While most 3D printing guides are tailored to filament 3D printing (also called FFM and FDM), plenty of people choose to invest in an SLA/DLP, or resin, 3D printer. These 3D printers both use a material to create objects, but they do so with different materials in different ways.
Filament 3D printing is a process that warms up thermoplastics and deposits them on a surface in thin layers to create an object. Resin 3D printing uses UV-curing liquid resins and a UV light or laser to create thin layers that will form objects.
If you want to know all the details about what makes resin and filament 3D printing different, stick with me. I’ll tell you about everything that sets these 3D printing technologies apart and give you the pros and cons of each one. So, let’s get started!
What’s the Difference Between Filament and Resin 3D Printers?
The difference between filament and resin 3D printers is the material each printer uses to create new objects. While filament 3D printers use thermoplastics such as PLA and ABS, resin 3D printers use liquid resins that solidify when exposed to UV light.
However, while the most significant differences lie in the materials that each printer uses, the technology in filament and resin printers also differs. That’s because each material (resin vs. filament) requires specific conditions to become printable, and a 3D printer must be able to create those conditions using electrical and mechanical parts.
So, filament and resin 3D printers have very different parts that work in different ways to process your printing material. Let’s look deeper into the things that divide filament and SLA printers.
Resin Printers Use UV Resin While Filament Printers Use Thermoplastics
Resin 3D printers require print materials that cure when exposed to light. These resins start in liquid form and consist of carbon-based chains. When you shine a UV light on them, a chemical reaction causes the carbon chains to bond tightly, forming a solid layer.
On the other hand, FDM printers only use filaments, or long strings of thermoplastics, to create 3D prints. Filament comes in many types, but every plastic suitable for 3D printing will become soft and gel-like when you heat them in the printer. Then, the printer will deposit layers of this molten plastic on a solid surface. As it cools, it will harden again, creating a solid object.
Resin Printers Offer Better Precision and Tolerance than Filament Printers
Because of how resin 3D printers work, they can achieve much smaller layer lines than filament printers.
When a resin 3D printer starts a print job, it lowers a build surface (generally a metal plate) down into a vat of liquid resin. As the build plate nears the bottom of the vat, a laser or UV light shines through the resin in a specific pattern to create a well-defined layer of solid material.
If the build plate reaches lower into the vat, your layer lines will be minimal.
However, the layers in a filament printer can only be as small as the nozzle allows. The nozzle is the funnel through which the molten filament oozes out before it cools and solidifies. While nozzles can have tiny diameters, they can never achieve the detail that the lasers or lights in a resin 3D printer can.
Filament 3D printers can only print layer lines as small as 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm. On the other hand, most resin 3D printers can achieve layers that are only 0.01 mm tall. This smaller layer height results in much better precision and detail, making these printers better for printing miniatures with complex components.
Filament 3D Printers Are Usually Larger
Although not all resin printers are more petite than filament printers, you’ll usually find that filament 3D printers have much larger build surfaces. That’s because resin printers can offer better precision and tolerance when printing very tiny objects. Your object will have to be significantly larger to attain the same level of detail with filament 3D printing,
Because of this form factor, resin 3D printers can only print very small parts, which can be limiting.
So, if you want to print larger objects, filament 3D printing is the best technology for you. However, if you are more interested in achieving better detail at a smaller scale, resin 3D printing is better.
Filament 3D Printers Are More Beginner and Budget-Friendly
Most people who choose to start 3D printing opt for a filament 3D printer.
Filament 3D printers are the most accessible 3D printers available to consumers, and these printers are also less expensive than their resin counterparts.
Even if the up-front cost of a resin 3D printer seems to be less than a filament printer, you still must consider the cost of printing materials. 3D printing resin is usually three to four times as expensive as filament. Likewise, when choosing a resin 3D printer, you must frequently get replacement resin bottles. These bottles regularly cost around $20.
In addition, there are more entry-level filament 3D printers than resin 3D printers. When you go with filament, you’ll find a more extensive community of people to help you troubleshoot issues. Likewise, more guides, forums, and simple software programs are available for using filament 3D printers than resin.
So, if you’re a beginner, you might have more luck with a filament 3D printer than a resin one.
Is Resin Stronger Than Filament?
Resin isn’t stronger than filament, although many factors may influence the strength of your prints. Premium-quality filaments often offer more resistance to impact and pressure, as well as more flexibility than premium-quality resins.
Even PLA is more resilient than resin, so if you want to 3D print functional parts for various applications, filament 3D printing is your best option.
However, it’s worth mentioning that most 3D printing resins are harder than filaments. In this case, hardness refers to how inflexible the object will be. Although this hardness can be a benefit, it makes a print more stiff, brittle, and breakable.
Pros and Cons of Filament and Resin
Filament Pros and Cons
Pros
- Offer more build volume
- They are less expensive to purchase and maintain
- Filament is inexpensive
- Filament prints are stronger than resin
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- Offer less precision and tolerance than resin
- Prints are more flexible and less rigid
Resin Pros and Cons
Pros
- Offer better precision and tolerance for detailed, small prints
- Offer better layer adhesion for seamless prints
- Resin prints are more rigid and inflexible than filament prints
Cons
- More expensive to purchase and maintain
- Resin can be costly
- The build volume is usually small
- Resin prints are more brittle than filament
- Not as beginner-friendly as filament printing
Final Thoughts
Resin and filament 3D printers are the top two choices for amateur and consumer 3D printing enthusiasts, and each technology has unique pros and cons.
Filament 3D printing uses thermoplastics to create stronger, more flexible 3D prints at a fraction of the cost of resin printing. However, resin offers better detail preservation and more rigid objects, albeit at a higher learning curve and cost.