User:Arturopelayo/TissueDB 3D printing series review 2026-11-11/Resin printing

This guide helps you prepare, make and inspect a simulator component by vat photopolymerisation: a printer uses light to harden selected regions of liquid resin.^[1] Use it when the simulator developer specifies this process and you have the required model files. The intended result is a finished, identified component that you can compare with the simulator's build requirements.

Start with the simulator's instructions. They identify the component, material, geometry and checks for the intended training task. This process guide explains preparation and handoff. It does not supply missing anatomy, an exposure profile or evidence that a changed component is suitable for training.

Desktop resin printers can use a scanning laser, a digital light projector or a masked light source. Their common names include SLA, DLP and MSLA/LCD. The printer, resin and preparation software must support the same workflow.^[2]

Check the process named by your source. PolyJet is material jetting. SLS uses a powder bed. Follow the specialist provider route for those processes. A material label such as “photopolymer resin”, “TPU” or “ABS-like” does not select a manufacturing process or authorise a substitution.

Before you begin, have:

• The simulator build page, original model source and the correct files for the component.
• The intended units, at least one reference dimension, the part quantity and the required mating parts.
• The specified resin product and version, and the compatible printer and preparation software.
• The material's safety data sheet (SDS), printer instructions and a complete finishing procedure.
• A prepared workspace or a service provider able to complete printing, finishing and inspection.
• The simulator's acceptance checks. These can include dimensions, fit, openings or a source-defined functional check.

If a required item is missing, record the gap before preparing a print job. A photograph, paper figure or download button is not proof that the complete printable model is available.

There are five stages. Keep the files and records for each stage together.

Stage	What you work with	What you must establish
Model	A geometry file, such as STL, and its source instructions	Correct component, revision, units and permission to use it
Preparation	A project in compatible print-preparation software	Correct machine and resin profile; suitable orientation, supports and accessible cavities
Printing	A machine-specific job sent by the supported method	The job on the printer is the one you inspected
Finishing	The newly printed component and its material-specific procedure	Washing, drying, post-curing and support removal are completed in the required order
Inspection	The finished component and build record	The required features, dimensions and fit are present; deviations are resolved

Printing is one part of manufacture. A completed printer cycle does not establish that the part is ready to handle or use. Plan the finishing route before opening the resin container.

Use this route if a trained operator has the compatible equipment, material and workspace. Read the machine's operating instructions first. Complete Steps 1–10 below and keep the build record with the component.

If your printer supports a different resin, a different light system or only filament printing, use a suitable service or colleague. Changing equipment or material creates a new configuration to qualify; the material's colour or marketing name does not establish equivalence.

You can use this guide without operating a printer. Complete Step 1 and prepare a short handoff record with the following information:

• Simulator and component names, quantity, source URL, exact filenames and model revision.
• Licence or other permission governing the files and any limits on modification or service printing.
• Intended units and reference dimensions, with the mating components or drawings when required.
• Specified process and resin product/version; any source-required orientation or finishing restrictions.
• Surfaces, threads, openings and anatomical features that must be preserved.
• Required finished state and the checks to report with the delivery.

Ask the provider to identify the proposed printer, resin, preparation software and finishing workflow before production. Make any proposed change explicit. Arrange who will remove supports and who will check dimensions, internal passages and fit. Request finished components suitable for the agreed handling conditions, together with the build record. Do not accept an unexplained change from the specified material or process.

When the components arrive, complete Step 10 against the same requirements. A provider's successful print is useful manufacturing evidence; simulator-specific acceptance remains a separate decision.

Action. Open the relevant subsection of the simulator's Build instructions and follow any labelled STL or model-source links in its first paragraph. If no verified link is present, check the model-source register and the original developer source. Identify each required part before downloading it. A project may contain alternative versions, molds, supports or assembly hardware as well as the final anatomy. Preserve the original filenames and the source's folder structure. Work from a separate copy when making authorised changes.

Record the source URL, download date, revision or release identifier, licence and quantity for each file. If the source gives no revision, record that fact and retain the file you received. Keep geometry files distinct from instructions, images and machine-ready jobs.

Make a requirements list for this component: material and process, intended size, critical dimensions, required openings, mating parts, permitted modifications, finished condition and acceptance checks. Mark every unknown.

