Standard Resin
GENERALThe default choice for visual prototypes and models. Fine detail, smooth finish, stable dimensions, and the lowest cost per part of any resin we run.
Fine detailSmoothLow cost
SERVICE · SLA RESIN
SLA 3D Printing — The Smoothest, Most Detailed Parts We Make
Stereolithography cures liquid photopolymer with a UV laser, layer by layer. When your part has fine features, thin walls, transparent sections or needs a class-A surface straight off the machine, SLA is almost always the answer.
50 µmTypical layer height
±0.1 mmTypical tolerance
600 mmMax build dimension
2–4 daysTypical lead time
OVERVIEW
What SLA actually does
A build platform is lowered into a vat of liquid photopolymer resin. A UV laser traces the cross-section of your part on the resin surface, curing a single layer in seconds. The platform drops by one layer height, fresh resin flows across, and the laser traces the next slice. This repeats until the part is complete — typically thousands of layers for a detailed component.
Because the laser is focused and the resin is cured from a liquid, SLA resolves detail that no other additive process matches at this price point. Layer lines are measured in microns, not tenths of a millimetre, and internal channels or engraved text come out legible.
The trade-off is mechanical, not dimensional. Photopolymers are cured plastics: they are stiff and dimensionally stable, but they do not like sustained load, heat above roughly 80 °C, or long-term UV exposure. Use SLA where detail, surface and form matter — and switch to SLS or SLM where the part has to work hard.
CAPABILITIES
Capability & Tolerance Window
These are the numbers we hold on a calibrated industrial line. Tighter values are often possible on specific features — ask our engineers before you design to a hard limit.
Build envelopeUp to 600 × 600 × 400 mm — larger on request, printed in sections and bonded
Layer height50 – 100 µm (50 µm is our standard; 25 µm where detail is critical)
Dimensional tolerance±0.1 mm as standard, or ±0.1 % of the nominal dimension, whichever is greater; ±0.05 mm on selected features with a finer laser spot
Minimum feature size0.2 mm
Minimum wall thickness0.4 mm (0.6 mm recommended for functional parts)
Surface roughnessRa 0.8 – 1.6 µm after sanding — visibly smoother than SLS
Maximum part weight~5 kg per piece
MaterialsStandard, tough, high-temperature, biocompatible, castable and clear resins
Lead time2 – 4 business days after file approval
MATERIALS
Materials for SLA resin printing
Every material below is stocked and qualified on our lines.
Tough / ABS-like Resin
FUNCTIONALHigher impact resistance and elongation than standard resin. Suitable for snap-fits, housings and parts that get handled on a desk every day.
Impact resistantSnap-fitsHousings
High-Temperature Resin
THERMALRetains stiffness at elevated temperatures — used for mould inserts, hot-air ducting and parts that sit near a heat source. Ask us for the exact deflection temperature before you design to it.
Heat resistantMould inserts
For non-implant applications: anatomical models, surgical guides, drill guides and dental models. We will confirm the exact resin grade and its approval scope on your enquiry.
Anatomical modelsSurgical guides
Castable Resin
JEWELLERYBurns out cleanly in a lost-wax investment casting cycle, so a printed pattern becomes a metal part. Standard route for jewellery and small metal components.
Lost-waxJewelleryMasters
Clear / Transparent Resin
OPTICALPolished to optical clarity for lenses, light pipes, fluidic manifolds and demo parts where you need to see the inside. Can be tinted to a colour on request.
TransparentLight pipesFluidics
Need a material that is not listed? Titanium, stainless steel, aluminium, copper and nylon powders are also supplied in bulk for your own production — .
FINISHING
Post-Processing & Finishing
How a part leaves the machine is not how it arrives with you. Choose the finish your application actually needs.
Support removal
Supports are cut away by hand, then the witness marks are sanded flush. Support placement is planned before printing so marks land on non-critical faces.
Sanding & polishing
Progressive grits up to fine polish. This is what turns a printed part into something that looks injection-moulded.
UV post-cure
Every part is post-cured in a controlled UV chamber to reach full mechanical properties — skipped post-cure is the most common cause of "my resin part is still soft".
Primer & paint
Grey primer, then colour-matched paint to a RAL or Pantone reference. Matt, satin or gloss topcoat.
