Manufacturing services · Chapter F · Method 35

Stereolithography (SLA)

Core TCI route

A UV laser or light source cures liquid resin layer by layer. Very smooth, detailed parts that make excellent master patterns for silicone moulds.

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Large-format resin printer in the TCI workshop. TCI workshop

Inside an SLA printer: build platform over the resin tank. Representative process photo · Creative Tools from Halmstad, Sweden · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

How it works

Stereolithography (SLA), step by step.

A labelled schematic of the process (not to scale), and the four steps every job goes through.

Labelled diagram showing how stereolithography (sla) works — Schematic · not to scale. Drawn by TCI Group.

STEP 01

Orient & support

Orient the model and add supports.

STEP 02

Cure layers

Light cures each layer in the resin vat.

STEP 03

Wash

Wash off uncured resin in solvent.

STEP 04

Post-cure

UV post-cure; remove supports and finish.

Reference figures

What to expect.

Typical industry values to help you plan. We agree the figures for your part on the drawing.

Xy Tolerance±0.13 mm + 0.002 mm/mmStandard resins

Layer0.05–0.10 mmHigh to standard

FinishRa 1.5–3.0 µmAs printed

Min Feature0.5–0.8 mmAt risk below

Materials	Standard, tough, clear, high-temperature, flexible and castable photopolymer resins.
Finishes	Smooth as printed; sanded, primed, painted or clear-coated. Ideal for master patterns.
Design guidance	Use 1 mm minimum walls for repeatable results. Add drain holes for hollow parts. Supported faces show small witness marks.
Best suited to	Master patterns for silicone tooling, fine-detail prototypes and visual models.
Watch-outs	Resins can be brittle and UV-sensitive; support marks need finishing.

Other methods in 3D printing

Previous: Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)Next: PolyJet printing

Next step

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Send a sketch, photo, sample or CAD file with your quantity and target date. We will recommend the most sensible route and explain the trade-offs before quoting.

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Reference figures are typical published industry values for planning, not a guarantee; final tolerances, materials and finishes are agreed in writing for each project.