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MATERIAL-MACHINE COMPATIBILITY AND SETTINGS

As any additive manufacturing hobbyist knows, optimizing the settings on your machine is vital to achieving the best quality results you can possibly produce. Finding the right settings starts with understanding the compatibility of the material with the machine. When selecting what material to print with, it's important to note that, like FDM filaments, not all SLA resins are designed to succeed using the same settings on any machine. One material's requirements may vastly differ from another depending on the material's intended application, the manufacturer's unique formula, and even the color!

Settings that are successful for one brand may need some adjustment for another. Even brands that have different types of material (i.e. general, tough, flexible, wax cast resin) require different settings due to different formulations.
Settings that are successful for one brand may need some adjustment for another. Even brands that have different types of material (i.e. general, tough, flexible, wax cast resin) require different settings due to different formulations.

Another thing to note is that, unlike FDM, SLA 3D printing doesn't quite have the same basic universal setup. While all FFF 3D printers use essentially a hotend—capable of reaching varying maximum temperatures—to extrude layers of filament, SLA printers use one of three different light sources—either Laser, LCD (also known as MSLA), or DLP—to photopolymerize layers of resin. An FDM user can use a single 3D printer with a high-temperature hotend capable of printing filaments of all types (when paired with the right nozzle and bed surface) while an SLA user would most likely need 3 different printers to accommodate for the different commercial resins available. This is because adjusting the brightness and wavelength of a light source is much more limited on a resin 3D printer compared to adjusting the temperature of a hotend (or even upgrading a hotend) on an FDM 3D printer. Photopolymer resins can be formulated to work with 1 or more types of SLA 3D printers, but most commercial SLA 3D printers are designed to work with resin that's compatible with their respective light source.

FDM has one setup and SLA has three setups.
Whereas FDM has one common setup (which has hardware out there able to reach all required temperatures for common commercial filaments), SLA 3D Printing is available in 3 different setups, with each capable of emitting only one type of light. This severely limits the compatibility a machine has with materials. Laser SLA machines typically only work with laser resins. DLP and LCD/MSLA machines sometimes (but not always) work with either's compatible resin.

This is why it's super important to note which light source(s) a photopolymer resin is compatible with upon purchase. This indicates the odds of the material working with your machine from the get-go and can provide a rough starting point on settings. It's also worth pointing out that every brand/manufacturer can still vary in their resin formulation for the same light source and even the same types of light sources can operate at different wavelengths and wattages. Therefore, it's important to keep in mind that varying degrees of optimization will most likely still be necessary and why printer setting recommendations by the material manufacturer, as well as fellow 3D printing enthusiasts, are invaluable.

Buying the right compatible material for your resin 3D printer is the first step to succeeding in SLA digital fabrication
Buying the right compatible material for your resin 3D printer is the first step to succeeding in SLA digital fabrication

PRINTER-SPECIFIC CHITUBOX PROFILES FOR MH BUILD RESIN

Here at MatterHackers, we provide as many resources as we can for digital fabrication enthusiasts to succeed. Download these ChiTuBox profiles for printer and support settings that are specific to the following SLA machines:

AnyCubic Photon Profile for MH Build Resin
AnyCubic Photon Mono Profile for MH Build Resin
AnyCubic Photon Mono SE Profile for MH Build Resin
AnyCubic Photon Mono X Profile for MH Build Resin
ELEGOO MARS Profile for MH Build Resin
Peopoly Phenom Standard / Phenom L Profile for MH Build Resin
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K Profile for MH Build Resin

QUICK LOOK AT RESIN SETTINGS

SLA Resin 3D Printer Bottom Layer Cure Time 0.03mm Layer Cure Time
AnyCubic Photon 60

13
AnyCubic Mono 40

1.9
AnyCubic Mono SE 40

1.9
AnyCubic Mono X 40

1.9
Elegoo Mars 60

8
Zortrax Inkspire 60

8
Prusa SL1 60

7.5
Peopoly Phenom Standard 75

13
Peopoly Phenom L 75

13
Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K 60

2.5

Note that, compared to FDM, SLA 3D printing requires fewer printing parameters during the slicing process due to the highly accurate nature of using precise light sources to form layers. Achieving beautiful prints relies more on accurate settings related to affecting the material rather than the hardware (though things like lift speed and distance do play an important role, they just usually need less attentive tweaking). The profiles above fine-tune the material-related settings for a fantastic SLA 3D printing experience with MH Build Series Resin.

Buying the right compatible material for your resin 3D printer is the first step to succeeding in SLA digital fabrication.
Layer height, exposure time, and bottom exposure time are some important factors to pay attention to when fine-tuning your settings to succeed with a new material.

MINIMIZE COSTS ON RESIN 3D PRINTING

SLA 3D printing is a learning curve that shouldn't be so costly considering the many innovations it provides to many industries just like FDM 3D printing. With FFF 3D printers and filaments being more affordable and accessible than ever and LCD-SLA machines catching up, it only makes sense for resin materials to come next. Enter MH Build Photopolymer 3D Printing Resin—the go-to quality photopolymer material that specializes in providing amazing fine details for its low price-breaking cost. Using a non-toxic, epoxy-free resin formula, MH Build Resin is designed for makers who produce D&D figurines, educational anatomical models, early concepts of industrial projects, and more from home, school, or in the lab. Beginners can learn a new method of additive manufacturing and experts can produce beautiful initial prototypes without breaking the bank. MH Build Photopolymer 3D Printing Resin starts at just the low cost of $18.98 for 500g and $36.98 for 1kg.

MH Build Resin is affordable and safer than other competing brands
MH Build Resin makes SLA 3D printing more accessible than ever with its low price and practically odor-free and epoxy-free formula.

HOW TO SUCCEED

Still have some questions on succeeding with MH Build Resin? Check out our How to Succeed with MH Build Resin article here where we walk you step-by-step through our compatibility and calibration methods developed and used by our own MatterHackers Pros. Also, make sure to take a peek at our recommendations for essential SLA 3D printing tools and accessories as well as our guide on how to safely use resin. Happy Printing!

Produce vibrant SLA prints that are out of this world when you use MH Build Series Photopolymer Resin.
Produce vibrant SLA prints that are out of this world when you use MH Build Series Photopolymer Resin.