Detailed Instructions for Use "IFU" for printing aligners with DLP & LCD printers

3Dresyns detailed Instructions For Use IFU, calibration files, and protocols are ideal for direct printing of aligners with DLP & LCD 3D printers.

Standard settings for direct printing of aligners with most DLP & LCD printers:

  • Z layer or slice height or thickness is typically between 50-100 microns (0.05-0.1 mm). Lower or higher z layers are also printable
  • Cure or Exposure or z layer or slice or thickness times are typically between <5-10 seconds for the fastest resins and 10-15 seconds for the slowest versions 
    • Depending on the power of your printer, the optimum exposure times will increase or decrease. Follow our Fast and accurate Instructions for Use. Measure and fill up the data, cure thickness vs exposure time, in the curing rate table for your specific printer specifications. Alternatively, order online the curing the table for your ordered 3D resins measured with similar light power specifications with this light meter*
  • Typically 3 initial, also known as adhesion, or bottom, or base, layer, or slice, or cure bottom count exposures of 80-100 seconds are enough for having very good adhesion on the build platform in most SLA & DLP 3D printers
  • Z lift & retract speed: low, medium, or high value of the scale (non-critical variable)
  • Light off delay/off time/wait before & after print: 0.1-0.5 seconds (non-critical variable)
  • Z Lift after print distance: 5-10 mm (non-critical variable)
  • Printing temperature: before printing warm the 3D resins, protecting them from room light to prevent their light curing, to around 30-35ºC to reduce their viscosity and adhesion to the resin tank

    Features:

    • Low-cost printers with prices from 200 to 2000 Euro can be used with our 3Dresyns and are ideal for short-medium runs
    • Commercial DLP & LCD 3D printers can be used without any modifications with our Low Viscosity LV versions
    • During ordering you will have the option of choosing Low Viscosity LV or High Viscosity HV versions for our 3D resins for printing aligners
      • our LV versions are ready to print at room temperature (20-25ºC) in most SLA, DLP & LCD printers. They can be easily warmed up with a hairdryer in the resin tank just before printing
      • our HV versions are ready to print at high temperature (25-35ºC) in most DLP & LCD 3Dprinters. They exhibit higher mechanical properties than LV versions. They can be heated to 35ºC in an oven before printing.
        • the heat generated by the printer will keep their viscosity low enough for printing. Alternatively, it is recommended that a heater is installed in the printer to print at constant printing temperature and ensure improved resin flow and reduced stickiness and peeling or separation force during printing
    • Both versions are ultra safe, do not contain any Volatile Organic Compounds VOC´s and exhibit ultra-high mechanical performance
    • Affordable professional heating systems can be easily installed in any printer for 50-60 Euro: Benefits of printing with heated printers

    Biocompatibility requirements

    • Biocompatible and food contact applications require maximum control of printing, postcuring and post processing settings to ensure maximum quality and safety for final users. Nowadays, only some printers are calibrated or can be calibrated to print with constant light power over time
    • Order a light meter, such as the Chitu Systems Digital UV Light Meter and the Curing Rate Table to measure the curing rate table of your ordered 3D resins with the same power as yours, since we will match your light power (light power matching or synchronisation) for fast & easy finding your optimum printing settings in your printer

    Optimisation of your 3D printer

    • Installation of a heating unit for printing at constant temperature. A small heating fan and a temperature controller needs to be installed in the printer. The temperature probe can be located inside the resin tank in a corner to ensure that the temperature of the 3D resin is kept constant during printing. The use of a heating unit permits printing viscous 3D resins, which are normally safer and exhibit superior mechanical properties
    • A light meter is required to measure the light power across the vat. Take the readings in the centre, sides, and corners of the printer to evaluate the light power distribution across the printable area.
    • A light meter is required to measure the light power of your light box. Take the readings in the centre, sides, and corners of the light box to evaluate the light power distribution across the light box.

    Printing

    • Our 3Dresyns for prijnting aligners are photopolymer or light-curing resins which have been designed for DLP, LCD and Inkjet printers working with lights from 200 to 420 nm and higher upon request, including wavelengths at 385 and 405 nm.

    Select your z layer thickness, or the thickness of each printed layer, typically between 50-100 microns for high resolution printing.

    Select your printing settings. How to choose the optimum exposure times?

    • Follow our
    • Measure the cure thickness vs exposure time, or order the curing rate table for your specific printer specs:
      • The ordered curing rate table can be much more accurately measured after sharing your exact printer power since this will permit the 3Dresyns team to measure the curing rate table of your ordered 3D resins with the same power as yours, since we will match your light power (light power matching) for fast & easy finding your optimum printing settings
      • It is crucial that the Curing Rate Table is filled up by us (40 Euro cost) or by you you for getting the exposure times of the chosen 3D resin in your specific printer since the optimum exposure time needed for curing the 3D resin depends on the amount of light power available across the vat, which varies from printer to printer, and in your printer depending on its cumulative working hours, since any light source, suffer a natural power decay upon time

    Cleaning and processing of 3D printed aligners:

    General Information:

    • The final physical and mechanical properties of any 3D printed material depend, among other things, on the printer specifications, printing settings, postcuring and post processing protocols
    • Final results depend on few variables such as wavelength, power, exposure time, cleansing protocol (chemicals used for cleansing, cleansing time, cleansing temperature, etc) and light postcuring and post processing (wavelength, power, post curing time, temperature, dry light box post curing, or dipping in our Cleaning Fluid UNW2 Bio, etc).

