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Consent Selection Necessary Preferences Statistics Marketing Show details ALLOW ALL ALLOW SELECTION DENY Skip to content Carbon International Design Engine Customer Support ISO 9001:2015 Search for: PLATFORM INDUSTRIES PARTNERS RESOURCES ABOUT CONTACT Introducing EPU Pro 50 & EPU Pro 90 DESIGN, DEVELOP, AND PRINT Radically Better Products SOFTWARE / HARDWARE / MATERIALS Our Technology Our customers create products with exceptional mechanical properties using our advanced photopolymer resins, computational design tools, and 3D printing hardware. LEARN MORE REAL-WORLD PRODUCTS Your Results Our customers’ creativity is the essential catalyst that unlocks radically better products. LEARN MORE Powered By Carbon Carbon offers a combination of technologies that enable brands to design, develop, and manufacture data-driven, high-performance comfort and protection products that are breezy, aesthetic, and custom. SHOP PRODUCTS POWERED BY CARBON A Fusion of Innovative Tools and Your Imagination There Are Many Ways to Get Started, What Are You Interested In? DIGITAL DENTURES PRODUCTION PARTNERS MATERIALS DESIGN ENGINE MEDTECH CONSUMER 3D PRINTERS AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIAL DENTAL MODELS AUTOMATION CLEAR ALIGNERS Have an Idea or Design? Talk to Us SPEAK TO AN EXPERT Trusted and Proven in Your Industry Why Clinicians Should Consider 3D Printed Dentures and Splints For Patients WATCH WEBINAR VICIS and Carbon Combine Technologies to Create Top-Rated Helmets READ CASE STUDY Derby Dental Quickly Scales to Meet Thermoforming Customer Needs READ CASE STUDY Reimagining Wheelchair Comfort: Tarkka’s Custom-Latticed Seats with Carbon Technology READ CASE STUDY Fizik’s One-to-One Creates Custom Saddles for Riders Using Carbon Technology READ CASE STUDY Carbon technology brings new capabilities to dental model creation READ WHITE PAPER EPX 86FR a Solve to a Burning Problem READ CASE STUDY Why Clinicians Should Consider 3D Printed Dentures and Splints For Patients WATCH WEBINAR VICIS and Carbon Combine Technologies to Create Top-Rated Helmets READ CASE STUDY Derby Dental Quickly Scales to Meet Thermoforming Customer Needs READ CASE STUDY Reimagining Wheelchair Comfort: Tarkka’s Custom-Latticed Seats with Carbon Technology READ CASE STUDY Fizik’s One-to-One Creates Custom Saddles for Riders Using Carbon Technology READ CASE STUDY Carbon technology brings new capabilities to dental model creation READ WHITE PAPER EPX 86FR a Solve to a Burning Problem READ CASE STUDY Why Clinicians Should Consider 3D Printed Dentures and Splints For Patients WATCH WEBINAR VICIS and Carbon Combine Technologies to Create Top-Rated Helmets READ CASE STUDY Derby Dental Quickly Scales to Meet Thermoforming Customer Needs READ CASE STUDY Next Previous 1 of 7 CARBON PARTNERS Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab CUSTOMER SUPPORT Design Engine Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Order Carbon Resins Get Support MATERIALS Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials SOFTWARE Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System HARDWARE Compare Printers Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing AO SUITE AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack INDUSTRIES Automotive Consumer Industrial MedTech DENTAL Dental Resins Digital Dentures Clear Aligners Dental Labs Orthodontic Labs RESOURCES Carbon DLS Technology Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Case Studies Datasheets Webinars News & Events ABOUT Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us FEATURED CASE STUDIES Closing the Digital Gap: How Carbon & Keystone Industries’ FP3D Brought Precision, Predictability and Patient Satisfaction to Removable Partial Dentures Dual‑Cure Chemistry + FP3D: What’s Possible for 3D Printed Flexible Partial Dentures (Metal‑Free) Flexible Partial Denture Workflow Compared: Lab Owner Guide to Cost, Time, and Why FP3D (3D Printed Flexible Partial Dentures) Changes the Model FEATURED BLOGS Advancing Assistive Product Design Through Material Innovation: Why ITERATE Selected Carbon’s DLS Technology The Science of Support: Balancing Pressure, Energy, and Protection Behind the Resin: Developing FP3D for Flexible Removable Printed Dentures Terms of Use Privacy Policy Privacy Request Publications Patents Product Stewardship Copyright © 2026 Carbon, Inc. 