FDM vs. SLA vs. SLS: How to Choose the Right 3D Printing Technology

The 3D printing services are all about new things and encompassing all the barriers that comes in the path of a company’s growth. The process includes creating a solid project using the CAD (Computer Aided Design) process. In total there are around three processes, each having unique features. These basically require users to deem upon several factors like time, cost and materials. While choosing a 3D printer, printing method emerges as one of the important aspects that dictate how the printer can be used. Discussing The Three Methods

1. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
   

   
     It is the most reliable and user-friendly method and the based on the fairly straightforward concept. In this, the production material that is used, often different types of plastics are fed through the heated printer nozzle by using a spool. Because of the heat, the material started getting converted into a semi-liquid state. After that, the printer head moves along with the software controlled path, thus extruding the semi-melted plastic onto the print bed. By this, FDM 3D printing is followed in a layered fashion and forming the object in a series of slices.
2. Stereolithography (SLA)
   

   
     The working of SLA is totally opposite of FDM. There is a tank of photopolymer resin comprising of liquid plastic, which is sensitive to the UV light. By using the ultraviolet laser, the process of printing can easily be controlled and strikes the top layer of liquid resin. That causes curing of liquid into the solid layer. This can be done in accordance with the shape of 3D digital file that has to be printed. After a while, it can be found that the object starts rising over the liquid tank. After that each layer is cured using the laser technique. All the objects that are printed using the SLA 3D printing are very smooth in touch and show high resolution.
3. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
   

   
   The SLS 3D printing makes use of powdered materials in order to create different printing objects as compared to the FDM and SLA printing. Likewise SLA printing, SLS printers also work on the laser technology in order to facilitate the printing process.  In this process, the powdered material is heated to the temperature, which is above or below the material’s melting point. The process gets complete by fusing the nearby powder all together and creating a solid layer. The created layer is then shifted to the powder bed that allows space for the next layer, which is further fused at the top. After the completion, the extra powder is taken back so that the laser can easily pass over the layer of powder. It is one of the best 3D printings in Australia. By the manual process, the excessive powder can easily be removed.
   
   Choose Your Method :
   
   Make a choice that suits your requirements and the selection should be purely on your goal. In case you want a cost effective prototype to handle all kinds of stress, then FDM is suitable for you. on the other hand, SLS 3D printing is suitable for the personal printing method. Definitely, the 3D printers are changing the face of manufacturing industry for good reason.