Chromatic 3D Materials, a seller of 3D printers and related products, has announced the introduction of Smooth-Mode technology, a development that allows printing polyurethane parts without post-processing or surface finishing.

The technology is available in Chromatic 3D’s Reactive Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (RX-AM) 3-in-1 platform which includes the printer, materials, and software. 

The company claims the new technology can be used to print products that expand and contract like rubber bladders and other elastomeric products. It can also be used to print seals, gaskets, and grommets which require a smooth surface. 

Analyst QuickTake: A smooth surface of a 3D printed part is usually achieved through post-processing which often requires extra hardware. Further, most of the additive manufacturing solutions available in the market are targeted at metal and polymer printing of static parts. This new technology, which allows the printing of flexible parts without the need for post-processing, expands printing possibilities industry-wide. While companies like Azul 3D offer a similar flexible parts printing solution it requires post-processing (offered by Azul 3D itself).