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LinkedIn TikTok YouTube Instagram WECHAT ◈ Interior Pages — 3 pages crawledValidated Dental Resins - Carbon Skip to content Carbon International APAC 日本語 (日本) 中文 (简体) Design Engine Customer Support (column) Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Order Carbon Resins Get Support ISO 9001:2015 Search for: Platform How it Works Materials Materials Overview Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials Material Comparison Chart Software Software Overview Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System Design Engine Release Notes Printer OS Release Notes Hardware Hardware Overview M3 3D Printer M2 3D Printer L1 3D Printer Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing Automatic Operation Suite AO Suite Overview AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack Industries Industries All Industries Automotive Industrial MedTech Consumer All Consumer Applications Footwear Helmets Saddles Wheelchair Cushions Bras & Apparel Dental Dental Labs Digital Dentures Flexible Partials Orthodontic Labs Clear Aligners Clinicians Flexible Partials Partners Production Network Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Dental Network Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab Resources Learn Carbon Blog Customer Stories Education Courses White Papers Datasheets Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Discover Powered by Carbon Powered by Carbon Shop Carbon DLS Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Webinars News & Events About About Carbon Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us Menu icon Three short horizontal bars, aligned parallel to each other Contact Platform How it Works Materials Materials Overview Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials Material Comparison Chart Software Software Overview Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System Design Engine Release Notes Printer OS Release Notes Hardware Hardware Overview M3 3D Printer M2 3D Printer L1 3D Printer Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing Automatic Operation Suite AO Suite Overview AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack Industries Industries All Industries Automotive Industrial MedTech Consumer All Consumer Applications Footwear Helmets Saddles Wheelchair Cushions Bras & Apparel Dental Dental Labs Digital Dentures Flexible Partials Orthodontic Labs Clear Aligners Clinicians Flexible Partials Partners Production Network Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Dental Network Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab Resources Learn Carbon Blog Customer Stories Education Courses White Papers Datasheets Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Discover Powered by Carbon Powered by Carbon Shop Carbon DLS Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Webinars News & Events About About Carbon Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us International APAC 日本語 (日本) 中文 (简体) Design Engine Customer Support (column) Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Order Carbon Resins Get Support ISO 9001:2015 Menu icon Three short horizontal bars, aligned parallel to each other Contact Validated Dental Resins Carbon consistently strives to work with trusted names in material development to produce dependable outcomes for our customers. Our in-depth validation process improves first print success and is one of the many reasons that Carbon has been rated #1 most preferred and most reliable for the past 6 years by the NADL Dental Technology Survey. Download the NADL Study All Materials Dropdown Caret Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Resins Filter Clear Filters Use Temperature -30ºC / -22ºF 105ºC / 221ºF 125ºC / 257ºF 150ºC / 302ºF 50ºC / 122ºF 65ºC / 149ºF 85ºC / 185ºF Show More Show less Stiffness (Tensile Modulus) Elastomer (10 Mpa) Flexible (500 MPa) Rigid (1500 MPa) Stiff (3000 MPa) Material Properties Abrasion Resistance Biocompatibility Chemical Resistance Color Options Energy Damping Energy Return Flammability Rated High Impact Sterilization Compatible UV Resistance Show More Show less Dental Indications Bite Planes / Trays Cast Materials Dental Gingival Masks Denture Bases Denture Teeth Dentures / Try-ins Hybrid Dentures Indirect Bonding Trays Models Mouthguards Nightguards Removable Partial Dentures Retainers Screw Retained Dentures Snoring Appliances Splints Surgical Guides Temporary Crown and Bridge Show More Show less Comparable Thermoplastics ABS High-Performance (PEEK, PEI, PSU, PSSU) PBT PMMA Polyamides / Nylons Polycarbonate Polypropylene POM SEBS TPE Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers (TPU) Show More Show less Clear Filters FP3D ™ Carbon, Inc. and Keystone Industries Learn More Durable, translucent, dimensionally accurate, and flexible Details Details Color / Shades Original Pink, Light Reddish Pink, Dark Veined Flexural Modulus 800 MPa 116 ksi Flexural Strength 30 MPa 4 ksi Total Work Fracture 960 J/m 2 ISO Standards ISO 