Already existing as a favourite choice for prototyping, silicone can now be 3D printed, revealed Wacker recently in their Q2 interim report. According to IDTechEx research, the market of prototyping of consumer products is expected to rise to US $ 1.8 billion by 2025, from the existing figure of US $ 433 million. The silicone models are tougher, more durable, and can withstand a larger temperature range than the thermoplastics, which is currently used for 3D printing prototypes. Current method of producing silicone parts used expensive injection-moulding processes, which is feasible only for large production runs.
