Resin Printing (SLA)

SLA, or stereolithography, is a printing technology that utilizes a pool of polymer resin that gets cured by an ultraviolet laser.  After one layer is cured by the laser, the geometry is coated in resin again for the laser to cure the subsequent layer.  This process repeats until the part is finished.  This process will utilize sacrificial support structures that make point-contact with the part and are easily snapped off after the build is complete.  Since the finished part emerges from a pool of resin, there are some post processing steps like washing and a final UV light curing step before the part is considered complete.  This process is advantageous when surface finish and dimensional accuracy are the primary concerns.  SLA parts serve as excellent prototypes and can potentially be used as end-use parts depending on the application.