随着3D打印市场的不断扩大，对具有优势属性的3D打印材料的需求也随之增长。反过来，这又推动了各种新材料类别的开发，并推出了市场以解决特定应用，其中之一是灵活的3D打印树脂。
荷兰光聚合物制造商liqcreate专门从事SLA，DLP和MSLA/LCD 3D打印的高质量树脂的范围为385 - 420 nm。近年来，该公司开发了许多工程，珠宝，原型制作和牙科材料，这些材料仍在世界各地的客户继续享受。
Liqcreate的工程师利用这一积累的专业知识，现在汇总了以下指南，该指南旨在为用户提供有关其灵活的树脂选项的建议，并提供有关提高其技术知识和印刷质量的最佳方法的提示。
识别理想的TPU替代方案
Due to their rubber-like elasticity, as well as their high tear and abrasion resistance, TPUs are widely-used in areas like the production of insoles or automotive parts such as flexible gaskets or tubing. However, the materials can be challenging to process via FFF or laser sintering, and until recently, they remained impossible to process on masked stereolithography (MSLA) 3D printers.
为了将TPU的利益带给这些机器的用户，材料工程师已经开始开发灵活的树脂。根据Liqcreate的专家的说法，传统TPU的伸长率和撕裂强度仍然具有挑战性，但是通过智能设计，可以从与TPU相似的柔性树脂中打印出高性能的零件。
那么，如何最好地选择用于给定工作的灵活树脂呢？好吧，Liqcreate工程师说，用户应该在购买前先看看材料的机械数据。对于最终用途方案的应用，该团队表示，值得专注于具有不错的撕裂强度的材料，因为那些撕裂强度低的人只适合原型制作。
A resin’s elongation-at-break and Shore A hardness also tell us a lot about its flexible behavior, according to the team. While a high elongation and low Shore A indicate that prints will be soft and flexible, other (often cheaper) flexible materials actually possess a high Shore A and low elongation, thus making them rigid rather than flexible.
此外，在选择柔性或弹性树脂时，打印机兼容性是重要参数。尽管封闭的系统制造商同时开发过程和材料，但有时会产生具有改善特性的树脂的方式，然后将用户锁定使用其产品。相比之下，LiqCreate为多个系统开发了材料，从而使用户具有合并不同平台的灵活性，以及确定最适合他们的树脂和工作流的空间。
To demonstrate how this works in practice, Liqcreate has put together the below table of flexible materials from different manufacturers, with four important factors selected to indicate their performance. Compiled using the data released by resin suppliers themselves, and only in cases where full datasheets were available, the figures are meant for comparison purposes, not to indicate which is best.
| 材料： | 拉伸强度[MPA] | Elongation [%] | 撕裂强度[KN/M] | 岸A。 |
| liqcreate fixible-x | 2.4 | 148 | 15 | 55 |
| liqcreate高级弹性 | 1.7 | 65 | 4.3 | 63 |
| Carbon EPU 41 * | 9 | 300 | 20 | 68 |
| Formlabs Elastic 50A * | 3.23 | 160 | 19.1 | 50 |
| 3D系统图4橡胶-65A BLK * | 5 | 126 | 8.5 | 65 |
| 3D系统图4 Elast-Blk 10 * | 3.6 | 83 | 11 | 65 |
| Henkel LOCTITE® 3D 8195 | 3.28 | 81.3 | 14.5 | 60 |
| BASF Forward AM Ultracur3D FL60 | 4 | 84 | 13 | 73 |
| EnvisionTec e-shore a 40 | 3.26 | 180 | 14.5 | 45 |
*封闭系统的材料
比较Liqcreate的Flexi-Portfolio
目前，LiqCreate自己的灵活树脂产品组合包括高级弹性和灵活-x材料都具有明显的优势性能和印刷行为。虽然Flexible-X提供了更高的伸长率，更高的伸展和更高的泪液强度，但高级挠性可以更快地打印2-3倍。因此，据说前者是为苛刻的最终用途应用制作零件的理想选择，而后者最适合制造原型。
In the near future, Liqcreate plans to introduce a new flexible resin, which will be softer and more elastic than Premium Flex and Flexible-X. When it comes to current flexible and elastic resins, the firm says they’re more difficult to process than standard rigid ones. Mainly due to the peeling and low green strength of these materials, its engineers say changes have to be made for a successful, flexible print.
通过增加支撑技巧的宽度，Liqcreate的工程师建议可以创建能够“承受剥离力”的零件，而智能方向可以减少剥落并提高打印处理性。
该团队还建议制造商采用特定的后处理设置，以避免在灵活的印刷品上粘稠。By checking their print settings to ensure they’re not over or undercuring, making sure parts are fully-dry before post-curing, and UV-curing printed parts immersed in water for the first 5 minutes of the post-cure, they say it’s possible to significantly improve overall print results.
Liqcreate的完整柔性树脂3D打印指南可以通过公司的支持网站找到。
下面的视频提供了Flexible-X的打印属性。
Resin customization at Liqcreate
除了设定的投资组合外，LiqCreate还提出了为那些寻求专门针对其应用程序设计的材料的客户开发定制树脂的。通过这项服务，客户能够要求调整聚合物的特性，例如其打印速度，颜色或机械质量，以确保使用给定的3D打印技术完美地打印。
这个四阶段的过程始于工程师帮助客户创建产品计划，继续使用样品和打印参数，从而产生最佳的结果，并以完全燃烧的树脂结束。一旦制定，这些材料就可以通过Liqcreate的内部业务开发团队将其重新命名为白色标签产品，或者直接在自己的制造业中使用。
As an independent manufacturer, with its own sales, R&D and manufacturing facilities, the firm is also able to rapidly scale its production where needed. Consequently, Liqcreate often targets large-scale 3D printing bureaus and manufacturers, with the aim of helping partners bring resins to market as quickly as possible, in areas like industrial, jewelry, dental, healthcare and automotive, amongst others.
有兴趣了解更多吗？完整的低点liqcreate’s custom 3D printing resin service现在可以通过该公司的专用网站查看。
为了继续建立对柔性树脂的理解，该公司还鼓励那些有反馈的人联系[电子邮件保护], and potential customers to visit theliqcreate网络商店or reach out to aLiqcreate分销商.
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特色图像显示了Liqcreate的Flexible-X树脂以及Anycubic M3 Plus 3D打印机。通过LiqCreate的照片。
