| HS Code | 494308 |
| Material Type | Photopolymer Resin |
| Color | Gray |
| Technology | DLP |
| Tensile Strength | 49 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 1,991 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 12% |
| Flexural Strength | 75 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 1,977 MPa |
| Hardness | 80 Shore D |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 62°C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature At 0 45 Mpa | 55°C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature At 1 82 Mpa | 50°C |
| Notched Izod Impact | 25 J/m |
| Density | 1.13 g/cm³ |
As an accredited 3D Systems FabPro™ Proto GRY Plastic factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in a sealed 1 kg amber plastic bottle with screw cap; label reads 3D Systems FabPro™ Proto GRY Plastic. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loading for 3D Systems FabPro™ Proto GRY Plastic: palletized, shrink-wrapped, evenly distributed, secured, labeled, and fully documented. |
| Shipping | For shipping, 3D Systems FabPro™ Proto GRY Plastic is generally not classified as dangerous goods under DOT, IATA, or IMDG. Transport in original, sealed, opaque containers at ambient temperature; protect from freezing, excessive heat, and UV light. No UN number, hazard class, or packing group required. |
| Storage | Store 3D Systems FabPro™ Proto GRY Plastic in its original, tightly closed, labeled container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, direct sunlight, and UV light. Maintain recommended temperature (typically 15–30°C); do not freeze. Keep separate from oxidizers, out of reach of children. Protect from contamination. Follow SDS and local regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is 12 months from date of manufacture when stored unopened at 15–25°C, away from direct sunlight. |
When investment casting operations transition from hand-carved wax to photopolymer master patterns for room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone mold production, the dimensional compensation requirements shift by approximately 2.1–2.8% total linear shrinkage across the silicone curing cycle and subsequent lost-wax burnout phase. FabPro™ Proto GRY functions within this workflow as the primary master pattern substrate, printed at the 30 μm layer thickness setting on the FabPro™ 1000 DLP system equipped with a 405 nm LED projection source. Industry compliance for jewelry master patterns used in RTV mold making is governed by the receiving casting house's documented quality system under ISO 9001:2015 clause 8.5.1, which mandates documented process control for pattern acceptance, combined with dimensional verification using calibrated optical comparators referencing ISO 3650:1998 gauge block traceability. The processing specification for this application requires the pattern to be designed with a minimum 1.5° draft angle on all vertical walls and a 0.3 mm minimum wall thickness at the thinnest cross-section; resin consumption per pattern set for a standard ring size 52 (US 6) master typically ranges between 2.5 mL and 4.0 mL, dependent on support structure density generated by 3D Sprint software with an automatic support contact diameter of 0.4 mm and contact penetration depth of 0.15 mm. The downstream production sequence involves DLP printing at 30 μm layer thickness, followed by a two-stage isopropyl alcohol immersion wash in a FabPro™ Wash unit configured for a first-stage submersion of 3.0 minutes in fresh IPA at ≥ 99% purity and a second-stage submersion of 2.0 minutes with mechanical agitation, then UV post-curing in a FabPro™ Cure chamber at 60 °C for 20 minutes with broadband UV intensity measured across 365–405 nm. Support removal proceeds with diagonal flush cutters followed by surface refinement using 1200-grit silicon carbide abrasive paper prior to RTV silicone encapsulation. Terminal applications for FabPro™ Proto GRY in the jewelry sector are restricted to master patterns for RTV mold production, not direct investment casting patterns; burnout of this photopolymer requires furnace ramp profiles exceeding 700 °C and may release volatile organic compounds requiring facility ventilation compliant with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1450 permissible exposure limits, rendering direct investment casting incompatible with standard dental laboratory burnout protocols. Published data for the specific burnout ash residue percentage of FabPro™ Proto GRY in this configuration remains limited, and casting houses performing direct burnout trials should verify thermogravimetric behavior through in-house differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis prior to production commitment.
