S300X LIQ21 | LIQ11 Silicone and Elastomer 3D Printer

General Introduction

The S300X LIQ21 | LIQ11 is a professional elastomer 3D printer designed for industrial and medical applications, specializing in high-precision additive manufacturing of liquid materials such as silicone and polyurethane. The system features an independent dual-extruder (IDEX) architecture, allowing simultaneous integration of the LIQ21 two-component liquid toolhead and the LIQ11 single-component support toolhead. This enables support-free or water-soluble support printing of complex geometries, significantly expanding design and fabrication freedom for flexible materials. With its compact, robust build, the machine is ideal for laboratory R&D, small-batch production, custom medical device manufacturing, and rapid prototyping of industrial seals.

This equipment supports industrial-grade RTV2 silicone, medical-grade skin-contact-certified silicone, and a wide range of polyurethane materials, covering an extensive spectrum from ultra-soft elastomers to higher-hardness engineering elastomers. Paired with a 15-liter high-capacity material cartridge, it enables long-duration continuous printing with minimal human intervention. The enclosed chamber, combined with a HEPA 14 filter and activated-carbon purification system, ensures a safer and more environmentally friendly printing process, making it ideal for demanding applications in the medical and precision manufacturing sectors. In terms of build accuracy, the machine can achieve a minimum layer thickness of 50 μm, with nozzle extrusion precisely controlled by a volumetric metering pump for stable and uniform material deposition—perfect for producing functional parts that require dimensional consistency and superior surface quality. Currently, this model is deployed in numerous locations worldwide for applications such as medical orthotics, soft robotics, aerospace masks, and industrial gaskets, establishing itself as a mature, industrial-grade solution in the field of flexible-material 3D printing.

Working Principle

S300X LIQ21 | LIQ11 is centered on liquid additive manufacturing (LAM) and incorporates an independent dual-extrusion motion system to enable layer-by-layer deposition and precise shaping of elastomeric materials. The entire process is divided into five stages: material delivery, dynamic mixing, precise extrusion, layered printing, and support dissolution. The system uses pneumatic pressure to convey liquid silicone or polyurethane from a high-capacity material reservoir to the print heads; the LIQ21 two-component module performs precise proportional mixing internally, ensuring stable crosslinking and curing performance; while the LIQ11 module handles the extrusion of water-soluble support material. The two print heads operate independently without interfering with each other.

During the printing process, the control system drives the print head and build platform in three-axis coordination based on the sliced data from the 3D model, depositing material layer by layer along a pre-set path. A positive-displacement metering pump provides pulsation-free, repeatable material flow control, ensuring uniform layer thickness and dimensional stability. The build platform maintains an optimal temperature according to material requirements, minimizing material shrinkage and deformation. For complex features such as overhangs, internal cavities, and undercuts, the system automatically generates water-soluble supports that can be quickly removed by soaking in warm water after printing, eliminating the need for manual removal and ensuring the integrity of intricate geometries with smooth surface finishes.

The device features a built-in automatic calibration function that automatically measures nozzle height, XY offset, and build platform levelness, thereby reducing the complexity of manual adjustments. It also includes filament-out detection and power-resume printing capabilities, which help minimize print failures in unexpected situations. The entire additive manufacturing process does not rely on high-temperature melting, preserving the material’s inherent properties—making it particularly well-suited for temperature-sensitive medical-grade silicone and flexible materials.

Advantages and Key Features

The core advantages of the S300X LIQ21 and LIQ11 lie in four key areas: material compatibility, design freedom, industrial reliability, and operational safety. First, the equipment supports a comprehensive range of elastomeric materials, enabling stable printing from ultra-soft medical-grade silicone to high-hardness polyurethane, while also accommodating third-party open-source materials. This eliminates vendor lock-in for consumables and reduces long-term operating costs. Medical-grade silicone can be used directly in medical devices that come into direct contact with the human body, fully meeting biocompatibility requirements.

The independent dual-extrusion (IDEX) architecture is a key technical feature, enabling simultaneous printing of the primary material and support material to prevent cross-contamination while significantly enhancing the ability to produce complex geometries. Internal cavities, lattice structures, and porous architectures—features that are difficult to achieve with conventional silicone casting—can all be fabricated in a single print run using this system, substantially shortening the development cycle. When paired with water-soluble supports, post-processing is simple and efficient, requiring neither chemical solvents nor mechanical polishing, thereby minimizing damage to the part.

In terms of production practicality, the 15-liter large-capacity material hopper supports continuous, long-duration unattended printing, making it ideal for small-batch component manufacturing. The enclosed chamber and HEPA 14 filtration system effectively reduce volatile emissions and dust, improving the workshop environment and meeting health and safety requirements for industrial and medical applications. The equipment features a robust overall structure and a highly precise motion control system, ensuring high dimensional consistency even during prolonged, continuous operation.

In addition, the equipment features a simple operating logic, a high degree of calibration automation, and easily removable and replaceable maintenance modules, making it ideal for rapid adoption by corporate R&D teams, medical institutions, and production workshops. The parameters are openly adjustable, allowing users to optimize printing settings based on material properties to enhance print success rates and component performance.

Application Areas and Case Studies

The S300X is primarily used in fields such as healthcare, industrial manufacturing, soft robotics, and aerospace surface treatment. In the medical sector, the equipment can print custom orthotics, prosthetic liners, anatomical simulation models, stoma care accessories, and more. Its silicone materials are soft, conformable, and biocompatible, enabling precise fabrication based on individual patient data to enhance comfort and therapeutic outcomes.

In the industrial sector, this equipment is commonly used to produce custom seals, vibration-damping components, non-standard gaskets, waterproof connectors, and masking masks. For example, aerospace companies employ this equipment to print high-precision masks for coating and electroplating protection of parts, which is faster and better suited to complex curved surfaces than traditional machining methods. The automotive, electronics, and hydraulic industries also frequently use it to rapidly manufacture small-batch seals, eliminating the need for mold-making and thereby shortening maintenance and R&D cycles.

In the field of soft robotics, this device can print flexible grippers, biomimetic hands, pneumatic soft actuators, and more. Its intricate internal pneumatic circuitry can be integrally molded in a single step, eliminating the need for assembly and thereby enhancing the reliability and service life of soft robotic structures. Moreover, it finds broad applications in consumer product design, cultural and creative products, and research experimental setups, enabling users to rapidly prototype and validate innovative soft structures.