Design detailed resin parts that survive washing, support removal and use. Plan walls, drain access, resin choice, final fits and the surfaces worth polishing.
Light turns selected regions of liquid photopolymer into a solid “green” part. Washing and post-curing are material-processing steps, so the delivered condition cannot be inferred from exposure resolution alone.
Prepare
Build preparation places the model, adds supports and identifies vents for cup-shaped or hollow regions.
Expose
A laser or another light engine selectively exposes a resin layer. The build platform then moves for the next cross-section.
Clean
The printed part is removed and washed with the material-approved solvent to clear uncured resin, then dried before later processing.
Finalize
A resin-specific light and heat cycle completes more of the reaction. Supports are removed and critical or cosmetic surfaces are finished.
Formlabs documents printing, washing, drying and post-curing as one material-specific workflow. Laser SLA, masked SLA and DLP expose layers differently; do not transfer a setting or property between them without evidence.
Laser SLA and masked resin systems have different capabilities. Use the machine/resin combination rather than a universal SLA minimum.
| Feature | Manufacturer example | Design implication |
|---|---|---|
| Supported or unsupported wall | 0.2 mm | A small printable wall is not a durable enclosure. Span, handling and cleaning may require considerably more material. |
| Vertical wire | 0.3 mm at 7 mm tall; 0.6 mm at 30 mm tall | Feature height changes what can remain stable; protect fine details during washing. |
| Hole | 0.5 mm diameter | This is a resolution example, not proof of a clear long passage or an accurate fit. |
| Embossed / engraved detail | 0.1 / 0.15 mm feature example | Increase detail for legibility after sanding, coating or repeated handling. |
| Clearance | 0.4 mm | Allow resin and cleaning access as well as separation. Validate the actual mating interface. |
Formlabs developed these examples with one resin, printer generation and layer setting. They do not establish FabDigit order limits or apply unchanged to laser SLA, flexible, filled or other resins.
The orientation must balance support access, visible surfaces and dimensional requirements. A hollow model needs more than an opening drawn somewhere in the shell.
Hollow geometry does not guarantee a hollow delivered part. Unfused powder, liquid resin or support can remain inside.
Provide accessible openings and a path through the cavity. Opening size depends on process, material, channel length and cleaning method.
Schematic illustrations; not to scale. Confirm the design for the chosen material, process and final use.
Toughness, stiffness, clarity, heat response and chemical compatibility are separate requirements. An “ABS-like” resin is not thermoplastic ABS.
| Family | Useful application | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Detailed form and fit models | Impact, thin-section handling and aging for the named product. |
| Tough / durable | Clips and handled functional prototypes | Deflection, fatigue, creep and the final cure schedule; a tough label does not validate a hinge. |
| Clear | Fluid visualisation and transparent housings | Accessible polishing surfaces and required optical quality. Clear resin alone is not an optical-lens specification. |
| High temperature | Thermal test models and tooling candidates | HDT load, conditioning and service duration; HDT is not a continuous-use rating. |
| Flexible / elastic | Compliant models, grips and seal concepts | Hardness, tear strength, compression set and chemical exposure. |
| Rigid / filled | Stiff fixtures and thin rigid geometry | Brittleness, wear and dimensional stability under the actual load. |
| Castable / medical | Application-specific workflows | Follow the exact burnout or validated contact workflow; a resin label does not qualify every finished part. |
Example of why the test condition matters: Formlabs High Temp V2 reports 238 °C HDT at 0.45 MPa after its specified post-cure. That does not mean an arbitrary part can carry its service load continuously at 238 °C.
Product names make generic labels testable. They also expose boundaries: some data apply only after a prescribed cure, some products fit one printer generation, and biocompatibility depends on the validated workflow.
| Material family | Product examples | Selection direction | Performance evidence to compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| General-purpose rigid | Grey Resin V5 | Detailed form, fit and presentation models. | Name printer generation, layer setting and cured state; small-feature tests are different from strength or order tolerance. |
| Tough / durable | Tough 2000 Resin V2 Durable Resin | Handled shells, clips and low-friction or compliant prototypes. | Compare impact method, elongation, creep, test specimen cure and wall thickness. “ABS-like” does not make the material ABS. |
| Thermal | High Temp Resin V2 | Thermal test articles and application-specific tooling candidates. | Keep the published HDT load and cure schedule with the value; separately qualify duration, stress, thermal cycling and impact. |
| Flexible / elastic | Flexible 80A Resin Elastic 50A Resin | Grips, compliant models and soft-feature prototypes. | Compare hardness, tear, rebound and compression set in the final section; test the actual flexure or seal geometry. |
| Clear / biocompatible | Clear Resin V5 BioMed Clear Resin | Transparent prototypes or validated contact workflows. | For appearance, specify polishing access and haze. For contact use, match printer, wash, cure, sterilization and intended duration. |
These products demonstrate how manufacturer evidence is scoped; they do not state FabDigit availability. Confirm resin version, printer, processing records and any required certification on the quote.