The fabrication of diagnostic dental study models from intraoral scan data requires a photopolymer substrate that exhibits sufficient rigidity to resist deformation during vacuum thermoforming of clear aligner templates at temperatures approaching 160–200 °C at the thermoplastic sheet surface. FabPro™ Proto GRY, when printed at 50 μm layer thickness, produces study models with a measured hardness in the range of 75–85 Shore D, which provides adequate resistance to thermoforming-induced compressive stress of approximately 0.5–1.0 MPa applied quasi-statically during the draw phase over a 2–4 second forming window. Compliance in the dental laboratory context is anchored to FDA 21 CFR Part 820, which establishes quality system requirements for medical device manufacturers including dental laboratories producing diagnostic appliances; the dental laboratory additionally operates under ISO 13485:2016 clause 7.5.1 for service provision control, with study model accuracy verification performed by comparison of printed model arch width, intermolar distance, and occlusal plane deviation against reference measurements from ISO 17824:2013-calibrated intraoral scanners. Processing specification for dental study model output involves printing at 50 μm layer thickness with a build orientation tilted 45° from the occlusal plane and hollowed internal geometry configured at 2.0 mm shell thickness with internal lattice support structure at 2.0 mm cell spacing, which reduces resin consumption to approximately 35–45 mL per full-arch model compared to 55–65 mL for solid prints; the hollowing parameters are programmatically generated within 3D Sprint using the hollow tool with a 4.0 mm drainage hole diameter at the posterior palatal region to facilitate uncured resin evacuation. The downstream fabrication sequence includes DLP printing, a two-stage IPA wash cycle of 2.5 minutes per stage in an ultrasonic bath operating at 40 kHz frequency, UV post-curing at 60 °C for 30 minutes in an enclosed curing chamber, removal of internal lattice debris via compressed air at 0.4 MPa, and final articulator mounting using Type IV dental stone bases poured directly against the printed model surface. Terminal product types in this segment include diagnostic study models for orthodontic case documentation, maxillary and mandibular antagonist models for digital crown and bridge design verification, and reusable thermoforming templates for clear aligner fabrication—the latter requiring verification of model surface temperature resistance at the upper end of the thermoforming window before batch production authorization. One operational boundary documented in dental laboratory workflows is the hygroscopic expansion behavior when printed models are stored in high-humidity environments exceeding 80% RH, where dimensional drift up to 0.3% over 72 hours has been observed at ambient temperature, necessitating storage in controlled desiccant environments or sealed polyethylene containment prior to verification measurement and thermoforming operation.
Within the product development cycle for consumer electronics enclosures, where injection molding tooling commitments require prior form-and-fit validation on functional prototypes, the material selection logic prioritizes dimensional stability under ambient temperature fluctuation and the ability to reproduce snap-fit features with tip radii down to 0.1 mm at the 30 μm build setting. FabPro™ Proto GRY printed at 30 μm layer thickness produces sidewall surface texture measured at Ra 0.8–1.2 μm after post-curing, which falls within the acceptable roughness envelope for visual inspection and limited tactile evaluation of prototype housings intended to simulate injection-molded polycarbonate-ABS substrates with an end-use surface roughness of Ra 0.2–0.5 μm. Regulatory exposure for this application is governed by the European Union REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006), which requires the finished photopolymer component to contain no Substance of Very High Concern above 0.1% w/w, and by EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 2), which restricts lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in electronic equipment prototypes entering the European Economic Area. The processing specification for enclosure prototype fabrication involves printing at 30 μm layer thickness with anti-aliasing enabled, build orientation set to 15° from the vertical axis for front-face cosmetic surfaces, and support structure placement restricted to non-cosmetic surfaces with contact point diameter of 0.35 mm; resin volume per smartphone-sized enclosure half with an external envelope of approximately 150 mm × 75 mm × 9 mm ranges from 18–25 mL at 2.0 mm nominal shell thickness. Downstream operations include DLP printing, IPA immersion washing in a two-bath cascade system consisting of a first bath at 2.0 minutes in 99% IPA and a second bath at 2.0 minutes in recycled IPA at ≥ 95%, followed by post-curing under concurrent UV irradiation and thermal treatment at 60 °C for 25 minutes. Parting line flash removal proceeds with a scalpel under 10× magnification, support witness marks are sanded with 800-grit wet/dry paper, and final inspection is performed under collimated white light to detect micro-porosity or incomplete feature definition. Finished prototype outputs include rigid enclosure housings with integrated snap hooks, front bezels with lens retention features, internal chassis mockups for EMI shield fit evaluation, and tactile evaluation units for button travel and actuation force mapping—the latter requiring post-processing verification of living hinge geometry with a minimum hinge thickness of 0.6 mm to prevent premature fracture during cyclic actuation testing, as the photopolymer's notched Izod impact strength is substantially lower than that of injection-molded polycarbonate. A known processing constraint occurs when enclosure wall thickness drops below 0.5 mm, at which point brittle fracture during support removal has been documented on multiple production runs using the FabPro™ 1000 platform; design rules therefore specify 0.5 mm as the minimum unsupported wall thickness for non-cosmetic enclosure surfaces.
