Tough 1500 Resin
A resilient SLA resin with strength, stiffness, and toughness comparable to polypropylene (PP). Tough 1500 balances stiffness with spring-back, so compliant mechanisms, snap fits, and self-tapping screw bosses keep working after repeated cycles.
Real Tough 1500 Parts
Actual Formlabs SLA prints in Tough 1500 Resin, not renders.
Summary & Key Takeaways
- Simulates Polypropylene: Stiffness and toughness in the range of PP, so PP-intended designs can be validated before tooling.
- Stiffness Plus Spring-Back: 155% elongation at break at a 1.46 GPa tensile modulus, the balance point between flexible Tough 1000 and rigid Tough 2000.
- Holds Screws and Snap Fits: Suited to self-tapping screw bosses, snap-fit connectors, and compliant mechanisms that get assembled and disassembled.
- Skin Safe: Rated skin safe on its technical data sheet, which makes it usable for wearables and handled parts.
Compare Tough 1500 to Other 3D Printing Materials
A quick, scannable comparison against the alternatives engineers usually weigh against it. All values are shown at once; use the buttons to focus on one comparison at a time.
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| Property | Tough 1500 | Tough 1000 | Tough 2000 | Nylon 12 SLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile modulus | 1.46 GPa | 0.931 GPa | 1.8 GPa | 1.9 GPa |
| Flexural strength | 41 MPa | 29 MPa | 67 MPa | 66 MPa |
| Elongation at break | 155% | 180% | 79% | 11% |
| Notched Izod impact | 42 J/m | 72 J/m | 25 J/m | 32 J/m |
| Heat deflection temp (0.45 MPa) | 66 °C | 44.6 °C | 70 °C | 87 °C |
| Support structures | Removable supports for overhangs | Removable supports for overhangs | Removable supports for overhangs | None required |
Why Choose Tough 1500 Resin?
The middle of the Tough family, and the one to reach for when a part has to be stiff enough to hold shape and compliant enough to snap together.
Compliant Without Going Soft
A 1.46 GPa tensile modulus keeps walls and bosses rigid under load, while 155% elongation at break lets snap arms and living features deflect and return without taking a permanent set.
Assemblies That Come Apart Again
Self-tapping screws bite and hold, and snap-fit connectors survive repeated engagement, so multi-part enclosures and fixtures can be assembled, opened, and reassembled during testing.
Resists Fracture, Not Just Impact
High fracture toughness means a crack has to do real work to travel, so parts absorb drops and clamping loads rather than splitting from a stress riser such as a sharp internal corner or a screw boss.
Tough 1500 Design Rules (DFM) at a Glance
Formlabs SLA design guidelines for Form 3 and Form 4 generation printers. Check your CAD feature dimensions against these limits before uploading your file.
| Min. wall thickness (supported) | 1.0 mm |
|---|---|
| Min. wall thickness (unsupported) | 1.0 mm |
| Min. embossed detail | 0.1 mm |
| Min. engraved detail (width & depth) | 0.15 mm |
| Min. hole diameter | 0.5 mm |
| Min. drain hole diameter | 2.5 mm |
| Clearance between separate or moving parts | 0.5 mm min |
| Max. unsupported overhang | 5.0 mm · 10° min. angle from level |
| Dimensional tolerance (XY) |
±0.15% or ±0.02 mm, features up to 30 mm ±0.3% or ±0.06 mm, features 31 to 80 mm ±0.3% or ±0.15 mm, features 81 to 150 mm (whichever is larger) |
| Max. single-part build size | 353 × 196 × 350 mm |
Source: Formlabs SLA design specifications for Form 3 / Form 4 generation printers, adapted to hold walls to a higher minimum than Formlabs' published figures. Tough 1500 is resilient rather than brittle, so it tolerates thin features better than a glass-filled resin, but the same minimum wall applies so parts survive support removal and handling. These are general guidelines; cross-section, hole depth, and part geometry can shift the safe minimums for a specific design. Maximum build size reflects our largest-format SLA printer; actual build size depends on which machine your order routes to. Dimensional tolerance is Formlabs' published typical XY tolerance, taking the widest figure across the SLA printers we run for each feature-size band.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about designing, ordering, and using Tough 1500 parts on Form Now.