SLA (Stereolithography) by 3D Systems Corporation: status and timeline

SLA (Stereolithography)

Stereolithography (SLA) was invented by 3D Systems' founder Chuck Hull in 1986 and remains a core product line. The SLA 750 is the flagship system, serving jewelry, dental, medical, and aerospace industries.

DeployStage 4 of 5

Industry-leading photopolymer 3D printing platform, used for jewelry, dental, and precision prototyping.

Checked 10 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

No announced next step

Stereolithography invented and patented1986Complete.
SLA 750 launched2020Complete.
Expanded photopolymer resin portfolio2024Complete.

Current obstacles

Resin cost and toxicityPhotopolymer resins are expensive ($50–200+ per liter) and require careful handling; waste disposal and long-term part stability remain challenges.

Physics limits

Build volume trade-offSLA systems sacrifice build speed for precision; large parts take days to print and require extensive post-processing (support removal, curing, machining).
Resin availability limits material choicesOnly a few specialized photopolymer resins exist for high-temperature or long-term durability applications; metal-reinforced or fiber-filled resins are not yet practical.

How it works

3 parts

Laser drawing

UV laser traces layer outlines

A tightly focused UV laser rasters across the surface of liquid photopolymer resin, curing only the exposed pixels in a user-defined pattern.

Platform lift

Z-stage raises the cured layer

After each pass, the build platform rises by a small distance (typically 25–100 μm), allowing fresh resin to flow under the newly cured layer.

Material range

Diverse photopolymer chemistries

3D Systems offers resins for rigid, flexible, transparent, and biocompatible applications, each optimized for specific industries.

Spec sheet

Spec	SLA (Stereolithography)
Process	UV laser curing of liquid photopolymer resin^R (reported)
Dimensional accuracy	±0.3 mm for typical parts^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Papers & demos

1 item

1986demo
Stereolithography (SLA) invented (opens 3dsystems.com)Chuck Hull's invention of SLA made 3D Systems the founder of the additive manufacturing industry and remains core to the company's business.

About 3D Systems Corporation

The team behind SLA (Stereolithography)

3D Systems Corporation

DMP direct metal printing, Figure 4, SLA photopolymer

3D Systems is a global leader in additive manufacturing, founded in 1986 by Chuck Hull (inventor of stereolithography). The Rock Hill, South Carolina-based company (NYSE: DDD) serves aerospace, defense, medical, dental, automotive, and jewelry with 3D printers, materials, and software.

Inventor of stereolithography; major supplier of DMP and polymer systems for aerospace and regulated industries.
August 2026: Won $9 million USAF contract for large-format metal printing; total GEN-II program funding is $27.4 million since 2023.
CEO transition announced August 2026; aerospace and defense is now the fastest-growing business segment.

3dsystems.com (opens 3dsystems.com)Company profile →

Founded: 198640 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Public
Listed: DDD (opens google.com)NYSE
Valuation: public
Works in: ManufacturingMetal 3D printing
Coverage: 4 programs · 4 updateslatest 27 Aug 2026checked 10 Oct
Customers: Airbus (opens airbus.com)Lucid Motors (opens lucidmotors.com)U.S. Air Force (opens af.mil)
Partners: Savannah River National Laboratory (opens srnl.doe.gov)NIAR (National Institute for Aviation Research) (opens niar.wichita.edu)
People: Dr. Jeffrey GravesPresident and CEO (announced transition August 2026)Dr. Michael ShepardVice President, Aerospace & Defense

Spec

SLA (Stereolithography)

Process

UV laser curing of liquid photopolymer resin^R (reported)

Dimensional accuracy

±0.3 mm for typical parts^R (reported)