The use of photopolymer additive manufacturing for assembly fixtures and workholding check gauges in low-volume manufacturing cells introduces a set of dimensional verification requirements that differ fundamentally from those applied to machined fixture bodies produced from 6061-T6 aluminum or ground A2 tool steel. FabPro™ Proto GRY exhibits an anisotropic shrinkage profile dependent on build orientation, with linear shrinkage in the Z-axis reported to be 0.1–0.2% greater than the XY-plane at 30 μm layer thickness, a differential that must be compensated through part-specific scale factors applied within 3D Sprint's mesh processing module prior to file slicing. Compliance for this manufacturing-aid application is governed by ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.1.5.2 on measurement traceability and by ISO 2768-1:1989 for general tolerances on linear dimensions; fixture acceptance criteria are typically documented under the receiving facility's production part approval process, with critical locating features verified using a coordinate measuring machine calibrated to ISO 10360-2:2009 with a maximum permissible error of 1.7 μm + 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ L. The processing specification for fixture fabrication diverges from cosmetic prototype work in that solid builds are specified for all locating surfaces, eliminating internal hollowing to prevent compressive deformation under clamping loads up to 200 N; resin consumption for a typical 150 mm × 100 mm × 25 mm fixture base with integrated locating pins is 112–135 mL at 50 μm layer thickness, with solid fill and 0% internal porosity. Downstream production processes involve DLP printing at 50 μm for dimensional throughput, a three-stage IPA wash protocol of 3.0 minutes per stage at 99%, 97%, and 95% purity respectively, UV post-curing at 60 °C for 30 minutes, precision reaming of printed locating holes using a 6.00 mm H7 reamer at 120 rpm spindle speed to achieve a hole tolerance of +0.012/−0 mm, and installation of hardened steel dowel pins with a light interference fit controlled by a hydraulic press applying ≤ 2.0 kN insertion force. Terminal asset types produced within this scenario include assembly nests with integral part registration features, hand-held trimming fixtures with captive blade carriers, drill guide bushings for composite panel perforation, and temporary workholding positioned across low-volume assembly stations. A documented failure mode observed in production environments involves local creep deformation when printed fixture surfaces sustain continuous static load above 60 °C, conditions encountered adjacent to adhesive curing ovens or ultrasonic welding stations; fixture designs for these thermal environments must incorporate isolation gaps of ≥ 5 mm or specify alternative aluminum-bodied fixtures for sustained elevated-temperature service.
