Are Bubbles Okay in Resin Printing? How to Get Rid of Bubbles
Reading Time: 6 minutes Bubbles in resin vats are a common issue that many people experience when it comes to resin printing, so I decided to write an article to help you fix this issue.
To get rid of bubbles in the resin vat, you want to avoid shaking your bottle of resin. It’s better to rotate the flip the bottle of resin to mix the pigments that settle at the bottom. You can also mix the resin with a spatula or silicon tool to get rid of bubbles. Pre-heating the resin helps as well.
Keep reading to get a detailed view of bubbles in resin printing and ways to remove the bubbles from the vat.
Are Bubbles Okay in Resin Printing?
It can be common to see tiny bubbles popping up in the resin liquid when it is poured into the resin vat. These bubbles can be stuck in the final model lowering its quality.
If you decide to print right away with bubbles inside the vat, then there is a chance of bubbles being stuck between the build plate and the bottom of the resin vat during compression.
One user stated that bubbles in resin liquid can stick in the middle of the build plate and the final models will have tiny bubbles entrapped inside it.
Having bubbles inside the resin fat can also generate failed prints. Bubbles will result in gaps in the final model that impacts the adhesion between different layers. This can cause a print to fail as it happened with a user that stated that his complex 3D model failed due to bubbles inside the resin vat.
In most cases, your model shouldn’t be affected by the bubbles, since they are usually dealt with by the movement of the build plate.
Another user mentioned that his model was not impacted by the bubbles due to bed movement. While some users consider it to be a little risky to 3D print with bubbles inside the resin, others do not so much.
Users also suggest waiting 10 minutes after pouring the resin liquid to allow the bubbles to settle down, or a little longer if it’s cold. It’s also important to keep an eye on the surrounding temperature as a warm temperature allows for better settlement of bubbles in resin liquid.
One user recommended that keeping the temperature warm is a good way to keep the liquid at the right thickness and reduce the bubbles that form inside the vat.
How to Get Rid of Bubbles in Resin Vat
Here are some of the best ways to get rid of the bubbles in resin vat:
- Mix the resin liquid with a silicon tool
- Preheat the resin liquid
- Rotate and flip the resin bottle instead of shaking
- Lower the speed of the build plate
- Use of low-viscosity resin liquid
Mix the Resin Liquid with a Silicon Tool
One method to get rid of bubbles can be stirring the resin liquid with a silicon tool. So, when you pour the resin liquid into the vat, wait for the bubbles to settle down. If the bubbles take time to settle, you can use a silicon spatula to stir the resin liquid.
You can get something like the Cooptop Silicone Spatula Set from Amazon, or you can use your plastic scraper, but you’ll have to be gentle with it to not damage your FEP, which is a type of film used as the bottom layer of the resin vat.
This method can also be used when you pour extra resin liquid and there is leftover liquid in the vat.
One user recommends that gentle stirring can help to get rid of the bubbles in case no extra air comes into the resin liquid. After stirring, wait for around 10 minutes for the bubbles to disappear and you are good to start the print.
As resin doesn’t stick to silicon the same way as plastic or wooden tools, this is usually one of the most recommended solutions.
Preheat the Resin Liquid
Another way of removing the resin bubbles can be to preheat the resin liquid. The easiest method of preheating the resin liquid is to place it inside a bowl or pot of warm water.
Check out the video below for detailed instructions on warming the resin liquid in a water bath.
A user suggested that preheating the resin liquid is an effective way to prevent bubbles from forming inside the vat. Just be aware that preheating the resin liquid with boiling water may cause issues with the resin.
Another method of preheating the resin liquid can is to use a USB Mug Warmer. You can place the bottle on USB mug warmers, which can be bought for a great price over at Amazon.
Check out the video below for detailed instructions on how to use a USB mug warmer.
Other 3D printing hobbyists mentioned that heating decreases the consistency of the resin liquid and bubble formation can be minimized in the resin vat.
Rotate and Flip Resin Liquid Bottle Instead of Shaking
Another great and affordable method to get rid of bubbles in the vat is to try the rotate and flip method.
Instead of shaking, you can rotate the bottle slowly to mix all the components. You can even flip the bottle and slowly rotate it for effective mixing.
One user suggests that slow rotation and flipping can mix all the resin components and creates fewer bubbles as compared to the rigorous shaking method.
Lower the Speed of the Build Plate
Lowering the speed of the build plate is another method to fix bubbles inside the vat. You can adjust the speed of the build plate by reducing its lowering speed or using a similar setting in your slicer software.
Check out the video below for more information about build plate speed in resin printing.
A user commented that lowering bed speed will reduce resin movement, making fewer bubbles. Another user reported that lowering the build plate speed may not completely alleviate the bubbles if the viscosity of the resin liquid is too high.
Viscosity refers to the thickness or consistency of the resin liquid used for 3D printing. A resin liquid with high viscosity is thicker and more resistant to flow, while a resin liquid with low viscosity is more fluid and flows more easily.
So, you have to consider factors such as resin liquid viscosity, and surrounding temperature to get the best resin printing results.
Use of Low Viscosity Resin Liquid
Using low-viscosity resin liquid is another way to get rid of bubbles in resin printing. One of the most recommended low-viscosity resins is the ANYCUBIC Water Washable Resin which you can get for great prices over at Amazon.
It is very recommended by users as it does not smell bad as other resins, it is washable, and produces great final results. One user suggested that using resin liquids with less viscosity can help avoid bubble formation inside the resin vat.
Check out the video below for a comparison between low-viscosity and high-viscosity resins.
In short, reducing bubble formation in resin 3D printing can be achieved through various methods. Mixing the resin liquid with a silicon tool, preheating the resin, using the “rotate and flip method,” and lowering the speed of the build plate can all help to minimize bubbles.
Selecting a low-viscosity resin liquid can be effective in reducing the number of bubbles that form inside the vat.
