Henkel expands medical 3D printing materials and unveils new food-contact resin

Henkel is using Formnext 2025 in Frankfurt to strategically expand the Loctite 3D Printing portfolio toward medical technology and industrial photopolymers. In Hall 11.1, Booth B31, the focus is on new resins for regulated applications, complemented by practical examples that demonstrate the use of these materials on different printer platforms.

In the medical sector, Henkel is expanding its existing line with Loctite 3D MED414 Red and MED414 Clear, which complement the established MED414 Blue. According to the manufacturer, all variants share identical mechanical properties and biocompatibility data, but differ in color and visual appearance. This allows components to be visually differentiated more easily in clinical environments or within medical devices, without designers having to compromise on performance parameters or validation data.

Another focus is Loctite 3D IND3785, a white, rigid photopolymer with high chemical resistance and low migration. The material has undergone extensive migration and extraction testing with various food simulants in order to meet the prerequisites for approval under FDA CFR 177.1010 and the European regulation EU 10/2011. The combination of chemical stability and low extractables and leachables makes IND3785 attractive for components that come into contact with food or process media while also having to withstand frequent cleaning cycles.

At the booth, Henkel is also showcasing application examples from consumer goods and industrial projects. These include an eyewear collection from Austrian manufacturer Genera, in which frames are produced in various colors using Loctite resins. Validated process chains comprising material, exposure parameters and post-processing are intended to demonstrate how reproducible surfaces and color tones can be achieved in scalable additive manufacturing workflows.

For development departments that want to use photopolymers not only for prototypes but also for series parts in regulated environments, Henkel is offering discussions at Formnext on material selection, workflow validation and qualification strategies. As a result, 3D printing with photopolymers is moving further into focus for applications that have so far relied primarily on machined or injection-molded plastics.