Formlabs Resin Release a New Set of Function

On June 30th Formlabs launched six brand new materials for engineering, medical and dental applications. With this addition, Formlabs is proving how desktop Stereolithography (SLA) is moving forward high-performance functionalities at a very fast pace. These lines of resins are compatible with the Form 3, Form 2, and the dental focused Form 3B machines. Let’s see what these new Formlabs families have to offer us:

• Engineering Materials: With the new Flexible 80A Resin, Formlabs also introduces a brand new family of flexible and elastic materials.
• Healthcare: Introducing the new BioMed line, Formlabs is offering the BioMed Clear Resin and BioMed Amber Resin.
• Dental applications: As one of their longtime focuses, Formlabs is adding three new materials to their already wide catalog.

The Flexible & Elastic Resins Family

This new family of materials focuses on the possibility to produce fast parts from soft materials like silicone, urethane, and rubber. Now with in-house production of these parts, engineers will have valuable alternatives in contrast to costly and time-consuming molding processes.

Having these new options enables making from your desktop high-performance prototypes for consumer goods and compliant features for robotics. Both Flexible 80A and Elastic 50A resins receive their name from the Shore A durometer level. The higher the number, the harder the material.

Flexible 80A

The stiffest out of the two, Flexible 80A Resin is a reformulation of the current Flexible Resin. Though categorized as a soft material, it can withstand repeated cycles of stress as the practical material it is. For instance, a good comparable material regarding its properties is TPU, which is often used in FDM printing.

According to Formlabs, it can be used for the following purposes:

• Handles, grips, and overmolds
• Seals, gaskets, and masks
• Cushioning, damping, and shock absorption
• Cartilage, tendon, and ligament anatomy

Elastic 50A

Softer than the Flexible 80A, but with a broader elastic limit, tear-resistance and a faster spring back. Elastic 50A Resin is just a renaming of the current Elastic Resin since Formlabs is steadily increasing their materials library. Since its properties are pretty close to those of silicone, it can be ideally used for:

•  Wearables, such a straps
• Compressible buttons
• Stretchable enclosures and casings
• Soft tissue anatomy

The New BioMed Resins Line

Though this is not the first set of biocompatible materials made from Formlabs, it’s the first specifically dedicated to this sector. Manufactured under the ISO-13485 standard for medical devices, Formlabs has dedicated an entire facility to guarantee a safely sterilized workflow. As a matter of fact, both materials can handle standard sterilization chemicals. And last but not least, both are designed for handling contact with mucosa membranes or skin.

BioMed Clear

Supported by an FDA (US Food and Drugs Administration) Device Master File and being a certified USP Class VI (Top class biocompatibility test for plastics), the BioMed Clear Resin is now available for desktop 3D printing. It specializes in long-term contact with mucose tissue and skin applications attributed to its low water absorption and stiffness properties. Some specific applications are:

• Medical devices
• Surgical planning and implant sizing tools
• Research and development
• Drug delivery devices
• Bioprocessing equipment
• Jigs and fixtures

BioMed Amber

In opposition to BioMed Clear, BioMed Amber Resin applies for short-term applications. Some of them are:

• Medical device components
• Surgical planning tools
• Research and development
• Drilling templates
• Fixation trays
• Implant guides and sizing templates

Broadening the Dental Resins Family

Dental development is nothing new for Formlabs, many years of investments lead to the aforementioned ISO-13485 certified facility and the Form 3B. Plus, they have been selling for the last years a whole dedicated catalogue for dental modelling, surgical guides, casting and denture making. But as it isn’t enough, Formlabs is releasing three brand new resins to further permeate additive manufacturing into dental workflows.

Dental LT Clear (V2)

An upgraded version of the Dental Clear Resin, this new generation is dedicated to long-term splints and occlusal guards. Its improvement in composition has clearer optical transparency and decoloration resistance compared to its predecessor. With these improvements, now patients can show off their aesthetically pleasing and durable splints.

Custom Tray

Impression trays are common tools in dentistry for making implants and other processes. Although there’re many standard sizes of trays, in some cases custom trays must be made. To achieve accurate results, the conventional manufacturing method is a slow process. Thankfully, the new Custom Tray Resin solves this problem with a fast and accurate printing of a 200-micron layer height custom tray under an hour.

Temporary CB

Developed in partnership with BEGO, an implant dentistry leading company. The Temporary CB Resin allows printing crowns, bridges (up to 7 units), inlays, onlays, and veneers for temporary restorations. Taking into account natural teeth colours, this resin comes available in four VITA shades. But the best advantage, without a doubt, is the integration of 3D printing into a fast and low-cost digital workflow. Among its properties we have the following:

• Low tendency to age and discolour, thus very aesthetic.
• Great marginal adaptation and strength.
• Low cold and heat sensitivity for comfort
• Low plaque accumulation

Additionally, this resin must be printed with a Stainless Steel Build Platform to achieve optimal aesthetics. Before buying it, it’s important to know that this build platform is not validated for other materials.

For more information on these promising new solutions, call Solid Print 3D at 01926 333 777 or email us at info@solidprint3d.co.uk