Post-Curing

Cyclic Olefin Resins have incredibly high glass transition temperatures, which necessitates a thermal post-cure.

See the equipment requirements page for a list of validated post cure units.

Validated Post-Curing Processes

Vacuum Oven Post-Curing Protocol

  • Internal Temperature Target: 175 °C
  • Typical Set Point for Cascade Tek Ovens: 185 °C
  • Minimum Vacuum Level: <2 torr
  • Time: 2 hours
  • (Optional) Backfilling with nitrogen or argon will widen the process window, but is not required.

Printer-Specific Details:

  • Asiga: leave the parts on the build head and bake the entire build head
  • Origin: leave the parts on the build head and bake the entire build head
  • ETEC: remove parts from the build head and use double-sided Kapton tape to adhere to a 3-5mm thick glass substrate

Exploratory Post-Curing Processes