Materials / Compare
SLA Resin Tough 2000 vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare SLA Resin Tough 2000 vs. Steel AISI 1018 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 40.4MPasourcetypical | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 40.4MPasourcetypical | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 67MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 79%sourcetypical | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.8GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 1,090kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 37.1kN·m/kg | 47.3kN·m/kg28% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.65MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg15.4x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 75.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,285m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | 134µm/m·Ksourcemean 0-150 °C | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 671µm growth | 60µm growth11.2x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 13.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/m |
| Glass transition | 112°CsourceDMA | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 57°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | not sourced |
| Values for | Formlabs Tough 2000 Resin V2 (FLTO2002), TDS Rev. 01 10/06/2025; printed on Form 4 at 100 µm, washed in Form Wash V2 10+5 min in >=99% IPA, post-cured 70 °C for 12 min in Form Cure V2. Orientation not stated. | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
SLA Resin Tough 2000 is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is SLA Resin Tough 2000 stronger than Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 40.4 MPa for SLA Resin Tough 2000 (9.21x).
Which is lighter, SLA Resin Tough 2000 or Steel AISI 1018?
SLA Resin Tough 2000 is lighter: 1,090 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, SLA Resin Tough 2000 or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 1.8 GPa for SLA Resin Tough 2000, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, SLA Resin Tough 2000 or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLA Resin Tough 2000 is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | SLA Resin Tough 2000 | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 15.4x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.5x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 28% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.64x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.38x heavier |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 134 µm/m·K for SLA Resin Tough 2000.