Infinite Materials Solutions, LLC (Infinite) has introduced a new material called CavernaTM Soft Touch (ST) that enables the production of soft-touch parts using FDM technology. This professional-grade elastomeric material allows for the creation of lightweight parts that are soft, spongy, springy, and pliable, making it ideal for various applications such as shoe parts, sporting goods, medical devices, automotive components, and cushioning elements.
Unlike current elastomer filaments, Caverna ST filament is rigid, enabling excellent print quality in any standard filament printer, including those with Bowden extruders. Existing methods for creating soft-touch parts like injection molding limit your ability to customize and iterate. As a fused filament fabrication material, Caverna ST removes those challenges—and allows the ability to setup several printers in a small space.
What sets Caverna ST apart from other soft touch materials is its unique post-print water soak process. Unlike traditional elastomer filaments, Caverna ST filament is rigid and can be printed using standard filament printers, including those with Bowden extruders. This material eliminates the limitations of conventional methods like injection molding, which often restrict customization and iteration. With Caverna ST, manufacturers have the freedom to experiment with design variations without the need for retooling machinery or creating new molds. Additionally, multiple printers can be set up in a small space, further enhancing efficiency.
“What we’re most excited about with Caverna Soft Touch is the way it revolutionizes how soft touch prints can be used,” said Jon Farren, Materials Research Chemist at Interfacial.
“Caverna ST brings precision, reliability, and print fidelity that won’t string, slump, bunch, or clog to professional applications.”
The material offers precision, reliability, and print fidelity, ensuring high-quality results without issues like stringing, slumping, bunching, or clogging. Caverna ST is part of Infinite’s range of disruptive materials, which includes AquaSys water-soluble support filaments and Caverna PP, a polypropylene build material with a water-soluble, microporous structure.
By providing a new approach to creating soft-touch parts and overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, this innovative material opens up a world of possibilities for manufacturers across various industries.
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