Biocompatible Silicone for Medical 3D Printing Launched by B9Creations

Headquartered in South Dakota, with additional offices in Texas and Colorado, B9Creations provides professional additive manufacturing solutions to customers and certified dealers in almost 70 different countries, for applications including jewelry, automotive, aerospace, and medical. Now, the 3D printer and materials manufacturer has launched a new medical-grade silicone material, which will join its existing portfolio of biocompatible 3D printing materials. The new elastomeric resin, BioRes – Silicone, offers high surface finish, tear resistance, and precision, and is also ISO 90993-certified for prolonged skin contact of up to 30 days.

The new material is compatible with the B9 Core 5 Series Med XL – 405 and B9 Core 5 Series Med XL – 385 3D printers, and works on other photopolymer resin-based 3D printer platforms as well. BioRes – Silicone can be used to fabricate custom medical, as well as consumer technology, prints for comfortable products that come into contact with human skin, including wearable attachments, medical device components, hearing aids and headphones, wristbands, and more.

“Ideal for parts that need to withstand flexing, compression, and bending. Even through repeated cycles, BioRes Silicone Resin will spring back quickly to its original shape. An ideal solution for high-precision parts and ergonomic features as part of larger assemblies,” the B9Creations website states.

When the new BioRes – Silicone resin is paired with the company’s Core 5 Series Med XL series printers, print preparation software, engineering and other biocompatible resins, and automated cleaning and curing units for prints, users should have an easier time moving from 3D printing for prototypes to 3D printing for production.

“This material has really opened up our design space. And it’s also saving us a ton of money because we aren’t using pure Teflon, and now we’re able to quickly reiterate designs,” explained Kevin Herrera, Senior Engineer specializing in cardiovascular medical devices at Johnson & Johnson. “So, if there’s a shift in our fixture, we can always compensate and easily make a new one. It has been great for us.”

B9Creations’ 3D printing systems offer patented, high-speed contactless printing, and are are said to be manufactured to very tight tolerances. The company’s engineers are experienced in precision 3D printing and regulatory requirements, which is good for the exacting medical industry. Its medical- and industrial-grade silicone materials, like the new BioRes – Silicone, can supposedly endure repeated cycles without tearing, as well as bend and strength compress, which makes it a good choice for both high-precision parts and ergonomic features that are smaller parts of large assemblies.

Material characteristics include:

• 3.3 MPa tensile strength
• 1.6 MPa tensile modulus
• 11.4 kN/m tear strength
• 65-70 Shore A hardness
• 205% elongation at break
• 385 – 405 nm wavelength

You can purchase a 1 kg bottle of B9Creations’ new BioRes – Silicone medical-grade photopolymer resin, in black, for $345. You can also order a part printed out of this silicone material through the company’s industrial 3D printing service bureau.

The B9Creations Healthcare Division also offers 3D printing services for multiple medical applications, such as custom devices, surgical tools, and on-demand anatomical models, so partners can help their customers bring devices to market fast, print high-quality educational models, and support customized surgical planning tools.

At our upcoming Additive Manufacturing Strategies summit, held March 1-3 online and in-person in New York City, 3D printing for healthcare is one of the industry verticals that will be discussed by speakers. These discussions will include topics including 3D printed orthopedics and implants, clinical experiences, medical regulations, 3D printing in surgical planning, and more. To learn more about these topics and many others, you can register to attend AMS 2022 here.