The Stratasys Rigur Rubber-Like PolyJet 3D Printing Polymer Combination is configured as a tri-material digital material set. The primary elastomeric photopolymers are TangoPlus FLX930 and TangoBlackPlus FLX980; the secondary rigid high-temperature phase is RGD525. The product name Rigur denotes the configured material program rather than a single blended resin. On multi-material PolyJet equipment, the two primary elastomers and the secondary rigid resin are jetted in controlled volume fractions, enabling graded hardness transitions within a single build. The elastomeric phase provides published tensile elongation of 170–220% when tested according to ASTM D412, and the rigid phase contributes published tensile strength of 70–80 MPa according to ASTM D638. Mixed-material properties are not equal to a simple arithmetic mean of these values; they are governed by the jetted ratio, layer thickness, orientation, and UV cure parameters. Published data for the complete Rigur ratio range is limited, so end-use qualification should rely on component-level datasheet boundaries and printed specimen testing. The combination is intended for multi-material PolyJet platforms with at least three model resin channels; single-material and dual-model systems cannot deposit the full native set.

How Does the RGD525 Secondary Phase Alter the Elastomer Network?

The addition of RGD525 to TangoPlus FLX930 or TangoBlackPlus FLX980 changes the photopolymerized network from a low-cross-link-density elastomer toward a hybrid network with discrete rigid domains. The primary resins are formulated for lower modulus and high elongation, with Shore A hardness values in the 26–28 range per ASTM D2240. The secondary RGD525 resin is a rigid high-temperature photopolymer with published tensile elongation of 10–15% per ASTM D638 and heat deflection temperature of 63–67°C at 0.45 MPa per ASTM D648. Increasing the RGD525 volume fraction raises the initial slope of the stress–strain curve and reduces strain-rate sensitivity at service temperatures up to approximately 50°C. The trade-off is a reduction in ultimate elongation and an increase in tensile set after cyclic loading. Because the mixed system is not a homogeneous copolymer, the resulting Shore A hardness depends on the spatial arrangement of the phases; published hardness values for the full range of Rigur compositions are limited. For load-bearing seals or hinged living joints, ISO 815 compression set testing should be performed on specimens printed in the target orientation. The compression set procedure involves conditioning at 70°C for 22 h, releasing the compression, and allowing recovery for 30 min before thickness measurement. Without this data, the apparent durometer cannot be used alone to predict creep response.

On production-scale multi-material PolyJet systems, the tri-material set is jetted through separate printheads that maintain each resin at a manufacturer-defined jettability window. The elastomeric resins exhibit low-viscosity photopolymer rheology at the jetting temperature; deviation from the specified head temperature can shift drop volume and cause banding or interlayer wetting defects. The RGD525 secondary resin has a higher glass-transition region than the TangoPlus phase, so inkjet head maintenance intervals may differ between the two resin families. Layer thickness influences cure depth and interlayer adhesion; typical PolyJet modes for this class of materials deposit layers in the 16–30 µm range, with thinner layers producing smoother surfaces but longer build times. Thicker layers may reduce the effective elongation of thin-walled elastomeric sections because the interlayer boundary acts as a weak plane. Typical PolyJet jettable photopolymers require viscosity below approximately 20 mPa·s at the printhead operating temperature; if the resin exceeds this range due to low ambient temperature or ageing, drop formation becomes unstable and build defects increase.

Support removal for parts containing unsupported elastomeric features below 1.0 mm wall thickness requires low-pressure water jetting rather than aggressive alkaline immersion. The TangoPlus phase can swell in organic solvents and strong alkaline cleaners; dimensional recovery after cleaning is not guaranteed unless validated per ASTM D471 immersion testing. Orientation-dependent elongation anisotropy is a documented characteristic of PolyJet elastomers. Specimens cut from Z-oriented builds may exhibit lower tensile elongation than XY-plane specimens, and the lower value should be used for safety-critical flexible components.

Oxygen inhibition at the free surface can reduce acrylate conversion at the outermost layer. Because lower crosslink density permits chain relaxation, surface hardness may read lower than bulk hardness. Shore A measurements used for incoming quality control should be taken on a conditioned surface, preferably after removing the first 0.5 mm of the printed skin. Cartridges should be stored at 18–25°C and protected from direct UV exposure. Resin shelf life is specified by the manufacturer; expired elastomeric resin may exhibit increased viscosity and reduced elongation at break even when visual appearance remains acceptable.

