The Proto3000 Objet Digital Materials™ DM_9610 Rubber-like Prototyping Polymer is an acrylate-functional photopolymer blend qualified for PolyJet jetting systems. The material is not a single-component elastomer but a digital material generated by combining rubber-like and rigid base resins in a fixed jetting ratio; the cured network exhibits a nominal Shore A hardness of 60 with higher tear resistance than homogeneous TangoPlus FLX930. The material is typically processed on Objet Connex350/500 and Connex3 platforms in 16 µm High Quality or 30 µm High Speed layer modes. DM_9610 is used for prototype gaskets, seals, bellows, wearable soft-touch housings, and insert-molded soft-over-hard assemblies where design iterations require elastomeric behavior without tooling.

Unlike single-component TangoPlus FLX930, which is formulated as a homogeneous elastomeric photopolymer, DM_9610 is created by jetted voxel ratios of a soft acrylate and a rigid VeroFamily resin. The term “digital material” refers to the predefined voxel map rather than a bulk mixture in the cartridge. Because the two components remain partially phase-separated at the 30–50 µm voxel scale, the cured material combines low durometer from the soft phase with dimensional stability from the rigid phase. Crack growth proceeds along the interface between high-crosslink and low-crosslink domains. The stress–strain curve is therefore not a simple interpolation of the two parent resins, and orientation effects are more pronounced than in injection-molded thermoplastic elastomers.

What Process Window Governs DM_9610 Jetting and Cure Uniformity?

On Connex-class systems the material is heated to 70–75 °C before jetting; typical nozzle orifices are 50 µm with piezoelectric drop-on-demand actuation. Resin viscosity at the jetting temperature is maintained in the 10–15 cP range, which is the controlling parameter for stable drop formation and roller-leveled layer planarity. Ultraviolet exposure with peak irradiance in the 365–405 nm band cures each deposited layer before the next jetting pass. In 16 µm High Quality mode, lower layer mass improves crosslink density at voxel interfaces; in 30 µm High Speed mode, production throughput increases at the expense of inter-voxel diffusion. The practical ambient operating window is 22–25 °C; relative humidity above 60 % RH can shift the jetting viscosity of the soft acrylate fraction and produce surface tack. Batch-to-batch variation in the soft-phase content can shift jetting viscosity by approximately 5 %, which is sufficient to require onboard dynamic viscosity calibration before each build. Oxygen inhibition at the top layer can leave residual unreacted acrylate; DM_9610 parts may require a 24–48 h post-build stabilization period at 23 °C in darkness before dimensional or mechanical certification.

Distributor-published mechanical values for DM_9610 at 23 °C and 50 % RH after 24 h conditioning are tensile strength 2.7 MPa per ASTM D412-16, elongation at break 177 %, tear resistance 9.8 kN/m per ASTM D624-00(2020), and Shore A hardness 60 per ASTM D2240-15. The 100 % modulus is approximately 1.2 MPa. Compression set after 22 h at 70 °C is reported in the 25–35 % range when measured under ISO 815-1:2014 Method A. Water absorption after 24 h immersion is below 0.7 % by ASTM D570-98. These values are orientation-dependent; Z-major specimens may exhibit lower elongation and tear strength than XY-major specimens.

Tear Propagation, Compression Set, and Long-Term Viscoelastic Drift

Tear resistance is measured with die C geometries, not trouser tear, so direct comparison with molded thermoplastic elastomers requires specimen geometry normalization. In service, the material behaves as a lightly crosslinked acrylate network with time-dependent recovery: immediate elastic recovery is high, but 24 h compressive stress relaxation can exceed 30 % at 50 % strain. Because DM_9610 is not a vulcanized rubber, long-term static seals may develop flat-set after thermal cycling above 40 °C. Chemical compatibility screening should follow ASTM D471-16a; DM_9610 exhibits moderate resistance to mineral oil and aqueous glycol, while ketone, ester, and chlorinated solvent exposure can cause swelling and surface tack. In mixed-solvent exposure, the digital-voxel architecture may allow preferential extraction of the soft phase, leading to stiffness increase rather than swelling alone. Continuous air aging above 60 °C promotes Shore A drift upward by oxidation. Published data for this specific long-term aging configuration is limited; accelerated aging above 70 °C is therefore not recommended without chamber validation.

