Formlabs resins are designed to simulate a range of injection-moulded plastics from polypropylene (PP) to thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
Because the Formlabs resin library is huge (containing over 20 resins and growing), figuring out what resin you should choose can be difficult.
Formlabs has an online material selector you can use to choose the right resin – it only takes a few seconds to use and works well.
Another easy way to choose the right Formlabs resin is to figure out what plastic you need to simulate and choose the resin that simulates it best.
Formlabs sometimes makes this process easy by disclaiming what plastics their resins simulate. However, this information isn’t always easy to find, so this article will cover the most popular Formlabs resins and what they simulate.
Standard Resins
Includes: Clear, White, Grey, Black, Draft.
Standard Resins are a basic polymer plastic with easy printability and high resolution, making them ideal for fine features right out of the printer.
Engineering Resins
Includes: Grey Pro, High Temp.
Engineering Resins simulate injection-moulded plastics with modifications, such as greater detail (Grey Pro) and a high heat deflection temperature (High Temp).
Rigid Resins
Includes: Rigid 10K, Rigid 4,000.
Rigid Resins simulate glass and fibre-filled thermoplastics, for thermal and chemical resistant parts that are dimensionally stable under load.
Rigid 10k can also be used for injection moulding
Tough & Durable Resins
Includes: Tough 1,500, Tough 2,000, Durable.
Tough 1,500 simulates polypropylene (PP), Tough 2,000 simulates ABS, and Durable Resin simulates HDPE.
Flexible & Elastic Resins
Includes: Flexible 80A, Elastic 50A.
Flexible & Elastic Resins simulate rubbers. Flexible 80A simulates the flexibility of rubber and TPU, while Elastic 80A simulates 50-60A TPU and silicon.
Dental Resins
Includes: Surgical Guide, Dental LT Clear, Model, Castable Wax, Draft, Digital Dentures, Custom Tray, Temporary CB, Permanent Crown, Soft Tissue, IBT Resin.
We’ve covered Formlabs’ Dental Resins in-depth here. Rather than simulate plastics, dental resins are designed for specifical dental applications.
Medical Resins
Includes: BioMed Clear, BioMed Amber (also Elastic, Tough 1,500 and Clear)
Like Dental Resins, Medical Resins are designed for specific applications:
- MioMed Clear – biocompatible applications requiring long-term skin or mucosal membrane contact.
- MioMed Amber – biocompatible applications requiring short-term skin or mucosal membrane contact.
Jewellery Resins
Includes: Castable Wax 40, Castable Wax (also Grey Resin, High Temp Resin).
Rather than simulate plastics, Jewelerry Resins simulate materials used in jewellery manufacturing:
- Castable Wax 40 – supports a wide range of lost wax casting conditions and is compatible with leading gypsum investments.
- Castable Wax – high strength and stiffness, making it highly capable of printing ultrafine filigree jewellery.
Need help choosing the right resin?
As we mentioned before, Formlabs has an online material selector you can use to discover the right resin for your use case. You can also find 3D printer specifications and data sheets for Formlabs resins at the bottom of this page.
To find out more about Formlabs Resins, request a Formlabs sample, call us on 01765 694 007, or send us an email at sales@additive-x.com. You can also book a discovery call with our Formlabs specialists Elaine Rutledge or Tammy O’Neill.
Book a call with Elaine
Book a call with Tammy