Summary
Shore Hardness values are a measure of material indentation hardness: the higher the Shore Hardness value, the more difficult it is to indent the material and thus the harder the material (see description of method below). Please note that Shore Hardness does not fully correspond to bendability, the scientific correct comparison value for bendability is Flexural Modulus.
From experience we know that the PolyJet Composite materials are easier to bend than rubbers of the same Shore A hardness.
The material behavior of a 3D printed part in PolyJet Composite materials is furthermore influenced by part geometry, type and amount of force applied as well as temperature, amongst others.
Advice for ordering
PolyJet Composite materials are very useful for ordering 3D printed prototypes that wish to approximate results with thermoplastic and elastomeric materials.
Please order a Polyjet composite material in a Shore A range higher than the Shore A of a rubber which is to be approximated.
Testing the specific application by the client and ordering pieces in several hardness grades can also be a part of the approximation process that should be foreseen.
Available Composite materials
We offer Composite materials with the following Shore value ranges:
| Composite* | DM_shore A40 | DM_shore A40 | DM_shore A60 | DM_shore A70 | DM_shore A85 | DM_shore A95 |
| Tensile Strength (MPa) | 0.5 – 1.5 | 0.5 – 1.5 | 2 – 4 | 2 – 4 | 4 – 8 | 15 – 25 |
| Elongation at Break (%) | 150 – 170 | 130 – 150 | 80 – 100 | 50 – 70 | 50 – 60 | 25 – 35 |
| Shore (Scale A) | 28 – 40 | 36 – 50 | 46 – 60 | 57 – 70 | 70 – 85 | 80 – 95 |
| Color | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black |
*Primary material: VeroWhite, secondary material: Agilus Black
ASTM measurement method
The measurement of Durometer Shore hardness values as defined in the ASTM method D2240 is designed for determining the hardness of a material itself.
A pin is pushed into a standardized material sample of the dimensions 50 x 50 x 6 mm under a defined pressure and time duration. The depth of the indentation indicates the hardness of the material, see picture to the left. Part geometry influences the behavior of this indentation process which is why parts of other geometries cannot be measured in a representative way.
Examples:
- Insufficient material around the pin can lead to deformations of the piece and to false lower Shore value readings.
- Measuring a piece with lower wall thicknesses can lead to false higher Shore values due to the resistance of the underlying surface.