Resin Mixing and Dispensing
Resin prices (including bulk prices) are available from Carbon Resin Price Lists (login required).
The principles outlined in this course are standard resin dispensing procedures. Some resins may have additional special conditions to be aware of.
Reference the individual material courses and the Lab Reference Grids or Dental Post-Processing Grids for more information.
Carbon’s resins are the raw materials from which parts are built using Digital Light Synthesis™ (DLS™). These curable liquid polymers are solidified using a series of projected UV light images. Resins require a secondary curing process to achieve their final mechanical properties.
Carbon currently offers two types of resins: one-part and two-part.
- Single component
- Poured directly from bottle into the cassette
- Reusable (no pot life)
- Printed parts are cured using UV light
- Lower mechanical strength and abrasion resistance compared to two-part resins
- Primarily used for dental applications
- Dual component - Part A & Part B
- Each component is stored separately and mixed at the time of use.
- Limited pot life once mixed
- Printed parts are cured using heat in an oven
- Strong and abrasion-resistant
- Resin must be stored within a specific temperature range, which may vary per resin.
- Carbon resins are designed to be chemically altered by UV light. Therefore, to protect resin, we recommend storing in a dark cabinet with locking doors.
- While you are working, you can leave resin bottles out on the bench with their caps on, and cover measuring cups and other containers with aluminum foil.
- If you are going to leave a resin-filled cassette on the bench, make sure you use a cassette cover or aluminum foil and discard the resin within the recommended time frame.
- Covering the cassette prevents the resin from solidifying with ambient UV light, which could damage the cassette.
- You will also keep resin free of dust or debris, which could affect print quality.
See Resin and Solvent Storage for more information.
Failure to store resins as instructed can lead to compromised material properties and print defects.
- Plan ahead and use all resins prior to their expiration date because they thicken with age, potentially causing print difficulties and variation in material properties and accuracy.
- Carbon includes expiration dates on resin bottle labels to manage inventory.
- Check the Certificate of Conformity for the latest expiration information. Expiration dates on the bottles are the earliest possible expiration at the time of shipping and may be extended from time to time. Please check the Certificate of Conformity to see if your resin bottle has a later expiration date. the latest
- Shelf life is at minimum 6 months from resin shipping date for all resins but DPR 10 and EPX 86FR. DPR 10 and EPX 86FR have a shelf life of at minimum 3 months from resin shipping date.
Cassette inspection is critical to ensure the window is in proper condition for printing, to maintain print quality and avoid permanent damage to the cassette.
Always check the cassette before dispensing resin. See Cassette Inspection for more information.