Flexible Resin
also Flex Resin, SLA Flexible
Flexible Resin is an elastomeric SLA/DLP photopolymer supplied across Shore A 50-95, plus Shore D 60 and a BIO variant, and covered by GB/T 35022.
Values for the Shore A 80 condition
Flexible Resin grades and fills
Flexible Resin is supplied in 6 conditions, soft to hard. Shore A 80 is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 6 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soft elastic photopolymer | Softest common flexible resin; pick for silicone-like feel, anatomical models, soft bellows and cushions. | 3 | 160 | 10 Shore D | |
Soft-medium flexible photopolymer | Intermediate softness for grips, wearables and low-force seals. | 5 | 150 | 15 Shore D | |
Medium flexible photopolymer | Balanced grade for gaskets, damping pads and flexible hinges needing some stiffness. | 7 | 130 | 22 Shore D | |
Shore A 80Default Standard flexible photopolymer | Default and most-stocked flexible SLA resin: rubber-like but dimensionally stable enough for seals, grips, tubing and living hinges. | 9 | 120 | 30 Shore D | |
Hard flexible photopolymer | Stiffest rubber-range grade; choose for snap-fits, semi-rigid seals and parts needing higher tear resistance. | 12 | 90 | 38 Shore D | |
Semi-flexible / durable photopolymer | PP/PE-like semi-flexible grade for snap-fit housings, low-friction assemblies and parts needing compliance plus real load capacity. | 22 | 30 | 50 | 60 Shore D |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Flexible Resin is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
BIO | Biocompatible / skin-safe flexible resin | Certification |
What is Flexible Resin?
Flexible Resin is an elastomeric SLA/DLP photopolymer supplied across Shore A 50-95, plus Shore D 60 and a BIO variant, and covered by GB/T 35022. In the default condition it gives 8.9 MPa tensile strength, 120 % elongation and an elastic modulus of about 0.007 GPa, so it is used for gaskets, seals, grips and soft-touch prototypes printed directly from CAD. Service is limited to roughly 65 °C, the cured resin is a thermoset that cannot be remelted, and stated properties are only reached after full post-cure. For tougher tear resistance at Shore A 30-40, a PolyJet elastomer such as Agilus30 is the nearest alternative. Flexible Resin has a density of 1.12 g/cm³ (0.0405 lb/in³), lighter than 64% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is 5°C (41 °F). Flexible Resin has a tensile strength of 9 MPa (1.29 ksi), weaker than 79% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 120% and the elastic modulus is 0.01 GPa (0.001 Msi).
What is Flexible Resin used for?
- Gasket and seal prototypes
- Soft-touch grips and handles
- Wearable device straps and cuffs
- Overmould and two-shot appearance mock-ups
- Flexible hinges and bellows
- Vibration-damping pads and bumpers
- Cable boots and tubing prototypes
Limitations
- Difficult to machine — 15/100, worse than 99% of polymer grades
- Hard to polish — 25/100, worse than 90% of polymer grades
- Absorbs moisture — dry before molding — 1.2%, worse than 87% of polymer grades
- Low stiffness — 0.01 GPa (0.001 Msi), worse than 84% of polymer grades
- Limited service temperature — 65°C (149 °F), worse than 83% of polymer grades
Flexible Resin properties
Typical room-temperature values for Flexible Resin-Shore A 80; bars are the position among polymer grades.
Physical4
Flexible Resin has a density of 1.12 g/cm³ (0.0405 lb/in³), lighter than 64% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is 5°C (41 °F).
Mechanical11
Flexible Resin has a tensile strength of 9 MPa (1.29 ksi), weaker than 79% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 120% and the elastic modulus is 0.01 GPa (0.001 Msi).
Thermal9
Flexible Resin is rated for continuous service to 65°C (149 °F). It conducts heat at 0.2 W/m·K (0.116 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 56% of polymer grades. Thermal expansion is 180 µm/m·K (100 µin/in·°F).
Electrical4
Flexible Resin is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 14 kV/mm (355.6 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹¹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (70/100), worse than 78% of polymer grades. UV resistance is poor.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Flexible Resin takes about 115 MJ of energy and emits 5.5 kg of CO₂ — more than 70% of polymer grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability4
Flexible Resin's machinability is poor (15/100, worse than 99% of polymer grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the polymer family
Yield strength against density for every polymer grade FabDigit runs. Flexible Resin is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Flexible Resin
Is Flexible Resin easy to machine?
