New 3D printer processable rubber material developed by Sumitomo Rubber

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has developed an unprecedented rubber material that can be processed with 3D printers. While it has been impossible to create rubber products using 3D printers until now, the company has successfully developed a rubber material with high resilience and strong resistance to repeated compression using their proprietary technology, making it processable with 3D printers.

This enables the creation of products that leverage rubber's unique properties-elasticity, impact resistance, flexibility, and slip resistance-which could not be achieved with the resins (plastics) that are primarily used in current 3D printers. Consequently, the applications of 3D printers are expected to expand significantly.

With potential applications anticipated in various fields including robotics, medical care, automobiles, and sports, the company aims to commercialize the rubber material business for 3D printer fabrication in 2026 and will continue further development.

While 3D printers could previously create rubber-like products (resin products that are soft and elastic like rubber), these had limitations in resilience and durability compared with actual rubber. However, the company has successfully developed rubber materials for 3D printers with the inherent elasticity, resilience, and durability of rubber by utilizing their expertise in rubber compounding and internal structure analysis cultivated through years of tire development.

This rubber material demonstrates high resilience even when subjected to compression loads for long periods at high temperatures and possesses high compression durability that can withstand 20 million cycles of repeated testing. From this it has become possible to create products that leverage rubber's unique properties-elasticity, impact resistance, flexibility, and slip resistance-which could not be achieved with the resins that are mainstream materials for 3D printers.

For example, robot hand fingertips that require the same slip resistance as human fingertips, or organ simulation models for medical training that have the same flexibility and elasticity as human organs are now able to be manufactured.

The company states that prototypes of the rubber created this time were exhibited at a specialized exhibition introducing the latest technologies in 3D printing, attracting high interest from visitors. Additionally, prototypes are currently being displayed in the "Seeds for the Future" corner within the "Sumitomo Pavilion" at the ongoing Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.