HeyGears Transparent Solution: Printing clear parts with 3D printing
Ever wondered how clear, smooth, and professional-looking 3D printed parts are made?
In reality, printing "clear" parts isn't just about the material; it requires careful attention from model design, file preparation, and print settings to post-printing washing, curing, sanding, and coating.
This article covers the HeyGears Transparent 3D Printing workflow—from initial design to the final steps—to show you exactly what it takes to achieve high-quality clear parts.
Transparent design starts with the model itself. If you want a clear and beautiful finish, model design is crucial. Even with high-quality transparent material, poor design can lead to cloudy parts, wavy surfaces, or difficulties during washing and sanding.
1. Continuous geometry transition
Try to avoid extremely sharp edges or corners, especially in areas that need sanding, as sharp edges are harder to polish smooth and may show printing marks more clearly than other areas. Designing gradual shape transitions makes post-processing much easier.
2. Maintain consistent wall thickness
Another factor to watch is wall thickness. If some areas are very thick while others are very thin, light will refract unevenly, making some parts look clear, others cloudy, or resulting in wavy surfaces. Ideally, keep the wall thickness as consistent as possible.
3. Consider hollowing for large parts
Hollowing is a great way to reduce resin consumption. It also makes it easier to manage the resin inside, but you must design appropriate openings and vent holes. Otherwise, trapped resin can affect the clarity of the part.
4. Don't forget Drain Holes
If you hollow a part, you must include drain holes. These allow internal resin to flow out and ensure a more thorough wash. Avoid completely sealed cavities; not only is it hard to drain the resin, but it can also lead to problems during post-processing.
5. Minimize supports
Supports are necessary for printing overhangs or complex shapes, but for clear parts, they can leave marks on the surface. Design and orient your model to minimize the number of supports, which reduces surface marks and saves post-processing time.
6. Design for easy washing
This is often overlooked. Parts with tight corners, narrow channels, or complex patterns can trap resin, making them hard to clean. If high transparency is required, think about "how to wash it" while you are designing the model.
7. Avoid interior sanding
Sanding the exterior is relatively easy, but sanding the inside of a hollow cavity is much harder. If internal finishing is necessary, ensure the design includes enough openings or access for your tools.
Getting to know Modeling PAT10: Material for transparent parts
Beyond design, material quality significantly impacts transparency. HeyGears' solutions include a group of Transparent Engineering Materials designed for applications requiring both clarity and engineering performance. One standout material is PAT10. This material is ideal for applications needing both strength and transparency, making it suitable for prototypes, product design, and parts requiring semi-industrial to industrial-grade quality.
How should you design parts for PAT10? Primarily, aim for smooth surfaces, minimize seams, and maintain consistent wall thickness. Also, avoid structures with many narrow gaps or pockets, as these hinder washing and post-processing, which can affect clarity. In simple terms: good material isn't enough; the model must be designed to suit the material.
Preparing files for printing with Blueprint Studio
Once you have your model, the next step is file preparation. HeyGears uses Blueprint Studio, which provides tools for importing, orientation, hollowing, hole creation, support generation, and slicing.
Step 1: Enter the Slicer mode in the Blueprint Studio software.
Step 2: Select the material that matches your application requirements.
Step 3: Import the model into a new project by clicking the Import icon or dragging and dropping the file directly into the program.
Step 4: In the Prepare page, use various tools as needed, such as Rotate, Scale, Hollow, Hole, Label, Duplicate, and others.
Step 5: Use the Auto-layout command to automatically arrange parts on the build plate.
Step 6: Use the Auto-support command, selecting "Truss support," then generate the supports for the parts.
Step 7: Start the Slicing process. You can rename your job file at this stage.
Step 8: Once slicing is complete, you can review the sliced layers and send the job to the printer from the [Slice Files] page.
How important are Orientation and Support for clear parts?
Two more critical factors are Orientation and Support. Orientation defines the model's position on the printer, while supports are the structures that hold the part during printing. For clear parts, poor orientation can place support marks in visible areas, requiring extra time to clean up.
