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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.

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SLA 3D printed Forge Labs cube sample

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.

Large SLA 3D Printer Projet 7000

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

Strong

Accura Clearvue

Transparent

Accura 25

Flexible

Accura Bluestone

High Temperature

Accura Black

Black

SLA White 3D Printed Game Controller

Accura Xtreme White 200

Exceptionally Strong & Durable

Accura 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

Material Datasheet
Transparent 3D Printed Clear Resin

Accura Clearvue

Exceptionally Strong & Durable

Accura 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

 

Material Datasheet
SLA 3D Printed Vent

Accura 25

Simulated Polypropylene

Accura 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

Material Datasheet
High Temperature 3D Printed Resin

Accura Bluestone

High Temperature Nano Composite 

Accura 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

Material Datasheet
High Detail Black 3D Printing Resin

Accura XTW Black

Exceptionally Strong & Durable

Accura 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 Datasheet
Stereolithography

Material Surface Finishes

Sample finish of an SLA 3D printed part by Forge Labs

Natural White

Standard Finish

Supports 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.
Sample finish of an transparent SLA 3D printed part by Forge Labs

Natural Clear

Standard Finish

Supports 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.
Sample finish of a polished SLA 3D printed part by Forge Labs

Polished White

Premium Finish

All 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.
Sample finish of a polished, transparent SLA 3D printed part by Forge Labs

Polished Clear

Premium Finish

All 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.
industrial painting services for 3D printing

Performance Paint

Premium Finish

Painting 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.

SLA 3D Print Forge Labs
Stereolithography

Design Guidelines

Stereolithography (SLA) is one of the oldest manufacturing process that uses a vat of resin, cured by a high powered UV laser to form a solid structure. This design guidelines covers specific design parameters, which will need to be followed to prevent build failures from occurring. We have set the minimum allowed tolerances specified by our engineers and the manufacturer to ensure your parts build successfully and on schedule.
build volume icon

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.

accuracy icon

Tolerances

±0.2%, with a lower limit of ±0.2 mm

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 icon

Layer Height

25 - 100 Microns
The layer height is dependent upon  the specific requirements of the part being printed, balancing the need for precision and detail with the need for speed and efficiency and therefore varies  depending on the size of the part being printed. For most parts under 15 inches, the standard layer height used is 100 microns.  
surface finish icon

Surface Finish

Uniform, Smooth
Parts produced using SLA provide a ultra high detail, uniform finish with little to no visible layer lines. Parts can be easily sanded and painted to offer exceptional aesthetics with minimal effort.  We also offer in-house dying and painting services to take your parts to the next level.

Optimizing 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.

Stereolithography

Applications & Case Studies

Painting SLA Parts

Painting & Finishing SLA 3D Printed Parts

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

Read Case Study
3D Print of Tim Horton's Lid

Prototyping the New Tim Horton's Lid

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

Read Case Study
3D Printing Architectural Models in SLA

High Detail Architectural Models with SLA

How Forge Labs creates ultra-high detail architectural models using Stereolithography.

Read Case Study
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Aerospace

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Automotive

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Healthcare

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Film & TV

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Design

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Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions