Resin 3D printing
in consumer electronics

Precise resin 3D printers become more and more integrated into product development processes in consumer electronics. They are efficient prototyping and production tools that can produce shapes unattainable with injection molding technology which designers can use to make truly innovative devices.

Why thousands of businesses use resin 3D printers in consumer electronics

In modern consumer electronics utility is just as important as captivating design. Resin 3D printers can help achieve both. Their speed and precision allow to cost-effectively iterate through multiple concepts util the perfect balance of form and function is reached. And then they can be used for manufacturing the first short series of fully functional products to bridge the gap between the prototyping stage and going into mass production.

Rapid prototyping

Resin 3D printers allow to cost-effectively go through multiple iterations of a prototype to achieve the optimal design.

Detailed designs

Being surgically precise, resin 3D printers can rapidly print very small, complex parts commonly used in professional electronics.

Economics behind

Making prototypes internally instead of outsourcing it to third-party manufacturers saves time, money, and contributes to better intellectual property protection.

Business communications

Quality of prototypes produced with resin 3D printers is on par with injection molded products. They can be used to communicate product ideas to potential investors or influencers.

Applications of resin 3D printers
in consumer electronics

Small, intricate parts are critical to modern consumer electronics and printing such parts is what resin 3D printers are made for.
Businesses can cost-effectively build prototypes that can be put together up to a standard comparable with mass manufactured products.

Remote controllers

Resin 3D printers are precise enough to ensure the quality of parts like remote controllers is on par with mass produced items without additional costs.

Gaming pad

Tight fit possible to achieve with resin 3D printed parts is crucial to get the prototypes' ergonomics on par with final products.

Earpieces

Resin 3D printers can print small parts with complex internal architecture like the one necessary to make earpieces with good acoustics.

Bridge manufacturing

Bridge manufacturing smoothens the transition from prototyping to production. Ordering injection molds and setting up the rest of a traditional manufacturing line is a heavy investment, especially for small and medium scale businesses. Instead, a farm of resin 3D printers can be used to manufacture the first short series of the new product. This way, the 3D printers work to generate income and mitigate risks as the design, at this stage, can still be adjusted cost-free.

Beyond prototyping

Bridge manufacturing begins when the prototyping stage is done. A cluster of 3D printers is employed to print functional products in the same way they printed the final prototype.

Low-risk production

Once the particular PCBs and wiring layout is chosen, an appropriate casings and other parts designed to hold them in place can be 3D printed to build the first conceptual model and all its further versions.

Market feedback

The initial series of the new product can be used to gather feedback from the market and adjust the design where necessary.

Into the mass manufacturing

When the market feedback is good and there is a demonstrable demand for the product, a business can reinvest the revenue into setting up a mass manufacturing line.

Workflow in consumer electronics design

From CAD/CAM design, through building the first conceptual model and rapid prototyping, to early stages of manufacturing, resin 3D printers have become widely used tools in consumer electronics design. Here's how a typical product development process looks like with resin 3D printers onboard.

Step 1 CAD/CAM design

Consumer products begin their life in a CAD/CAM design software. There are different programs for designing printed circuit boards (PCBs), electrical engineering, and for modeling the casings.

Step 2 Prototyping

Once the particular PCBs and wiring layout is chosen, an appropriate casings and other parts designed to hold them in place can be 3D printed to build the first conceptual model and all its further versions.

Step 3 Manufacturing

3D printers used at the prototyping stage can produce the first short series of the new product meant either for beta-testing or for generating income which is then reinvested in scaling up to mass production.

What Makes Zortrax Inkspire a perfect 3D printer for consumer electronics

Zortrax Inkspire is a resin UV LCD 3D printer with significant precision and speed. It works with 50x50 microns XY resolution and 25 microns minimal layer height which is enough to print small casings and other elements necessary for modern electronics. Because its LCD screen with UV LED backlighting cures each model's layer all at once, Zortrax Inkspire has up to 8x speed advantage over leading SLA 3D printers. That's why it can be easily scaled up to work in a 3D printing farm offering medium to large manufacturing output.