10993, ISO 20795-1 Technical Data Sheet Documentation UMA 20 Carbon, Inc. Learn More Highly accurate, consistent hollow models Details Details Ultimate Tensile Strength 33 MPa 5 ksi Tensile Modulus 1600 MPa 232 ksi Elongation At Break 7 % Impact Strength (Notched) 15 J/m 0.28 ft-lb/in Heat Deflection Temperature 40 °C 104 °F Technical Datasheet Documentation DPR 10 Carbon, Inc. Learn More Highly accurate, consistent models Details Details Ultimate Tensile Strength 45 MPa 7 ksi Tensile Modulus 1800 MPa 261 ksi Elongation At Break 4 % Impact Strength (Notched) 20 J/m 0.37 ft-lb/in Heat Deflection Temperature 60 °C 140 °F Technical Datasheet Documentation Apex Teeth Sprintray ™ Learn More Strength, efficiency, aesthetics Order Now Details Details Color / Shades Bleach, A1, A2, B1 ISO Standards FDA Exempt Class II Wear Rate (wt) 3 Coffee Staining 2.41 ΔE / 28 days Technincal Documentation Apex Base Sprintray ™ Learn More Strong, seamless, trusted Order Now Details Details Color / Shades Original Pink, Opaque Original Pink, Dark Reddish Pink, Light Pink Wear Rate (wt) 0.0686 mm 3 / 10 years Total Work Fracture 1209 J/m 2 Fracture Toughness 2.82 MPa · m ½ Technical Documentation OnX Tough 2 Sprintray ™ Learn More Innovative, trusted, durable Order Now Details Details Color A1, A2, B1, Bleach, and Hollywood White Total Work Fracture 1033 J/m 2 Fracture Toughness 2.9 MPa · m ½ Flexural Strength 126 MPa 18 ksi Flexural Modulus 4281 MPa 621 ksi Technical Documentation Lucitone Digital Print ™ Dentsply Sirona Learn More High impact fracture resistance, color stable, highly accurate Order Now Details Details Flexural Strength >65 MPa >9 ksi Work Fracture >900 MPa >131 ksi Flexural Modulus >2000 MPa >290 ksi Impact Strength (Notched) Exceeds ISO high impact standards Technical Documentation Lucitone Digital IPN ™ 3D Premium Tooth Dentsply Sirona Learn More Versatile, durable, premium Order Now Details Details Shades 16 A-D shades and 2 Bleach Shades Wear Resistance Superior Durability of Traditional IPN ® ️ Flexural Strength 135 MPa 20 ksi Flexural Modulus 2900 MPa 421 ksi Compressive Strength 142 MPa 21 ksi ISO Standards ISO 10477 Technical Documentation Lucitone Digital Value ™ 3D Economy Tooth and Trial Placement Dentsply Sirona Learn More Versatile, durable, economical Order Now Details Details Flexural Strength >65 MPa >9 ksi Work Fracture >900 MPa >131 ksi Flexural Modulus >2000 MPa >290 ksi ISO Standards ISO 22112 Technical Documentation Flexcera ™ Smile Ultra+ Desktop Health ™ Learn More Extraordinary strength, beauty, and functionality Order Now Details Details Shades Bleach, A1, A2, B1 Water Absorption 1.96 wt% Volumetric Wear 0.012 mm 3 Total Work Fracture 1301 ±287.5 J/m 2 Technical Documentation Flexcera ™ Base Ultra+ Desktop Health ™ Learn More Thin, durable, aesthetic Order Now Details Details Flexural Modulus 2322 +/- 114 MPa 0-17 ksi Sorption 31.9 +/- 0.6 μg/mm3 Shades Light Pink, Original Pink, Medium Pink, Dark Pink, Dark Meharry Solubility 0.1 +/- 0.2 μg/mm3 Technical Documentation Flexce Behind the Resin: Developing FP3D for Flexible Removable Printed Dentures - Carbon Skip to content Carbon International APAC 日本語 (日本) 中文 (简体) Design Engine Customer Support (column) Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Order Carbon Resins Get Support ISO 9001:2015 Search for: Platform How it Works Materials Materials Overview Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials Material Comparison Chart Software Software Overview Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System Design Engine Release Notes Printer OS Release Notes Hardware Hardware Overview M3 3D Printer M2 3D Printer L1 3D Printer Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing Automatic Operation Suite AO Suite Overview AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack Industries Industries All Industries Automotive Industrial MedTech Consumer All Consumer Applications Footwear Helmets Saddles Wheelchair Cushions Bras & Apparel Dental Dental Labs Digital Dentures Flexible Partials Orthodontic Labs Clear Aligners Clinicians Flexible Partials Partners Production Network Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Dental Network Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab Resources Learn Carbon Blog Customer Stories Education Courses White Papers Datasheets Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Discover Powered by Carbon Powered by Carbon Shop Carbon DLS Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Webinars News & Events About About Carbon Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us Menu icon Three short horizontal bars, aligned parallel to each other Contact Platform How it Works Materials Materials