ToughONE Black – an additive engineering challenge with a new functional prototype material
When the deadline is tight and the raw material is still almost "secret", that's when the real professional adventure of contract printing begins.
At the end of March, one of our long-standing, trusted partners – a major automotive supplier – approached the VARINEX team with an exciting request: they wanted functional prototypes of the new ToughONE Black material for an upcoming international launch.
The twist to the story?
At the time, this raw material was practically not even available on the market.
The customer’s expectations were clear: the parts had to look and feel like production, but also behave like real engineering components: demonstrating snap-fits, assembly, flexibility and durability. ToughONE Black delivered exactly that, as it is a new PolyJet material that uniquely bridges the gap between visual models and real functional prototypes.
Of course, we didn't hesitate much. The challenge was clear and we like such situations.
The images are for illustrative purposes only, photos of the original parts cannot be published.
The image shows a functional prototype printed in ToughONE Black.
A quick consultation with Stratasys experts began, who immediately involved VARINEX service engineers as partners in the beta phase of ToughONE Black. As part of this, we received a special, still under development PolyJet material from abroad, which was an exciting and rare opportunity in itself.
This is when the real additive engineering work began.
The VARINEX J850 industrial 3D printer was not prepared to print a material that was not yet publicly available. With online software support from Stratasys experts, VARINEX service engineers configured new manufacturing parameters on the 3D printer to enable it to manufacture with the new material. In PolyJet technology, users typically work with predefined, manufacturer-validated parameter sets for each material. However, in the case of the new ToughONE Black, such validated settings did not yet exist on the Stratasys J850 3D printer, as the material was still under development.
Why is it worth the investment?
Because ToughONE Black opens up new possibilities for engineering-grade PolyJet prototypes in the VARINEX 3D Digital Factory. The material is designed for high toughness, impact resistance and stability, while maintaining the precision, surface quality and multi-materiality characteristic of PolyJet technology. This combination allows you to create prototypes that are not only visible, but also can be handled, assembled and tested. More and more design engineers are looking for this combination.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, the parameter configuration task was far from simple, as it is a complex process where every detail counts and every modification is interconnected. Every small technical detail had to be carefully analyzed and coordinated. It is not surprising that the experts worked together for several days on this international project.
And was it worth it? Absolutely.
The images are for illustrative purposes only, photos of the original parts cannot be published.
The image shows a functional prototype printed in ToughONE Black.
The images are for illustrative purposes only, photos of the original parts cannot be published.
The image shows a functional prototype printed in ToughONE Black.
The result impressed everyone. We created multi-component, functional parts with a combination of soft and hard elements, precise Shore A hardness control, color consistency, and mechanical behavior. Using ToughONE Black, the parts were able to exhibit snap-in features, flexible zones, and robust housing structures—exactly what engineers and decision makers expected when evaluating designs for real-world use.
The prototypes not only met the customer's visual expectations with a deep, premium black finish, but also provided the mechanical performance required for functional validation and live demonstrations. Despite the tight deadline, the parts were completed on time and shipped abroad without any problems.
The prototypes were a huge success at the international show. Customers were able to hold the parts, assemble the components, and experience the functionality first-hand instead of static demonstration models.
And the best part of the story came next: immediately after the presentation, new orders arrived for more contract printing using ToughONE material.
It was a great experience for us to see how ToughONE Black expands the role of PolyJet technology from visual design and inspection to functional engineering prototypes in areas such as automotive interiors, housings, covers, snap-in features, seals and consumer product components with this project.
It's always a great experience when innovation, expertise and collaboration come together so successfully. At VARINEX, testing new technologies and pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing is part of everyday life – and the real victory is when a technical challenge becomes a real business success story.
Follow VARINEX if you like stories like this about real-world additive engineering challenges, advanced materials, and the future of functional 3D printed prototypes.
If you are interested in contract printing or other 3D technology services (e.g. 3D scanning, re-modeling or jig and seat design), please contact our experts at szolgaltatas@varinex.hu !
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