption by 30 % compared with traditional injection-molded midsoles.

Sporting Equipment

High-impact components such as bike saddle shells and protective pads benefit from the resin’s energy-return capability. Test data from Arkema’s R&D lab shows a 15 % increase in rebound efficiency when the lattice geometry is tuned to a Shore A 55 formulation versus a standard TPU.

Benefits Over Conventional Photopolymers

Mechanical Flexibility – Traditional DLS resins are brittle (Shore D 70-90). The new elastomeric line offers up to 400 % elongation, enabling true flex.
Design Freedom – Gradient hardness can be programmed voxel-by-voxel, something impossible with bulk-molded elastomers.
Supply Chain Simplicity – One resin family serves multiple performance targets, reducing SKU count for manufacturers.

Bottom Line

Carbon’s partnership with Arkema delivers a tunable elastomeric resin that unlocks DLS for flexible, high-performance consumer products. With layer resolutions down to 25 µm, print speeds of 10 cm h⁻¹, and a hardness spectrum spanning Shore A 30-80, the material bridges the gap between rapid additive manufacturing and the mechanical demands of modern footwear and sports gear. Early adopters are already seeing inventory reductions of up to 70 % and material waste cuts of 30 %, signaling a compelling economic and sustainability case for the technology.

Further Reading