On production-scale Connex 500 systems with multi-head arrays, DM_9610 builds are sensitive to cartridge age and ambient moisture. Because the digital blend contains a soft acrylate fraction with higher hygroscopicity than the rigid VeroFamily phase, absorbed atmospheric water shifts the jetting viscosity and can produce local undercure at the interface between adjacent voxels. The field-observable failure mode is not complete nozzle dropout but a 3–5 Shore A reduction and residual surface tack across the build platform. Dimensional draft angle and thin-rib feature quality degrade before tensile testing reveals a severe loss. Operators running high-humidity environments above 60 % RH are advised to keep opened cartridges in desiccated storage and to run the printer’s viscosity calibration before the first build of each shift. Post-build, the commercial support material is removed by pressurized water spray at ≤ 30 °C; mechanical support removal is preferred for DM_9610 parts with ribs thinner than 1.0 mm.

When Build Orientation and Layer Thickness Interact with Tear Strength on Connex-Class Systems

Mechanical anisotropy is a primary difference between DM_9610 and molded thermoplastic polyurethane. Tensile bars printed flat-on and edge-on do not yield identical failure envelopes. In Z-major orientation, interlayer boundaries become the preferred path for tear propagation, and measured elongation at break may fall by 15–25 % compared with XY-major specimens. Under 30 µm High Speed mode, DM_9610 typically exhibits an additional 10–15 % reduction in tear resistance relative to 16 µm High Quality mode because of reduced inter-voxel diffusion and lower ultraviolet dose per voxel. The effect is not linear across build height; parts with Z height below 10 mm may show minimal deviation, while tall parts above 80 mm can show larger shifts due to accumulated roller pressure and build-plate temperature gradients. Validation must therefore include ASTM D412-16 and ASTM D624-00(2020) specimens printed in the same orientation as the production-intent prototype.

DM_9610 Placed Against Homogeneous Elastomers and Higher-Durometer Digital Materials

Single-component TangoPlus FLX930 is a homogeneous elastomeric photopolymer with a Shore A hardness of 26–28, while Agilus30 FLX935 is typically 30–35 Shore A. Both are softer and more recoverable than DM_9610. The DM_9610 at Shore A 60 provides greater resistance to localized deformation under compressive sealing loads, but its higher modulus is accompanied by lower ultimate elongation; distributor-published elongation for DM_9610 is 177 %, whereas TangoPlus-class materials are often documented above 200 %. At the higher end, Shore A 85 digital materials increase tensile strength and reduce extensibility further. The product-specific difference is the combination of intermediate durometer, tear resistance of 9.8 kN/m, and the digital-voxel architecture: DM_9610 is not a bulk mixture but a machine-generated pattern of soft and rigid domains, so its properties depend on build mode and orientation more than single-component elastomers.

DM_9610 is used for functional elastomeric prototypes where short-run production tooling is not justified: pneumatic sealing bellows, soft-touch medical device housing prototypes, consumer electronics drop-test bumpers, valve diaphragms, and custom gasket geometries. In a pneumatic diaphragm test with 0.4 MPa cyclic pressure and 1 Hz frequency, DM_9610 prototypes sustained flexure but exhibited visible cut growth after 5,000–10,000 cycles when notched; published data for this specific configuration is limited. For seal applications, short-term static compression at 25 % deflection is appropriate, but continuous service above 50 °C should be derated by a factor of 0.6 because compression set and thermal softening reduce sealing force. The material is not recommended for applications involving hot-water exposure above 60 °C, strong alkali, or prolonged ultraviolet weathering without clearcoat. DM_9610 is not marketed as a long-term skin-contact or implant material; biocompatibility claims require separate ISO 10993 evaluation.

For procurement and quality-control documentation, the following standards matrix applies to DM_9610 rubber-like photopolymer. The table is not a certification; it identifies the test method designators used to verify mechanical and safety properties.

Cleaning and chemical exposure during service follow ASTM D471-16a immersion screening. Parts exposed to isopropanol for 10 min may show a temporary Shore A reduction of 2–4 points and weight gain below 1 %, but ketone-based cleaning agents should be avoided because they cause rapid surface attack. In field units where DM_9610 gasket prototypes are cleaned repeatedly with quaternary ammonium disinfectant wipes, no significant dimensional change is observed after 100 wipe cycles at 23 °C, but continuous wet storage in a sealed container at 40 °C caused surface tack in limited field returns. This behavior defines DM_9610 as a prototyping polymer rather than a production elastomer, and its operational boundary is controlled indoor environments and short-to-medium duration functional testing.