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Elastic 50A Resin - FormLabs

Reference: RS-FL-ENG-E50A

Brand: Formlabs

This product could be delivered in a period exceeding the standard.

Condition: New product

Quantity

190,00 €tax excl.

229,90 €tax incl.

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Ideal resin to replace prototypes and parts that are normally produced with silicone.

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More info
Data sheet
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Usage tips
Specifications

Elasticity is the ability of an object or material to recover its initial shape after being stretched or compressed.

Elastic Resin is an elastic and soft material with a hardness of 50 Shore A, ideal for replacing prototypes and parts normally produced with silicone. With the use of this resin, parts are obtained that can be bent, stretched and withstand long operating cycles without tearing.

Image 1: Parts printed with Elastic Resin. Source: FormLabs.

Elastic Resin is the softest resin available to Formlabs, mechanically complemented by a high elongation percentage (160%) and a tear resistance of 19.1 kN/m.

The properties of this material, together with its translucent finish, make this resin suitable for:

Prototypes of fashion accessories and consumer goods
Medical models and devices
Education models
Robot-compatible parts
Special accessories.

Elastic Resin 50A is not recommended for the manufacture of parts that require a high level of detail. It accepts resolutions up to 100 microns.

Below you can see a table comparing it with the Flexible 80A resin:

Properties	Flexible 80A Resin Post-curated	Elastic Resin 50A Post-curated
Elongation at break	120 %	160 %
Tensile strength	8.9 MPa	3.2 MPa
Hardness	80A	50A

If a more rigid flexible material is required, Flexible Resin 80A should be chosen.

Image 2: Comparison of Flexible 80A resin and Elastic 50A resin Source: FormLabs.

It should be noted that parts printed in 3D with this material require curing to achieve their optimum mechanical properties.

FormLabs 50A Elastic Resin allows the user to manufacture functional prototype or end parts that require a certain level of flexibility and high mechanical properties.

Elongation at break (%)	160
Tensile strength (MPa)	3.23
Surface hardness	1
Elasticity	Elasticity
Flexibility	Flexibility
Hide color variations	(Hide color variations)

Elastic 50A Datasheet

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Elastic 50A Safety datasheet

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Below, a series of usage tips are cited that must be taken into account at all times with the use of FormLabs resins:

Change cartridge

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.

Vent plug FormLabs

Image 1: Vent plug of the FormLabs cartridges. Source: FormLabs

After finishing each impression the vent plug must be closed so that the resin maintains its properties. In addition, if you don't use the printer for some time, you should keep the cartridge in its original box to keep the properties of the resin intact.

Resin tank

Each type of resin must have its resin tank, which must be changed after using 2L of resin. FormLabs has developed a more powerful tank, the Resin Tank LT, which has a life up to 20 times longer than the standard tank.

FormLabs Resin Tank LT

Image 2: FormLabs Resin Tank LT. Source: FormLabs

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.

Failed printing

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.

Video 1: Clean resin tank. Source: FormLabs

Isopropyl alcohol

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.

Finish Kit FormLabs

Image 3: Finish Kit FormLabs. Source: FormLabs

In the Form Wash, the wash center itself indicates through its screen when it is time to change the isopropyl alcohol.

Video 2: FormLabs Ecosystem. Source: FormLabs

If you wish you can contract 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 t.hus avoid major errors.

General information
Manufacturer	FormLabs (Massachusetts, USA)
Technology	SLA / LFS
Material	Photopolymer
Wavelength	UV 405 nm
Format	1 liter
Compatible 3D printers	Form 2, Form 3, Form 3L
Compatible resin tanks	Form 2 LT, Form 3
Print settings
Layer height	100 microns
Exposure Time	It is not necessary to configure the printing parameters in the Formlabs printers. The chip incorporated in the resin cartridges detects the type of material by configuring the printing automatically.
Off time
Lifting height
Bottom exposure
Bottom layers
Curing and washing properties
Washing time (FormWash)	10+10 min
Curing time (FormCure)	20 min / 80ºC
Mechanical properties (without curing / with curing)
Izod impact strength (ASTM D256-10)	-
Charpy impact strength	-
Elongation at break (ASTM D 638-10)	100% / 160%
Tensile strength (ASTM D 638-10)	1.61 MPa / 3.23 MPa
Tensile Modulus (ASTM D638-10)	-
Flexural strength (ASTM D 790-15)	-
Flexural modulus (ASTM C790-10)	-
Surface hardness (ASTM 2240)	Shore 40A / 50A
Thermal properties (without curing / with curing)
Softening temperature (ASTM D 648-16 / @ 0.45 MPa)	-
Additional Information
Lifetime (since manufacturing)	24 months
HS Code	2916.1

* The typical values detailed in this table should be considered as a reference. Actual values may vary depending on the 3D printer model used, part design and printing conditions. We recommend confirming the results and final properties with own tests. For more information you should consult the technical data sheet of the product.