High-Fidelity Prototyping with SLA Printing
In the fast-paced world of hardware development, prototyping isn’t just a phase — it’s the heartbeat of innovation.
At Engineering Lab, we rely on SLA (Stereolithography) 3D printing as a go-to method for producing high-fidelity prototypes. From early ideation to final testing, it enables us to move quickly, iterate with confidence, and deliver high-quality results - fast.
Technician operating the GK Two printer at Engineering Lab headquarters
What Is SLA Printing?
SLA (Stereolithography) is a 3D printing technology that cures liquid resin into solid parts, layer by layer. The process works by submerging a build platform into a tank of liquid photopolymer resin. An LCD UV screen at the base selectively cures each layer, allowing the part to quite literally rise out of the resin bath.
After printing, each SLA part must be thoroughly washed to remove any uncured resin remaining on its surface. At Engineering Lab, we use an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) ultrasonic bath to clean parts efficiently and evenly.
The ultrasonic agitation helps dislodge resin from intricate details and internal features that manual rinsing might miss—especially important for precision components like light pipes or mechanical interfaces. Clean prints are essential for optimal curing, a smooth surface finish, and to avoid sticky residues that could interfere with assembly or further processing.
Once washed and air-dried, the part is placed in a UV curing station. This final step fully hardens the resin, giving the part its intended mechanical properties—strength, rigidity, and heat resistance—critical for functional testing, investor-ready prototypes, or pre-manufacture validation.
SLA printing offers rapid turnaround times, exceptional detail resolution, complex geometries, and ultra-smooth, injection mould-like surface finishes.
Our Tool of Choice: The Uniformation GK Series
At Engineering Lab, we have chosen to print our SLA prototypes with the Uniformation GK series printers, professional-grade resin printers with 10.3" 8K monochrome LCD screens. They offers precise, detailed and consistent results.
By printing with the Uniformation GK printers in-house, we also reduce lead times and stay flexible throughout the development process, which helps us move faster and make design decisions based on physical results, not assumptions.
Freshly printed and cleaned SLA 3D parts, ready for assembly.
The Advantages of SLA Printing at Engineering Lab
At Engineering Lab, we rely on SLA 3D printing to turn concepts into physical, high-resolution prototypes—quickly, cost-effectively, and with exceptional detail.
Unlike traditional fabrication methods, SLA printing allows us to produce complex geometries with ultra-smooth, injection mould-like surface finishes, making it ideal for both early-stage iteration and presentation-ready models. Whether you’re building a mechanical assembly, an optical component, or a client-facing prototype, SLA printing offers unmatched precision and clarity.
Because we print in-house using our own SLA printers, we can eliminate long lead times and reduce reliance on external suppliers. This speeds up development cycles, enables rapid iteration, and keeps costs low—especially critical when working toward investor demos, product photography, or testing ahead of manufacture.
From fine mechanical detailing to translucent parts for light pipes or enclosures, SLA printing gives our clients the confidence to move forward—faster and smarter.
New SLA print featuring micro gear wheels, designed for small-scale prototyping.
Shaking SLA printer resin before refilling the printer’s reservoir.
Prototyping That Works as Hard as You Do
At Engineering Lab, we don’t prototype just to visualise, we prototype to validate.
SLA printing lets us turn concepts into reality faster, more affordably, and without compromise.
Whether you're an early-stage startup or scaling an existing product, tools like the SLA printers help us iterate quickly and deliver functional, high-quality solutions, pushing your product forward, one layer at a time.