Simultaneously, scaled architectural concept models produced for design review and client presentation occupy a distinct application regime in which the governing performance criterion is not dimensional accuracy to engineering tolerance but rather visual surface quality, massing articulation, and the ability to reproduce fenestration details at 1:100 to 1:200 scale without feature blurring or loss of aperture definition. FabPro™ Proto GRY printed at 50 μm layer thickness on the FabPro™ 1000 reproduces fenestration opening dimensions down to 0.5 mm in the XY plane, which corresponds to a 50 mm window aperture at 1:100 scale, while the opaque gray surface tone provides a neutral substrate for subsequent acrylic paint application without requiring a dedicated primer layer due to the resin's inherently low surface energy that accepts water-based acrylic formulations with wetting sufficient to prevent beading. The architectural modeling segment lacks a single mandatory international standard, but project-level quality expectations are typically defined within the design firm's ISO 9001:2015 quality management documentation under design output control (clause 8.3.4), with visual inspection performed under controlled lighting conditions of 500 lux minimum illuminance. Processing specification for architectural model component output employs part-consolidated printing at 50 μm layer thickness, with structural shells set to 1.2 mm for exterior wall surfaces and internal ribs at 4.0 mm spacing for dimensional rigidity during assembly; a mid-rise building model with a footprint of 200 mm × 150 mm and a height of 300 mm consumes approximately 250–400 mL of resin across 12–20 individual component prints, accounting for failed print allowance and part rework. The downstream fabrication chain includes DLP printing, IPA washing in a 99% concentration bath for 2.0 minutes with agitation, post-curing at 60 °C for 20 minutes, support removal using flush cutters and a rotary tool with a 2.0 mm diameter tungsten carbide bur for internal support access, solvent welding of component interfaces using MEK applied sparingly to joint surfaces, and final surface finishing with 320-grit paper followed by 600-grit wet sanding prior to painting. Terminal deliverables include massing models for early design consultation, detailed facade analysis models with removable floor plates, context models with surrounding building envelopes, and presentation-scale interior layout studies with furniture elements printed separately at 1:50 scale. The print orientation for architectural components typically aligns long wall segments parallel to the XY plane to minimize stair-stepping artifacts on horizontal massing surfaces, while vertical corner details are oriented at 45° to the projection plane to equalize staircase artifacts across adjacent surfaces and reduce post-processing time on complex fenestration geometries.
In hospital-based surgical rehearsal and medical device prototyping departments, the selection of a photopolymer for patient-specific anatomical models moves beyond geometric accuracy requirements into a domain of regulatory subjection where the model itself functions as a design control input under quality system documentation. FabPro™ Proto GRY, printed at 30 μm layer thickness from CT or MRI segmentation data, reproduces osseous surface features with a voxel-to-print dimensional deviation of ≤ 0.2 mm when the segmentation threshold is set at 226 Hounsfield units for cortical bone and the resulting STL mesh is processed through a Laplacian smoothing filter with a moderate factor of 0.25 in 3D Sprint; this level of geometric correspondence meets the user-needs documentation required under ISO 13485:2016 clause 7.3.2 for design inputs. Compliance in this medical application is framed not by material biocompatibility standards—FabPro™ Proto GRY is not certified to ISO 10993-1:2018 biological evaluation and must not contact patient tissue or breached skin—but by the quality management requirements of the institution's device development program, which operates under FDA 21 CFR Part 820 for premarket submission activities and requires documented risk assessment per ISO 14971:2019 Annex C for all prototype models used in surgical planning contexts. The processing specification for patient-specific anatomical model output varies by anatomical region; a full mandible model printed at 30 μm layer thickness with hollow internal structure at 2.0 mm shell thickness consumes 28–40 mL of resin, while a complete femur with proximal articulation surfaces consumes 55–85 mL, with build orientation specified to position planned surgical access surfaces away from support contact to preserve surface integrity at the simulated resection margin. Downstream operations include DLP printing, IPA immersion washing with two-stage agitation at 3.0 minutes per stage, UV post-curing at 60 °C for 30 minutes in a closed chamber with nitrogen purging to reduce surface oxygen inhibition on thin cortical shells, and mechanical separation of supports using rotary instruments at ≤ 10,000 rpm under continuous irrigation to minimize heat generation and local surface degradation. Terminal uses include orthopedic surgical planning models for plate pre-contouring, maxillofacial reconstruction planning models, congenital cardiac defect visualization models printed from contrast-enhanced CT segmentation, and preoperative reference-use models brought into the operative field in sealed transparent pouches without direct patient contact. A clinical engineering limitation that must be documented in design history files is the material's behavior under standard steam sterilization at 134 °C, which causes irreversible dimensional deformation exceeding 2% and renders the model unusable for any subsequent comparative measurement; models intended for operative field reference require non-sterilized containment protocols or gas-based sterilization alternatives such as ethylene oxide at 37 °C, which has been used with acceptable dimensional stability in select institutional settings where validated sterilization procedures are documented under quality system control.
