When winter does not let up and temperatures drop not only outdoors, problems with 3D print quality may begin to appear. This mainly affects budget printers that are not equipped with automatic resin heating systems or a heated build chamber. How can issues related to low-temperature 3D printing be minimized?

Operating temperature has a crucial impact on the quality and stability of 3D printing with photopolymer resins. The optimal temperature range for most resins is between 20 and 35 °C. Model resins perform best at around 25 °C. At temperatures close to 20 °C, printing is still possible with properly adjusted parameters and the use of professional resins such as EVOCURE MODEL PRO. Below this threshold, however, typical technological issues begin to appear, often leading to failed prints or reduced detail quality.

Causes of 3D printing problems at low temperatures

Low temperatures increase resin viscosity and reduce its reactivity, which directly affects its behavior during the 3D printing process. Thicker resin stabilizes more slowly after the movement of the build platform. In addition, the photopolymerization reaction responsible for curing successive layers under UV light is also slowed down.

Under these conditions, a standard print profile is no longer valid, as its parameters were developed for resin operating at optimal temperature. To compensate for this effect, it is necessary to extend the resin settling time after each layer and increase the exposure time. This helps reduce the impact of the material’s decreased reactivity. However, a new issue may arise once the resin reaches its optimal temperature during the printing process.

Possible issues when printing at low temperatures

Another common problem when printing at low temperatures is reduced adhesion of prints to the build platform and delamination between layers. A cold build plate combined with low-reactivity, poorly flowing resin can result in partial or complete loss of adhesion.

The consequences include failed prints, models detaching from the platform, deformation occurring already during the first layers, and insufficient bonding between layers. This is one of the most frequent and characteristic symptoms of operating a printer at too low a temperature.

Low temperatures also negatively affect the quality of fine details. With a slowed curing reaction, small features may not be fully or correctly cured. As a result, prints lose dimensional accuracy, edge sharpness, and surface detail. In laboratory environments—especially in prosthetic applications—this is of critical importance, as even minor deviations can affect the functionality and fit of the final component.

Solutions

The simplest way to reduce the described problems is to ensure an appropriate ambient temperature in the room where the printer operates. Under normal laboratory conditions, this is usually easy to achieve. Problems may arise after a weekend break, when warming up both the printer and the resin can take a considerable amount of time.

In such cases, preheating the resin outside the printer can be helpful. However, placing resin bottles in an oven or hot water must be strictly avoided. A much safer and more controlled solution is the use of dedicated heated rollers. During the actual printing process, additional heating is usually not necessary, as UV LEDs, the limited light transmission of the LCD panel, and the polymerization process itself generate enough residual heat to stabilize the resin temperature.

A proven solution to low-temperature 3D printing issues is the use of ready-made external heaters installed inside the printer. These solutions work similarly to the integrated heating systems found in higher-end machines, although their limitation is often less precise temperature control. Heating is achieved by circulating warm air inside the printer chamber, and the sensors measure air temperature rather than the resin temperature itself—something that must be taken into account during operation.

An alternative solution—more effective but also requiring greater modification—is direct heating of the resin vat using a heating belt mounted on its surface. The aluminum vat heats evenly and transfers heat to the entire volume of resin, allowing a stable temperature to be maintained throughout the entire printing process.