Clear 3D Printed Parts
For prototyping purposes clear 3D printed parts are sometimes required. These can range from a lens for an automotive headlight to a clear manifold block for fluid flow studies. No mater what the reason is, we can help you with your 3D printed clear parts. At Forerunner 3DP we have 2 different 3D printing technologies that can produce clear prototype parts:
SLA 3D Printing Accura ClearVue:
Utilized in a variety of demanding applications, 3D Systems Accura ClearVue for SLA is the most clear and colorless 3D printing material on the market. Formulated for ease-of-processing, exceptional detail and smooth surface finish, strength, durability and moisture resistance, it simulates the properties and appearance of Polycarbonate and ABS. This unique combination of clarity, material properties and processing speed makes Accura ClearVue a high performing and cost-effective choice for aesthetic and functional prototypes used to improve product development efficiency of consumer goods, automotive, aerospace and medical components.
More information on this material can be found here.
Mechanical Properties – Post-Cured Material
| Property Description | Measurement (Metric) | Measurement (English) |
| Tensile Strength (MPa | PSI) | 46-53 | 6700-7700 |
| Tensile Modulus (MPa | KSI) | 2270-2640 | 329-383 |
| Elongation at Break | 3-15 % | 3-15 % |
| Flexural Strength (MPa | PSI) | 72-84 | 10400-12200 |
| Flexural Modulus (MPa | KSI) | 1980-2310 | 287-335 |
| Impact Strength (J/m | Ft-lbs/in) | 40-58 | 0.7-1.1 |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 51 °C @ 0.45 MPa (66 PSI) 50 °C @ 1.82 MPa (264 PSI) | 124 °F @ 0.45 MPa (66 PSI) 122 °F @ 1.82 MPa (264 PSI) |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)(μm/m-°C | μin/in-°F) | 25-50 °C =122 50-100 °C = 155 | 25-50 °C = 68 50-100 °C = 86 |
| Glass Transition (Tg) | 62 °C | 144 °F |
| Hardness, Shore D | 80 | 80 |
| Water Absorption | 0.3 % | 0.3 % |
| Solid Density (g/cm3 | lbs/in3) @ 25 °C (77 °F) | 1.17 | 0.042 |
Optical Properties
| Property Description | Value |
| Haze @ 0.495 mm (0.195 in) | 4.3 % |
| Luminous Transmittance @ 0.495 mm (0.195 in) | 87.2 % |
| Diffuse Transmittance @ 0.495 mm (0.195 in) | 3.8 % |
| Index of Refraction | 1.508 |
| L* | 95.45 |
| a* | -0.54 |
| b* | 1.36 |
Examples using Accura ClearVue SLA 3D Printing:
SLA 3D Printing Clear General Purpose:
Clear Resin is a rigid material that polishes to near optical transparency, making it ideal for working with light or showcasing internal features.
- High Detail. For demanding applications, our carefully-engineered resins capture the finest features in your model.
- Strong and Precise. These resins create accurate and robust parts, ideal for rapid prototyping, functional testing and product development.
- Smooth Surface Finish. Perfectly smooth right out of the printer, parts printed on our stereolithography printers have the polish and finish of a final product.
More information on this material can be found here.
Mechanical Properties – 5 min (Ambient) Cured Material
| Property Description | Measurement (Metric) | Measurement (English) |
| Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa | PSI) | 51 | 7340 |
| Tensile Modulus (MPa | KSI) | 2575 | 373 |
| Elongation at Break | 10 % | 10 % |
| Flexural Strength (MPa | PSI) | 92 | 13343 |
| Flexural Modulus (MPa | KSI) | 2450 | 355 |
| Notched Izod (J/m | ft-lbf/in) | 29 | 0.542 |
| Heat Deflection Temperature – Post-Cured 5 min (Ambient) | 56 °C @ 0.45 MPa (66 PSI) 49 °C @ 1.82 MPa (264 PSI) | 133 °F @ 0.45 MPa (66 PSI) 120 °F @ 1.82 MPa (264 PSI) |
Polished Optical Properties – 5 min (Ambient) Cured Material
| Transmission @ 2mm | 85% |
| a* @ 2mm | -4.02 |
| b* @ 2mm | 7.52 |
| Transmission @ 10mm | 59% |
| a* @ 10mm | -4.25 |
| b* @ 10mm | 5.98 |
a* and b* are more commonly associated with the CIELAB color space, where they denote axes for color measurement
a* axis: Ranges from green to red, with negative values indicating green and positive values indicating red.
b* axis: Ranges from blue to yellow, with negative values indicating blue and positive values indicating yellow.
Examples using Clear General Purpose SLA 3D Printing:
PolyJet 3D Printing VeroClear:
VeroClear is a transparent material that simulates PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), commonly known as acrylic. Like PMMA, VeroClear is used as an alternative to glass and is ideal for concept modeling and design verification of clear parts such as eyewear, light covers, and medical devices. It offers strength, stiffness, elongation and impact resistance, and the ability to blend with other materials for a range of opacities, hues, and hardness. VeroClear enables visualization of internal components and features, and simulation of glass ideal for form and fit testing of see-through parts.
Mechanical / Thermal Properties
| ASTM Method | Property Description | Metric | Imperial |
| D-638-03 | Tensile Strength | 50-65 MPa | 7,250-9,450 psi |
| D-638-05 | Elongation at Break | 10-25% | 10-25% |
| D-638-04 | Modulus of Elasticity | 2,000-3,000 MPa | 290,000-435,000 psi |
| D-790-03 | Flexural Strength | 75-110 MPa | 11,000-16,000 psi |
| D-790-04 | Flexural Modulus | 2,200-3,200 MPa | 320,000-465,000 psi |
| D-256-06 | Izod Impact (Notched) | 20-30 J/m | 0.375-0.562 ft-lb/inch |
| DD-648-06 | HDT @ 0.46 MPa (66 psi) | 45-50 °C | 113-122 °F |
| D-648-07 | HDT @ 1.81 MPa (264 psi) | 45-50 °C | 113-122 °F |
Examples using VeroClear Polyjet 3D Printing:
Standard finishes offered for clear parts:
- Clear – Level 0 Strip & Ship – Excess resin is cleaned off the parts and supports are removed. Support surfaces are not sanded and are left rough. Part is transparent but layer lines are visible and looking through the part will be blurry.
- Unless specified this is the finish all parts we print are shipped with.
- Cost: FREE
- Clear – Level 1 Bead Blast – Support surfaces are sanded. Bead blast applied to entire part for uniform finish. Parts have a smoked appearance like a milk jug.
- Cost: $
- Clear – Level 2 Rough Coat – Rough support areas are sanded smooth and the part is clear coated, layer lines will be visible in the clear coat but you can easily see through the part and make out details on the other side.
- Cost: $$$
- Clear – Level 3 Optical Coat – Layer lines removed from the entire part by hand sanding, Part is then clear coated and its as close to being optically clear* as is possible.
- Cost: $$$$
Note: *There is no such thing as a truly “optically clear” 3D printed part. To the human eye the part will appear clear like glass, but due to the part being built with layers it will scatter things like light, lasers, and sometimes vision systems in unpredictable ways.
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