When post-curing prints with the Form Cure or Form Cure L, follow Formlabs best practices to help parts achieve their optimal mechanical properties.
Notice:
Third-party solutions are not certified for use with Formlabs resins for biocompatible applications. To comply with biocompatibility requirements, only use the Form Wash, the Form Wash L, Finish Kit, Form Cure, and Form Cure L with the following resins:
Drying parts before inserting parts
If there is solvent on the surfaces of a print when it is placed in the machine, the solvent evaporates condenses on the inner surfaces of the machine. This can cause clouding on reflective surfaces.
Inserting parts while preheating
The printed part must be in the machine while it heats. If the part is not placed in the machine until preheating is complete, it may crack.
Recommendations for large, long, thick, thin, or densely-supported parts
Consider part size and the geometry of each print when selecting a post-cure cycle. Modify the post-curing process for parts that are large, long, or thick, have dense support structures or thin features.
| Part geometry | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Densely-supported parts
|
Some parts require denser or thicker support structures. These can block light from reaching some part surfaces during post-curing.
Remove supports as needed to ensure that light reaches all part surfaces. Leave supports in place whenever possible to prevent features from warping during post-curing. |
| Large or long parts
|
The Form Cure turntable has a diameter of 19.3 cm (7.6 in), and the maximum part height that can be post-cured in the Form Cure is 18.5 cm (7.28 in).
The Form Cure L turntable has a diameter of 39.5 cm (15.6 in), and the maximum part height that can be post-cured in the Form Cure L is 32 cm (12.6 in). Most parts should be post-cured before removing support structures to preserve their shape and prevent warping.While some parts may fit on the turntable more easily without supports, long or tall prints may require special arrangements to stand on the turntable without support. |
| Large or thick parts
|
Large or thick parts may require a longer post-curing time or higher temperatures because the heat takes longer to penetrate the part. Light alone only post-cures the surface of a part, so heat is required to reach optimal mechanical properties.
When post-curing thick geometries, warm the part using a hair dry or heat gun before post-curing and allow extra time for the machine to reach the target temperature. |
| Thin features
|
Warping during post-curing may occur if a part is especially thin, inadequately supported, or unevenly exposed to light. The machine helps prevent warping by rotating the part during the post-cure cycle and by exposing the part to light from all directions, including underneath the turntable.
Auto-generate supports or edit supports manually in PreForm to design supports so that thin features do not warp during post-curing. In the case of a thin, flat, sheet-like object, placing the part directly on the turntable may offer the best support during post-curing. |
