

Stereolithography
(SLA) 3D Printing Services
High Detail Engineering Resins
Stereolithography (SLA) offers ultra fast turnaround of high accuracy 3D printed parts with excellent surface finish. Capable of manufacturing parts up to 59 x 30 x 22 inches in a single build in less than 24 hours.


What is Stereolithography 3D Printing?
Stereolithography (SLA) is an industrial 3D printing process which offers the industries best precision and speed, with minimal need for support structures. Our SLA machines enables the production of intricate parts with tight tolerances, making it suitable for a range of demanding industries such as aerospace, automotive, robotics, consumer products and high quality visual prototypes. Its efficiency, high quality surface finish and versatility make SLA a valuable technology in both rapid prototyping and end-use manufacturing applications alike.
Forge Labs uses 3D System's industrial SLA machines which offer the largest build envelopes commercially available, able to produce parts up to 1500 mm (59 inches) in a single build. Layers are cured by ultraviolet laser through a process called vat photopolymerization to solidify the pattern layer by layer. Unlike desktop SLA machines, our parts are produced underneath the resin which dramatically reduces peeling forces. This allows for our parts to be produced with superior mechanical properties, surface finish and accuracy compared to inverted stereolithography.


59" x 30"
Max X/Y Build Volume
± 0.2
MM Part Tolerances
6
High Performance Materials
2-5 Day
Average Lead Time
Engineering Resins | Stereolithography


Accura Xtreme White 200
Exceptionally Strong & DurableAccura Xtreme White (XTW) is an exceptionally tough, and highly accurate industrial grade resin for demanding applications. Accura XTW resin is highly versatile, making it ideal for a number of applications from concept models to functional assemblies that require high fatigue resistance such as snap fits & enclosures. The outstanding surface finish makes it also ideal for creating master patterns for both vacuum casting & molding.
Tensile Strength | 50 MPa |
Tensile Elongation | 20 % |
Flexural Strength | 79 MPa |
Impact Strength | 66 J/m |
Heat Deflection (@ 0.45 MPa) | 47 °C |


Accura Clearvue
Exceptionally Strong & DurableAccura ClearVue material is a ideal for models requiring high clarity. This transparent material that simulates the properties and appearance of Polycarbonate and ABS. This material is ideal for design validation, water flow testing, and packaging.
Tensile Strength | 53 MPa |
Tensile Elongation | 3-15 % |
Flexural Strength | 84 MPa |
Impact Strength | 67 J/m |
Heat Deflection (@ 0.45 MPa) | 51°C |


Accura 25
Simulated PolypropyleneAccura 25 simulates the both the material properties and aesthetics of molded Polypropylene. Accura 25 provides excellent surface finish, durability and elongation strength which allows 3D prints of highly accurate and attractive prototypes that test fit, form and function with outstanding accuracy and dimensional stability.
Tensile Strength | 58 MPa |
Tensile Elongation | 20 % |
Flexural Strength | 58 MPa |
Impact Strength | 22 J/m |
Heat Deflection | 63 °C |


Accura Bluestone
High Temperature Nano CompositeAccura Bluestone is a high temperature, ultra stiff nano composite ideal for the manufacturing of stable parts. With a post-cure heat deflection of 284°C @ 0.45 MPa, Accura Bluestone is one of the most thermally stable resins available.
Tensile Strength | 68 MPa |
Tensile Elongation | 2.4 % |
Flexural Strength | 154 MPa |
Impact Strength | 17 J/m |
Heat Deflection (Postcure) | 284°C @ 0.45 MPa |


Accura XTW Black
Exceptionally Strong & DurableAccura XTW Black is our same exceptionally tough, highly accurate industrial grade white resin dyed black. The black dye penetrates deep into the part to offer a robust, high quality black finish ideal for for demanding applications where both mechanical properties and black aesthetics are crucial.
Tensile Strength | 50 MPa |
Tensile Elongation | 20 % |
Flexural Strength | 79 MPa |
Impact Strength | 66 J/m |
Heat Deflection (@ 0.45 MPa) | 47 °C |
Material Surface Finishes