Key features for engineers

Four most important questions to ask when choosing a resin 3D printer for engineering in electronics are how precise it is, how fast it is, how well does it scale up, and how effective it is in supporting early stages of manufacturing. Zortrax Inkspire is better than a leading SLA 3D printer in all those areas.

Microscopic precision

The smallest possible object Zortrax Inkspire can 3D print is a cuboid measuring 50x50x25 microns. It is capable of printing casings designed to host complex layouts of PCBs and electrical wiring.

Speed

Zortrax Inkspire works with constant high speed no matter how much of the workspace is used. There is no time lost when printing multiple detailed parts in one go.

Small to large production

Zortrax UV LCD technology can be scaled up to offer small to large volume manufacturing capabilities. It makes it a perfect solution for bridge manufacturing and making jigs and fixtures for traditional production lines.

Wide range of resins

Zortrax Inkspire works with dedicated Zortrax resins but is fully compatible with all 405 nm photopolymers. Engineers can choose the best resin for their needs without being limited to a single provider.

Z-SUITE for Zortrax Inkspire

Z-SUITE is a dedicated slicing and 3D printing farm management software that comes free with every Zortrax 3D printer. It is compatible with the most popular CAD/CAM software solution. Zortrax Inskpire can also work with third-party slicers.

Rotation Optimization

Rotation Optimization Tool is an algorithm that optimizes the model's position on the build platform. It can reduce the amount of required support, improve the model's adhesion to the platform, or speed up the printing process. This way even unexperienced users can get high-quality prints.

Resin profiles

Z-SUITE makes it easy to work with all available resins. Settings for dedicated Zortrax Resins are already there to choose from. For external resins, all printing parameters can be set manually and saved to be reused in the future.

Smart supports

Times of exposure to UV light for the model and support structures can be set independently. More exposure means harder and thinner supports. This way their footprint on the model is reduced and less post-processing is needed.

Remote management

Prints can be paused or resumed and progress can be monitored remotely on each Zortrax Inkspire connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Larger dental labs can easily manage multiple Zortrax Inkspire 3D printers from one workstation.

Zortrax resins

Zortrax Inkspire works with a range of dedicated resins. Third-party photopolymers are fully supported, provided they can be cured by light with a 405 nm wavelength.

Available Zortrax Resins: BASIC , PRO , FLEXIBLE,

Zortrax Resin BASIC

Precise and easy to print

Zortrax Resin BASIC is an epoxy-based resin offering sharp edges, high detail, and short curing times. It's durable and easy to print. Zortrax Resin BASIC is available in grey, white, and pigment free.

Zortrax Resin PRO

Impact and bending resistant

Zortrax Photopolymer Resin PRO offers the same sharp edges, high detail, and short curing times as Zortrax Resin BASIC, but has improved resistance to bending and impacts. It's available in black.

Zortrax Resin FLEXIBLE

Flexible and resilient

Zortrax Resin FLEXIBLE is an elastic, epoxy-based resin which is highly impact resistant. Offers smooth surfaces, high level of detail, and sharp edges. Its shore hardness stands at 60 D and its elongation and break amounts to 19%.

Zortrax Inkspire main features

  • UV LCD is up to 8x faster than SLA
  • UV LCD is up to 9x more precise than SLA
  • The speed of operation is 20-36 mm/h
  • The XY resolution is 50x50 microns
  • Calibrates build platform automatically
  • The minimal layer height is 25 microns
  • Has a built-in carbon filter
  • Offers serial production capability
  • External 405 nm resins are supported
  • External slicing software is supported
  • zcodex and .cws file formats are supported
  • Workspace measures 74x132x175 mm
  • Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity
  • Has an intuitive touch interface
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