Formlabs Tough Challenge Results: Winners, Runners‑Up, and Record‑Breaking Resins

We put out the #FormlabsToughChallenge to push 3D printed materials to their breaking point, and the Formlabs community answered. We received so many great videos of people thinking of new and creative ways to smash, crush, and explode 3D printed spheres made from the new Tough Family of resins. 

When we talk about “toughness” for materials, we are describing the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing. There are a variety of ways to measure toughness. One way is to measure the energy absorbed from a hit or collision, which is called “impact strength.” This is different from "strength," which is measured in force per area. Toughness can also be characterized in other ways, like measuring the energy required to propagate a crack. Toughness is important when you want a part that needs to withstand extreme dynamic loads, like protective housing. 

For the #FormlabsToughChallenge, power users were tasked with finding the most creative ways to push the new Tough 2000 Resin or Tough 1500 Resin to its breaking point. Our winner received a full Form 4 Ecosystem and Tough Resin Family materials, so they can continue making creative projects and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Below, see our winning video and learn who came in as runners-up. 

It was a tough competition, but ultimately, Instagram user @Sllyzpf won the grand prize of a new, complete Form 4 Ecosystem & Tough Resin Family. In their video, @Sllyzpf pressurized identical spheres with  CO2 to observe how much pressure they could withstand before fracturing. 

The grey material withstands higher pressure, while the transparent material shows greater deformation before failure. Strength versus ductility, visualized very clearly. So what did we learn? The grey material can handle higher pressure, the transparent material absorbs more deformation, and failure behavior matters just as much as strength.”

@Sllyzpf

But there were so many other amazing entries from the competition that we loved! Here are some of our favorites…

Instagram user tanush0505, a Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Engineering student at Case Western Reserve University, conducted an impact test with the assistance of the track and field team. In a series of escalating throws, @tanush0505 and his friend Toby, a shotput thrower, launched PLA and polycarbonate spheres across their school’s gym. Ultimately, after two weighted throws, the polycarbonate sphere was deemed the toughest. 

“[Polycarbonate] took two weighted throws from Toby before it finally fractured. That alone is a big signal it can absorb a lot more energy before failing.”

@tanush0505

LinkedIn User Gabriel Dimitrov, a drone technician, utilized his knowledge of drones to drop the spheres at nearly 50mph from 70ft in the air! He tested 4 materials—LW-PLA, PLA, ABS, and TPU — ultimately finding that TPU endured the most damage without failure.

You know those foam stomp rockets you used to play with as a kid? Instagram user @cad2life_designer supercharged one with 90 PSI and replaced the toy rocket with a customized 3D printed test sphere. They used a variety of 3D printers and materials, including Formlabs Tough 2000 Resin V1, to launch five spheres, finding that while all the other materials tested fractured to varying extents, Formlabs Tough 2000 Resin V1 did not: it “only got dirty” upon impact.

“PEETG, Exploded. PC blend, the top blew off. PLA, also exploded. ABS, cracked. And our tough 2000, only got dirty."

cad2life_designer

Saturday morning cartoons were the inspiration for user Keegan Yingling’s test. Keegan put googly eyes on his ASA and TPU spheres, then dropped heavy anvils on them using an electromagnet. After calculating the joules of impact energy, he found that TPU was the tougher material. 

We here at Formlabs had a blast watching each of your videos, and want to thank everyone around the world who tested their ideas in the #FormlabsToughChallenge! To test the toughness of our most rugged resins for yourself, request a free SLA 3D printed sample below.