Check. Compare the file list with the assembly instructions. Confirm that the chosen files belong to the same intended version. A similarly named part from another project is not evidence that it fits.

If the check fails. Return to the primary project or paper supplement. Record a missing or inaccessible file as unresolved. Do not trace a photograph and present the result as the developer's model. Proceed with a local redesign only as an explicitly separate design task with its own requirements and assessment.

Action. Read the resin and wash-fluid SDS and the equipment instructions. Arrange the work area for resin handling, part removal, washing, drying, curing, cleaning and waste collection. Identify who supervises the equipment and how to respond to a spill or machine fault.

Use the ventilation and exposure controls required for the actual work. A printer cover serves the functions specified by its manufacturer; it does not by itself demonstrate adequate emission control. NIOSH identifies possible exposures during preparation, printing, finishing and maintenance, and prioritises source controls before relying on personal protective equipment.^[3]

Select chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection and any other protection from the actual SDS and local procedure. Keep resin-contaminated tools and surfaces within the work area. Have compatible, labelled containers for used wash liquid and contaminated waste. Keep food and drink outside this area.

Check. You can complete the full workflow, including waste handling, with the available equipment. The wash and cure units accept the intended material, part size and process. The operator knows the stop and spill procedures.

If the check fails. Use a suitably equipped provider or resolve the missing arrangements before handling resin. Do not begin a print that has no workable finishing route.

Action. Confirm the exact printer model, resin product/version, compatible tank or vat, build platform and supported preparation software. Check material storage, shelf-life and preparation instructions. Select the matching machine and material profile in the software. Record the profile name and software version.

Compatibility can include hardware that looks similar. For example, Formlabs specifies Resin Tank LT for Grey Pro Resin on a Form 2; its standard Form 2 tank is incompatible. The same document distinguishes Grey Pro from standard Grey Resin.^[4] This example illustrates the check; it is not a material recommendation for another simulator.

Use a source-supported profile. Where the manufacturer supplies a tested preset, select the correct resin version and layer thickness. Where exposure calibration is required, follow the equipment/material procedure and assess its prescribed calibration result before attempting the simulator component. Do not copy exposure, lift or temperature values from an unrelated machine.

Check. The printer, software profile, resin label and compatible hardware agree. The build instructions and manufacturer requirements do not conflict.

If the check fails. Resolve the conflict with the source documentation or the responsible provider. Do not select a near-match to make the job available. Record any proposed replacement as a change that needs qualification.

Action. Import the working copy into the preparation software. Check that every required part appears. Compare the displayed dimensions with the developer's reference dimensions before rotating or generating supports.

An STL describes a triangulated surface without declaring its units. The same numerical coordinates can therefore be interpreted at the wrong size.^[5] Confirm the intended unit with the source; do not estimate it from apparent anatomy or the available platform space.

Inspect the model for missing regions, unexpected surfaces and mesh warnings. A repair command can change geometry. Preserve the original and compare the repaired copy with it, especially around thin walls, threads and openings.

Check. The part count, reference dimension, side and revision match the requirements. The complete part and its eventual supports can fit within the machine's permitted build area.

If the check fails. Correct a demonstrated unit interpretation error or obtain the correct file. Do not shrink the component to fit the printer. Do not apply a general resin shrinkage percentage. Any dimensional compensation must belong to the specified model and manufacturing workflow and must be checked in the finished part.

Action. Follow any developer-specified orientation first. Otherwise, use the compatible equipment's guidance and identify the surfaces that need accurate detail or contact with other parts. Rotation changes how the component meets successive layers and where supports can reach it. There is no single best angle for all resin components.^[6]

Keep the source's solid or hollow design unless a change is explicitly permitted. Hollowing adds a cavity and changes the component. Check whether resin and wash liquid can leave every internal space and whether the required finishing can reach it. Prusa's hollowing guidance identifies trapped uncured resin when drainage is absent; its example dimensions and hole count are not a specification for your simulator.^[7]

Generate supports using the selected resin workflow, then inspect their contact points. Resin supports are temporary structures that hold the developing part. Their contact points can leave marks after removal.^[8] Keep contacts away from critical threads, sealing faces or detailed anatomy where the documented workflow allows. Confirm that supports can be removed without trapping fragments or damaging a required feature.

