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What do i need for 3d resin printing


What Do You Need For Resin 3D Printing? – Gorilla Output

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You should know all the materials you need for resin 3D printing if you wish to start exploring the world of resin 3D printing. That is why we have put this post together to share our knowledge and expertise on the requirements for resin printing.

What do you need for resin 3D printing? You need a resin 3D printer and resin material. You also need safety accessories, like goggles, a respirator mask, and gloves. You may also need paper towels or a pallet knife to make your resin 3D printing easier. What’s more, you should think of the accessories you would need for post-processing. These include isopropyl alcohol and a UV curing machine (or sunlight, if you like), among others.

There are many things you need for resin 3D printing beyond just the resin material and a 3D resin printer. Some of these materials are basic requirements, while some others will make resin printing easier and/or safer for you. As you read on, we will show you everything you need for resin 3D printing and explain what each one does.

Photo by ZMorph All-in-One 3D Printers on Unsplash

The Basic Things You Need for Resin 3D Printing

The two basic needs for resin 3D printing are a 3D printer and resins. Resin is the basic material for creating 3D parts. The printer, on the other hand, is the machine that helps harness the resin to create your desired 3D part. If you have these two things, you can print your resin 3D models, but you may need some accessories to make the process easier and safer.

Resin 3D Printer

A resin 3D printer uses liquid resins, rather than filaments or powder, to print 3D models. There are different types of resin printers, but stereolithography (SLA) printers are the most popular. The SLA happens in a “tank” as the printer spreads the resin layer by layer, starting with the first layer on the printer’s platform. Successive layers are spread on the one before it.

Types of Resin 3D Printers

There are three common types of resin 3D printers. These three types use resin but they employ different mechanisms to solidify resin parts. The 3 common resin printer types are:

  • SLA (Stereolithography) 3D printers, which makes use of laser beams
  • LCD 3D printers, which use the LED lights of LCD panels
  • DLP (Digital Light Processing) 3D printers, which light flashes from a projector

Resin

Resin is the basic material for printing resin 3D models . This photopolymer material, which comes in liquid form, cures when exposed to light to create solid 3D parts. There are different resin types and models for various applications. Entry-level resins are cheaper but they don’t offer as much quality as high-end resins, which usually cost more.

Ultimately, resin materials provide higher quality and print models with higher details and accuracy than FDM printers. They also provide smoother results than 3D models created with filament or powder materials.

✅ Video – You NEED these to 3D Print with Resin (Short Version)

Before you read on, watch this video to get a basic overview of what we will be talking about. It shows you the different accessories one by one and even demonstrates how to use them. The sections after this video categorize the accessories by what they do and give a more detailed explanation of each accessory.

Safety Accessories for Resin 3D Printing

Goggles, respirator masks, and gloves are the three vital safety accessories for resin printing. Goggles will protect your eyes, the respirator mask will protect your lungs, and the gloves will protect your skin, particularly your hands. You shouldn’t undertake the resin printing process without these three accessories.

Resin can cause skin irritations and the fumes can get into your eyes and lungs too. So you’ve got to use adequate protection to keep yourself safe while the printing process is ongoing. Let’s take a good look at these three safety accessories:

Goggles

The fumes from standard printing resin are not safe for the eyes. These fumes or even resin itself should never come in direct contact with the eyes. If they do, they can cause quick harm to the eyes. That’s why you need goggles to keep your eyes safe. Some people manage to print 3D resin parts without goggles, but it’s not a safe practice. If you can’t get goggles, you can use regular safety glasses as an alternative.

Respirator Mask

Masks are very important for the protection of your lungs. Resin and its fumes can have two effects on your lungs. Firstly, it can cause quick damage when you inhale too much while printing. Secondly, the effects of minor exposure from time to time can accumulate over years and cause chronic lung damage and respiratory problems. In addition to a mask, you should make sure to print your 3D resin in a well-ventilated area.

Gloves

While handling resin, you should avoid direct contact at all costs to prevent skin irritation. A pair of nitrile gloves should come in handy here. Some people claim that resin does not irritate their skin, but they don’t understand the type of irritant that resin is. You can touch resin several times with no irritation whatsoever. But with increasing exposure, your skin will eventually react. And from the first time your skin reacts, it won’t stop reacting.

Other Resin 3D Printing Accessories

To make your resin 3D printing easier, you need a paint scraper or pallet knife for print removal and paper towels to absorb spills. You also need a dedicated toothbrush to remove excess resins from the finished print. What’s more, you may also need an FEP film and a good filter.

A lot goes into resin 3D printing and that’s why it costs a bit more than other 3D printing technologies. You not only need more consumables for resin printing, but you also need more accessories to help facilitate the process. You should be aware of these requirements before you dabble into resin 3D printing.

Here’s a closer look at the different accessories that can make your 3D resin printing easier:  

Paint Scraper or Pallet Knife

After you finish printing your 3D part, you must remove it gently from the printer’s build plate without damaging the newly printed model. Since these models are usually still quite delicate, it’s best to use an extra-wide knife, such as a paint scraper or pallet knife, to remove them. That way, you wouldn’t stress or damage the model while getting it out of the printer.