Automotive subsystem suppliers operating within IATF 16949:2016 quality management systems routinely require functional prototype evaluation of connector housings, bracket interfaces, and interior trim fastening systems before committing to steel injection molding tooling investments exceeding $75,000 per cavity set. FabPro™ Proto GRY provides a rigid photopolymer platform for pre-tooling form-and-fit validation, with a notched Izod impact resistance suitable for manual assembly trials involving snap engagements up to five insertion-removal cycles, after which localized stress whitening at snap engagement features becomes visually detectable and the feature integrity no longer represents production polypropylene or polyamide behavior. The compliance framework for automotive prototype components is defined by IATF 16949:2016 clause 8.3.5.2 (prototype programme), which requires that prototype manufacturing processes reflect production-representative methods to the extent possible, and by the dimensional tolerance expectations documented in the customer-specific requirement appendices, where fit-critical features are verified with attribute gauges traceable to ISO 2768-1:1989 general tolerances. Processing specification for connector housing prototypes typically employs 30 μm layer thickness with a build orientation that aligns all mating surfaces perpendicular to the projection plane to minimize stair-step interference on seal retention grooves; a single 12-pin automotive connector housing with outer dimensions of 32 mm × 21 mm × 18 mm consumes 6–9 mL of resin, while a full firewall pass-through bracket with integrated grommet retention features consumes 22–35 mL depending on wall thickness configuration between 1.0 mm and 2.5 mm. Downstream fabrication includes DLP printing, IPA washing with triple-stage immersion at 99% purity for 2.0 minutes per stage, UV post-curing at 60 °C for 25 minutes, snap feature clearance verification using a digitized optical gage with 0.01 mm resolution, and selective reaming of through-holes designated for M4 and M6 fastener assemblies using hand reamers at dimensional increment H8 as specified in ISO 286-2:2010. Terminal component types include engine compartment bracket mockups for wire harness routing evaluation, connector body prototypes for terminal insertion force measurement, interior trim fastening clips for trim panel retention testing, and accelerator pedal bracket simulators for packaging clearance verification in full-vehicle mockup environments. A critical processing boundary observed during production runs involves the material's viscoelastic response at elevated under-hood temperatures; exposure to 85 °C for 1 hour produces a measured 0.5–1.0% permanent set on compressed snap features, a behavior that diverges from the fully elastic recovery characteristic of reinforced polyamide 66 production materials, necessitating that any under-hood fit evaluation be performed at ambient temperature or with explicit dimensional deviation allowances documented in the prototype test report and customer approval documentation.
The transition from printed prototype to short-run production via room-temperature vulcanizing silicone tooling and two-part polyurethane casting represents one of the highest-volume downstream applications for rigid gray photopolymer master patterns in the consumer goods and industrial equipment sectors. FabPro™ Proto GRY functions as the positive master geometry substrate from which platinum-cure or condensation-cure silicone molds are derived, with the surface quality of the printed master dictating the as-cast surface finish on polyurethane parts produced at quantities of 20–200 units per mold set. Industry compliance for this application falls under the receiving production facility's quality system documentation, typically governed by ISO 9001:2015 clause 8.5.4 on preservation during production, combined with aesthetic acceptance criteria referenced from the end customer's engineering drawing package or visual quality standards such as VDI 3400 Section 4, which classifies mold texture depth and reproduction fidelity across defined texture grades. The processing specification requires printing at 50 μm layer thickness for master patterns exceeding 100 mm in the longest dimension to balance surface finish against build time, while small features of ≤ 25 mm use the 30 μm setting; the critical addition-ratio aspect concerns the silicone-to-catalyst mixing ratio specified by the mold rubber manufacturer, commonly 10:1 by weight for platinum-cure systems or 5:1 for condensation-cure systems, with the printed master pattern requiring no surface sealing agent for condensation-cure silicones but a compatible barrier coat consisting of sprayable PVOH or equivalent for platinum-cure systems due to possible cure inhibition from residual photopolymer monomers at the master surface. Downstream processes encompass DLP printing, IPA washing at 99% purity for 2.5 minutes with mechanical agitation, UV post-curing at 60 °C for 30 minutes, surface refinement through progressive sanding from 400-grit to 2000-grit, application of a solvent-based filler primer with 2-hour ambient cure, application of a high-gloss release agent compatible with the specified silicone chemistry, rubber mold pouring under vacuum degassing at −0.095 MPa for 3 minutes, and mold demolding after a 24-hour room-temperature cure. Terminal outputs include production-ready RTV silicone molds capable of casting 20–50 polyurethane parts before mold tearing in high-detail zones, master patterns retained for mold reproduction after wear, and short-run polyurethane components used in field trial programs, sales demonstration units, and pre-production market evaluation samples. One documented additive compatibility limitation involves the interaction between unpolymerized residual resin monomers and platinum-cure silicone systems; without an effective barrier coat, localized cure inhibition at the master-pattern interface produces a tacky mold surface condition that renders the mold unusable, a failure mode observed in approximately 15–20% of uncoated master patterns when post-curing duration falls below 20 minutes or when IPA washing time is reduced below the specified 2.5 minutes per stage.