Use the live library to move from a resin family to its grade page and manufacturer products. Processing state still belongs with every material decision, and a quote confirms current order availability.
23 material grades 0 manufacturer products
Explore the indexed grade and product pages here. A quote confirms the material, machine, finish and sourcing available for a specific order.
A cured SLA part does not melt and reform like an FDM thermoplastic. Do not transfer a heat-set installation procedure directly to resin.
Choose the insert or fastener first. Its geometry and installation method set the pilot hole, boss wall and edge distance.
Heat-set, ultrasonic, press-fit and bonded inserts are different processes. Do not apply a thermoplastic heat-set rule to cured thermoset resin.
Schematic illustrations; not to scale. Confirm the design for the chosen material, process and final use.
Insert
Glue-in hardware, a captured nut or another validated method can provide reusable threads. Size the bore for the insert and adhesive system rather than a universal added offset.
Boss
Provide wall material, root radii and installation access. Check the risk of splitting under installation or tightening torque.
Test
Measure and assemble after the specified wash, dry and cure cycle. Test the load and repetition the customer needs.
Accuracy depends on resin, orientation, geometry, washing and curing. Resolution and layer height do not define the finished tolerance.
Required
Washing removes uncured surface resin. The approved light-and-heat cycle moves the product toward its documented final state.
Confirm: resin-specific solvent, wash saturation, complete drying, cure time/temperature and measurement after cure.
Support contact
Support removal leaves discrete contact marks. Progressive sanding can blend them but may flatten fine texture or move a critical edge.
Confirm: cosmetic-face map, support-point location, fragile details and the surfaces excluded from hand finishing.
Appearance
Sanding and polishing can improve an accessible clear surface; internal passages and recesses may retain more haze.
Confirm: viewing window, optical expectation, geometry access and a physical approval sample.
Colour
Paint adds build and can hide support work. Dyeing is not a universal SLA route because cured resins differ in uptake and chemistry.
Confirm: compatible primer, colour reference, masking, assembled gap and environmental exposure.
| Feature or risk | Specify | Practical action |
|---|---|---|
| Critical fit | Datums and finished dimensional limits | Use a fit coupon or first article; discuss a machined bore if necessary. |
| Flat shell | Free-state flatness and mounting condition | Consider section changes, cure supports or a split design; do not assume tilting guarantees flatness. |
| Clear surface | Viewing area, haze and finish sample | Polishing requires access. Internal surfaces may not reach the appearance of accessible external faces. |
| Painted interface | Final coating and assembled gap | Allow for the actual finish system; a universal paint-thickness allowance is unreliable. |
| Thermal or fluid exposure | Load, temperature, fluid and duration | Check the final cured product rather than interpreting the resin family name as compatibility. |
It depends on resin, printer, orientation and span. Formlabs lists 0.2 mm for specific Form 4 Grey Resin V5 test features; that is not a durable wall recommendation for every SLA part. Design handled or loaded walls for the actual application.
Do not use thermoplastic melting as the default installation method. Cured SLA resin is a thermoset. Formlabs describes using suitable inserts with adhesive; follow the hardware and adhesive requirements and validate the joint.
Hollowing can reduce material, but it needs sufficient shell stiffness, vents in the build orientation and accessible washing and drainage. There is no universal solid-section size above which every part must be hollow.
It can make a transparent candidate, but surface texture, geometry, cure and accessible polishing areas determine the result. Specify the viewing region and optical need; inaccessible internal surfaces may remain hazy.
Confirm the finished tolerance for the selected resin and geometry. Layer height is not part accuracy, and measurements should be taken after the required washing, drying, curing and finishing.
Only if its relevant properties and service tests meet the application. Heat deflection temperature at a stated test load is not a continuous operating temperature or proof of impact, fatigue or chemical performance.
Send your model with critical dimensions, visible surfaces, loading and finish requirements so the resin and processing route can be confirmed.