    Detailed Instructions for Use for printing of orthodontic aligners with our 3D resins with affordable DLP & LCD printers

    Features:

    • Ideal for direct printing of tooth movement aligners without damaging the periodontal ligament
    • Based on 4D Shape Memory Polymers SMP´s, with excellent shape memory with temperature, recovering their shape upon heating
    • Fast and easy printing and production of durable aligners with different thickness, in the same aligner, for optimum tooth movement control, with cost effective DLP & LCD printers
    • Ready to use without tuning with fast printing speed and maximum resolution with most DLP & LCD printers
    • Environmentally friendly 3D resins based on "bioplastics"
    • Alternative to printing non environmentally friendly models and the time consuming thermoforming and cutting off of disks
    • Printing at room temperature (20-25ºC) at and higher printing temperature (25-35ºC) for improved performance: higher aligner durability and mechanical strength
    • Availability of 2 versions for printers working at relatively low, and high temperature:
    • Available in rigid and flexible versions for maximum control of teeth movement at different aligners thicknesses between 0.6-1.2 mm to prevent damaging the periodontal ligament
    • All versions have incredible mechanical resistance and very low stress relaxation during its usage
    • Each version can be supplied at relatively low or high viscosity. Remember to select your 3D resin version among relatively Low Viscosity LV or High Viscosity HV:
      • HV stands for High Viscosity version for increased mechanical properties and biocompatibility but higher peeling force. HV versions are ideal for printers having heating systems for printing at 25-35ºC
      • LV stands for Low Viscosity version for decreased peeling force but relatively lower mechanical properties. LV versions are ideal for printers without any heating systems for printing at 20-25ºC
    • Remember to select your fast, intermediate or slow printing speed 3D resin version
      • Version F for Fast printing speed with minor yellowing
      • Version I for Intermediate printing speed
      • Version S for Slow printing speed for improved resolution, lower yellowing and increased biocompatibility
    • Aligners printed and processed as per ours instructions do not become hazy, yellowish nor whitish as most competitors´ resins. Read our Instructions or Use IFU

    Specific recommendations for printing aligners

    Printing instructions:

    • Start printing aligners with 3Dresyn OD Clear TF LTP Rigid or Flexible with Low Viscosity LV version since this version is the best for starters, for printing thin aligners at 0.6-0.8 mm with affordable SLA DLP & LCD printers without any heating system
      • High Viscosity HV versions have improved mechanical strength but require printing aligners at 30-35ºC. Recommended cost effective heating systems
      • Low Viscosity LV versions require printing temperatures around 25ºC. It is recommended to warm LV versions to around 35ºC before printing
    • Any reliable DLP or LCD printer can be used for printing our resins with excellent mechanical performance, light fastness (non-yellowing), dimensional accuracy, and safety presuming its natural power decay monitored, controlled, and prevented

      Specific Instructions For Use IFU for printing aligners:

      • It is recommended printing aligners vertically without any supports with 100 microns z layers for faster printing speed of 90-120 minutes vs 150-180 minutes needed with 50 micron z layers
      • Typical printing settings for most printers: 2-4 adhesion layers of 80 seconds, and std layers of 5-10-15 seconds with z layers of 50-100 microns
        • with 5-10 seconds increased transparency and light fastness (non-yellowing) can be obtained vs 10-15 seconds (avoid over curing during printing)
      • Warm the resin initially to around 30-35ºC before printing to reduce viscosity with non-heated printers
      • Follow our post processing instructions without any corner cutting for making ultra safe clear aligners without any stickiness, haziness, and yellowing

      Printing hints for producing clear aligners without any yellowing 

      • Reduce printing exposure time as much as possible preserving printability to reduce yellowing
      • Aligners printed at 8 seconds with 100 micron z layers with DLP and LCD printers exhibit superior light fastness and non-yellowing vs longer exposure times of 12-15 seconds per z layer
      • Exact times depend on the relative power of each printer which depends on the specific model and printer supplier  

      Post processing equipment

      • A light box needs to be used for light postcuring of 3D printed aligners: 
        • Light boxes with too high power with too long postcuring time can cause some yellowing and decrease of mechanical strength "embrittlement" due to over curing
        • Light boxes with too low power even with long postcuring time can leave prints with excessive residual uncured monomer and potentially with a minor residual bitter taste due to under curing
      • Low cost wash & cure machines can be used for cleaning and light postcuring printed aligners presuming its power output and its natural power decay monitored, controlled, and prevented.   
      • a thermal oven is recommended for cleaning aligners by dripping the uncured resin from the aligners 

      Cleaning of aligners

      Fortunately, our 3D resins for printing aligners have been designed to withstand high cleansing temperature (100ºC) for 20-40 minutes and longer without compromising their mechanical strength and clarity, when used as per our instructions:

      Note: Aligners will not be ready for use until maximum polymer conversion and full cleansing are achieved. Aligners should be tasteless and free of extractables and leachables before use.

      The safety and biocompatibility of "in house" printed aligners are responsibility of the aligner manufacturer since quality and safety depend on the design, implementation, quality assurance and production "in house" with the right printing and post processing equipment, protocols, and quality control.   

      3D printed aligners fall within the scope of specific EU product legislation, such as the EU Medical Device Regulation MDR 2017/745. Therefore, manufacturers of aligners must ensure that their 3D printed products meet the requirements of the applicable EU legislation, carry out the necessary conformity assessment procedures, compose a technical file, draft the EU declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking, before placing them on the EU market.

      For more information read: Responsibilities of manufacturers of 3D resins for medical uses

      The picture shown above is of clear 3D printed aligner, without any yellowing, printed at 100 microns z layers in less than 2 hours in a low cost, 200 Euro Anycubic LCD printer.

      Aligner sofware

      Design aligners directly with Maestro, Blue Sky Bio, or other aligner software.

      For more info read: Frequently Asked Questions about 3D printed biomedical and dental resins

      Consulting

      You are welcome to contact us and order more products and services by email at: info@3dresyns.com