Check. The orientation, support layout and cavity access work together. You can explain how each enclosed region will be emptied, finished and inspected. Critical surfaces have an agreed support-removal and inspection plan.

If the check fails. Reconsider the orientation or consult the experienced operator. Do not add drainage holes through functional anatomy, hollow a valve or remove internal features to simplify printing without an authorised design change. A cavity that cannot be finished as required is a reason to stop.

Action. Run the software's preparation checks and inspect the layer preview from the beginning to the end of the job. Look for missing features, unintended filled openings, inaccessible supports and isolated regions that begin without a connection to an earlier layer or support. These isolated regions are often called islands. Formlabs includes support and island checks in its troubleshooting guidance for missing printed features.^[9]

Confirm the final machine, resin version, layer thickness, part count and orientation after any edit. Check that the estimated resin use fits the available material and permitted tank capacity. Treat time and consumption estimates as planning information.

Save the editable preparation project. Export or send the job by the method specified for the actual printer. Resin printers use different job formats and transfer systems; this guide does not assume G-code. An exported STL still represents geometry and is not proof that a printer-ready job was produced. Prusa, for example, separately documents transferring sliced SL1/SL1S jobs.^[10]

Check. The queued job name, preview, material and component count match the project you inspected. The operator can identify the intended job without guessing from several similar filenames.

If the check fails. Cancel the incorrect queue entry before starting. Correct the project and generate a new job. Renaming a file extension does not convert it to another printer's format.

Action. Complete the machine's pre-print checks, including the condition and installation of the tank, platform and resin. Start the verified job and monitor it as the manufacturer directs. Follow the specified pause or stop procedure if a fault occurs.

After the cycle, use the manufacturer's removal procedure and appropriate protection. A newly printed component can carry liquid resin. Transfer it to the planned finishing area without contaminating the controls or general work surfaces. Keep the part identified if several similar components are being made.

Check. The expected parts are present and remain identifiable. Look for gross missing regions, detached sections or damage during removal. Confirm that the print completed normally before recording it as complete.

If the check fails. Keep the failed part out of the training set. Follow the machine's failed-print and tank-inspection procedure before another job; investigate the fault rather than repeatedly running the same file. Do not touch or scrape delicate tank surfaces with an improvised tool.

Action. Use the wash liquid, equipment, loading method and cycle specified for the exact resin. Confirm the wash liquid is in a serviceable condition. The purpose of this manufacturing wash is to remove residual liquid resin; the necessary procedure depends on the material and equipment. Formlabs provides material-specific wash and cure guidance.^[11]

Check threads, recesses and accessible passages as well as exterior faces. Follow the prescribed drying method. Arrange the part so retained wash liquid can leave the intended openings. Keep it within the controlled handling area until the required finishing condition is reached.

Check. Washing and drying meet the material's documented requirements. Surfaces and relevant interior spaces have been checked for residual resin and liquid. A surface that looks dry does not establish that a closed cavity is empty.

If the check fails. Keep the part separate. Check wash-fluid condition, access and the material procedure before repeating a cycle. Do not compensate for trapped resin by simply extending the cure. If the internal region cannot be cleaned and inspected as required, reject or redesign the manufacturing plan.

Action. Follow the required sequence for this resin and part. Support removal may occur before or after post-curing; use the documented sequence. Set the specified cure equipment, time, temperature and other required conditions. Do not substitute sunlight or a different lamp for a prescribed cycle.

Where a Form Cure is used, Formlabs instructs users to insert washed, fully dried parts and to consider the part's geometry. Its instructions also require checking interior spaces for retained solvent.^[12] Use the equivalent instructions for your actual equipment; this example supplies no universal cure schedule.

Remove supports with the specified tools and protection. Support the component while cutting contacts so thin features do not carry unnecessary force. Finish only the permitted regions. Keep support remnants, dust and contaminated supplies within the appropriate cleanup route. Do not sand a thread, sealing face or anatomical feature until it “looks right”.

Check. The required cycle completed and is recorded. The part has the specified finished surface condition and no retained supports where they must be removed. Let it reach the inspection condition required by the procedure before measuring it.

