Which is the Best 3D Printing Technology – SLA or FDM?

 3D printing and additive manufacturing approach has undergone significant changes in the past years. After becoming an excellent choice for prototyping and product development, 3D printing has been widely used across printing parts, architectural model, clear parts, and more.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and stereolithography (SLA) are two commonly used 3D printing processes. Both have adapted to advanced techniques, making them reliable, easy, and capable. In this guide, we will highlight the difference between FDM and SLA in terms of print quality, applications, materials, and more to help you decide which is ideal for your business.

Overview of Popular 3D Printing Processes

Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing

SLA 3D printers use a laser to treat liquid resin into hardened plastic material in a procedure known as photopolymerization. It has the ability to produce high-accuracy, watertight prototypes and parts in a wide range of materials with a smooth surface finish.

SLA resin formulations offer a broad spectrum of optical, mechanical, and thermal properties to suit standard, engineering, and industrial thermoplastics. 3D printing in China or elsewhere is a brilliant choice for detailed prototypes requiring tight tolerance and smooth surfaces.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

FDM is a type of 3D printing used at a consumer level, works by extruding thermoplastic filaments, such as ABS, PLA, melting the material, and using the plastic layer to build a platform. FDM 3D printers are suitable for basic proof-of-concept models and fast, low-cost prototyping of simple parts and components.

Comparison: FDM vs SLA 3D Printing

·         Materials – FDM printers use PLA, PETG, and ABS filaments and can also handle PVA, nylon, TPU, and various PLA blends. On the other hand, SLA 3D printers use resins.

      Quality of Print – SLA printers can produce quality objects as compared to FDM. In FDM, filaments and print are typically based on nozzle diameter and precision of extruder movements whereas SLA results in smooth surfaces.

       Applications – In FDM, various plastic filaments are blended with existing parts of wood and metal-like surface to create engineering materials like high-performing thermoplastics. SLA, on the other hand, has an advantage of various formulation configurations, either soft or hard, suitable for engineering and manufacturing operations.

       Post-Processing – All 3D Printing technology requires some level of finishing. With FDM technology, object removal is easy and further, design errors are reconstructed for the final product. In SLA, resin residues are removed with isopropyl alcohol. 

       Speed – FDM printers produce a lot of heat and require time to cool and treat the material. SLA machines are quite fast because they utilize light sources aimed at specific areas. The use of photopolymer enables the UV light to cure the material in the shortest time span.

Each China 3Dprinting technology has its own pros and requirements, suitable for different applications and industries. FDM has robust functionality while SLA offers great resolution and better accuracy. So, when choosing between the two, consider the material compatibility and ease of use of each to see a clear picture.