The Future of Stereolithography

What innovations does SLA printing provide and how is this production technique already being integrated.

Stereolithography (SLA) is a method in which a liquid polymer or resin is cured with UV light until it hardens, creating a three-dimensional figure. They were put on hold because they were unable to find a method to commercialize them, nor were they patented. Charles Hull, the creator of 3D Systems, a renowned global 3D printing company, only patented the SLA technology in 1986.

November 7, 2025

SLA Printing in the Media

Due to media interest in the 2000s, the first kidney was printed, and the Open Source Rep-Rap project was born, where you make and produce your own 3D printer using another 3D printer, no matter how strange it seems (and using some hardware parts like rods). A prosthesis was printed in 2008, and the Internet shone a hard light on this technology.

Food printers, the first car, and a craniofacial surgery jaw were all advances in the 2010s. As Obama said in his “State of the Union” speech, faster and cheaper printers were beginning to come to market (as a result of Moore's Law). A family moves into the first 3D printed house after the first bone was created. 3D printing in metals and sophisticated materials, such as polypropylene with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), has also been studied to create materials with improved mechanical, chemical and thermal properties.

The future is focused on ecology

Based on the progress made in recent years, we can predict how this technology will evolve in the next decade. The following are some of the areas where we expect progress to accelerate:

Integration of a new production technique

In summary, we can expect a strong integration of 3D printing into production lines and additional materials, cheaper prices and faster speeds. Printers that are smarter and easier to operate.

Imagine walking into your wardrobe and seeing a 3D printer that produces clothes and shoes. Your phone knows your body measurements with micrometric accuracy thanks to its powerful cameras and 3D scanning technology, and it can even predict how your body will change over the course of December thanks to its amazing cameras and 3D scanning technology. Clothing that fits well and is recyclable.

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