When a Protective Cover Must Maintain Durometer and Dimensional Stability at Elevated Temperatures

The Rigur combination is specified for applications in which a single-material TangoPlus part would exhibit excessive creep or distortion at moderate operating temperatures. Typical part categories include vacuum-forming fixtures, soft-jaw gripper pads, bellows, prototype gaskets, and cushioning saddles that contact warm tooling. The RGD525 secondary phase provides the dimensional stability contribution; its published heat deflection temperature of 63–67°C at 0.45 MPa per ASTM D648 is a component-level value, not the HDT of the mixed elastomer. For a Rigur digital material printed at an intermediate hardness, the measured HDT will depend on the volume fraction of RGD525 and on the print orientation; ASTM D648 samples should be printed flat and edgewise to capture anisotropy. Continuous exposure above 50°C under compressive stress is outside the published long-term thermal stability envelope for TangoPlus-based elastomers, and published data for the specific Rigur configuration under sustained load is limited. Cyclic loading should be evaluated with ISO 815 compression set and ASTM D624 tear strength, because elastomeric failure in thin-walled convolutes often initiates from a tear site rather than from bulk tensile stress. The presence of TangoBlackPlus FLX980 allows black or dark grey digital materials without painting, which is relevant for production aids where surface wear and ambient light exposure would otherwise degrade a translucent elastomer. On systems that support digital material gradients, the transition from TangoPlus-dominated surface to RGD525-dominated core should be defined over at least 2–3 mm to avoid a sharp modulus interface that can separate under repeated flexure.

Component Datasheet Values and Compliance Matrix

The following table presents component-level published datasheet values. They are boundary information for the Rigur combination, not mixed-material property guarantees. Mechanical specimens should be conditioned at 23 ± 2°C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity for 24 h before testing unless otherwise specified.

REACH and RoHS conformity statements for the component resins are supplied in the cartridge safety data sheets and should be verified against the specific batch numbers used. No food-contact or implantable biocompatibility claim is made for the Rigur combination unless a completed part has been tested under ISO 10993 or FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 protocols with the intended post-processing. Extractables data may vary with the ratio of RGD525, support residue, and any UV post-cure cycle.

The Rigur set differs from TangoPlus FLX930 used alone by the presence of a rigid high-temperature secondary network. Single-material TangoPlus parts retain high elongation and low durometer for impact cushions and flexible seals, but their modulus is low and creep may occur under sustained load at moderately elevated temperatures. Agilus30, the successor elastomer material, offers improved tear strength and lower permanent set after cyclic loading as measured by ASTM D624 and ISO 815, but it does not incorporate the RGD525 rigid secondary phase in the same manner. The Rigur combination therefore provides a higher modulus ceiling and better dimensional stability when printed at high RGD525 volume fractions, at the cost of reduced ultimate elongation. Digital ABS and rigid Vero-family materials are not elastomeric; they are unsuitable for seals or snap-over features that require recovery from large deformation.

The secondary RGD525 resin should not be confused with the Rigur combination itself. RGD525 alone is a rigid high-temperature photopolymer with Shore D values in the 87–88 range and tensile elongation of 10–15%. It is not suitable for seals or dynamic flexures because it lacks the recovery of the elastomeric phase. Conversely, the inclusion of small volume fractions of RGD525 in the elastomer matrix can shift the initial modulus without eliminating rubber-like recovery entirely. The exact phase ratio determines whether the material behaves as a stiff elastomer or a brittle rigid solid; this transition is part of the design space but is not fully mapped by the public datasheets.

The Rigur combination is also differentiated by the use of TangoBlackPlus FLX980 for black pigmentation. TangoPlus alone is typically translucent, and painted surfaces on elastomeric parts may crack at flexure points because the coating modulus is higher than the substrate. Operational boundaries include the risk of tearing in thin unsupported walls below 1.0 mm during support removal and the potential for solvent-induced swelling of the TangoPlus phase. Ketone-based cleaners, chlorinated solvents, and aggressive alkaline baths should be excluded unless validated by ASTM D471 immersion testing. These boundaries should be validated with ASTM D471 and ASTM D624 before production release.

Validating Dynamic Seal Performance with ASTM D624 and ISO 815

Production release of Rigur parts intended for dynamic sealing should proceed through a three-stage validation protocol. First, print XY and Z-orientation tensile specimens at the target hardness and measure stress at 100% elongation according to ASTM D412. Second, expose compression set specimens to the maximum service temperature for 24 h, release the load, and record thickness recovery after 30 min according to ISO 815. Third, perform ASTM D624 tear testing on die-cut specimens taken from thin-sheet regions of the actual part geometry. Because published data for the complete Rigur ratio range is limited, this protocol is required to establish part-specific capability indices. The tri-material set should not be used for continuous dynamic flexing where the strain amplitude exceeds the measured tensile elongation of the specific build orientation. In sealing applications with combined pressure and temperature cycling, the seal design should include a compression-limited groove rather than rely solely on material resilience, because the Rigur hybrid network has a lower recovery force than unfilled TangoPlus at the same low durometer.