Simple Guide to Elegoo Resin

Exploring beyond traditional 3D printing processes has never been more accessible. It’s getting easier and cheaper by the month to get your hands on 3D printers that use stereolithography (SLA) or digital light processing (DLP). A traditional spooled filament won’t help you, here – you’ll be needing a liquid resin to realize your dream of playing with lasers.

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Before we go into the details of what’s awesome and what’s not about Elegoo resin, here’s a rundown of its basic features.

• Hardness: 84D
• Viscosity at 25 °C: 150-200 mPa·s
• Liquid density: 1.100 g/cm³
• Solid density: 1.195 g/cm³
• Flexural strength: 59-70 Mpa
• Extension strength: 36-53 Mpa
• Elongation at break: 14.2 %
• Capacity: 500 g
• Shelf life: 1 year
• Colors: Grey, White, Green, Black, Transparent, Yellow, Blue, Red, Beige
• Exposure parameter: First layer exposure 20-60 s; normal exposure 5-15 s
• Price: $35-$45 per 1 kg

The company says the resin dries to about the same hardness as a safety hardhat, shrinks about 7% overall after it’s cured, and exhibits high flexibility in stress tests. You get a choice of colors, and Elegoo guarantees usability for up to a year if you store your resin away from direct sunlight.

Elegoo 3D Rapid Resin

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Elegoo’s 3D printing resin has earned a good reputation. Here are its most advantageous features:

• VOC free: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic emissions that come from heated plastics. They’re why you need good ventilation while 3D printing, as they can make you sick if you’re not careful with your work area. Fortunately, Elegoo has created a resin that minimizes your exposure to these dangerous fumes. However, that doesn’t mean you should have good ventilation and facial protection when using Elegoo resin.
• Minimal smell: Elegoo’s minimal fumes also means minimal smell while printing. That’s a welcome relief from the burnt plastic stench that resins with VOCs typically give off.
• Methacrylate monomers: Elegoo uses the methyl ester of methacrylic acid to enhance its adhesion strength. With each layer better gripping the previous one, you can worry less about warping and expect a more consistent surface on your finished product.
• Printer compatibility: Elegoo makes its own 3D resin printer with excellent reviews, the Mars, but its resin is compatible in all UV-based 3D printers that support 3rd-party resins. That way, you more than likely don’t have to buy a whole new setup if you just want to give Elegoo’s resin a test run.

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While Elegoo resin has earned its reputation, it does exhibit a few properties that might be deal-breakers for you. Here are the details on its major disadvantages that you should consider before committing to it:

• Runny consistency: The main complaint about Elegoo’s resin is that it has a runny consistency. This requires a relatively high curing temperature, which in turn requires a longer cool down time than average for the final product.
• Lots of cleanup: Elegoo’s runny consistency means it’s messier to work with. If you’re not exacting with your measurements and your resin overflows the printing vat, the excess moves faster and covers more ground on your exposed printer parts than thicker resins. Fortunately, Elegoo resin comes off with a 99% alcohol cleaning solution that you can find online.
• Ineffective filter funnel: Like all photosensitive resins, Elegoo has to be poured through a filter when you want to put your extra back into the bottle. This can be a clumsy undertaking because the funnel that Elegoo sends with your resin kit doesn’t exactly fit the bottleneck, sometimes resulting in resin that escapes onto your work area. Many users have solved this by 3D printing their own funnel with a tighter seal. That doesn’t excuse Elegoo from forcing you to adapt to their bad design, but it does help your personal work process.
• Shrinkage rate: Although Elegoo claims its usage of methacrylate monomers means it also controls shrinkage of its material as it cures, its posted rate of 7.1% is actually on the high end for resin 3D printing. One should keep this in mind if using Elegoo resin for any functional parts or precision-based projects.

Elegoo resin isn’t perfect, but it is accessible, reasonably priced, and addresses several areas of concern with UVA-based printing. Overall, we think it’s a solid choice for 3D printing resin, especially if your designs are bottom-heavy with minimal spaces in the structure.

Want to try it for yourself? You can find Elegoo resin in a variety of online shops:

Elegoo 3D Rapid Resin

ABS-Like UV-Curing Rapid Resin

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(Lead image source: _unregistered via Reddit)