SLA
UV laser cures liquid resin at 0.025mm layers. The result: surface finish and detail no other AM process touches. Go-to for visual prototypes, medical models, and anything spec'd to ±0.2mm.
SLA
Tightest tolerances. Smoothest surfaces.
UV laser cures liquid resin at 0.025mm layers. The result: surface finish and detail no other AM process touches. Go-to for visual prototypes, medical models, and anything spec'd to ±0.2mm.
Stereolithography (SLA) cures liquid photopolymer resin with a UV laser that traces each layer from below. The build platform starts at the bottom of the resin tank and rises incrementally as each layer is cured — building parts upside down. This inverted process delivers the best surface finish and tightest tolerances in our catalog.
When to choose SLA
Surface finish matters
Accuracy is critical
Parts will be painted/presented
Fine detail needed
Wide resin selection needed
Strengths
- + Best surface finish (2 Ra μm)
- + Tightest tolerances (±0.2mm)
- + Finest resolution (25 μm)
- + 12 material options
- + Snap-fit validation
Limitations
- – Smaller build volume
- – Post-curing required
- – Not UV stable outdoors
- – Supports always required
- – Higher cost than FDM
Technology specs
Quick compare
Recommended parameters when designing parts for SLA.
Post-processing
Standard finishing included with every SLA order. Optional services available on request.
Included (standard)
Optional (quoted separately)
Shipping & delivery
Every SLA order ships from our production facility in Brooklyn, NY. Lead time starts at From 2 business days. Enter your zip code to see exactly when parts will arrive at your door.
Same day, free. Brooklyn facility, Mon\u2013Fri 10am\u20135:30pm ET.
Same day across all five boroughs and northern NJ.
UPS Ground, 2nd Day Air, and Next Day Air. Tracked and insured.
Standard Resin
Smooth surface, fine detail. Good for visual prototypes and concept models.
Durable Resin
Polypropylene-like. Flexible, fatigue resistant. Good for snap fits and living hinges.
Tough 2K
ABS-like toughness with SLA detail. Functional prototypes that need impact resistance.
Tough 1500
Polypropylene-like toughness. High impact resistance and flexibility.
High Temp
HDT 238°C. Molds, tooling, and parts exposed to heat.
Flexible
Shore 80A. Bendable, compressible. Gaskets, seals, and soft-touch components.
Elastic
Shore 50A. Highly elastic and tear resistant. Wearables and skin-contact parts.
Castable
Burns out cleanly for investment casting. Jewelry and metal part production.
Rigid 4K
Glass-filled resin. Very high stiffness and precision. Ideal for molds, jigs, and fixtures.
Grey Pro
High precision, moderate elongation, low creep. Great for concept modeling and functional prototyping.
Rigid 10K
Highly glass-filled. Stiffest SLA material. For precise industrial parts under significant load.
Applications
SLA is available on our and and and and and services. Typical jobs:
Iterate on enclosures, brackets, and assemblies.
Test form, fit, function before committing.
Presentation-quality parts for demo day.
Client-ready visual prototypes.
Snap-fit and assembly validation.
Investment casting patterns in Castable resin.
Anatomical models for surgical planning.
Keep shipping while your injection mold is being cut.
Production runs below the injection molding crossover.
End-use nylon parts without mold tooling.
On-demand spares for legacy products.
Iterate on enclosures, brackets, and assemblies without waiting for tooling.
Test form, fit, and function with production-grade materials before committing.
Presentation-quality parts that look and feel like the final product.
Validate tolerances, material behavior, and assembly flow at low volume.
Custom tooling for your production line — printed and delivered in days.
Parts that go directly into products your customers buy and use.
Fill gaps in your supply chain without retooling or long lead times.
Keep shipping while injection mold tooling is still being cut.
Hundreds to thousands of identical parts — no MOQ from a mold shop.
On-demand spares for legacy products without warehousing inventory.
Reverse-engineer and reproduce discontinued parts from scans or drawings.
Combine multi-part assemblies into single printed components.
Topology optimization and lattice structures to reduce weight without sacrificing strength.
Evaluate your design for printability before committing to a production run.
Convert 3D scans into production-ready CAD models.
Custom jigs, fixtures, and mold masters designed for additive manufacturing.
Redesign production fixtures to reduce weight, improve ergonomics, and speed up assembly.
Compare SLA with others
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| Spec |
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| Build volume |
| Lead time |
| Tolerances |
| Support scarring |
| Level of detail |
| Price |
Other technologies
Fast, strong, cheap. The shop floor default.
SLA at scale. Up to 1000mm.
Production nylon. No support structures. Isotropic strength.
The biggest parts we build. Up to 1200mm.
Ready to start production?
Upload your CAD file and get a quote in minutes — or talk to our engineers about your next production run.