Overview Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials Material Comparison Chart Software Software Overview Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System Design Engine Release Notes Printer OS Release Notes Hardware Hardware Overview M3 3D Printer M2 3D Printer L1 3D Printer Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing Automatic Operation Suite AO Suite Overview AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack Industries Industries All Industries Automotive Industrial MedTech Consumer All Consumer Applications Footwear Helmets Saddles Wheelchair Cushions Bras & Apparel Dental Dental Labs Digital Dentures Flexible Partials Orthodontic Labs Clear Aligners Clinicians Flexible Partials Partners Production Network Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Dental Network Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab Resources Learn Carbon Blog Customer Stories Education Courses White Papers Datasheets Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Discover Powered by Carbon Powered by Carbon Shop Carbon DLS Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Webinars News & Events About About Carbon Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us International APAC 日本語 (日本) 中文 (简体) Design Engine Customer Support (column) Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Order Carbon Resins Get Support ISO 9001:2015 Menu icon Three short horizontal bars, aligned parallel to each other Contact Behind the Resin: Developing FP3D for Flexible Removable Printed Dentures In the world of digital dentistry, clinicians and labs have dreamed of a way to print flexible partial dentures—something that could stand up to everyday use, fit comfortably in the mouth, and meet aesthetic as well as rigorous mechanical demands. With the launch of FP3D ™ resin, that wish is now a reality. This flexible, dual-cure resin is the result of a close collaboration between Carbon and Keystone Industries, combining materials science expertise and regulatory experience to fill this gap in the dental market. A Clear Need and a Longstanding Partnership The journey toward FP3D began, as many innovations do, by listening. In regular surveys and customer conversations, Carbon repeatedly heard the same request: we want to print flexible partials. Labs wanted a printable option because the traditional methods of creating these partials are low-throughput and extremely labor-intensive. Carbon and Keystone already had a strong partnership to build on, and the two companies shared a common vision for what digital dentistry could become. They expanded this relationship through an announcement in September 2021, stating their plan to form a cross-functional team of materials scientists, characterization specialists, print development teams, and regulatory experts to bring FP3D to life. This was a true joint effort from the ground up, leveraging Carbon’s proprietary dual-cure chemistry and combining that with Keystone’s regulatory and industry expertise. Finding the Formula Designing a material that could match or outperform incumbent flexible materials wasn’t simple. There were over 100 product requirements to meet before the teams were comfortable bringing this resin to market. Some of those requirements included: FDA-cleared Class II Medical Device Durability that surpasses a 3-year lifetime of insertion and removal Excellent chemical retention of teeth Natural aesthetics with high translucency, ensuring a seamless blend when placed intraorally Easy integration with existing digital dentures workflows Enhanced polishability compared to thermoplastics Improved economics compared to traditional fabrication methods High precision and accuracy for increased intraoral retention and comfort Dual-Cure Chemistry: Power + Precision From the start, the team suspected that Carbon’s dual-cure technology (a chemistry that lends itself to extremely high durability without sacrificing print speed, precision, or economics) would be essential. Despite this, the team knew single-cure workflows would be simpler for labs, so they conducted extensive testing to try to find a single-cure solution. However, the testing proved these single-cure versions couldn’t stand up to the strain of daily use. Using Carbon’s proprietary rigid polyurethane (RPU) chemistry as a base, the team engineered a UV-curable formulation that printed accurately, and included a thermally activated structure that delivered the needed stiffness and durability. After more than 100 iterations, they optimized a formulation that delivered the right performance and simplified the ingredient list. Focus on Accuracy The biggest technical challenge was maintaining accuracy throughout the entire workflow. Because