Types of 3D printing technology: FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLS and more
Pick a family or search by technology, material or use and open the profile: principle, supports and uses, and where they exist, layer, minimum wall and price. Compare up to four processes in a table.
Opens without an account 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.
- 19 technologiesfrom FDM to EBAM and PolyJet
- Numbers in the profilelayer, wall, overhang, bridge, strength
- Price as a rangefor 7 of the 19 technologies
- Learning sectionthree short parts on choosing
Types of 3D printing technology: what is in the table
Types of 3D printing technology, in one table: EduFacturing puts 19 additive manufacturing processes (another name for 3D printing) side by side, from FDM and SLA to DMLS, EBAM and PolyJet. They sit in five families: extrusion 4, vat photopolymerization (liquid resin cured by light) 4, powder bed fusion (polymer) 2, metal 5 and other 4.
The card of each process shows the working principle, whether it needs supports and the uses, and where the fact is known, the layer, the materials, the minimum wall and the machine price. A missing fact is not filled in.
The wall for FDM, SLA, SLS and DMLS, the overhang for FDM, SLA and DMLS and the bridge for FDM and SLA are read from the EDi Brain rule table and match 3D printing design rules.
FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLS: what each technology profile shows
Shows the types of 3D printing technology
Extrusion: FDM, FGF, CFF, DIW. Vat photopolymerization: SLA, DLP, MSLA, CLIP. Powder bed fusion (polymer): SLS, MJF. Metal: DMLS, EBM, LENS, EBAM, BJ. Other: WAAM, PolyJet, LOM, DOD.
Gives a profile for each technology
The card shows the principle, the supports and the uses, and where the fact is known, the layer, the materials, the minimum wall, the overhang, the bridge, the strength and the price. The ← and → keys switch the process.
Searches and compares technologies
Search covers the name, the tags and the fields, so PA12 or Inconel finds the processes that use it. Compare mode puts up to four processes in one table; a missing field is a dash.
Links to rules, materials and defects
Seven processes (FDM, SLA, DLP, MSLA, SLS, MJF, DMLS) point to a design rule and a material, and three also to a typical defect.
When you need to compare 3D printing technologies
The technology comes first, because the materials, limits and price follow from it.
Choosing a technology for a project
Start from the material and the quantity: a structural metal part points to DMLS or EBM, a run of 10 to 1000 pieces to MJF, SLS or BJ.
Comparing before a quote
Put up to four technologies side by side by supports and, where they exist, layer, minimum wall and price, and see the order of magnitude of the differences.
A lesson on 3D printing technologies
A teacher shows the families and how the principle decides whether a part needs supports: SLS does not, DMLS does.
Which 3D printing technology to choose: four questions
The table does not calculate on your part. It sorts the processes into families, shows a profile with numbers and leads to the design rules.
Family
Five groups, each with its own color: from extruding filament to the metal processes.
Profile
Principle, supports and uses, and where the fact is known, layer, materials and wall. The numbers come from the technology pages in EDi Brain; an unknown fact is left out.
Choice
The learning section goes through four questions: material, quantity, geometry and post-processing.
| Applies to | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Material first | metal → DMLS or EBM; PA12, PEEK → SLS, MJF or FGF | clear, fine plastic → SLA, DLP, MSLA; ceramics → DIW or BJ |
| Quantity | 1 to 10 pcs → FDM, SLA, DLP; 10 to 1000 pcs → MJF, SLS, BJ | over 1000 pcs → BJ, WAAM |
| Geometry | complex internal shapes without supports → SLS, MJF, BJ, EBM | thin walls → MSLA, DLP, SLA |
| Very large parts | over 1 m → EBAM, WAAM, FGF | EBAM goes up to 5.8 m |
| Minimum wall (mm) | FDM 0.8 · SLA 0.5 · SLS 0.7 · DMLS 0.5 | read from the rule table |
Price as a range, not a quote
Price is a range, not a quote
Where it exists (7 of the 19 processes): MSLA from 150 to 4000 EUR, FDM from 200 to over 500,000 EUR, SLS from 10,000 EUR, DMLS from 500,000 to 1,500,000 EUR.
The table compares processes, not brands, and does not recommend a machine. The price is an order of magnitude for the class and exists for only 7 of the 19 processes, and the WAAM, LOM and DOD profiles are short, with no layer or accuracy figures.
The table does not check your model and does not choose a material. For that there are 3D printing design rules and 3D printing materials.
Questions about 3D printing technologies: FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLS
What are the types of 3D printing technology?
Nineteen processes in five families: extrusion, vat photopolymerization, powder bed fusion (polymer), metal and other. They include FDM, SLA, SLS and DMLS.
How much does a 3D printer cost?
From 150 EUR (MSLA) to 1,500,000 EUR (DMLS). The range depends on the class: FDM from 200 EUR, SLA 3000 to over 100,000 EUR, SLS from 10,000 EUR, MJF 55,000 to 400,000 EUR. A specific price comes from the supplier.
What is the difference between FDM, SLA and SLS?
An FDM printer melts a plastic filament layer by layer, an SLA printer cures liquid photopolymer (resin) with a UV laser, and an SLS printer sinters plastic powder with a laser. The minimum wall is 0.8 mm for FDM, 0.5 mm for SLA and 0.7 mm for SLS.
Why does SLS need no supports while DMLS does?
In SLS the part sits in unsintered powder that holds it. In DMLS a laser melts metal and the supports carry heat away, so they are mandatory for overhangs above 45°.
Which 3D printing technology is best for my part?
Start with the material: metal points to DMLS or EBM, PA12 and PEEK to SLS, MJF or FGF, and clear, fine plastic to a resin printer (SLA, DLP, MSLA). Then the quantity: 1 to 10 pieces suit FDM, SLA, DLP, and 10 to 1000 suit MJF, SLS, BJ. The table does not recommend a machine.
What is additive manufacturing?
Another name for 3D printing: the part is built layer by layer. The table collects 19 such processes.
Is the technologies table free?
Yes. Without an account it opens 3 times a day. With a free account there is no limit.
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Compare 3D printing technologies
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