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Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing is one of the most popular additive manufacturing processes on the market today. Using thermoplastic polymers that come in the form of filaments, FDM builds parts layer by layer by selectively depositing melted material along a path determined by Gcode. FDM printing is fast, accurate, and cost-effective, and requires minimal post-processing for support structure removal. With FDM, you can use desktop machines for initial and functional prototyping as well as industrial printers for custom end-use parts. As a material extrusion technology, FDM printing produces durable, rigid components in a variety of plastic materials, including ABS, PLA, PETG, ULTEM, and Nylon. While functional and cosmetic properties depend on the material you select, FDM parts have high strength and can be geometrically complex.

For more information on FDM 3D printing, read our introduction to the process or learn how to design better parts for FDM.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing is one of the most powerful additive manufacturing processes, capable of producing durable and accurate custom parts. SLS 3D printing is ideal for rapid prototyping and functional prototyping, end-use parts, and low-volume production, and more companies are turning to SLS for more industrial applications. Instead of extruding plastic filament, SLS printers use a laser to selectively fuse plastic powders into solid models layer-by-layer. These machines scan cross-sections on the surface of a powder bed with Gcode from your CAD files. After scanning a cross-section, SLS printers lower a powder bed by one layer and deposit more material on top of what’s already been sintered. This process repeats until you have a finished part. SLS 3D printing is a speedy way to produce functional parts from engineering materials including Nylon 12 (PA 12) and Glass-filled Nylon (PA 12 GF). 

For more info on SLS 3D printing, check out our introduction to the technology and learn how to design better parts for SLS.

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), HP’s proprietary additive manufacturing process, is the most advanced 3D printing technology available today. It’s capable of producing complex functional prototypes and mechanically impressive end-use components quickly and with high degrees of accuracy. MJF 3D printed parts are durable, even with intricate features, and have isotropic mechanical properties. Compared to other additive technologies that use powder bed fusion, MJF is speedy and capable of more industrial applications and is often a viable alternative to injection molding for low-volume production runs. In many industries, MJF is the go-to process for producing electronic component housings, mechanical assemblies, enclosures, and jigs and fixtures. MJF 3D printing is currently a proprietary technology and can only create parts from HP PA 12 and HP PA 12GF. 

For more information on MJF 3D printing, check out our introduction to the technology and learn how to design better parts for MJF.

Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process offering impressive accuracy and high resolution. It’s an ideal solution for quickly manufacturing initial and functional prototypes and end-use parts in low volumes. Part of the vat photopolymerization class of additive technologies, SLA uses UV lasers to selectively cure polymer resins one layer at a time. The materials used in SLA are photosensitive thermoset polymers that come in a liquid resin form, with specialty materials available like clear, flexible, and castable resins. SLA 3D printed parts are smooth to the touch and can be finely detailed, making the process an ideal choice for visual prototypes. For some applications, SLA can even stand in for injection molding, especially if you use industrial SLA machines that can print in larger parts with specialty materials. 

For more information on SLA 3D printing, check out our introduction to the technology and learn how to design better parts for SLA.