-Stereolithography, the technology behind many resin 3D prints, is usually described as 'the mommy of all 3D printing technologies' and is taken into consideration among one of the most extensively made use of strategies for generating top notch 3D prints. Here at Materialise, we have been making use of Stereolithography given that 1990. Time to speak a bit much more about this modern technology and our newest materials.
3D Printer Resin
The Technology: It's all about UV Lasers
The innovation behind (most) resin 3D prints is referred to as Stereolithography. And also right here's the one-minute explanation of exactly how Stereolithography works:
- In the initial instance, the roller of the printer spreads out a razor-thin layer of liquid polymer. Since this layer is liquid, it will expand over the entire system making certain that each layer has a regular thickness
- The fluid polymer we make use of is UV sensitive. When struck by a computer-controlled UV laser, the resin will alter from a liquid to solid state. Basically, the laser "draws" the lays out of the print into the resin layer as well as hardens the parts that it touches.
The components that are not touched by the laser will certainly continue to be liquid
- These two actions are duplicated over and over as well as over again. The design is decreased by a fraction, as well as the roller expands a new layer. The laser then solidifies specific locations of that layer, which will enter into your 3D print. This is repeated up until the version is completed
As soon as the printing process is completed and the entire item has actually been printed, the print is raised from the resin tank. The excess fluid will simply move away and can be recycled for various other prints. The prints then should be eliminated and completed manually (i.e. eliminate support framework, smoothen surface areas, spray-paint surface areas, and so on).
The Materials: From Tiny Details to Mammoth-Size
There is greater than one material utilized with this technology. In fact, we provide 4 various Stereolithography-based resins that all come with their own characteristics. However, these materials also share some features: they include smooth surface areas and are excellent for post-processing.
Mammoth resin: Mammoth resin is printed on among the most significant printers out there ... you thought it, the Materialise Mammoth printers (that's additionally the printer you saw in the video above). Formerly this resin was called Paintable resin. These printers can print large parts as much as a size of 2100x700x800 mm, which can be spray-painted in numerous shades.
Transparent resin: Also published on our Mammoth printers, Transparent resin is (shock, shock) transparent and can be ordered in a number of shades. In fact, it is the only transparent material that we currently supply at i.materialise.com. It could likewise be purchased for parts approximately a size of 2100x700x800 mm.
Gray resin: Gray resin is the excellent all-rounder. It has a terrific level of detail, appropriates for little and mid-size models, as well as features a smooth, gray surface area. This gray shade makes it perfect for hand- or spray-painting jobs. That's why this resin is so preferred among the range modeling community.
Standard resin: Our latest addition to the resin family members. Basic resin comes at a low-budget cost while supplying extremely thorough outcomes. To conserve some even more cash, you could also buy Basic resin with assistance structure, indicating much less time invested in post-processing.