Click here to get this post in PDF
Now that 3D printing is becoming more widely available, many business owners are considering incorporating this technology into their processes and operations. But with so many options available, choosing the right 3D printing technology can be complicated. In this article, we focus on stereolithography and explain the benefits it can offer to your business.
What is stereolithography?
Stereolithography (SLA for short) is a 3D printing technology that was developed in the 1980s. This makes it one of the most established and reliable additive printing technologies out there.
In an Sla printing service polymers are created through UV light-enabled cross-linking. Essentially, this means that polymers are linked or bonded to each other to form a model thanks to the effect of UV light.
The base material in SLA printing is a special type of liquid resin that reacts to light and temperature. The process involves pouring a thin layer of resin into the 3D printer and activating a UV laser light, which with the help of CAD/CAM software, draws and cures the desired pattern on the resin layer. Once a layer is cured, it’s automatically moved up or down the printer’s building space, making room for a new layer.
This process of laser curing is repeated until the 3D model is ready. After printing, the cured resin model can be finished using different techniques, like coating, spray painting, sanding, etc.
Where is stereolithography used?
This technology is a good choice for models without intensive use, such as prototypes, decorative objects, casting, etc.
Stereolithography currently has a wide range of high-precision applications, some of the most common being medicine, manufacturing, automotive, biomedical engineering, dentistry, etc.
Advantages of stereolithography
Stereolithography offers distinct advantages over other 3D printing technologies, including:
- 1. High accuracy and high resolution: SLA delivers very detailed and precise 3D objects. This is one of the reasons why this technology is used to aid with surgery and implant planning, where even the smallest details are vital.
- 2. Excellent design freedom: Unlike other 3D technologies, stereolithography can be used to create awkward or irregularly shaped objects.
- 3. A quick turnaround: Turnaround time depends on printer specifications and project size, but overall, SLA offers a rather fast printing time, since even small printers can produce a small model in a few hours.
- 4. Cost savings: SLA allows you to assess key design aspects of a model to evaluate its functionality and aesthetics without resorting to traditional prototypes, which are slow and expensive to create.
Professional stereolithography 3D printing services
Stereolithography can save your business time and money, and add value to your processes thanks to its high-precision results. However, to enjoy all the advantages of this technology, it’s important to have access to a professional 3D printing service with ample experience in SLA.
Working with a stereolithography expert means you don’t need to buy a 3D printer, so you get high-precision models without investing in costly equipment.
Also, you don’t need to worry about printer maintenance or post-processing, which saves additional time and money compared to doing it in-house.
And when you use an online 3D printing service like Sculpteo, you benefit from the ultimate convenience, as you can receive an instant quote through our platform and can order your parts with just a few clicks.
Sculpteo specializes in professional online 3D printing and laser cutting services for on-demand production, whether you need small or large volumes. Visit our website to discover a new way of accessing quality 3D printing services for your business.
You may also like: The Power of 3D Visualization
Image source: Depositphotos.com
