Proto3000 Objet Digital Materials™ DM_8210 Rigid Opaque Prototyping Polymer is a PolyJet photopolymer grade produced on Objet Connex-class multi-material printing platforms. The material is dispensed as a UV-curable acrylic resin through multiple print-head orifices, levelled by a roller assembly, and immediately polymerized by UV lamp exposure. As a digital material, DM_8210 is generated in the print job manager from at least two base model resin streams; the resulting cured deposit is specified to present a rigid, opaque, dimensional-reporting surface with Shore D hardness at 82 and a surface finish that is suitable for visual checks, datum measurement, and non-transparent functional models. The commercial designation belongs to the Objet Digital Materials family distributed by Proto3000. All numerical values in this document are typical published values for conditioned specimens and are not to be interpreted as guaranteed lot-specific specifications; end-user qualification under the purchaser’s quality system remains required.

Mechanical Property Bounds and Fabrication Tolerances

Under ASTM D638-14 type IV specimens conditioned at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5 % RH for 48 h, published data for DM_8210 report tensile strength at 55 MPa and elongation at break at 12 %. The flexural test method ASTM D790-17 gives a flexural strength of 86 MPa and a flexural modulus of 2480 MPa. Notched Izod impact under ASTM D256-10 is reported at 31 J/m; heat deflection temperature under ASTM D648-18 at 0.45 MPa loading is reported at 48 °C. Shore D durometry under ASTM D2240-15 confirms the grade designation at 82. These values locate the material at the boundary between hard plastic and lower-temperature rigid polymer; any continuously applied service temperature above 40 °C should be preceded by part-specific creep measurement because the heat deflection temperature is below typical engineering thermoplastics such as unfilled polyamide or acetal. Dimensional accuracy on PolyJet systems is governed by machine geometry, layer deposition strategy, and environmental stability rather than by the resin alone; typical accuracy claims for Connex-class platforms are 0.1 mm for the first dimension below 50 mm and scale upward with part size. DM_8210 does not have a separate published material-specific shrinkage correction outside the printer’s calibration routine. Parts with wall thickness below 0.5 mm are subject to handling fracture during support removal and should be reinforced before loading.

During production builds on Connex-class systems, environmental control should be maintained within the range specified by the machine site preparation guide, typically 18–25 °C and 30–70 % RH. Elevated relative humidity above 60 % can promote moisture uptake at the uncured resin surface and produce edge curl in large cross-sections because the UV cure is confined to the deposition plane. Layer thickness is selected in the build manager; the grade is frequently run at 30 µm in high-speed mode and at 16 µm in high-quality mode where thin walls and fine bosses require improved voxel resolution. Support removal is performed with water-jet or immersion-based processes supplied by the platform vendor. Thin cantilevered features under 1 mm width should be fixtured during support stripping to prevent fracture at the base radius. Solvent exposure is a processing boundary: ketone, chlorinated, or aromatic solvents induce crazing in cured acrylic photopolymer; isopropanol can be used for brief cleaning, but immersion should not exceed the interval required for surface degreasing. Uncured resin cartridges and waste generated by support removal are subject to chemical waste regulation under local law; REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 and RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU assessments for the cured part are not automatic and must be verified by the end user for the target market.

How Does DM_8210 Differ from Single-Resin Objet VeroOpaque Grades?

Published comparison data for DM_8210 and VeroWhitePlus RGD835 single-resin polymer show adjacent but not identical mechanical envelopes. VeroWhitePlus reports Shore D hardness in the range 83–86, tensile strength 50–65 MPa, elongation at break 10–25 %, flexural strength 75–110 MPa, flexural modulus 2200–3200 MPa, and heat deflection temperature 45–50 °C at 0.45 MPa. DM_8210 is specified at a Shore D hardness of 82 with narrower published tensile and flexural values. The primary operational difference is the material-management route: VeroOpaque grades are loaded as a single model resin in a dedicated material carriage, whereas DM_8210 is a digital recipe synthesized inside the printer by blending base jetting streams. This distinction affects lot traceability and replacement; digital-material lots are defined by the paired base resins and the printer’s proportioning calibration, not by a preblended bulk resin. The opaque visual character of DM_8210 is obtained without post-dyeing, and the material is not suitable for optical transmission because no transparent grade is used. Compared with VeroClear RGD810, which requires polishing to approach translucency, DM_8210 remains opaque under side-light inspection. Compared with impact-modified Objet Digital ABS Plus, DM_8210 is not formulated with a dispersed impact modifier and therefore shows lower notched impact and heat deflection; it is intended for rigid dimensional prototypes rather than snap-fit iterations requiring high elongation.