partials fit around remaining teeth, even small deviations can compromise the fit and lead to patient discomfort. During thermal curing, printed parts can warp or droop under heat. To preserve precision, the team added a salt bake to the workflow. The salt bake encases the parts in a fine-grained, water-soluble salt that provides temporary structural support during the thermal cure. It’s an inexpensive and elegant solution—one that ensures the accuracy clinicians demand for a proper fit. Ensuring the dual-cure chemistry, salt bake, and print parameters all worked together seamlessly to yield accurate parts was the most time-consuming and most important part of the project. Testing, Customer Feedback, and Final Tweaks Throughout development, the team rigorously tested both component and full-product performance. That included: ISO testing to ensure key mechanicals were met, such as Flexural Modulus and Work of Fracture Cyclic fatigue testing to ensure durability Biocompatibility Comparisons to other flexible milled materials to benchmark success The team found that FP3D performed quite well across all required tests, but particularly in the mechanical and strain testing. It withstood repeated stress past the 3-year benchmark, which no other 3D-printed resin on the market is able to surpass. While the FP3D team members aren’t partial denture design experts, their customers are, and customer-designed models were critical for validating performance with representative geometries. So, while performing their te Send-Nods and rpm Seek to Improve Comfort and Protection for Tactical Helmets - Carbon Skip to content Carbon International APAC 日本語 (日本) 中文 (简体) Design Engine Customer Support (column) Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Order Carbon Resins Get Support ISO 9001:2015 Search for: Platform How it Works Materials Materials Overview Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials Material Comparison Chart Software Software Overview Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System Design Engine Release Notes Printer OS Release Notes Hardware Hardware Overview M3 3D Printer M2 3D Printer L1 3D Printer Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing Automatic Operation Suite AO Suite Overview AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack Industries Industries All Industries Automotive Industrial MedTech Consumer All Consumer Applications Footwear Helmets Saddles Wheelchair Cushions Bras & Apparel Dental Dental Labs Digital Dentures Flexible Partials Orthodontic Labs Clear Aligners Clinicians Flexible Partials Partners Production Network Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Dental Network Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab Resources Learn Carbon Blog Customer Stories Education Courses White Papers Datasheets Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Discover Powered by Carbon Powered by Carbon Shop Carbon DLS Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Webinars News & Events About About Carbon Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us Menu icon Three short horizontal bars, aligned parallel to each other Contact Platform How it Works Materials Materials Overview Rigid Materials Elastomeric Materials Dental Materials Material Comparison Chart Software Software Overview Design Engine Custom Production Software Printer Operating System Design Engine Release Notes Printer OS Release Notes Hardware Hardware Overview M3 3D Printer M2 3D Printer L1 3D Printer Smart Part Washer Printer Pricing Automatic Operation Suite AO Suite Overview AO Polishing Cassette AO Backpack Automatic Print Preperation AO Stack Industries Industries All Industries Automotive Industrial MedTech Consumer All Consumer Applications Footwear Helmets Saddles Wheelchair Cushions Bras & Apparel Dental Dental Labs Digital Dentures Flexible Partials Orthodontic Labs Clear Aligners Clinicians Flexible Partials Partners Production Network Find a Production Partner Become a Production Partner Dental Network Find a Dental Partner Find a Dental Lab Resources Learn Carbon Blog Customer Stories Education Courses White Papers Datasheets Product Stewardship Quality Certifications Discover Powered by Carbon Powered by Carbon Shop Carbon DLS Designing for DLS Process Carbon Academy Webinars News & Events About About Carbon Company Carbon Culture Current Job Openings Virtual Tour Newsroom Contact Us International APAC 日本語 (日本) 中文 (简体) Design Engine Customer Support (column) Carbon Academy Product Stewardship Order Carbon Resins Get Support ISO 9001:2015 Menu icon Three short horizontal bars, aligned parallel to each other Contact Send-Nods and rpm Seek to Improve Comfort and Protection for Tactical Helmets