Formlabs Durable Resin

Formlabs Durable Resin is engineered to mimic the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP), delivering a rare combination of impact strength, flexibility, and low friction. These characteristics make it ideal for functional prototypes, snap-fit assemblies, and consumer product components.

High Impact Strength & Exceptional Toughness

Durable Resin absorbs energy without cracking or fracturing, making it ideal for impact-loaded parts such as latches, buckles, hinges, and drop-resistant housings. It provides durability comparable to consumer-grade PP, enabling real-world functional testing.

Low Friction & Wear Resistance

Durable Resin has a naturally slick, low-friction surface, which reduces wear during repeated movement or sliding contact. This makes it a strong candidate for components like gears, rollers, and mechanical linkages used in test assemblies.

High Elongation at Break

With elongation values significantly higher than standard SLA resins, Durable Resin bends rather than snaps. This enables the creation of complex, flexible geometries such as snap-fit joints or curved mechanical bodies that require safe deflection under stress.

Excellent Flexibility Without Becoming Rubber-Like

Durable Resin sits between rigid resins and elastomers. It flexes under pressure but maintains structural strength, ideal for product prototypes that require a balance between rigidity and flexibility.

Smooth, Professional Surface Finish

The material prints with a naturally smooth surface that can be easily sanded, painted, or polished. This allows designers to produce visually appealing prototypes that resemble mass-produced injection-molded parts.

Dimensional Stability Under Repeated Use

Even after multiple cycles of bending or mechanical loading, Durable Resin maintains its dimensions and mechanical performance, making it suitable for repeated testing environments.

What Are the Applications of Durable Resin?

Durable Resin bridges the gap between flexible SLA materials and high-strength PP-like plastics, allowing designers and engineers to create realistic, functional prototypes. 

Snap-Fit Prototypes & Consumer Product Assemblies

Durable Resin’s flexibility makes it perfect for snap-fit latches, tabs, clips, and housings that need to bend repeatedly without breaking. It allows accurate real-world testing of mechanical engagement and part mating.

Jigs, Fixtures & Low-Wear Mechanical Parts

Because of its low friction and high impact strength, Durable Resin is used for jigs, fixtures, tool components, holders, and test rigs requiring durability without metal-level rigidity.

Automotive & Robotics Functional Components

Durable Resin is ideal for internal covers, sensor housings, lightweight brackets, hinge components, and moving parts in prototypes where wear and flexibility are important.

Hinges, Caps, Latches & Packaging Prototypes

Its PP-like qualities allow engineers to simulate real packaging components including lids, caps, rotating hinges, and squeezable containers before mass production.

Consumer Electronics Prototypes

The smooth finish and flexibility make Durable Resin suitable for:

• Device enclosures
• Controller buttons
• Ergonomic grips
• Impact-resistant covers

These prototypes behave more like finished plastic products compared to standard brittle SLA materials.

R&D and Industrial Functional Testing

R&D labs frequently use Durable Resin for mechanical testing, movement simulation, fluid prototypes, and low-stress industrial assemblies.

How Is Durable Resin Post-Processed and What Surface Finishes Are Available?

Formlabs Durable Resin can be post-processed easily to achieve higher visual quality, improved performance, and enhanced cosmetic appeal. XC Machining combines advanced post-processing techniques with precise curing to preserve mechanical toughness while achieving a professional finish.

Standard Wash & Controlled Cure

Durable Resin parts first undergo an IPA wash to remove uncured resin, followed by a carefully controlled UV cure. Over-curing is avoided to prevent brittleness. XC Machining fine-tunes cure cycles to retain maximum toughness.

Sanding & Mechanical Smoothing

Because of its naturally smooth print texture, Durable Resin sands exceptionally well. Fine-grit sanding removes layer lines and prepares surfaces for painting. XC Machining uses progressive sanding techniques to maintain dimensional accuracy.

Painting, Dyeing & Cosmetic Coatings

Durable Resin accepts paint and dye evenly, allowing prototypes to match branding or simulate final product color schemes. Coatings also improve scratch resistance and overall appearance.

Polishing for a Semi-Gloss or Smooth Finish

For applications requiring a soft sheen, parts can be polished manually or using rotary tools. This enhances cosmetic appeal and smooths contact surfaces for mechanical assemblies.

Hybrid Post-Machining (3D Print + CNC Finishing)

XC Machining offers hybrid solutions where critical surfaces are CNC-machined after printing. This improves tolerances, flatness, and hole precision beyond standard SLA capabilities.

Threading, Inserts & Assembly Enhancements

Metal threaded inserts, tapped holes, or fastener points can be added after printing. This enables functional mechanical assemblies for prototyping and small-batch production.