RESIN 3D PRINTING

8 examples of applications
in modern industries
Introduction
about 3D printing
The evolution of 3D printing

FIRST SCALING UP
ON THE MARKET MANUFACTURING

1984 1992 2009 2019

THE BIRTH PRICES DROP

1984
The first 3D printer, which used the stereolithography technique, was created by Charles W. Hull. Back then
it would cost you somewhere in the vicinity of $300k to purchase an SLA 3D printer.

1992
First Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) machine is marketed and commercialized. In the coming years plastic extru-
sion would become the most commonly used technology.

2009
Prices of 3D printers drop significantly as desktop devices and RepRap printers begin to appear, fueled by a large
increase in 3D printer producers. The technology becomes viable for prosumers and cost-effective for manufacturers.

2019
Modern 3D printers are an affordable alternative for traditional forms of manufacturing by achieving fast production
times, high quality results and the ability to be easily scaled up to large 3D printing networks, thus offering medium to
high scale manufacturing capabilities. Such farms can make end-use products or serve as a support of traditional
production lines.

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How 3D printing works

Design
The model is designed in CAD software, 3D scanned or downloaded/purchased from the
web. The model must be exported to one of the file formats supported by the slicer
software in use.

Digital pre-processing
Some models need to be optimized for 3D printing, especially when their triangle mesh is
damaged. It can be done in a separate software or in a slicing program dedicated for a 3D
printer.

Slicing software
3D printing process is usually managed by software applications called slicers. A good
slicer should be able to repair and optimize models if necessary, suggest the right settings
for specific type of material, and convert the digital model into a set of instructions a 3D
printer can follow to print it.

Choice of material
Depending on the technology, you will be able to choose mostly from 2 types of polymers:
filaments for FDM/FFF or photopolymers for SLA/DLP/LCD. Each material requires specific
printing settings to be chosen in the printer’s software. You can go with default, predefined
settings for the material or choose them manually.

Start printing
Already pre-processed or „sliced” models can be uploaded to a 3D printer via an SD card,
a USB storage device, or through an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, depending on the printer’s
connectivity options.

Managing the process

If the printers are connected to the software via Ethernet or WiFi, it’s possible to manage
them remotely from desktop or mobile devices.

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FDM / FFF / LPD vs resin-based 3D printing
FDM / FFF / LPD 3D printers

ww Plastic filament based printers use material

in a solid wire form.
ww An FDM printer melts and then deposits the
material onto the build platform which gets
solidified.
ww Most FDM 3D printers have a resolution
of up to 90 microns.
ww Sanding or vapor smoothing is often needed
to achieve smoother surfaces.

Resin 3D printers

ww A resin 3D printer uses photopolymer resins in a liquid form.

ww Resin printers use UV light source (lasers, projectors or LED lights) to cure the liquid resins.
ww Resin 3D printers usually achieve much finer layer resolution up to 50 microns.
ww Excessive resin needs to be removed from the solidified model with liquid detergents
like isopropyl alcohol.

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Resin 3D printing
is recommended for:
ww Models with intricate details or a very
smooth surface finish
ww Creating molds for casting to facilitate
mass-production
ww Manufacturing multiple small prototypes
in one printing session
ww 3D printing of complex organic shapes
ww Intricately designed 3D printed parts used in
various fields of precision engineering

Why choose resin 3D printing?

Microscopic precision

High resolution resin 3D printing allows

greater amount of detail.

No visible layering

The 3D printer cures the resin with UV light at

a resolution that is tinnier than by depositing
melted filament, which does not create visible
layers on the model.
Speed of operation

Curing resins achieves shorter 3D printing

times than depositing melted thermoplastics.

Scalability

A large number of models on a build platform

does not significantly increase the time of 3D
printing since the entire layer is cured all at
once.

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Main resin 3D printing technologies

DLP (Digital Light Processing)

The speed of operation is constant, but the
precision falls as the amount of used workspace
increases. Because popular DLP 3D printers are
designed around digital projectors, they can work
with relatively small pixel size, provided that the
projected layer’s image is limited to a small part
of their available workspaces. But when the pro-
jected image is enlarged to fill the entire works-
pace, pixels grow dramatically to 70 microns or
larger.

