IBT Flex Resin Dental Material Part of Formlabs’ Latest 3D Printing Materials Expansion

Leading 3D printing company Formlabs remains at the forefront of healthcare and dental innovation after the introduction of 3 cutting-edge materials to its repertoire, including the addition of IBT Flex Resin to its dental materials library.

Like IBT Flex Resin, the other 2 materials—BioMed Elastic 50A Resin and BioMed Flex 80A Resin—are designed to revolutionize 3D printing applications in healthcare and dental industries, providing cost-effective and time-efficient alternatives to traditional production methods such as molding.

In response to the growing demand for personalized patient care and the challenges posed by supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Formlabs has emerged as a key player. The company's 3D-printed nasal swabs, produced in the millions, represent one of the most prolific 3D printing applications in history. Acknowledging the advantages of patient-specific care made possible through 3D printing, Formlabs is poised to drive progress with materials that reduce production costs and time. This expansion of access to 3D printed dental guides, surgical models, medical components, and devices marks a pivotal moment in personalized healthcare and digital dentistry, the company says.

“Adoption of 3D printing is accelerating in healthcare and dentistry, bringing patients the benefit of personalized care that improves comfort and outcomes,” says Formlabs President of Healthcare Guillaume Bailliard in today’s press release. “Formlabs’ materials development team is dedicated to delivering new materials and solutions that will advance 3D printing in healthcare and dental workflows and expand the possibilities for patient-specific care. By adding these new flexible and elastomeric materials to our extensive biocompatible and dental materials library, we are ushering in a new wave of personalized healthcare and digital dentistry that will bring the benefits directly to patients.”

IBT Flex Resin: Elevating Flexibility for Dental and Orthodontic Applications

IBT Flex Resin, a Class I FDA-registered, biocompatible material, guarantees consistent and predictable outcomes in the printing of highly accurate indirect bonding trays and direct composite restoration guides, according to Formlabs. With enhanced flexibility, tear resistance, and translucency, this material empowers dental labs and clinics to save time and costs while maintaining the precision required for the seamless application of orthodontic brackets and restorative composite materials.

New Flexible BioMed Materials for Devices, Models, and More

BioMed Elastic 50A Resin and BioMed Flex 80A Resin are biocompatible materials boasting ISO 10993 and USP Class VI certifications. They open up new horizons for personalized healthcare, offering versatility for long-term skin contact and short-term mucosal membrane contact in the creation of flexible, patient-specific medical device components, comfortable medical devices, and tissue medical models for surgical reference. Each material provides distinct flexibility characteristics:

BioMed Elastic 50A Resin—A soft and elastic material tailored for applications requiring comfort, biocompatibility, and transparency. It's ideal for mass-personalized medical devices requiring long-term skin contact, soft-tissue models, gastrointestinal models, or complex neurovascular models used by surgeons in the operating room.

BioMed Flex 80A Resin—A firm, flexible, medical-grade material designed for durability, biocompatibility, and transparency. The ability to directly print this medical-grade resin eliminates the need for molding, streamlining the production of flexible, patient-specific medical devices and firm tissue medical models for surgical use.

IBT Flex Resin and the flexible BioMed materials are available now for Form 3B/+, and Form 3BL printers.

Formlabs is a global leader in digital fabrication, democratizing access to 3D printing for engineers, designers, manufacturers, and decision-makers worldwide. With headquarters in Somerville, Massachusetts, and a global presence in Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, Hungary, and Milwaukee, the company offers a range of professional 3D printers, post-processing solutions, and industrial options. Their suite of high-performance materials and cutting-edge 3D printing software continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in additive manufacturing.