Stereolithography (SLA) Printing

Stereolithography (SLA) printing is an additive manufacturing process that utilizes a liquid photopolymer resin cured by a UV laser to create three-dimensional objects. In SLA printing, a build platform is submerged in a tank filled with liquid resin. A UV laser selectively irradiates the resin, causing it to solidify and form thin layers according to the cross-sections of the 3D model. As each layer is cured, the build platform moves incrementally, gradually building up the object from the bottom up. Once the printing is complete, the object is removed from the resin tank and rinsed in a solvent to remove any excess resin.

SLA printing offers high resolution, fine detail, and smooth surface finish, making it ideal for producing highly detailed prototypes, intricate models, and functional parts with complex geometries. This process is widely used in industries such as engineering, healthcare, jewelry, and automotive for rapid prototyping, product development, and manufacturing applications.

Machine capacity:

3x FDM printers = 50kg mass daily.

Materials:

Stereolithography (SLA) printing primarily uses liquid photopolymer resins that cure when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. Here are some of the most common materials used in SLA printing:

  1. Standard Resins: These resins are versatile and offer a balance of properties suitable for a wide range of applications. They come in various colors and are commonly used for prototyping, concept models, and visual aids.
  2. Tough and Durable Resins: These resins are engineered to produce parts with enhanced toughness, impact resistance, and durability. They are suitable for functional prototypes, engineering components, and end-use parts requiring mechanical strength.
  3. Flexible Resins: Flexible resins produce parts with rubber-like properties, such as flexibility, elasticity, and resilience. They are used for producing soft-touch components, gaskets, seals, and wearable prototypes.
  4. High-Temperature Resins: High-temperature resins offer heat resistance, thermal stability, and resistance to deformation at elevated temperatures. They are used in applications such as injection molding tooling, under-the-hood automotive parts, and aerospace components.
  5. Transparent Resins: Transparent resins produce parts with optical clarity, allowing for the creation of clear and translucent prototypes, lenses, light guides, and display models.
  6. Dental Resins: Dental resins are biocompatible and specifically formulated for dental applications, including crowns, bridges, surgical guides, and orthodontic models.
  7. Castable Resins: Castable resins are formulated for jewelry and investment casting applications. They burn out cleanly without leaving residues, allowing for the production of detailed and intricate patterns for casting in metal.
  8. Bio-Compatible Resins: Bio-compatible resins are formulated to meet medical-grade standards for biocompatibility, making them suitable for producing surgical guides, prosthetics, and anatomical models for medical and healthcare applications.

Example parts we've produced: