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Biomed Flex Resin - FormLabs
For years, 3D printing has revolutionized workflows in the medical device industry and healthcare sector. However, a significant limitation has been the absence of an end-to-end 3D printing process compatible with the Formlabs ecosystem, particularly for applications demanding both flexibility and biocompatibility.
The Formlabs BioMed elastomeric resins BioMed Flex and BioMed Elastic offer a solution to that problem. With these materials, it is possible to manufacture in-house cost-effective, flexible, and biocompatible parts that used to require time-consuming and costly mold preparation by third parties. The BioMed elastomeric resins from Formlabs thus allow medical professionals to enhance product performance and expand the applications of 3D printing in healthcare.
One of the BioMed elastomeric resins is the BioMed Flex resin. It is an FDA-registered material that meets the requirements of the ISO and USP standard for biocompatibility (ISO 10993, USP Class VI), as well as the ISO 13485 regulation. The latter means that parts 3D printed with the BioMed Flex resin can be used for long-tern skin contact (>30 days) and short-term mucosal membrane contact (<24 hours). Nevertheless, it must be kept in mind that the biocompatibility of the final part depends on the correct processing of the biocompatible material.
The BioMed Flex resin produces durable and transparent parts with up to 135 % elongation at break, an ultimate tensile strength of approximately 7 MPa, and a Shore hardness of 80 A. Thanks to the flexibility and transparency, this material allows for efficient and safe mass production of patient-specific medical devices for long-term skin contact, medical devices for short-term mucosal membrane contact, and surgical models of firm tissue (organs, cartilage, etc) for the operating room. Once manipulated deformed according to the needs of testing and use, the parts will return to their original shape withou losing any of their original properties.
The BioMed Flex resin is compatible with the Formlabs Form 3B, Form 3B+, and Form 3BL 3D printers. More on the compatibility, printing parameters and washing and curing settings can be read on the Formlabs Support page. The resin's technical and safety datasheets, as well as a manufacturing guide are available in the Downloads section. For more information you can also see the Formlabs webinar on the BioMed Flex and Elastic resins used for the 3D printing of vascular anatomical models.
Here below, a series of usage tips that must be taken into account at all times with the use of FormLabs resins are cited:
Changing the resin cartridge of the FormLabs printers is very simple, just close the top cap of the ventilation duct (vent) and remove the cartridge by holding it by the handle it has. Then the other is inserted and the vent plug is opened in case an impression is to be started. To avoid drips through the 3D printer, this process must always be carried out with the resin tank mounted.
After finishing each print, the top cap must be closed so that the resin maintains its properties. In addition, if the printer is not used for some time, the cartridge should be stored in its original box to keep the properties of the resin intact.
Each type of resin should have its own resin tank, which should be changed after using 2L of resin. To protect and store the excess resin in the tank after each printing, FormLabs supplies a lid that ensures a perfect closure. Once the tank is closed, it is recommended to store it (with resin and lid) in the original box so that the resin doesn't lose its properties when exposed to UV rays for a long time. Another point to keep in mind is that the tanks can't be cleaned with any cleaning product or similar (for example, isopopyl alcohol), since they lose certain qualities that can cause continuous failed impressions.
When an error occurs in printing may be because solid parts of a previous printing have fallen to the resin tank. In this case, a spatula at 45° must be passed through the printing tank, gathering all the solid parts in a corner and removing them. To ensure that the tank resin doesn't contain any solid parts, the resin should be cast with a 190 μm paper filter. Once cast, it is put back into the tank and it is ready to be used again.
Isopropyl alcohol is the key to the washing and post-processing of parts and you should know when it is time to change it. In the Finish Kit the moment to change it's when the IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) is so saturated with resin particles, that after washing the pieces are still sticky. At that point you must remove all the liquid, clean the container well and throw new IPA, but never fill in on the previous one.
In the Form Wash, the wash center itself indicates through its screen when it is time to change the isopropyl alcohol.
If you wish you can hire our SLA 3D printing training courses (online or in person) by contacting us through the contact form. The training is oriented to obtain a wide knowledge and know how to use the 3D SLA FormLabs printers from the beginning and thus avoid major errors.
Certified biocompatible material for medical-grade parts with durability and transparency.