Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing Services

High Detail Engineering Grade Resins

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's Inside Forge Labs

Get a Instant Quote

STEP | STP | SLDPRT | STL | DXF | IPT | 3MF | 3DXML | PRT | SAT files

Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing Services

High Detail Engineering Grade Resins

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.

Manufacturing using Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing services is ideal for printing high detail prototypes, master patterns, tools, molds, dies, jigs, fixtures or any application where surface finish, accuracy and product aesthetics are critical.

59" x 30"

Max X/Y Build Volume

± 0.2

MM Part Tolerances

High Performance Materials

2-5 Day

Average Lead Time

Engineering Resins| Stereolithography

Strong

Transparent

Flexible

High Temperature

Black

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 Data Sheet

Accura Clearvue

General Purpose Transparent Parts

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 Data Sheet

Accura 25

Polypropylene Like Material

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 Data Sheet

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 Data Sheet

Black Prototyping Resin

Rigid Black Resin

Forge Lab's prototyping resin simulates black ABS articles for functional prototyping and production parts in industrial grade resins. Offering both strength & rigidity for low demand applications where a smooth, black finsh is critical such as concept models and form and fit testing.

Tensile Strength	45 MPa
Tensile Elongation	5 %
Flexural Strength	76 MPa
Impact Strength	47 J/m
Heat Deflection (@ 0.45 MPa)	54 °C

Material Data Sheet

Material Surface Finishes | Stereolithography

Standard

Support structures removed and defects sanded to a uniform finish

Standard Transparent

Support structures removed and part is clear coated to improve opacity

Design Guidelines | Stereolithography

View Full 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.

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

±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

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

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.

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.