SLA (Stereolithography)
The SLA technology prints with constant
and high precision. However due to its highly
localized nature of polymerization approach,
the process varies in speed of operation,
which is in inverse proportion to the amount
of workspace taken up by the model. It is so
because a layer of the print is drawn with a
concentrated amount of light to cure the resin
in a given spot.

UV LCD (based on LCD screen)

The UV LCD technology maintains constant
high speed of operation because it projects
an entire layer onto the photopolymer’s
surface all at once, making it faster than
SLA technology. It can also accurately print
extremely small details barely visible to the
naked human eye since each model’s layer
is displayed on a high-resolution LCD screen
and solidified by a UV light source placed
beneath.

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The efficiency of UV LCD technology
THE UV LCD TECHNOLOGY relies on a high That is why it achieves a constant high pixel
resolution LCD screen with UV LED backli- resolution and works at invariable speed
ghting which solidifies photopolymers layer regardless of how much of the workspace is
by layer. It works by flashing complete layers used.
at the bottom of the resin tank, with the UV
light coming from an LED light shining AN ENTIRE BUILD-PLATFORM filling batch
through an LCD. of models prints in the same time as a single
part. That’s why the technology allows sca-
THE UV LIGHT is filtered through polarizing ling up when higher manufacturing output is
films, revealing only the pixels necessary for needed.
the current layer.

Regardless of whether one or multiple rings are projected onto the platform, the printing
speed remains the same.

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 Possible applications
UV LCD technology in modern industries
 Product design
qq Faster innovations between new versions for a refined final design
qq 3D printing prototypes simulating the end-use products to obtain feedback from
shareholders
qq Designing multiple versions at once without incurring heavy costs or long delays in
production
qq Keeping a digital inventory to save money on warehousing costs

EARBUD PROTOTYPE DIMENSIONS: 22 X 17 X 44 MM

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN BASIC GREY

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €0.31 $0.36
3h
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 24
€7.44 $8.64

EARBUD PROTOTYPE. A prototype of

an earbud or an earphone can be
3D printed with multiple iterations for
testing during the design stage.
Designers have the opportunity to test
the best fit and size without the risk of
incurring unnecessary costs.

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 Jewelry
qq Entirely digitized design stage for more freedom and focus on creative work instead
of craftsmanship
qq 3D printing of jewelry casting trees which requires no extra time
qq Producing high quality models each time due to excellent results repeatability
qq Achieving virtually all shapes to quickly personalize designs for individual customers

INVESTMENT CASTING PATTERN DIMENSIONS: 30 X 32 X 36 MM

MATERIAL: BLUECAST X5 LCD/DLP

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €0.2 $0.25
3 h 56 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 8
€1.6 $2

INVESTMENT CASTING PATTERN. Desktop resin 3D printers can make precise investment casting
patterns with complex shapes. Satisfactory results are depenended on using quality castable re-
sins and following a burnout procedure recommended by the manufacturer.

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 Automotive
qq Creating prototypes of cases and gearboxes in-house, saving on costs of shipping
qq Highly accurate models to clearly communicate design intentions and showcase
the overall form of a concept
qq Producing prototypes of parts tailored to specific vehicles for thorough testing
qq Faster turnaround of design iterations to speed up the validation stage

WORM GEARBOX REDUCER. A worm gear reducer is one type of reduction gear box generally used
to take a rated motor speed and produce a low speed output with higher torque value based on the
reduction ratio. Designers can test the ratio of speed reduction as well as the torque output
multiplier to achieve the best results.

WORM GEARBOX REDUCER DIMENSIONS: 96 X 71.5 X 115 MM

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN BASIC WHITE/IVORY

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €26.9 $31.04
9 h 45 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 1
€26.9 $31.04

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 Art & entertainment
qq Designing complex creatures and character models for practical visual effects use
qq Entirely digitized design stage for more freedom and focus on creative work instead
of craftsmanship
qq Creating highly detailed and film-ready models of art design objects and props
qq 3D printing visually impressive and unique parts or accessories to supply the costume
department

CHARACTER MODEL DIMENSIONS: 65 X 52 X 159 MM

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN BASIC GREY

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €8.3 $9.58
17 h 26 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 2
€16.6 $19.16

CHARACTER MODEL. Movie art desi-

gners can create highly complex digital
3D character models for visual effects
reference and costuming departments.
Renditions of character models can be
made for toy making applications as
well as marketing figurines.

