Reliable Tech

3D Printing

3D printing is an additive technology used to manufacture parts. It is 'additive' in the sense that it does not need a block of material or a mould to create physical objects; instead, it simply stacks and fuses layers of material. It's usually quick, has low fixed setup costs, and can produce more complex geometries than 'traditional' technologies, with an ever-expanding list of materials. It is widely used in the engineering industry, especially for prototyping and the creation of lightweight geometries.

Stereolithography (SLA)

The stereolithography process, also known as SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus), uses photopolymerization to produce 3D models using UV-sensitive resin. This is solidified by the passage of a laser layer after layer. It provides one of the most qualitative printing surfaces of existing 3D printing technologies.

SLA parts have the highest resolution and accuracy, the clearest details, and the smoothest surface finish of all plastic 3D printing technologies, but the main benefit of SLA lies in its versatility. Material manufacturers have created innovative SLA photopolymer resin formulations with a wide range of optical, mechanical, and thermal properties to match those of standard, engineering, and industrial thermoplastics.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Selective laser sintering is the most widely used additive manufacturing technology for industrial applications, with engineers and manufacturers across multiple industries relying on its ability to produce strong, functional parts.

SLS 3D printers use a high-powered laser to fuse small particles of polymer powder. The unfused powder supports the part during printing and eliminates the need for dedicated support structures. This makes SLS ideal for complex geometries, including interior features, undercuts, thin walls, and negative features. Parts produced with SLS printing have excellent mechanical characteristics, with strength resembling that of injection-molded parts.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Fused deposition modelling (FDM), also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is the most popular form of 3D printing among consumers, thanks to the proliferation of hobbyist 3D printers. FDM 3D printers create parts by melting and extruding thermoplastic filament, which is deposited layer by layer in the build area by a printer nozzle.

FDM works with a range of standard thermoplastics, such as ABS, PLA, and their various blends. The technique is well-suited for basic proof-of-concept models, as well as quick and low-cost prototyping of simple parts, such as parts that might typically be machined.

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)

DMLS can produce metal parts directly. DMLS can be used with metal alloys or pure metals without affecting the properties of the material. Even mixtures of powders (e.g. aluminum and nylon) can be successfully printed.

The method is very similar to selective laser melting (SLM), also known as direct metal laser melting (DMLM), but the powder is only sintered (not melted) together on a molecular level. This results in less porous parts than the melting method. The advantage to this is that you can easily print from alloys containing materials with different melting points. You can even combine metal and plastic materials. A good example is Alumide, which is a mixture of nylon powder + aluminum powder.