Natural White
Standard FinishSupports are removed and the part is lightly sanded with 400 grit sandpaper to leave a uniform white finish.
Surface Texture | Smooth. |
Color & Appearance | White or slightly off-white color. |
Detail | Intricate details are very well-represented and clear. |
Porosity | None. |
Turnaround Time | No additional time required. |


Natural Clear
Standard FinishSupports are removed to leave a uniform translucent finish.
Surface Texture | Smooth. |
Color & Appearance | Translucent. |
Detail | Intricate details are very well-represented and clear. |
Porosity | None. |
Turnaround Time | No additional time required. |


Polished White
Premium FinishAll surfaces will be sanded with ultra-fine sandpaper for improved surface quality leaving a ultra-smooth paint ready surface finish.
Surface Texture | Matte. |
Color & Appearance | Grayish or slightly off-white color. |
Detail | Intricate details are usually well-represented and clear. |
Porosity | None. |
Turnaround Time | 1+ business day. |


Polished Clear
Premium FinishAll surfaces will be sanded with ultra-fine sandpaper for improved surface quality. A high gloss clear coat is applied to enhance shine and increase transparency
Surface Texture | Ultra-smooth. |
Color & Appearance | Transparent to water clear. |
Detail | Intricate details may be lost due to heavy sanding. |
Porosity | None. |
Turnaround Time | +2 or more business days. |


Performance Paint
Premium FinishPainting enables a highly durable automotive-grade coating of 3D printed parts. Parts are hand finished to a high quality and painted using high quality coating equipment.
Surface Texture | Matte to semi-gloss. |
Color & Appearance | Color matching available. |
Detail | Fine details may be lost if polishing is required. |
Porosity | None. |
Turnaround Time | +2 or more business days. |
Why Use Stereolithography
Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing offers high accuracy and precision, excellent surface finish, material versatility, the ability to create complex geometries, fast printing speed, high resolution, and cost-effectiveness for low to medium batch production. SLA enables the production of intricate parts with tight tolerances, making it suitable for industries such as aerospace and automotive. Its efficiency, versatility, and ability to produce high-quality prints make SLA a valuable technology in additive manufacturing.
Stereolithography is known for its versatility in material selection, supporting a wide range of resin formulations with different properties, such as rigid, flexible, or transparent materials. This diversity allows engineers and designers to choose the most suitable material for their specific application requirements. For instance, medical devices may require biocompatible resins, while functional prototypes may benefit from highly durable or heat-resistant materials. The material versatility of SLA broadens its applicability across various industries, facilitating the production of parts with tailored characteristics.
Design Guidelines


Maximum Build Volume
1500 x 750 x 550 mm (59 x 30 x 22 in.)Stereolithography offers the largest build volume of any 3D Printing technology with a capacity of: 1500 x 750 x 550 mm (59 x 30 x 22 in.), and a standard layer thickness of 50-200 um depending on the size of your part. This makes SLA well-suited for producing large, complex parts or for batch production of smaller parts with exceptional accuracy and surface finish.


Tolerances
Stereolithography is capable of achieving very high levels of dimensional accuracy and precision, allowing for the production of parts with very tight tolerances. Generally, SLA printers can achieve tolerances of around +/- 0.2mm or better. Achieving high tolerances with SLA printing requires additional calibration and design attention. Factors such as part geometry, printing orientation, and support structures can all affect the final accuracy and precision of SLA printed parts.


Layer Height
25 - 100 Microns

Surface Finish
Uniform, SmoothOptimizing your designs for Stereolithography help keep manufacturing costs down. Price is primarily based upon the volume of resin consumed to manufacture your parts as well as the X, Y, & Z extents of your part which affect the run-time cost. Small, hollow parts are priced the most competitively in Stereolithography. It is important to keep your wall thickness and hollow out any dense sections of your part.
Applications & Case Studies


Painting & Finishing SLA 3D Printed Parts
How to paint & finish SLA 3D printed parts and give them a final product aesthetic.


Prototyping the New Tim Horton's Lid
How Forge Labs helped redesign & prototype and the new iconic Tim Horton's lid.


High Detail Architectural Models with SLA
How Forge Labs creates ultra-high detail architectural models using Stereolithography.
Frequently Asked Questions