Resin vs Filament: Which is Better for 3D Printing?

Resin printing and filament printing (FDM) are the two most widely used methods in 3D printing. To help you make an informed choice, this article will compare the two printing methods in detail from the perspectives of materials, resolution and quality, speed, ease of use, price, etc. If you don't have a 3D printer yet and just want to compare the two printing methods first, JLC3DP can meet your needs. Just upload your 3D model to our platform, choose the printing method and corresponding materials you want, and we will take care of the rest.

1. Printing principle

Resin printing mainly includes technologies such as SLA, DLP and LCD. What these technologies have in common is that they use light sources to solidify liquid photosensitive resin into solid shapes. Before starting printing, the 3D model is first processed by slicing software in the computer and decomposed into layers of slicing data. This data is used to guide the printer to solidify the resin layer by layer. The resin used is a photosensitive liquid resin, usually in an open resin tank. The resin undergoes a chemical reaction under light and hardens. After each layer is cured, the printer will slightly lift the build platform so that the next layer of resin can contact the previously cured layer. This process is repeated until the entire model is complete. After printing, the model needs to be washed (usually with isopropyl alcohol) to remove uncured resin, and then further cured with UV lamps to enhance strength and stability.

Source: https://www.creality.com/

Filament printing, also known as FDM, is a technology that builds 3D models layer by layer by heating and extruding thermoplastic filaments. Before printing, the 3D model is processed by slicing software, which breaks the model into layers of slice data. This data is used to guide the printer to extrude thermoplastic filaments. The printer's nozzle (or extruder) then heats the filament to melt it into a fluid. In motion, the nozzle extrudes the melted material layer by layer according to the slice data, gradually building the model. After each layer of material is extruded, the nozzle moves slightly to the next layer position, and the material cools and solidifies to form a new layer. This process continues until the entire model is completed. After printing, the material cools and solidifies naturally at room temperature. Because the material itself is thermoplastic, it can be reshaped or processed after heating.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/

2. Printing materials

Resin printing uses photosensitive liquid resins, which are formed by light curing. Types of resins include standard resins, durable resins, high-precision resins, etc. Although the physical properties of resins (such as strength and toughness) are generally not as good as those of FDM thermoplastic materials, they can provide extremely high detail accuracy and are suitable for jewelry design, medical prototypes, and detailed engraving models. FDM uses thermoplastic materials (filaments), which include PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU and other types. FDM materials are usually very strong and suitable for making functional parts or large-scale models. Filaments can present a variety of colors, textures, and even have characteristics such as flexibility or high temperature resistance.

Source: https://www.sunlu.com/

JLC3DP provides a variety of printing materials for both methods. For specific material properties and specific parameters, please refer to: https://jlc3dp.com/help/catalog/87-Stereolithography-(SLA), https://jlc3dp.com/help/catalog/90-Fused-Deposition-Modeling-(FDM)

3. How to choose specifically?

Printing accuracy and detail performance

Resin printing is suitable for models that require high resolution and fine details. Because its photosensitive resin can be cured layer by layer by light source, the details are extremely fine and the print layer pattern is almost invisible. Therefore, resin printing is very suitable for printing items that require high precision, such as jewelry, character models, prototype design and fine parts.

Filament printing has a lower resolution, and it is easy to have obvious textures between layers. It is not as good as resin printing in terms of surface smoothness and detail performance.

Printing speed and model size

Resin printing is relatively slow, especially when printing high-precision models, each layer takes a long time to cure. In addition, the build size of resin printers is usually small, which is not suitable for printing large-scale models. If you need to print a larger object, the efficiency of resin printing will drop significantly.

Filament printing is suitable for the construction of large-scale models, and the printing speed is relatively fast, especially at lower resolution settings. FDM printers generally have a larger build space, so if you need to print large-scale objects, such as industrial parts or large models, filament printing has more advantages.

Source: https://hlhrapid.com/

Ease of operation and maintenance

The operation of resin printing is relatively complicated. The use of photosensitive liquid resin requires safety measures (wearing gloves and ensuring ventilation), and post-processing steps such as cleaning and UV curing are required after printing. This increases the difficulty and time cost of operation. For novices or amateurs, it may not be as easy to use as filament printing.

Filament printing is simple to operate. In most cases, you only need to remove the support after printing, and no complicated post-processing is required. Printer maintenance is also relatively intuitive, and material loading and cleaning are easy, so it is the first choice for many home desktop 3D printers.

Price

The cost of resin printers and resin materials is relatively high, especially high-performance resins. In addition, resin printing requires additional cleaning equipment and UV curing equipment, which will increase the overall cost. The maintenance cost of using resin printers for a long time is also high, so users with tight budgets need to consider it carefully.

The cost of filament printers and materials is low, especially common materials such as PLA and ABS are cheap, and a variety of models can be printed, and there are also a large number of alternatives for subsequent parts replacement. For users with limited budgets, FDM is a more economical choice.