Essentially unmachinable in the rubber range — the part tears and smears; trim supports with sharp blades or cryo-freeze before cutting, and avoid drilling.
Can Flexible Resin be welded?
Thermoset and non-weldable; join by cyanoacrylate/UV-cure adhesive, or print-in-place and overmold instead.
Can Flexible Resin be formed, bent or molded?
Print at 25–100 µm layers with dense supports (parts sag), wash briefly in IPA to avoid swelling, then post-cure (typ. 60–70 °C, 405 nm, 10–20 min) — properties are only reached after full post-cure.
Manufacturability
The process limits FabDigit's quote engine applies to Flexible Resin. Design inside these and the part quotes instantly; outside them it routes to an engineer.
Injection molding
| Mold shrinkage | — |
|---|---|
| Wall thickness | — – — |
| Recommended draft | — |
| Pre-drying | — |
3D printing
| Technologies | SLA |
|---|---|
| Layer height | 50 – 300 µmdefault 100 µm |
| Minimum wall / feature | 1 / 0.5 mm |
| Build envelope | 300 × 300 × 380 mm |
| Supports | Yes |
| Anisotropy | Moderate |
Flexible Resin chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| aliphatic urethane acrylate oligomersoft-segment backbone that sets elasticity | 40 – 70 | 55 |
| photoinitiator (acylphosphine oxide type385/405 nm cure | 0.5 – 3 | 1.5 |
| additives (pigment, UV blocker, stabiliz | 0.1 – 3 | 1 |
| acrylate/methacrylate reactive diluent mviscosity control and crosslink density | ≥ 25 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Flexible Resin?
Cannot be sanded cleanly or painted durably; keep as-printed matte, or dip/spray with flexible urethane coating and dust with talc to stop tackiness.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on polymer parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing. Each links to its datasheet in the surface-finish library (thickness, specs, call-out, material verdicts).
Coating
Injection Molding Coating
Metallization / Functional
Coloring
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Flexible Resin in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Trade names
- Flex ResinSLA Flexible
- Similar grades
- GB/T 35022
How much does Flexible Resin cost?
Flexible Resin is a premium-cost polymer ($$$), cheaper than about 58% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Flexible Resin — frequently asked
What is Flexible Resin used for?
Flexible Resin is typically used for gasket and seal prototypes, soft-touch grips and handles, wearable device straps and cuffs, overmould and two-shot appearance mock-ups, flexible hinges and bellows and vibration-damping pads and bumpers. In short: soft printable elastomer resin.
What is the tensile strength of Flexible Resin?
Flexible Resin has a typical tensile strength of 9 MPa (1.29 ksi) — weaker than 79% of polymer grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is Flexible Resin easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (15/100, worse than 99% of polymer grades). Essentially unmachinable in the rubber range — the part tears and smears; trim supports with sharp blades or cryo-freeze before cutting, and avoid drilling.
Can Flexible Resin be welded?
Thermoset and non-weldable; join by cyanoacrylate/UV-cure adhesive, or print-in-place and overmold instead.
What surface finishes work on Flexible Resin?
Cannot be sanded cleanly or painted durably; keep as-printed matte, or dip/spray with flexible urethane coating and dust with talc to stop tackiness.
Can Flexible Resin be formed, bent or molded?
Print at 25–100 µm layers with dense supports (parts sag), wash briefly in IPA to avoid swelling, then post-cure (typ. 60–70 °C, 405 nm, 10–20 min) — properties are only reached after full post-cure.
What is the maximum service temperature of Flexible Resin?
Flexible Resin is rated for continuous use to about 65°C (149 °F), and briefly to 85°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Flexible Resin cost?
Flexible Resin is a premium-cost polymer ($$$), cheaper than about 58% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Can FabDigit make parts in Flexible Resin?
Yes — Flexible Resin is available for injection molding and 3D printing with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- Flexible / Elastic photopolymer resin technical data sheets (SLA/LCD elastomeric resins) — Formlabs / Anycubic / eSUN / Siraya Tech (2024)
- ASTM D412 / D624 / D2240 — tensile, tear and durometer test methods for elastomers — ASTM (2021)
- ISO 10993-5/-10 — biological evaluation of medical devices (cytotoxicity, sensitization) — ISO (2021)
- Handbook of UV-curable oligomers and photopolymer network properties — Wiley/SITA technology background (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.