EPU 43/45 – Carbon announces market launch of elastomers with damping properties

Carbon, a specialist in 3D printing technology, announced two new elastomers with cushioning properties: EPU 43 and EPU 45. The elastomers complement Carbon’s ‘Idea-to-Production’ materials portfolio and offer new opportunities in the development of products in the field of impact protection, such as that required for pads, gloves and helmets.

EPU 43 is an energy-absorbing elastomer that is soft yet resilient under high loads, making it suitable for padding helmets and safety gloves. EPU 45 features the highest level of cushioning performance and compressibility within the carbon portfolio, making it the first choice for many demanding applications such as sports and seat padding.

“EPU 43 and EPU 45 are very significant in the development of impact protection and impress with performance, comfort and durability that all elastomers from Carbon offer,” explains Jason Rolland, SVP of Materials at Carbon. “EPU 43 and 45 are further examples of our commitment to providing a reliable and comprehensive ‘Idea-to-Production’ platform.”

Carbon’s new dual-cure elastomers with cushioning properties meet the following requirements for impact protection materials:

• Damping performance: EPU 45 is a material with an appropriate strain rate that hardens at higher impact velocities to absorb energy. This enables the construction of highly breathable grid structures that provide comfort at low impact velocities and absorb energy at high impact velocities. EPU 43 offers moderate stiffness, good cushioning and optimal durability when bending in a variety of temperature and humidity environments.
• Durability and comfort: EPU 45 has the strength and resilience to withstand repeated, high-energy impacts in a variety of environments. EPU 43 has moderate strength, allowing for softer and more flexible grid structures.
• Production throughput: EPU 45 has the highest handling strength of the carbon elastomers and enables printing of a wide range of part shapes and lattice structures with high yield. EPU 43 has a medium handling strength, enabling the printing of high-yield production shapes.
• Proven in production: products made EPU 45 will soon be on the market. EPU 43 has already proven itself in well-known products such as Hard Head Veterans and the CCM hockey helmet.

Both elastomers are available now in North America, Europe and China. EPU 45 will initially be available in 19-litre packs for high-volume production runs, but will also be available in smaller 5-litre samples to support medium-volume production runs.

In addition, Carbon and Henkel announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to jointly develop new resins for Carbon’s “Idea-to-Production” platform.

Find out more about Carbon at carbon3d.com.