The Formlabs Tough and Durable resin family comprises three resins: Tough Resin 2000, Tough Resin 1500 and Durable Resin. These resins are for prototyping functional models and parts that look, feel and behave like high-performance plastics.
All resins in this family are supported by the Form 3 and Form 3L. We’d specify them when we need to produce prototypes of functional parts that are resistant to compression, stretching, bending, and impacts without breaking.
In other words, this resin family is ideal when bending at lower stress levels is preferred to a brittle failure. Examples include products like glasses and spray bottles, and engineering parts like hinges, snap-fit connectors, triggers and housings.
Tough 1500 Resin
Tough 1500 Resin simulates the strength and stiffness of polypropylene (PP). It produces stiff and pliable parts that bend and spring back quickly under cyclic loading – ideal for snap-fit and press-fit connectors and springy assemblies.
Of all Formlabs resins, Tough 1500 Resin is the most resilient material (resilience describes the ability of a material to return to its original state after compression). This makes it ideal for producing parts that will undergo significant stress.
Recommended for:
- Functional assemblies
- Snap-fit and press-fit connectors
- Cyclic loading
- Hinges
- Springy assemblies
- Parts undergoing temporary deflection
- Prototyping parts that will be made from PP
Not recommended for:
- Fine features
- High-temp applications
Tough 2000 Resin
Tough 2000 Resin simulates the strength and stiffness of ABS. It’s the stiffest material in the Formlabs Tough and Durable family. Parts do not bend easily and withstand stress and strain; they do not snap or shatter under stress but deform instead.
Tough 2000 Resin has a significantly higher elongation at break than ABS (48% vs 18%) making it far more ductile. It’s ideal for producing high-stress components and geometrically accurate prototypes under load. It can also be machined.
Recommended for:
- High-stress components
- Cyclic loading
- Mechanical connectors
- Housings and enclosures
- Parts that are difficult to bend
- Parts that will be made from ABS
Not recommended for:
- Very fine details
- Constant loading
Durable Resin
Durable Resin simulates the strength and stiffness of polyethylene (PE). It’s the most pliable and lubricious material in the Formlabs Tough and Durable family – ideal for printing squeezable parts, low-friction assemblies and impact-resistant jigs.
Durable Resin is capable of extreme deformation before breaking. It should be used to prototype parts that will be made from PE or HDPE. It withstands high strain and is designed for the rugged prototyping of models that require impact resistance.
Recommended for:
- Squeezable parts
- Snap-fit parts
- Low-wear moving parts
- Prototyping parts that will be made from PE or HDPE
- Parts that require a low friction surface, like ball joints
- Parts that need to deform without breaking or snapping
Not recommended for:
- Constant loading
- Parts with fine details
- High-temp applications
Looking for a resin? Get professional advice
What’s the best Formlabs functional resin for your use case? Additive-X is here to help you find out. Request your Formlabs sample here or get in touch with your 3D printing-related enquiry by phone on 01765 694 007 or send us an email at sales@additive-x.com for professional advice.