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3D Systems FabPro™ Proto GRY Plastic is a rigid 405 nm photopolymer resin supplied in cartridge form for the FabPro 1000 DLP system, which has a build envelope of 125 mm × 70 mm × 120 mm. The material is intended for general-purpose prototyping of gray components requiring form-fit verification, dimensional inspection, visual concept approval, and limited functional master patterns. It is an unfilled acrylate formulation that cures by radical photopolymerization under 405 nm LED imaging. It is not a filled composite, not an elastomer, and not a high-impact engineering resin. Manufacturer technical literature positions the material for short-run prototype geometries in which stiffness, surface definition, and printability are more important than toughness. Because datasheet revisions can alter numerical limits, the values in this document are manufacturer-referenced representative values and should be revalidated against the current safety data sheet and technical data sheet before release of a production process.
The material is distributed in sealed cartridges that reduce operator skin contact and free-liquid exposure. Cartridge storage is specified between 10 °C and 30 °C, with an installed operating temperature of approximately 20 °C to 25 °C. If a cartridge is removed from cold storage, the liquid should be conditioned for at least 12 h before printing. At ambient humidity above 60% RH, the uncured liquid can absorb water vapour. Pre-drying of the work area and immediate resealing of the cartridge are therefore required. The DLP recoat cycle is sensitive to viscosity shifts, and moisture-contaminated resin typically presents as thin-layer delamination on overhangs or as microvoids on large flat surfaces.
Fully post-cured specimens of FabPro Proto GRY typically show a brittle-to-rigid response. The manufacturer-reported property window is reproduced below with the controlling test standards. These figures assume post-cure in a compatible 405 nm flood curing unit, such as the 3D Systems LC-3DPrint Box or an equivalent controlled-output chamber, and test specimen conditioning according to the standard methods.
| Property | Test method | Representative value |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength at break | ASTM D638-14 | 38 MPa |
| Tensile modulus | ASTM D638-14 | 1,700 MPa |
| Elongation at break | ASTM D638-14 | 6.2% |
| Flexural strength | ASTM D790-17 | 56 MPa |
| Flexural modulus | ASTM D790-17 | 1,640 MPa |
| Notched Izod impact | ASTM D256-10 | 17 J/m |
| Heat deflection temperature at 0.455 MPa | ASTM D648-18 | 53 °C |
| Shore hardness | ASTM D2240-15 | 82 Shore D |
| Water absorption, 24 h | ASTM D570-98 | 1.0% |
The values in the table are not independent of build orientation and part thickness. Tensile bars printed in the vertical Z direction often show lower elongation at break than XY-printed specimens because interlayer conversion is not identical to in-plane conversion. Published data for this specific orientation-dependent anisotropy in Proto GRY is limited. Comparative tests on similar unfilled 405 nm acrylates indicate that the drop in tensile strength can exceed 15% when Z-axis specimens are printed at 0.100 mm layers without exposure compensation. Users should not transfer data from horizontally oriented specimens to vertically oriented load paths without destructive verification.
Heat deflection temperature under 0.455 MPa places the material below the typical service temperatures of injection-moulded ABS and polycarbonate. Continuous exposure to temperatures above 50 °C can produce creep under modest loads, and hot-air ageing above 60 °C may cause additional yellowing and embrittlement. Published data for this specific resin under long-term thermal ageing is limited.