In jig and fixture applications requiring opaque surfaces for optical edge detection and touch-probe datum measurement, DM_8210 is used for non-load-bearing assembly aids and check fixtures. Cured PolyJet photopolymer has lower creep resistance than glass-filled nylon or tooling board; therefore locating features should not be designed as press fits with residual hoop strain above 5 % of tensile strain. For RTV silicone mold masters, the material can serve as a pattern when the mold cure temperature is below 45 °C; tin-cure silicones generating exothermic temperature above this threshold can distort thin master features. Published data for surface roughness of the cured part at high-quality build mode is available from the printer manufacturer’s application notes; if no measured Ra value is available, a preliminary measurement under ISO 4287:1997 is advised before using the surface to control demolding friction. The opaque nature of DM_8210 allows visual contrast with clear components in assembly studies, but the material has not been qualified for continuous skin contact under ISO 10993-1:2018 without additional testing. For fluid-contact applications, compatibility must be verified by immersion testing under ASTM D543-20; acrylic photopolymers swell and lose strength in polar and aggressive solvents. Unsupported external threads below M3 should be avoided because repeated assembly can chip the first thread root.

When Shore D 82 Rigid Opaque Digital Material Replaces CNC-Machined Acetal in Short-Run Concept Models

Direct substitution of DM_8210 for acetal homopolymer in short-run concept models requires review of heat deflection, wear, and fastener retention. Published property data for typical unfilled acetal places heat deflection temperature near 110 °C at 0.45 MPa and tensile yield stress near 60 MPa; DM_8210 matches or approaches the tensile yield envelope but deflects at a lower temperature and lacks acetal’s crystalline slip. Snap-fit arms designed for acetal repeated flexure are not transferred to DM_8210 without reducing deflection strain below 4–5 % and increasing root radii. In sliding contact without external lubrication, DM_8210 does not contain solid lubricant fillers; dynamic friction and wear rate are higher than acetal, and particle generation may affect optical or clean-room assemblies. Thread-forming screws in DM_8210 can produce cracks at pilot-hole diameters below those recommended for acetal; pilot holes should be sized to reduce radial hoop strain and tested with torque-limited drivers. Conversely, DM_8210 permits direct printing of internal channels and complex undercuts that would require multi-axis CNC setups in acetal; feature resolution is limited by the 16 µm or 30 µm layer thickness and the support-removal clearance of the PolyJet system. Dimensional inspection of printed acetal replacement parts should include thermal compensation because PolyJet photopolymer exhibits a higher coefficient of linear thermal expansion than acetal; published expansion data for this specific grade is limited, so differential expansion in ambient-temperature workshops should be measured under ASTM D696-16 if mating parts are held below 0.05 mm clearance.

Material Storage, Viscosity Stability, and Printer Compatibility

Cartridges are sealed and supplied for installation in Connex-class bays; storage in unopened cartridges is typically recommended at 15–27 °C with avoidance of direct sunlight. Once opened, the resin remains jettable if the printer performs idle purges, but long machine stops over 72 h may require head flushing. Viscosity stability is governed by the piezo head’s operating window; the system maintains resin temperature at the print head, but degraded or moisture-contaminated material may exhibit jetting dropout or satellite droplets. Waste resin from purges must be collected and disposed as uncured photopolymer; it is not compatible with aqueous waste streams. DM_8210 is compatible with the support materials specified by the printer manufacturer for rigid opaque digital materials; using an unapproved support can prevent clean separation and leave residual on the surface. The cured material can be machined, drilled, sanded, and painted; sharp tools with high spindle speeds avoid chip melting. If clearcoats or epoxy paints are applied, adhesion should be tested under ASTM D3359-17 cross-cut tape method because cured acrylic photopolymer surfaces can have low surface energy after support removal. Final assembly with cyanoacrylate adhesives is common; anaerobic adhesives should be avoided because the absence of metallic ions on the plastic surface can produce incomplete cure.

Lot traceability for DM_8210 is maintained through the base resin batch identifiers and printer material-management logs. Because digital materials are blended at the print head, the user cannot measure a single preblended viscosity or degree of cure; in-process verification consists of print-head drop mass calibration, roller gap checks, and ambient humidity logs. A manufacturing line using this grade should add daily test coupon builds for tensile bars and square bosses under ISO/ASTM conditions to detect batch-to-batch variation. Failed jetting nozzles produce linear voids or weak interfaces; inspection of the first 2 mm of the build plane with halogen backlight is a common early indicator of recovery patterns that develop after nozzle blockage. These process data are not material specifications but are operational controls supplied by the printer vendor’s user guide.