Material Profile: RPG (Tabletop Gaming) Resin for SLA / LCD 3D
Phrozen SLA / LCD Resin Technical Report Series
Compiled from Phrozen official datasheets, SDS documents, and third-party technical reviews
Abstract—Phrozen RPG Resin (Gray / Beige / Smoke White) is a 405 nm UV photopolymer engineered for tabletop gaming miniatures. It combines impact resistance with measured flex to resist chipping and repeated handling — up to twice the resistance to brittleness compared with standard 8K resins — while preserving 8K-level detail reproduction. Support tips down to 0.08 mm enable clean removal from delicate features.
Index Terms—additive manufacturing, SLA, LCD, photopolymer, tabletop miniatures, D&D, Warhammer, impact resistance.
I. MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION
This section establishes the canonical names and commercial designations under which the resin is supplied.
A. Designation
Trade name: Phrozen RPG Resin (8K Series). Colors: Gray, Beige, Smoke White.
B. Resin Family
Acrylate / urethane-acrylate photopolymer with toughness-enhancing oligomer modifiers; 405 nm UV photoinitiation.
C. Aliases and Alternative Designations
|
Alias |
Origin / Usage |
|
Phrozen RPG |
Standard product designation |
|
RPG Gray / Beige / Smoke |
Three available colors |
|
High Resolution Series RPG |
Phrozen catalogue series |
II. COMPOSITION AND PHOTOPOLYMER CHEMISTRY
A. General Resin Family
Generic photo-polymerisation: monomers (multi-functional acrylates / urethane-acrylates) + photoinitiator (e.g., TPO / BAPO) + 405 nm UV → crosslinked thermoset network. Exact formulation is proprietary.
Fig. 1. Photopolymer crosslinking schematic for the resin family.
Fig. 2. SLA / LCD print → wash → post-cure process flow.
B. Composition Breakdown
TABLE I COMPOSITIONAL BREAKDOWN OF RPG RESIN (TYPICAL / PER SUPPLIER DATASHEET)
|
Constituent |
Mass fraction |
Function |
|
Multi-functional acrylate + toughened urethane-acrylate oligomers |
≈ 70–85 wt% |
Form the backbone of the cured network |
|
Reactive diluents (low-viscosity acrylates) |
≈ 10–20 wt% |
Reduce viscosity; increase crosslink density |
|
Photoinitiator (acylphosphine oxide, e.g., TPO) |
≈ 1–3 wt% |
Absorbs 405 nm UV, initiates radical polymerisation |
|
Pigments, stabilisers, additives |
≈ 1–3 wt% |
Color, UV blocker for shelf life, surface flow |
|
Total |
100 wt% |
— |
III. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
RPG resin is differentiated from generic 8K detail resins by its impact resistance — drop tests (15 demon miniatures from various heights) found all models survived intact. Properties below are for fully post-cured parts.
TABLE II MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF RPG RESIN (POST-CURE, ISO 527 / ASTM D638)
|
Property |
Value |
Test method / source |
|
Density |
≈ 1.13 g/cm³ |
ASTM D792 |
|
Viscosity (uncured liquid) |
≈ 280–350 cP @ 25 °C |
Brookfield viscometer |
|
Surface hardness |
≈ Shore D 80–85 |
ASTM D2240 |
|
Tensile strength, ultimate (UTS) |
≈ 45–55 MPa |
ASTM D638 / ISO 527 |
|
Tensile (Young's) modulus |
≈ 1700–2100 MPa |
ASTM D638 |
|
Elongation at break |
≈ 10–18 % |
ASTM D638 |
|
Flexural strength |
≈ 55–65 MPa |
ASTM D790 |
|
Izod impact, notched (23 °C) |
≈ 25–35 J/m |
ASTM D256 |
IV. RECOMMENDED PRINT PARAMETERS
Values below are the manufacturer-recommended starting points for compatible Phrozen LCD printers; specific machines may require ±10–20% adjustment based on LCD age and ambient temperature.
