With the rise of multiple personal 3D printer options based on resin technology, one would think third parties would begin supplying resin for them. You’d be right.
While there have been resin companies for decades, they’ve traditionally focused on industrial equipment. Now we see new companies specifically focused on personal 3D printers using resin technology. We found at least two companies are doing so.
MadeSolid and MakerJuice Labs both manufacture UV-curable resins suitable for use in new resin-based 3D printers. These companies do not sell 3D printers; they simply specialize in the resins.
We think this is a great idea, as they can concentrate on developing unique resin formulations that, hopefully, complement the basic resins offered by the printer manufacturers themselves. MadeSolid says:
Experimenting with a variety of core components and finding ways to bring new chemistry to 3D printing applications is the heart of what we do.
MakerJuice Labs says:
Our goal is to provide the DIY 3D printer community with the best resins you can buy at any price. We also happen to be drastically more affordable than anyone else!
MakerJuice, for example, has just released a new resin, SubSF, that is specifically designed for printing snap-fit parts. It has “less shrink” and “more bend”. SubSF now comes in a version suitable for use on Formlab’s popular Form 1 3D printer.
What is good news for resin 3D printer owners might be bad news for the printer manufacturers, who make a portion of their profits on resin sales. It may be that their resin sales could drop, but on the other hand, if third party resin makes their machines more useful, they may sell more machines.
Via MadeSolid and MakerJuice Labs