Lynxter has launched SIL-004, a food-grade silicone designed for safe 3D printing of functional parts in food processing operations.
The material is thought to be the world’s first 3D printable silicone compliant with FDA CFR 21 177-2600 standards. Free from BPA and PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals”, potential applications include custom seals for food-processing equipment, flexible parts for conveyor lines and scraping systems, complex food-grade moulds, and prototyping.
SIL-004 is compatible with Lynxter’s S300X – LIQ21 | LIQ11 and S600D silicone 3D printers. Material specifications include an operating temperature range between -50 °C to 250 °C, 203% elongation at break, and a tensile strength of 6.12 MPa.
Thomas Batigne, CEO of Lynxter, said, “Requests for food-grade silicone parts have surged with the widespread adoption of the S300X – LIQ21 | LIQ11, so we decided to tackle the challenge head-on. Our materials and process engineering team achieved this breakthrough, a world first. It now helps improve the safety, quality, and productivity of modern food-processing operations. Bringing the flexibility of 3D printing into such a demanding regulatory environment is something the entire team is extremely proud of.”
In the case of scraping systems, Lynxter says the material can be used to produce customised scrapers for the chocolate, cosmetics, and specialty chemicals industries to recover residual product from pipelines after a transfer cycle. The company, which is marking 10 years of its silicone 3D printing technology this year, says these parts can now be produced in a matter of hours without any tooling compared to weeks using casting or traditional moulding.
Laura Griffiths