Always think during the orientation process: "How can I place this to ensure easy printing and the simplest post-processing?" Good initial orientation reduces the need for supports, surface marks, and total post-processing time.
Print finished? Not so fast! Post-processing is next.
For clear parts, post-processing is just as vital as the printing phase itself.
Step 1: Send the slice file to the printer via the Blueprint platform or use a USB flash drive.
Step 2: Start the print job.
Step 3: Set the wash time on the UltraCraft Wash machine or via the Blueprint platform during the wash submission.
Step 4: Set the curing time on the UltraCraft Cure machine or via the Blueprint platform during the cure submission.
Reflex Wash & Cure Machines:
Post-processing: How to make parts clear, smooth, and wave-free?
Required equipment
Have your surface preparation and coating tools ready before starting:
- 320, 400, 600 grit sandpaper
- Clean water
- Soft cloth or microfiber
- Soft brush
- Cleaning agent/solvent
- UltraGlaze ClearG115 coating equipment
- Personal protective equipment (gloves, mask)
Why isn't clear resin 3D printing as clear as glass?
Using transparent resin doesn't automatically result in glass-like clarity. Freshly printed parts are often cloudy or frosted. The main cause is the layer-by-layer printing process, which results in:
- Layer lines
- Surface roughness
- Residual resin
- Micro-scratches
- Surface unevenness causing light scattering
3 Key steps to improve clarity
Sanding → Cleaning → Clear Coating. Skipping any of these can reduce the final transparency.
Step 1: Sand the surface.
Sanding is the most important step for surface smoothing. Before sanding, ensure you have already cured the part for the appropriate time according to the resin's specifications.
Sandpaper progression: How to smooth without waves?
This step has the biggest impact on clarity. We recommend starting from coarse grit and moving to fine grit, without skipping steps.
Use 320 or 400 grit sandpaper to smooth out support marks, then use 600 grit for a final smooth finish.
Step 2: Clean after sanding.
Use a brush to remove dust from the part, especially in crevices and gaps.
Next, place the part in a clean water container and use an ultrasonic cleaner for 3 minutes. Then, blow-dry the part thoroughly and cure for another 30 minutes to remove any residual moisture trapped in the cavities.
Step 3: Coating with UltraGlaze ClearG115
- Pour the required amount of ClearG115 into a clean container.
- Use a clean brush to dip into the ClearG115.
- Apply evenly to the part's surface, moving in a single direction.
- Immediately move the part to the UltraCraft Cure.
- Bake at 50–60°C for about 1 minute.
- Cure at 60°C for about 5 minutes to achieve a smooth, glossy, and consistent finish.
What if the surface is already wavy? Here are basic solutions:
- If not yet cured: You can adjust/smooth the coating before curing.
- If already cured and wavy in specific spots: Sand those specific areas and reapply G115.
The recommended G115 coating workflow is:
Print → Wash → Cure → Sand → Clean → Dry → G115 Coating → Baking → Curing
Before final use, inspect the part again. Check for:
- Surface smoothness
- Remaining sanding marks or layer lines
- Dust particles or air bubbles
- Uneven varnish thickness
- Wavy surfaces or marks
- Consistent transparency and gloss across the entire part
If defects persist, do not immediately re-coat. Evaluate whether the issue stems from the original surface, the sanding, or the coating layer to address it correctly.
Real-world examples from HeyGears
Goldfish (Transparent)
Summary
Creating clear, smooth, and beautiful 3D printed parts isn't just about the material—it requires meticulous attention from design to post-printing.
Notably, "sanding and coating" are essential steps that elevate the part's clarity. Gradually sand from coarse to fine grit and ensure the surface is perfectly clean before coating.
Always cure according to manufacturer recommendations because "a smooth surface before coating results in a clear and beautiful part after coating." Mastering each step in this process is the key to achieving professional, industrial-grade transparent 3D printing.
If you follow this workflow correctly, achieving professional-quality, smooth, and standard-compliant transparent parts will be easy.