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 Casings
qq The opportunity to 3D print custom end-use products to suit all sorts of devices
qq 3D printing multiple casings all at once to speed up production time
qq Casings produced by the designers and tested immediately after the process
is completed
qq Printing different casing iterations in one go to achieve the best possible fit without wa-
sting time

AIR CONDITIONING REMOTE CONTROL DIMENSIONS: 62.5 X 16.2 X 157 MM

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN BASIC WHITE/IVORY

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS* EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €4.57 $5.27
13 h 45 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 4
€18.28 $21.08
*One item is a top or bottom half of a remote control case.

AIR CONDITIONING REMOTE CONTROL. 3D printed cases for remote controls can fit any model
in any industry to serve multiple functions and be sold as end-use products thanks to UV LCD pre-
cision settings and increased output capabilities.

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 Packaging design
qq 3D printing multiple different packaging iterations in one go to test designs, symbols and
fonts
qq Using a network of 3D printers for manufacturing of certain types of end-use packaging
qq Design process made in-house to incurring additional costs connected to shipping
qq Quick production of multiple prototypes and design concepts to obtain customer’s
approval

BOTTLE PROTOTYPE DIMENSIONS: 50 X 50 X 70.5 MM

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN BASIC GREY

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €2.18 $2.51
6 h 1 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 2
€4.36 $5.02

BOTTLE CAP DIMENSIONS: 55 X 55 X 19 MM

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN PRO

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €3.35 $3.91
2 h 53 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 2
€6.70 $7.82

BOTTLE PROTOTYPE. A bottle of medi-

cine and a cap can both be 3D printed
with epoxy-based resins to serve as a
functional prototype of an end-use con-
tainer. The printer’s dimensional preci-
sion allows inclusion of text and logos
onto the packaging for a professional
finish.

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 Electronics
qq Rapid application of small changes necessary to make fail-safe devices
qq Creating prototypes of circuit boards and circuit board cases in-house to lower shipping
costs
qq Creation of personalized electronic enclosures, keyboards or USB covers for demanding
customers
qq Eliminating fears over IP infringement with internal manufacturing

GFCI CASING DIMENSIONS: 14.5 X 74 X 81.5

MATERIAL: ZORTRAX RESIN BASIC GREY

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS* EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €2.43 $2.81
7 h 21 min
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 3
€7.29 $8.43

*One item is a top or bottom half of a two-piece casing.

GFCI CASING. A casing for the ground

fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) made for
testing to prevent serious harm from an
ongoing electric shock.

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 Dentistry
qq Printing orthodontic appliances with microscopic precision for better overall patients’
experience
qq More patients can be appointed per day and obtain their orthodontic appliances faster
qq An entire digital dentistry system with intra oral scanners and CAD/CAM software leaves
lees space for human error
qq Printing with biocompatible resins to produce end-use dental models

TEMPORARY DENTAL CROWN DIMENSIONS: 28.5 X 12.3 X 26.4 MM

MATERIAL: RAYDENT CROWN & BRIDGE RESIN

EST. MATERIAL COST

NUMBER OF ITEMS* EST. PRINTING TIME
EUR USD

1 €0.65 $0.73
3h
MAX. NUMBER ON THE
PLATFORM: 24
€15.6 $17.52

* One item is a single dental bridge spanning four teeth.

TEMPORARY DENTAL CROWN. Dental crowns made with Raydent Crown&Bridge Resin can be
printed in one go or in multiple parts. The resin allows the models to keep smooth surfaces and
anatomical shape over the entire period of intended use. The resin is safe for contact with a hu-
man body lasting for up to 30 days. However, the models must be sterilized prior to intraoral use.

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 Resources used in this study

Zortrax Ultrasonic Cleaner

Z-SUITE software

Zortrax Resins Zortrax Inkspire

UV LCD 3D Printer

Contact us [email protected]
Read more at www.zortrax.com
Order a sample https://zortrax.com/order-sample/