Clear coating
UV-stable lacquer that slows the yellowing and embrittlement that sunlight causes in untreated photopolymers.
Tinting & dyeing
Transparent parts tinted to a target colour; clear parts can be smoked or frosted.
Electroplating
A conductive primer plus copper or nickel plating for a genuine metallic finish and EMI shielding.
Assembly & bonding
Multi-part models are pinned and bonded, then seams are filled and refinished so the joint disappears.
These are the finishing routes we run for SLA resin printing. See the full post-processing service — every finish we offer across SLA, SLS and SLM, and which of them your material will actually take.
BEST-FIT APPLICATIONS
Where SLA resin printing Fits Best
SLA is a detail process, not a load-bearing one. These are the applications where it wins outright.
Strengths
- Highest detail and smoothest surface of any process we run
- Sharp fine features — engraved text, thin ribs, small holes
- Transparent, translucent and tinted options
- Class-A appearance with very little finishing work
- Excellent master patterns for silicone moulding and casting
- Cheapest route to a convincing visual prototype
Limits to know
- Photopolymers are not structural — sustained load causes creep
- Supports are always needed, and they leave small marks
- Most resins soften above roughly 80 °C
- Sunlight degrades untreated parts: yellowing and embrittlement over months
- Cost per part rises faster with size than SLS
- Food-contact use should be checked with us first
Form, fit and appearance prototypes
The fastest way to hold your design in your hand and check it against the rest of the assembly, with surface quality good enough to show to a client.
Enclosures and housings
Thin walls, snap-fits, boss threads and crisp cut-outs — printed as one piece rather than assembled from panels.
Fluidics and micro-channels
Internal channels down to 0.5 mm with transparent resin so you can see flow, and no support material trapped inside.
Dental and anatomical models
Patient-specific models, drill guides and surgical planning aids in medical-grade resin.
Optical parts and light pipes
Polished clear parts that guide or diffuse light, including tinted lenses for product demos.
Master patterns for casting
Jewellery masters and small-batch metal parts via lost-wax, using castable resin.
High-detail display and collector pieces
Figures, replicas, prop masters and miniatures where surface quality is the whole point.
Silicone mould masters
A single smooth SLA master, moulded in silicone, then cast in resin or polyurethane for a short run.
PROCESS COMPARISON
How SLA resin printing Compares
Choosing a process is a trade-off between detail, strength and cost. Here is the honest version.
| Process | Detail | Strength | Heat | Best used when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLA resin | Highest | Low | ~80 °C | Surface and detail matter more than load |
| SLS nylon | Medium | High | ~120 °C | The part has to work — no supports, tough |
| SLM metal | Medium–high | Very high | 300 °C+ | Real metal, internal channels, lightweight |
Not sure which one you need? — we will tell you when a cheaper process will do the job.
FAQ
SLA resin printing — Common Questions
How small a detail can you print in SLA?
On a good day, 0.2 mm features survive. Practically, design for 0.4 mm minimum wall thickness and 0.5 mm minimum hole diameter, and we will get it out. Anything finer is worth sending us the file to check first.
Will my part be strong enough to use?
For a prototype or a display part, yes. For something that carries load, sees heat, or is used outdoors for months, no — photopolymer is the wrong material. Tell us the application and we will point you at SLS nylon or SLM metal instead.
Do supports leave marks?
They can. We plan support placement so contact points land on non-critical faces, and we sand the marks flush. On a visible face we can usually hide them behind a feature.
Can I get a transparent part?
Yes. Print in clear resin, then polish to optical clarity. Thin parts come out clearer than thick ones, and we can tint the resin if you need a colour.
How do you price SLA parts?
By part volume, machine time, material and finishing — not by bounding box, which is why a hollowed part is much cheaper than a solid one. Our instant quote gives an indicative number in seconds; the final price is confirmed after a file review.
SELECTED WORK
Parts We Print With This Process
A sample of the part types we run on this process.
Prototype Housings
Anatomical Models
Props & Masters
More part examples are being published. See the full parts gallery.
Related reading
GET STARTED
Ready to Print in SLA resin printing?
Upload your file for an instant indicative price, or send us the drawing and our engineers will come back within one business day.
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