Select your 3D resin by Shore hardness, Young’s modulus and real structural behaviour
Engineering screening tool for comparing stiffness perception as a function of material modulus and geometry.
3Dresyns provides a structured engineering approach for selecting photopolymer materials:
- Material Selection Guide – engineering methodology Material Selection & Ordering in Photopolymer Additive Manufacturing →
- Material and Documentation Finder – fast navigation across materials and documentation Open the Material and Documentation Finder →
- Engineering Resin Selection Tool – mechanical comparison of material systems (this page)
- Curing Rate Control System – exposure calibration for reproducible printing 3Dresyns® Curing Rate Control System →
- Structured Mechanical Screening Protocol (SMSP) – comparative validation of printed materials Structured Mechanical Screening Protocol →
This engineering tool is intended for first-order stiffness screening. Once you have identified a plausible modulus and geometry range, the next step is to understand how that selection translates into real printed-part performance and how to validate the part under controlled conditions.
- From printed parts to real performance – understand how stiffness screening connects with calibration, curing control and comparative engineering validation Open the engineering performance route →
- How to validate if your 3D printed part actually works – confirm whether the printed part can actually be trusted under real conditions Open the validation guide →
This tool helps you estimate how material stiffness (Young’s modulus) and part geometry interact to determine the perceived flexibility of a printed component. The calculator provides a first-order engineering comparison that helps identify whether a geometry will feel flexible or stiff before printing.
- Step 1: Start from the Shore hardness range or target tactile feel.
- Step 2: Use wall thickness and span to estimate how much the part bends.
- Step 3: Select the resin that meets your stiffness target while also satisfying toughness and strength requirements.
The chart below can be interpreted as a simplified engineering stiffness map for vat photopolymer materials. It visualises how material modulus interacts with geometry to produce perceived rigidity in printed parts.
This calculator is intended for first-order comparative screening. It uses a simplified beam-deflection model to compare relative stiffness between material and geometry combinations.
It is not a structural simulation and should not replace engineering validation, testing or finite element analysis for final part design.
Approximate relation between Shore hardness and Young’s modulus
Shore hardness is often the first practical reference, but structural stiffness is better represented by Young’s modulus.
| Hardness | Approximate Young’s modulus |
|---|---|
| Shore A 80 | ~10 MPa |
| Shore A 90 | ~20 MPa |
| Shore D 50 | ~300 MPa |
| Shore D 60 | ~800 MPa |
| Shore D 80 | ~2000–3000 MPa |
Start with a preset, then adjust Young’s modulus, span, width, force and thickness to match your part.