The X-Tiles Video Series： Our Most Popular 3D Printing Processes, Pt. 2

SLS is often confused with SLA but they are very different processes. SLS fuses nylon powder into cross-sections of a part via a laser. Without the need for support structures, SLS can build many parts at once, which enables great pricing. However, SLS does not offer as high of a variety of options. And while the surface finish of SLS parts is good compared to FDM parts, other processes like SLA can achieve an even better-looking part.

SLA, or stereolithography, makes parts from a liquid resin that is cured with a UV-laser or UV-DLP projector. The surface finish of an SLA part tends to be smoother and have a plastic-feel like injection molding. It should be noted that SLA resins are not thermoplastics, and instead, Xometry offers a variety of engineered materials to behave like popular plastics. These include polycarbonate, polypropylene, nylon, and ABS. There is even a highly stiff ceramic composite resin great for making fixtures and molds. The video below shows some of the strengths and trade-offs, between SLS and SLA.