The Top Wash and Cure Stations of 2024

What are the cleaning and curing solutions for 3D printed resin parts? Printing a 3D part is not as simple as pressing the button on your 2D printer. You need to prepare the model, make sure the printer is set up correctly, choose the right material, etc. Then, in most cases, post-processing comes into play. Once the machine has completed its run, it is often necessary to go through stages like cleaning, de-welding, curing, heat treatment, smoothing, painting or tinting. The number and duration of these steps will depend on the printing technology. For example, with photopolymerization processes, 3D printed parts will need to be cleaned after printing to remove any excess resin and then cured to give the material all its properties and avoid deformation.

To do this, the user needs to equip themselves with suitable solutions, usually supplied along with the 3D printer. There are many on the market: while some are automated and adapted for industrial use, others are desktop machines that can be integrated into any work environment. In our list below, we’ll concentrate more on the latter category. Cleaning and curing solutions for resin 3D printing are sorted alphabetically by manufacturer.

Figure 4 UV Curing Unit 350

The Figure 4 UV Curing Unit 350 from 3D Systems is sold separately from the Figure 4 Modular System but is ideal for parts greater than 200 mm (7.9in) tall that were made with that solution. Solely used for curing, it can cure a part up to 350 mm (13.8 in) tall, which is the maximum height of a part on the Figure 4 Modular System, or cure many parts simultaneously on a multi-tier rack. A user guide provides all the information necessary for each resin type, allowing them to be finished to the highest quality.