Technologies · Industrial 3D printing
Industrial 3D printing technologies in Brescia, Italy
Six additive processes, from polymers to metal: FDM, MSLA, SLS, MJF, CFC and LPBF metal 3D printing. Below you will find a technical comparison and a quick selection guide. Or upload your CAD and let one of our engineers recommend the right combination of technology and material.
FDM 3D printing
Fused Deposition Modeling
The most versatile industrial process: from PLA to PEEK, for prototypes and tooling
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MSLA 3D printing
Masked Stereolithography
Fine detail and a high-quality surface finish, with an engineering resin for every requirement
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SLS 3D printing
Selective Laser Sintering
Support-free additive production in Nylon PA12, with high mechanical isotropy
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MJF 3D printing
Multi Jet Fusion
Nylon PA12 and PA11, PP and TPU in Multi Jet Fusion: dense, near-isotropic parts for production runs of end-use components
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CFC 3D printing
Continuous Fiber Fabrication
Continuous fiber reinforcement for metal-replacement mechanical performance
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Metal 3D printing
Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Dense metal components by laser powder bed fusion: internal channels and geometries that CNC machining and casting cannot produce
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Technical comparison
The six technologies compared
Stated values for each process. The tolerances shown are typical as-built values; for critical features we apply targeted post-processing.
| Specification | FDM | MSLA | SLS | MJF | CFC | LPBF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process | Fused Deposition Modeling | Masked Stereolithography | Selective Laser Sintering | Multi Jet Fusion | Continuous Fiber Fabrication | Laser Powder Bed Fusion |
| Max build volume | 350 × 350 × 450 mm | 353 × 196 × 350 mm | 330 × 330 × 565 mm | 380 × 284 × 380 mm | 300 × 300 × 300 mm | 400 × 400 × 400 mm |
| Dimensional accuracy | ±0.6 mm up to 100 mm, ±0.75% above | ±0.3 mm up to 100 mm, ±0.3% above | ±0.3% (minimum ±0.3 mm) | ±0.3 mm up to 100 mm, ±0.3% above | — | ±0.2% (minimum ±0.1–0.2 mm) |
| Minimum wall thickness | 3 mm | 1 mm | — | 1 mm | — | — |
| Minimum feature | — | — | 0.5 mm | — | 0.8 mm | 0.75 mm |
| Layer thickness | 0.04–0.5 mm | 0.025–0.300 mm | 0.1 mm | 0.08 mm | — | 0.02–0.06 mm |
| Materials in catalog | 11 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 1 | On request |
| Best for | Functional parts, tooling and high-performance polymers | Fine detail, appearance finish, gauges and masters | Short runs and complex geometries without supports | Production runs of end-use nylon parts | Metal replacement and structural tooling | Metal parts with complex geometries |
Selection guide
Which 3D printing technology to choose
A rule of thumb to get your bearings. At the quote stage we still check geometry, material and quantity against your CAD.
FDM
Functional parts, tooling and high-performance polymers
The widest material range (from PLA to PEEK and Ultem), a build volume of up to 350 × 350 × 450 mm and low cost on standard materials.
FDM detailsMSLA
Fine detail, appearance finish, gauges and masters
50 μm pixels and 25 μm layers: the choice for appearance prototypes, small parts and smooth surfaces ready for painting.
MSLA detailsSLS
Short runs and complex geometries without supports
Near-isotropic Nylon PA12 (85–90%), no supports to remove, batches of 10 to 500 parts at a stable unit cost.
SLS detailsMJF
Production runs of end-use nylon parts
A 380 × 284 × 380 mm build volume filled with many parts per build, near-isotropic PA12, PA11, PP and TPU: the choice for runs from tens to thousands of parts.
MJF detailsCFC
Metal replacement and structural tooling
Continuous carbon fiber co-extruded in the matrix: up to 900 MPa tensile strength, with strength comparable to aluminum for load-bearing jigs and structural components.
CFC detailsLPBF
Metal parts with complex geometries
Laser melting of metal powder: internal channels, lattices and assembly consolidation where CNC machining cannot reach, with machining on the functional surfaces.
LPBF detailsFAQ
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about which additive process to use.