What Is The Difference Between FDM And SLA 3D Painting

3D printing involves depositing material layer by layer to create an object. A variety of methods can do this material deposition. Five of these technologies have become extremely popular. FDM, SLA, SLS, PJP, and DLP are the acronyms. In this article, we'll discuss FDM and SLA technologies and their differences.

To make a 3D printed object, the material is placed in layers using FDM technology. A hot extrusion head is used to feed a plastic filament. The filament melts in the extrusion head. A UV light pattern is utilized in Stereolithography to cure the entire resin layer. To make the final object, the photopolymers are cured layer by layer. So the resolution is mostly dictated by the optical spot size, which is very small. SLA creates higher-resolution objects and is more accurate than FDM.

Difference Between FDM And SLA 3D Painting

1. Material

Among all the 3D printing technologies, FDM is the most widely used. We use 3D-printed materials in FDM technology. The most common filaments used in FDM 3d printers are PLA, PETG, and ABS, but they can also handle nylon, PVA, TPU, and PLA mixes. These threads come in various colors and are made of flexible materials.

Resins are used in SLA 3D printers. These resins come in fewer colors and cost more. The resins are tough to interchange and are particular to the producer. Only black, white, grey, and transparent resins are available from some resin-based printers.

1. Removal Of Supports

The supports are simple to remove in an FDM 3d printer. Some tools can be used to remove the supports. However, in SLA, removing the print from the print bed is tough, and there is a lot of resin on the print bed; you must remove it with a palette knife. In comparison to the FDM 3d printer, it requires more effort and time.

1. Post-Processing

After printing on the FDM 3D printer, you'll need to use various tools to remove the supports. Sandblasting also helps in surface smoothing. However, the sticky resin that covers the items generated on the SLA 3D printer must be removed in an isopropyl alcohol bath.

1. Cost

SLA 3D printed products are more expensive than FDM 3d printer ones. Because FDM 3D printers requires filaments, normal filament prices range from $25 to more than $100. Low-cost parts and prototypes are made with this. Resin is used in SLA printers, and resin is expensive: A liter of ordinary resin costs between $80 and $150. It does, however, provide a smooth finish.

Conclusion:

The fundamental difference between the two technologies is their level of quality. SLA printers are capable of producing higher-quality products than FDM printers. The nozzle diameter and precision of the extruder motions (X/Y axis) are the most important factors in FDM printing. The filament from the nozzle is created layer by layer to build an item. SLA lets lasers cure prints and shape objects. This produces considerably smoother SLA print surfaces.

Trav Tourist is a freelance writer. Loves to write about travel related topics.