Complete 3D Printing Solutions - From Prototype to Production
Joined October 2015
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detail resolution and dimensional consistency are different things. a desktop SLA part can look excellent on fine features and still carry variability where it matters for fit.
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boxy geometry is harder for desktop SLA than complex geometry. intricate features distribute peel forces well. flat planes and 90° angles don't. counterintuitive until you've seen it.
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desktop SLA peel force adds up across a build. flat surfaces and wide geometry absorb more of it. edges soften. surfaces lose definition. the CAD was clean. the part isn't.
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desktop SLA is the right tool — until it isn't. the mistake is not knowing which stage of development requires which level of process control.
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parts can look clean off a desktop SLA printer and still carry hidden variability. the difference shows when you try to validate fit, performance, or production.
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desktop SLA and industrial SLA share a process. they don't share an outcome. that assumption is doing damage in product development.
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PA12 = workhorse. PA11 = tougher. PA12-GF = stiffest. Pick by use case, not by hype.
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Threaded inserts: don't model the threads. Model a press-fit hole, we heat-set the insert. Cleaner every time.
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This bracket. Why FDM was the right call: cheap, strong, fast. Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one.
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industrial SLA builds up to 1000mm. bigger than most desks. same resin quality. no assembly seams.
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Wall thickness rule of thumb: FDM 1.2mm min, SLA 0.8mm, MJF 0.7mm. Thinner = rolling the dice.
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12 SLA resins. Standard for prototypes. Tough for snap-fits. Castable for jewelry. Rigid 10K for fixtures. Full guide 👇
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SLA: tightest tolerances (±0.2mm), smoothest surfaces (2 Ra μm), 12 resins. The pretty one.
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FDM = cheapest, fastest, strongest-per-$. Layer lines visible. ±0.5mm. Perfect for jigs, prototypes, anything you need by Friday.
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aerospace brackets. medical fixtures. robotics housings. architectural models.
here's where our parts end up.
makelab.com/applications
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we're closed these days in 2026. plan your orders accordingly 🗓️
makelab.com/holidays
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real-time shipping rates. at quote time. before you commit.
because "plus shipping" is how manufacturers hide 15% of the bill.
we don't do that.
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every question a customer has ever asked us — answered, searchable, free.
file prep. materials. post-processing. shipping. tolerances.
help.makelab.com
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3 questions engineers ask us most:
1) can you hit ±0.1mm? → yes, SLA and MJF
2) smallest feature? → 0.3mm
3) can I order 1 part? → minimum is 1. always.
all answered in our quoter. no phone call needed.
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parts we shipped this year:
robotics assemblies
architectural models of NYC skyscrapers
consumer electronics
automotive parts
we don't make trinkets. we make parts that have to work.
makelab.com/our-work
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