If the check fails. Record the interruption or defect. Use the material supplier's recovery procedure if one applies; otherwise hold the part for assessment. Additional curing, coating or sanding is not an automatic repair.

Close the work session with the documented cleaning and waste procedure. Keep liquid or partly cured resin and resin-contaminated wash liquid out of drains. Follow the SDS and local waste arrangements for the actual material.^[13] A water-washable product still requires a defined route for contaminated wash water.

Action. Compare the finished part with the requirements from Step 1. Inspect the required features, surfaces, openings and internal passages that are accessible by the agreed method. Look for cracks, distortion, incomplete regions and damage from supports. Measure the specified reference and mating dimensions with suitable tools.

Test fit with the correct mating parts, using the simulator's assembly procedure. Check the source-defined functional requirements, such as a passage remaining open or a joint retaining fluid, only under its specified conditions. Do not invent a tolerance, force or pass criterion from this general guide.

Check. Record each required check and its result. Keep the following with the accepted component:

• Source, model revision, filenames, quantities and any authorised geometry changes.
• Printer, software/profile, resin product/version and batch where available.
• Orientation/support plan and the identity of the final job.
• Wash, dry, cure and other finishing conditions actually used.
• Dimensions, fit observations, defects, corrective actions and final disposition.

If the check fails. Label and separate the component. Investigate size interpretation, source geometry, orientation, supports and finishing before changing settings. Use a replacement part or a documented correction that preserves the requirements. Do not force a mismatched assembly or present a modified part as a faithful reproduction.

Return to the simulator's build and training instructions after manufacturing acceptance. This guide does not establish disinfection, sterilisation, patient-contact suitability or educational validity. A manufacturing wash or UV post-cure is not evidence of any of those outcomes. Use the simulator's separately established care and inspection arrangements between training sessions.

Observation	Checks to make	Recovery or stop condition
The imported model is much too large or small	Intended units, chosen file and reference dimension	Correct a confirmed interpretation error. Stop if the intended size is unknown.
A feature disappears in the preview	Source geometry, mesh repair, part thickness, islands and support coverage	Compare with the original; re-prepare and inspect. Do not print through an unresolved loss of required geometry.
A cavity has no clear finishing route	Cavity continuity, openings, orientation and access for washing/drying/inspection	Resolve the manufacturing plan before printing. Do not seal in liquid resin.
Part of the print is missing or detached	Job record, support layout, resin and tank condition; machine troubleshooting	Isolate the part and inspect the equipment as directed before another run.
Residue or unexpected tack remains	The product's expected finished condition, wash liquid, drying and cure record	Hold the part. Follow the material-specific recovery route; do not use touch or odour as the acceptance test.
The part bends or no longer fits after finishing	Dimensions before and after finishing when recorded; cure setup, support-removal order and source requirements	Investigate the responsible stage. Do not apply a general scale factor to all parts.
A provider proposes a different resin or process	Exact product, compatibility, geometry and required behaviour	Record the change and its assessment. Retain the original specification until the replacement is qualified.

Choose the process from the simulator source. PolyJet deposits and cures photopolymer droplets and uses its own support-removal workflow.^[14] SLS TPU is supplied as powder; EOS lists TPU 1301 for specified SLS systems, including the P 770.^[15] Neither route uses the vat workflow above.

Give the provider the same file and requirements record described in the service route. For SLS, agree powder removal from required passages and the delivered surface condition. For PolyJet, preserve the source's material assignment for each component or region and agree removal of support material from internal features. Do not turn several material regions into one unlabelled mesh.

Ask for the proposed equipment/material combination, any deviations and a finished-part inspection record. If the original geometry, material map or finishing requirements are missing, record the gap. A provider can assess an available file; it cannot establish that a different model is the original simulator merely by printing it successfully.

References support the stated process checks and their product-specific examples. They are not a common settings recipe. Consult the current instructions for the actual equipment and resin before production.

• 3D printing guide hub
• PLA filament guide
• ABS filament guide
• Photopolymer Resin material entry — includes specialist material-jetting uses; confirm the process before selecting a workflow.
• Urinary Catheterization Simulator (Gillis) — a source-bound resin candidate; obtain the required model geometry and complete manufacturing requirements before attempting replication.