Paper Towel

You need paper towels to absorb spills during printing. You can use any type of cleaning material, but paper towels do the best job for cleaning resins. Make sure to buy this in bulk because resins are quite messy and can quickly cause permanent stains if left uncleaned. What’s more, it’s better to use pantry paper towels rather than those sold in drugstores.

Toothbrush

You should have dedicated toothbrushes for your resin 3D printing. They are ideal for brushing off excess resins from finished prints. You can also use them to remove dust from the surface of your 3D part after sanding. Make sure you get a toothbrush with soft bristles, as hard bristles can damage prints.

Filter

You don’t need filters during printing but they can help you save waste after printing. If there are leftover resins in your printer vat, you can filter them to remove cured resins. Dispose of the cured resin and store the uncured resins for later use.

You have two options; you can get a permanent filter or buy disposable filters from time to time. Both options work well. But permanent filters need thorough washing after each use. Disposable filters, on the other hand, are to be disposed of after each use but that’s not so environmentally friendly because they can’t be recycled.

FEP Film

FEP films are transparent, double-layered foils that you can insert into the rack linked to your printer’s tank. This film creates a clear way for UV radiation to cure resins while printing is still ongoing. This makes the entire process faster without affecting the model’s strength or accuracy.

Accessories for Resin 3D Print Post-Processing

The accessories for post-processing resin 3D prints include IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) to wash off excess resins and an ultrasonic cleaner that will help clean the printed part automatically. A UV light source is also very important for curing your 3D print. You can cure your 3D part with sunlight but you would need a solar-powered turntable to facilitate even and effective UV curing.

Let’s examine the different post-processing accessories one by one:

Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) & Pickle Bucket

IPA will help wash excess resins away from your printed part. You may need a pickle bucket where you will pour IPA and dunk the printed part in it. As you do this, all the extra resins on the surface of your printed part will wash off.

Ultrasonic Cleaner

An ultrasonic cleaner will come to your rescue if you don’t want to wash your resin print manually. This machine is designed to clean resin prints automatically. You will have to add IPA and put your finished print in the machine. Then, switch it on and let it run for about 5 minutes. Some ultrasonic cleaners have a timer, so you can set the time it would run for.

UV Light Source

If you are not curing your 3D resin with sunlight, you would need a source of UV light. For this, you can use a UV lamp or torch. But for high-quality results, you can purchase a UV curing machine. These machines allow you to set your preferred UV wavelength and heat levels. So you can use custom curing settings for different applications.

Solar-powered Turntable

Solar-powered turntables are originally for displaying objects but you can also use them for post-processing your resin prints. If you are curing your resin 3D part under sunlight, you would need to rotate the model for even curing. That way, the UV light will touch all sides of the model regardless of the direction of sun rays. Without a turntable, only a side will receive UV rays and that will cause uneven curing.

Wash & Cure Box

This is an optional post-processing accessory but if you get it, it will make your work easier. These machines are all-in-one stations that will wash your resin print and cure the resins for you. This reduces the need for manual input in post-processing resin prints.

Related Questions

How Much Resin Do I Need For 3D Printing?

A 1-liter resin bottle should be enough to print about 120-140 small board game figures, assuming the figures are about 1 inch tall. This should give you an idea of how much resin you need to print your model, considering the size. But not to worry, most SLA printers have in-built slicer software that estimates how much resin you need to print your design.

Modeling software for 3D prints usually gives information on how much resins your 3D part will require before you start printing. As such, there is little to no chance that you will run out of resins midway during printing.

How Long Does Resin Printing Take?

3D resin printing can take as little as 30 minutes or as long as one week or more. Factors that determine this include the size and complexity of your model and the print resolution. The type of printer you are using also plays a vital role. Generally, SLA resin printers are the fastest for highly detailed resin printing. But then, there are cheap printers and high-end printers. High-end printers, though more expensive, tend to be faster.

We have a comprehensive that answers the question, “How fast is a resin 3D printer?“. You can read it for more details.

What Are The Dangers Of 3D Printing?

The major dangers of 3D resin printing stem from the fact that resin is a toxic material. It gives off fumes that could be toxic to the eyes and lungs. And it causes skin irritation too. What’s more, resins are not friendly to the environment and ecosystem, particularly sea animals.

To mitigate the toxic effects of resins, make sure to protect yourself with gloves, goggles, and ventilator masks while handling resin. Also, make sure to cure excess resins before disposal. And dispose of them appropriately as designated by local authorities for non-degradable materials.

Conclusion

It’s exciting to be able to print highly detailed 3D prints with resin from your workshop or home. But to do this successfully, you must have the right tools, materials, and accessories. So far, we have listed 16 such materials in this post. We hope that you find this list helpful as you embark on your resin 3D printing.

What Do I Need for Resin Printing? More Than You Think!

Curtis Satterfield, Ph.D.