Resin Printers

Members are not permitted to use the resin printers unless they have been trained and approved by someone who themselves have been approved for that task by the Directors.

The following are the instructional steps that need to be completed as part of the training process.

Basic Safety Rules

• Uncured resin is toxic. Wear protective gloves, protective goggles, a mask and lab coat when working with the resin printer, uncured resin or when post-processing prints. Always have the fume cupboard extractor fan running. This will make sure that you don’t come into contact with the resin, either through skin contact or through inhalation.
• Make sure to clean all equipment with isopropyl alcohol before and after use. If something has liquid resin on it, it needs cleaned with blue roll and isopropyl alcohol.
• Anything disposable used in the process of using the resin printer must be disposed of in the hazardous materials bin (e.g. blue roll, gloves, etc.)
• Close open bottles as soon as possible to prevent spillage. This includes both resin and isopropyl alcohol.
• When processing your print, work within the plastic box to keep any mess contained.

What you’ll need

• Your model already sliced. If you haven’t done this, you’ll need to do it first!
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Mask
• Lab coat
• Blue roll
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Resin
• Metal scraper
• Isopropyl alcohol disposal bottle
• Funnel and strainer

Starting a print

• Load your print onto the USB drive, which should be sticking out the front of the printer.
• Turn on extrator fan—it’s the black plug to the left of the resin printer enclosure.

⚠️ Before continuing, make sure you’re wearing Nitrile gloves, Safety glasses, Mask and Lab coat!

• Open the printer cover, remove the vat cover and set the vat cover to one side. Check that the two vat bolts are tightened.
• Check that the printer bed is secured firmly and the top knob is tightened.
• Turn on the printer and insert the USB drive with your model, and confirm it’s there but don’t try to print it yet!
• Check your resin bottle is closed securely and give the resin a shake to mix it up.
• Select your model from the printer’s interface, and follow the instructions until it tells you to add resin.
• Have some blue roll ready, and pour the resin into the printer vat. The printer will tell you how much resin to add, and you can use the markings at the back of the printer vat which will show you the level.
  • Make sure to close your resin bottle when you’re not pouring!
• Follow the instructions on the printer to start the print
• Monitor the first few layers of printing to ensure everything is working correctly—you should hear a faint click as the printer bed raises up and the cured resin comes away from the FEP.
• The printer will provide details of how long the print will take.
• Remove your Nitrile gloves carefully, making sure not to get any resin on your skin and dispose of them in the hazardous materials bin.
• If leaving the printer, you can now remove the Safety glasses, Mask and Lab coat.
  • Keep these near the printer for easy access when retriving your print later!

Post-processing your print

• Once the print has completed, allow it to sit for a while to drain off any excess resin.

⚠️ Before continuing, make sure you’re wearing Nitrile gloves, Safety glasses, Mask and Lab coat!

• In the curing area, put down some blue roll in the box provided. Your print will be put here once it’s removed from the printer bed.
• Open the printer cover, and remove the printer bed, being careful of dripping resin.
  • Use blue roll to clear off any excess resin which hasn’t drained and dispose of this in the hazardous materials bin.
  • Make sure to close the printer cover when done!
• Use the metal scraper to gently remove the print from the build plate onto the blue roll in the box provided.
• Clean the printer bed up using blue roll and isopropyl alcohol and replace in the printer, making sure to tighten the knob so it’s held securely.
  • Again, make sure to close the printer cover when done!
• Pour isopropyl alcohol into a disposable plastic cup, with enough to cover your model.
• Place the print in the cup for cleaning. Make sure it’s fully submerged, let it soak for a few minutes, moving gently
• Remove the print from the alcohol and if required, repeat the cleaning process.
  • Remember to always handle the prints with care as they can be fragile until fully cured.
• Allow the print to air dry and once dry remove any supports while the resin is still soft.
  • Keep any removed supports to one side, we’ll need to cure these later before deposing.
• Pour the used isopropyl alcohol into the Isopropyl alcohol disposal bottle.
  • Use the funnel with the strainer removed.
• Now your model is ready to cure. Use the UV lamp to cure the print, but putting the model in the flower put and putting the UV lamp on top
  • Cure each side for a few minutes until the resin feels hard. Make sure to continue wearing gloves when handing the model.
  • Do the same for any removed supports and then put them in the hazardous materials bin

Resetting the printer

⚠️ Before continuing, make sure you’re wearing Nitrile gloves, Safety glasses, Mask and Lab coat!

• Open the printer cover and unscrew the two screws securing the printer vat.
• Set up the resin bottle and put in the funnel with the strainer in place.
• Remove the printer vat and, being careful not to drip the resin, pour the resin back into the resin bottle through the funnel and strainer.
• Close the resin bottle securely and put away beside the printer.
• Clean the funnel and strainer with blue roll and isopropyl alcohol and dispose of this in the hazardous materials bin
• Clean the printer vat with blue roll and isopropyl alcohol and dispose of this in the hazardous materials bin.
• Put the printer vat back in place and secure with the two screws.
• Put the vat cover back and close the printer cover.
• Make sure all materials are away and there is no liquid resin anywhere (except in the resin bottles).