The resin is not compatible with prolonged alcohol immersion. Cleaning of green-state parts is typically performed in 95% isopropyl alcohol using a short automated rinse, followed by compressed air drying. If a part is left in isopropyl alcohol for more than 10 min, edge softening can occur because uncured monomer and low-molecular-weight oligomers are extracted. Post-cure should be performed after drying. Residual alcohol on the surface can cause frosting or tacky surfaces. Parts built with 0.050 mm layers generally require a post-cure dose of 30 min to 60 min per orientation in a 405 nm chamber. Thicker sections do not automatically compensate for a lower cure dose.
Green-state parts before post-cure have limited strength and should be handled as partially polymerized structures. They are sensitive to room light, ambient oxygen inhibition, and thermal distortion. The build platform and vat should be cleaned with low-lint wipes and filtered back-flow to avoid pigment settling. The gray pigment package can settle during idle periods. The cartridge should therefore be shaken gently and the vat homogenised before restarting a build. High-shear mixing is not recommended because air entrainment creates voids that interfere with DLP recoating.
FabPro Proto GRY should not be combined with leftovers from other resin systems, particularly epoxy-based or cationic photopolymers. Residual acid or base species from those systems can disrupt radical polymerization and shift the working curve. Non-approved cleaning solvents such as acetone can attack cured parts and cause microcracking. Waste liquid is classified according to the safety data sheet, and disposal must follow local regulations for uncured acrylate monomers.
FabPro Proto GRY should be selected for form-and-fit verification, visual concept approval, limited functional mock-ups, and master patterns in which component loads remain below the resin’s tensile yield envelope. The gray surface reduces glare and provides clear contrast for optical surface inspection and structured-light scanning. Surface finish after 0.050 mm layer printing is generally smooth enough for light sanding and primer without extensive filling. However, the material is not a rubber-like resin and not a high-impact resin. Snap-fit cantilevers with retained strain above 3% should be redesigned with larger radii or printed in FabPro Tough BLK. Thin walls below 1.0 mm should be evaluated for warpage and post-cure distortion. Section-thickness variation above 2.0 mm can create differential shrinkage and measurable flatness deviation.
Compared with FabPro Flex BLK, which is formulated for large recoverable strain, Proto GRY exhibits a distinct yield point and lower elongation. Compared with FabPro Tough BLK, whose datasheet reports higher notched Izod and elongation for snap-fit and clip applications, Proto GRY is not recommended for repetitive impact or high-strain assembly. The material also differs from castable resins in the FabPro family. Proto GRY is not formulated for investment-casting burnout and may leave refractory residue or ashing defects in the ceramic shell. Operators should not substitute Proto GRY for castable resin in jewellery or dental burnout workflows.
The resin is supplied for use in DLP systems with a 405 nm light engine. If a printer uses a 385 nm or 365 nm light source, cure depth and exposure reciprocity will shift, and the working curve should be recalibrated. Published data for this exact material on non-405 nm platforms is limited. The FabPro 1000 pixel spacing of 0.047 mm and vertical minimum layer of 0.025 mm define the practical resolution envelope. The resin does not increase resolution beyond the projector pixel limit.
| Designation | Relevant scope | Documented status |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 | REACH registration and SVHC communication | Current safety data sheet is the controlling document; no assumption of SVHC absence should be made without lot-specific documentation |
| Directive 2011/65/EU | RoHS restricted substances in electrical and electronic equipment | Compliance is declared only for the cured article if stated in a product compliance letter; verify with supplier |
| ASTM D638-14 | Tensile property determination | Method used for datasheet tensile property reporting |
| ISO 10993-5 | In vitro cytotoxicity | No medical-device biocompatibility claim is made for FabPro Proto GRY |
For master patterns used in platinum-cure silicone tooling, the surface should be sealed because residual unreacted acrylate or photoinitiator may interfere with cure at the tool interface. A dry polytetrafluoroethylene release film or a one-part barrier coat is applied after full post-cure. Silicone inhibited at the contact surface is a common process failure when uncured resin species remain on the pattern. Operators should qualify the combination of pattern material, barrier coat, and silicone before committing a multi-cavity tool.
