SLA Rapid Prototyping: Fast, Accurate, Ready to Impress

When the Prototype You Need Isn’t the One You Get

You only had 72 hours to deliver a working prototype.
The STL file was clean. The design was tight.

But when the parts arrived?
The surface looked like sandpaper. 

The dimensions were off. 

The investor demo was a disaster.

Your supplier blamed the machine. Or the weather.
Either way, the pitch fell apart.
This is exactly where SLA Rapid Prototyping shines.

It gives you the accuracy, the detail, and the speed traditional methods simply can’t deliver—especially when failure is not an option.

FDM printing is great—if all you care about is cost.
But for anything that needs surface finishing, like painting or chroming, it’s often a trap.

Here’s what we’ve seen over and over:
Clients send us failed FDM parts covered in layer lines so deep, even industrial sanding can’t fix them.
They tried to paint over it—the paint bubbles, flakes, or looks blotchy. 

Why? 

Because the rough FDM surface holds residue, and sanding it smooth is a nightmare.

One client spent 5+ hours manually sanding an FDM prototype… and the result was still visibly rough and uneven. 

That same part, printed via SLA, needed just 15 minutes of polishing and came out glossy and smooth—ready for final presentation.

The point? 

If your prototype needs to impress, SLA isn’t optional—it’s essential.

SLA isn’t just a printing process—it’s a strategic tool.
And knowing when to use it vs. SLS or FDM can save you serious time, cost, and credibility.

Here’s how we recommend SLA in real-world projects:

• If your prototype needs to look amazing—use SLA.
• If precision and tight tolerances are required—go SLA.
• If your budget matters—SLA beats SLS in most cases.

We only use SLS when parts must handle heat or heavy loads—like thermometer housings for ovens or structural brackets.

One client requested SLS for a cosmetic part.
We told them:

“You don’t need nylon for this. SLA will look better, cost less, and deliver faster.”
They switched. And they were glad they did.

A consumer electronics client needed a prototype for a crowdfunding campaign—plus 20 identical units for media kits.
They had 5 days.

We printed a master part via SLA, then did:

• Wet sanding for surface finish
• Gloss painting for presentation
• Silicone mold casting to deliver 20 accurate clones in polyurethane

Result:

• 48h SLA + post-processing
• 3 days for small batch
• Saved $2,500+ vs injection molding
• Campaign launched on time, with perfect-looking samples

👉 They came for one part.
They left with a product-ready small-batch launch kit.

We default to SLA for most prototyping needs—especially for visual models and presentation parts.
In fact, if a part is meant for client demos, exhibitions, crowdfunding, or photo shoots, we almost always recommend SLA. It’s cost-effective, fast, and looks great out of the box.

Where SLA starts to fall short is when strength and durability become critical.
That includes parts that must:

• Be screwed or bolted
• Handle snap-fit stress
• Survive repeated use or drop testing
• Bear significant weight

In these cases, we switch to SLS (or recommend reinforced resins) to prevent cracking or deformation.