Liqcreate, Netherlands-based independent manufacturer of 3D printing resins, has announced the commercial availability of Liqcreate Separation Model, a specialized dental photopolymer engineered to deliver built-in non-adhesion performance toward acrylic-based dental and orthodontic materials, with no additional surface treatment or separating agents required.
Developed in close collaboration with established dental and orthodontic laboratory partners, the resin represents a departure from conventional model-making workflows. Where standard practice requires technicians to apply a separating medium before polymerizing acrylic on the model, Separation Model makes that step entirely unnecessary by incorporating the separation agent into the resin formulation itself.
Rethinking the Orthodontic Appliance Workflow
The motivation behind the Separation Model grew directly from feedback gathered in working dental labs. Technicians fabricating acrylic-based appliances, from retainers and night guards to clasps and partial denture extensions, have long relied on separating agents as an intermediate step between the 3D printed model and the acrylic overlay. Although effective in principle, this approach introduces two recurring challenges. First, it adds time to an already labor-intensive process, and second, it creates room for inconsistency.
While other products claiming comparable separation behavior are already on the market, Liqcreate’s dental collaborators found existing options fell short of practical laboratory demands. That feedback informed the decision to develop an entirely new formulation from scratch, resulting in a material optimized for reliable dental and orthodontic use.
Internal testing confirmed the approach, with the printed parts exhibiting a matte surface finish and high dimensional accuracy, both essential for fit and aesthetics in finished appliances.
Beyond orthodontic work, the resin supports a broad range of cold-cure procedures, including fracture repairs, clasp additions, minor prosthetic extensions, and chairside or laboratory reline applications based on self-curing denture base polymers. Because the separation agent is integrated into the material rather than applied externally, there is no risk of it mixing into the acrylic, resulting in a cleaner, more aesthetically consistent end product.
The Orthodontic Retainer Workflow
Most dental model resins are based on acrylate or methacrylate chemistry. Because these materials share a similar backbone with orthodontic acrylics such as PMMA, they tend to bond during fabrication. In orthodontic laboratories producing retainers, bite plates, and other cold-cure appliances, managing this adhesion remains a persistent operational constraint.
In a typical workflow, a digital scan is converted into a printed model, which is then used to fabricate appliances such as Hawley retainers. To prevent the acrylic from adhering to the model, technicians apply a separating agent prior to polymerisation. This additional step introduces both time overhead and variability. Incomplete coverage can result in localised bonding, while removal of a fused appliance risks damaging either the model or the prosthetic, often requiring the process to be restarted.
Liqcreate’s Separation Model resin is designed to address this constraint at the material level. By incorporating non-adhesive properties into the formulation, the resin enables direct application of cold-cure or self-cure acrylics onto the printed surface without a separate isolating step.
In practice, the workflow is reduced to standard printing and post-curing, followed by direct acrylic application using conventional techniques such as the salt-and-pepper method. After polymerisation, the appliance can be removed without the mechanical resistance typically associated with PMMA bonding.
Removing the need for a manual separating stage reduces one of the most failure-prone steps in orthodontic model production. For laboratories operating at scale, this has implications for throughput, repeatability, and material waste, particularly in high-volume retainer manufacturing.
Broad 3D Printer Compatibility and OEM Availability
Separation Model is compatible with most open-material DLP, MSLA, and laser-based 3D printers operating at wavelengths between 385 and 405 nm. The supported device lineup stretches from entry-level machines like Anycubic, Elegoo, and Phrozen through to high-end professional systems such as Asiga and Raise3D. Liqcreate continues to validate print parameters across additional platforms, with updated profiles made available via its website as new systems are qualified. Print profiles for a range of supported printers are available directly on the Liqcreate website.
For hardware manufacturers and laboratory groups exploring private-label or co-branding options, Separation Model is also available for OEM rebranding and application-specific optimization.
As an independent resin manufacturer with in-house R&D capabilities, Liqcreate is positioned to scale custom formulations quickly and without the channel conflicts that can complicate partnerships with vertically integrated suppliers. Customers with specific requirements, whether targeting particular printing speeds, mechanical profiles, or clinical workflows, can engage Liqcreate’s development team directly to explore tailored solutions.Liqcreate Separation Model is available now in 1 kg units (order number LSM01000) through the Liqcreate online store or via [email protected]. For further information, visit Liqcreate.
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Featured image shows Liqcreate Separation Model Resin. Image via Liqcreate.