TABLE III RECOMMENDED PRINT AND POST-PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR RPG RESIN
|
Parameter |
Value / range |
Notes |
|
UV wavelength |
405 nm |
Standard for Phrozen LCD printers |
|
Compatible printers |
Sonic Mini 8K / 8K S, Sonic Mighty 8K / 12K, Sonic Mega 8K |
Best paired with the indicated resolution class |
|
Layer thickness |
0.025–0.050 mm (typical 0.030 mm) |
Thinner layers improve detail at the cost of print time |
|
Normal exposure (per layer) |
≈ 2.5–5.0 s; 4K printers ≈ 3–4 s |
Test-tower validation recommended |
|
Bottom exposure |
≈ 25–35 s × 6 layers |
First-layer adhesion to build plate |
|
Lift distance / speed |
≈ 6–8 mm @ 60–100 mm/min |
Slower for fine geometries |
|
Wash medium |
Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or 95% ethanol |
30–60 s wash; do not over-soak |
|
Post-cure |
405 nm UV box, 30–120 min depending on size |
Phrozen Cure Mega S or equivalent |
V. GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE (TG)
Reported / typical Tg: ≈ 65–75 °C.
Post-cure 30–120 min at 405 nm depending on lamp intensity and part size; insufficient cure significantly reduces toughness and impact response.
VI. HEAT DEFLECTION TEMPERATURE (HDT)
HDT defines the temperature at which a 1.27 mm-thick standardised bar deflects 0.25 mm under the specified flexural load. Two test loads are reported per ASTM D648 / ISO 75.
TABLE IV HEAT DEFLECTION TEMPERATURE OF RPG RESIN
|
Test load |
HDT |
Test method / source |
|
0.45 MPa |
≈ 65–72 °C |
ASTM D648 |
|
1.82 MPa |
≈ 58–65 °C (estimate) |
ASTM D648 |
VII. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS AND STANDARDS
A. Impact resistance — up to 2× vs standard 8K resins
Phrozen reports up to twice the resistance to brittleness vs typical 8K detail resins. Independent reviewer drop-tests on 15 demon miniatures from varying heights showed all survived intact — uncommon among detail-grade resins.
B. Ultra-fine support compatibility
Supports tip sizes down to ~0.08 mm reduce post-processing time and protect delicate sculpted features (cloaks, blade edges, fingers) during removal.
C. 8K-level detail with toughness
Rare combination — most resins trade off detail for toughness or vice versa. RPG delivers both, making it the de-facto choice for tabletop miniatures that get played with regularly.
D. Three game-friendly colors
Gray (paint-ready primer base), Beige (skin-tone bases), and Smoke White (high-contrast for detail visualisation).
VIII. REPRESENTATIVE APPLICATIONS
RPG Resin is typically deployed in the following applications:
1) Tabletop wargame miniatures: Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, Bolt Action: durable infantry, vehicles, terrain.
2) TRPG / D&D character miniatures: Player and NPC figurines that survive frequent handling and transport.
3) Convention demo pieces: Show-quality models that travel safely without padding.
4) Prototype casts for sculpt review: Fit checks and demos where detail and toughness both matter.
5) Cost-efficient short-run production: 1 kg bottles support short runs of accessories and display pieces.
IX. REFERENCES
[1] Phrozen Technology, “RPG Resin Product Page,” 2024. Available: https://phrozen3d.com/products/rpg-resin
[2] Phrozen Technology, “RPG Resin Safety Data Sheet,” 2024. Available: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0436/6965/1618/files/SDS-Phrozen-RPG-Resin.pdf
[3] Gray Scalp Miniatures, “Phrozen RPG Resin Review,” 2024. Available: https://www.grayscalpminiatures.com/blog-3/phrozen-rpg-resin-review
[4] ASTM D638-14, “Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics,” ASTM International.
[5] ASTM D2240-15, “Standard Test Method for Rubber Property — Durometer Hardness,” ASTM International.
[6] ASTM D648-18, “Standard Test Method for Deflection Temperature of Plastics Under Flexural Load,” ASTM International.
(Image Source : Phrozen)