New Formlabs Tough Resin Offers Superior Durability & Resistance for Engineering Prototypes

The 3D printing industry just keeps becoming more and more refined–and enormously progressive–offering significant and positive impacts to nearly every sector from engineering to medical, as well as art, design, and far more. With that, it’s certainly true that 3D printing with SLA just keeps developing further as well, from the actual equipment and software to the resins. Dynamic companies like Formlabs are responsible for keeping the momentum rolling, allowing for new materials that in turn give makers and 3D printing enthusiasts what they need for greater innovation.

While printing with SLA just continues to become more and more popular due to the considerable benefits such as higher resolution and much better accuracy, materials are always a concern in terms of reliability and expense. Makers are becoming more proficient and have continually new requirements regarding durability and quality.

Formlabs keeps up with the needs of their customer base, and as designers themselves, they have their fingers on the pulse of the 3D printing industry all around. Now, they are about to take the debate and weighing in over resin or ABS out of the equation with a new product that caters to engineers and those in fields that require extremely durable prototypes. While resin is attractive due to its own host of benefits, those who are looking for the formidable attributes also offered by the more traditional ABS should enjoy trying the new Formlabs Tough Resin.

There’s nothing worse than getting from concept to print time–from A to Z–and then having a failed print. In an effort to stave off challenges found in 3D printing–especially in engineering prototypes with elements like snap-fit enclosures and load-bearing gears that are meant to carry a heavier mechanical load–Formlabs created Tough Resin to eliminate problems like shattering, snapping–and disappointing.

Not only is it comparable to resin, after testing, Formlabs has verified that it will actually outperform ABS-like materials in terms of offering exactly what those requiring more toughness in materials need: superior yield, elongation, and impact resistance.

Tough Resin arrives in one-liter bottles that you can order directly from Formlabs online. The new 3D printing resin is compatible with both the Form 1 and Form 1+ 3D printers.
As an added kicker to the release, Formlabs is enhancing demonstration and promotion of the new resin with a 3D printed Rube Goldberg machine, an apparatus which traditionally tends to produce a chain reaction. The Rube Goldberg is usually meant to ‘overperform’ a task, so is a perfect example for showing off the new resin, 3D printing the machine parts with the Formlabs flagshipForm 1+ SLA 3D printer.

“Engineering and prototyping are a really important application of 3D printing. We’re excited to release our new Tough Resin because now Form 1+ users can create high resolution prints in a really durable, resilient material,” said Formlabs co-founder Max Lobovsky. “Developing new high-quality materials continues to be a really important focus for us. Every time we release a new material, we create new possibilities for every Form 1+ user and build a more compelling experience.”

The founders of this company are made up of MIT designers and engineers who quite simply know what they are talking about. With experience in using equipment and materials from the ground up, they have the edge in creating not only quality 3D printers, but the software and materials to go with them for serious creating power and resulting sturdy 3D models.

Are you going to be trying out the new Tough Resin? Discuss in the New Formlabs Tough Resin forum thread over at 3DPB.com.