3. Tips for Using UV Resin
Let me guess – you are a bit concerned and unsure about using UV resin after reading the points discussed above? But here are some tips for safe SLA 3D printing.
![SLA print part](https://ecoreprap.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/SLA-print-part.jpg)
Warning!
Suppliers of 3D printer resin are legally obligated to provide you with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) containing vital health information and safety precaution for a particular resin product.
Not expose a 3D printed resin-based object to UV light for too long
It is a frequent mistake that to let an object “fully harden” workers keep it under light for 10 minutes or even above. However, there is a substantial risk that resin in the solid state would begin decay, thus letting polymers lose their structure. It leads to the material partly returning back in the liquid state, consequences of which are detailed above.
As a rule of thumb, exposure with a duration of about 6 minutes is typically enough for a printed object to be solid completely. It is also correct even for large printed pieces, as long as they are cured by UV light entirely, and no parts left unexposed.
Prepare protective equipment and not neglect using it.
Thus, there are sets of equipment necessary to work with UV resin safely. These include chemical-resistant gloves for hands, safety goggles/ laboratory glasses for eye protection, and clothing that fully covers arms, legs, and torso. Ideally, a disposable overall or a protective gown and a respirator mask (such as FFP2/FFP3) should be worn.
Those protective equipment units are to be used during assembly and disassembly of the printer during post-processing of printed parts as well, for reasons explained above.
Ensure sufficient working conditions.
Basically, employees need a well-ventilated room for working with UV resin. Under no circumstances should they inhale synthetic resin vapors. An effective ventilation system should stop condensation, regulate air flows, maintain a constant temperature, and ideally control pollutants in the air.
After printing.
Safety tips offered include measures for risk reduction after SLA printing is over. Thus, the excess resin in the tank of the printer should be carefully poured into a container through a sieve back.
Then, it is necessary to eliminate liquid resin on the printing platform left. We recommend doing it with a 3D printing fan applied on the printing plate, diagonally positioned over the tank. The remaining adhesions can be wiped with paper tissues.
Put printed parts in a container with isopropanol and swivel the container until the excess resin has dissolved from the surface. As an alternative, you may consider rinsing the printing plate, with a printed object on it, with isopropanol. Make sure you have a container big enough for such a purpose.
Waste disposal.
Depending on your country’s legislation, resin to be disposed of should be previously cured and approached as a normal trash. Overwise, you may consider filtering out the resin leftover from isopropanol via the recycling center.