SLA 3D Printing: Formlabs Offers Six New Resins for the Form 3, Form 3B & Form 2

Centered around the miracles of 3D printing, Formlabs tends to have the magic touch—whether individual users or companies are seeking new products like an SLA printer or choosing from a host of high-performance resins. Now, the Somerville, Massachusetts-headquartered manufacturer is releasing a wide range of materials for the Form 3, Form 3B, and Form 2 SLA 3D printers, meant to meet the needs of professionals working in engineering (product design and manufacturing), healthcare, and dental applications.

“Manufacturers have long expressed the desire to replace outsourcing and molding of silicone, urethane, and rubber parts in order to reduce long turnaround times and additional labor,” states Formlabs. “With the launch of our family of Flexible and Elastic Resins, we are expanding our library of high performance, easy-to-use soft materials, and making it possible to produce flexible parts in-house within hours. These resins are well suited for consumer goods prototyping, compliant features for robotics, and special effects props and models.”

The Flexible 80A Resin

Flexible 80A allows for cushioning and absorption and is suitable for engineers 3D printing parts like handles and grips, seals and gaskets—but also for medical professionals developing models displaying cartilage, tendons, and other anatomy like ligaments.

“Balancing softness with strength, Flexible 80A Resin can withstand bending, flexing, and compression, even through repeated cycles,” states the Formlabs team.

Elastic 50A Resin

Rebranding their original Elastic Resin, Elastic 50A Resin is meant for fabrication of parts like wearables, compressible buttons, enclosures and casings that must stretch, as well as mimicking soft tissue anatomy for 3D models.

“Choose Elastic 50A Resin for parts that will bend, stretch, compress, and hold up to repeated cycles without tearing, and spring back quickly to their original shape,” suggests the Formlabs team.

BioMed Clear Resin

BioMed Clear Resin is meant for long-term contact with the human body, but can be used for creating jigs and fixtures, as well as medical devices, surgical planning tools, and other R&D tools.

“This USP Class VI certified material is suitable for applications that require wear resistance and low water absorption over time,” states Formlabs.

“Parts printed with BioMed Clear Resin are compatible with common sterilization methods. BioMed Clear Resin is manufactured in our ISO 13485 facility and is supported with an FDA Device Master File.”

BioMed Amber Resin

Also offering a rigid option for biocompatible 3D prints, Formlabs offers the BioMed Amber Resin. Made in the Formlabs ISO 13485 facility, this new material is suitable for fabrication of medical devices, surgical tools, implants, and other parts and prototypes printed for R&D purposes.

“BioMed Amber Resin is a rigid material ideal for biocompatible applications requiring short-term skin or mucosal membrane contact,” says the Formlabs team.

Dental LT Clear Resin (V2)

Dental LT Clear Resin (V2) is meant to be an improvement as Formlabs offers a second-generation biocompatible material for splints and occlusional guards.

“Durable and resistant to fracture, this color-corrected material prints clear, polishes to high optical transparency, and resists discoloration over time for a finished appliance you’ll be proud to deliver,” states the Formlabs team.

Custom Tray Resin

Custom Tray Resin is a new material for 3D printing customized impression dental trays, suitable for the following:

• Crowns
• Bridges
• Implants
• Dentures
• Other comprehensive cases

Trays can be 3D printed in under an hour, decreasing time needed for labor in the office or lab with speed in production.

Temporary CB Resin

Formlabs is also producing a Temporary CB Resin in four VITA shades, collaborating with restorative dental materials specialists BEGO. This material is meant for direct 3D printing of:

• Temporary crowns
• Bridges
• Inlays
• Onlays
• Veneers

“This durable resin can produce up to 7 unit bridges and temporary restorations for up to 12 months use and enables a digital workflow for collaborative processes between dental technician, dentist, and patient,” explains Formlabs.

See the full availability list for Temporary CB Resin here.

Formlabs also offers a webinar, ‘Deep Dive on Flexible 80A and Elastic 50A with our Materials Product Manager,’ and other helpful information about the new materials at their website. Free samples are available for some materials too.