January 23, 2024 Key Takeaways: Send-Nods chose to use the Carbon Digital Light Synthesis™ (Carbon DLS™) 3D printing process for the design, development, and production of the Send Impact AirPad System by Carbon production partner rpm to increase comfort and protection in European tactical helmets. rpm used their five years of experience in lattice development and a company focus on small series production to keep a rapid pace towards launching the product while still meeting the cost demands for end-sale. Carbon’s Design Engine Pro™ software enabled production of a tunable lattice to meet specific mechanical requirements for higher compression rates in the weighted helmet while still maintaining a layer of comfort cushioning and breathability through the lattice structure design. Carbon’s EPU 43 material met the damping and durability requirements while offering a comfortable feeling for continuous wear in strenuous conditions. INTRODUCTION Send-Nods , a military gear company, sought to improve upon traditional tactical helmets by introducing latticed padding to optimize comfort and protection. Having seen what was achieved using the Carbon DLS 3D printing process to produce similar helmet solutions in the U.S. market, Send-Nods chose to collaborate with Carbon production partner rpm to design, develop, and produce the AirPad System. The AirPad System is an accessory helmet padding system consisting of nine individual latticed pads, which improve the comfort of tactical helmets by replacing standard foam pads and introducing airflow. The initial design launched is optimal for heavier ballistic helmets which are loaded with additional components like hearing protection, night vision, counterweights, and position lights to outfit soldiers in the field. The standard foams react by collapsing under the components’ weight and no longer providing dampening behavior. On top of the weight, the foam helmet pads trap heat, creating an uncomfortable experience for the soldier. The benefits of latticed helmet designs are widely recognized, which inspired Send-Nods to develop the AirPad System specifically for EU helmet sizes and regulations. By partnering with German-based rpm, Send-Nods was able to design and produce all aspects of their innovative product within the European Union. MATERIALS AND PART REQUIREMENTS Send-Nods defined the following requirements for its AirPad System: Damping material that was comfortable to the touch Latticed cell design High breathability for the user Increased comfort and performance Production within the EU Previously, these helmet padding systems were manufactured with standard foams, which limit breathability and have a linear response to weight. SOLUTION With a clearly defined product design and an understanding of the mechanical performance requirements under weight, Send-Nods set out to find the optimal partner and platform for production. Finding the Right Partner Send-Nods explored a few potential CPNs before deciding to work with rpm . From the outset, rpm quickly understood the project and helped refine the technical criteria to produce a successful product. They initiated a pre-evaluation prototyping phase of the EPU 43 and EPU 45 materials and selected the key mechanical properties. The speed and effectiveness of this first phase gave Send-Nods the confidence to move forward with rpm for design, development, and production. Material Send-Nods ultimately chose to produce the AirPad System with Carbon’s EPU 43 material. EPU 43 is a soft, durable material that is energy damping. This material offered the right balance between high-impact absorption and comfort on the head and skin for continuous daily use. Lattice Designs for Cushioning and Performance To make helmets more comfortable for soldiers, Send-Nods required a breathable design that performed well under a continuous heavy load to keep other functional accessories floating comfortably over the head. rpm utilized Carbon Design Engine Pro™ software to generate multi-zonal lattices with varying cell types and strut diameters that could meet the compression depth requirement. Lattice designs were tested and optimized for the various pad sizes to have paired performance under load. The multi-zonal approach to the design enables a smooth transition between an impact protection layer and a comfort cushioning layer. rpm used Design Engine Pro’s mechanical simulations to predict performance and aid in speeding up each development cycle. Designing and printing within the Carbon platform enabled rpm to test and update design iterations quickly. The final product is tuned to compress up to 50% under load, the maximum expected accessory weight, to maintain comfort cushioning for the soldier. T