If you’re an engineer hunting for the right tech to make complex parts, a designer testing prototype ideas, or a small-business owner looking to cut production costs, knowing common 3D printing technologies es clave. Each technology has unique strengths—some excel at precision, others at speed or low cost—and picking the wrong one can waste time and money. This guide breaks down the most widely used 3D printing technologies, con ejemplos del mundo real, datos, and tips to help you choose what works for you.
1. An Overview of Core 3D Printing Technologies
Before diving into details, let’s start with a quick snapshot of the common 3D printing technologies and their key traits. This table helps you compare them at a glance, so you can narrow down options fast.
| Technology Name | Key Material Type | Main Strengths | Ideal For | Typical Cost Range (Equipo) |
| SLA (Estereolitmicromografía) | Liquid photosensitive resin | Alta precisión, acabado superficial liso | Detailed models, dispositivos médicos, joyas | \(3,000 - \)100,000+ |
| SLSS (Sinterización láser selectiva) | Metal/non-metal powder | No supports needed, wide material choice | Complex industrial parts, componentes aeroespaciales | \(10,000 - \)500,000+ |
| FDM (Modelado de deposición fusionada) | Filaments (Estampado, Abdominales, etc.) | Bajo costo, fácil de usar, safe materials | Prototipos, educación, home use | \(200 - \)10,000+ |
| 3DP (3D Printing/Adhesive Jetting) | Powder + adhesive | Multi-color printing, fast prototyping | Decorative models, medical replicas | \(5,000 - \)200,000+ |
| PUG (Vacuum Injection Molding) | Moldes de silicona + resinas | Producción de lotes pequeños, short cycle time | Artesanías, film props | \(1,000 - \)20,000+ |
2. Deep Dive into Each Common 3D Printing Technology
Let’s take a closer look at each technology—how it works, donde se usa, and what to watch out for. We’ll include real cases to show you how they perform in the real world.
2.1 SLA (Estereolitmicromografía): Precision for Detailed Parts
Cómo funciona: SLA uses a resina fotosensible líquida that hardens (cures) when hit by an ultraviolet (Uva) láser. The laser scans the resin layer by layer, building up a 3D object.
Key strengths: It’s one of the most precise 3D printing technologies, with layer heights as small as 0.02mm—great for smooth, detailed surfaces.
Ejemplo del mundo real: A dental lab used SLA to make custom orthotics for patients. The technology’s high precision (error margin under 0.1mm) ensured the orthotics fit perfectly, cutting patient adjustment visits by 60% en comparación con los métodos tradicionales.
Limitaciones:
- Equipment and resin are expensive (a liter of SLA resin can cost \(50- )200).
- Resins are toxic and need to be stored in dark containers (light causes premature curing).
- Only a few resin types are available, limiting use for high-heat or heavy-load parts.
2.2 SLSS (Sinterización láser selectiva): Versatility for Metal & Non-Metal Parts
Cómo funciona: SLS uses a high-power laser to heat and fuse (sinter) materiales en polvo—like nylon, metal, or glass. Unlike SLA, it doesn’t need support structures because the unused powder holds the part in place.
Key strengths: You can print with almost any powder, from plastic to stainless steel. It’s perfect for complex shapes that would be hard to make with other tech.
Ejemplo del mundo real: An aerospace company used SLS to print large, complex engine brackets. The brackets were 30% lighter than metal ones made with traditional machining, and production time dropped from 6 semanas para 10 días.
Limitaciones:
- Printed parts have a rough surface (needs sanding or polishing for smoothness).
- The process can release harmful gases (like formaldehyde) from some powders, requiring proper ventilation.
- Metal SLS machines are very expensive (often over $100,000), making them out of reach for small businesses.
2.3 FDM (Modelado de deposición fusionada): Affordability for Everyday Use
Cómo funciona: FDM melts filament (a thin plastic thread, like PLA or ABS) and pushes it through a heated nozzle. The nozzle moves back and forth, depositing the melted plastic layer by layer—similar to how a hot glue gun works.
Key strengths: It’s the most user-friendly and low-cost option. FDM machines are small enough for offices or homes, and filaments are cheap (a spool of PLA costs \(20- )50).
Ejemplo del mundo real: A high school used FDM printers in its design class. Students printed prototypes for small projects (like phone stands and toy cars) because the machines were easy to operate (training took just 2 horas) and materials were safe (no toxic fumes).
Limitaciones:
- Low precision—layer heights start at 0.1mm, so parts have visible layer lines.
- Impresión lenta (a small phone stand can take 2–3 hours, en comparación con 30 minutes with SLA).
- Surface finish is rough—parts often need sanding to look smooth.
2.4 3DP (3D Printing/Adhesive Jetting): Speed for Multi-Color Models
Cómo funciona: 3DP is like a 2D inkjet printer, but instead of ink, it sprays adhesive onto a bed of powder (like gypsum or starch). The adhesive binds the powder together, capa por capa, to form a 3D object. It can also spray colored adhesives for multi-color parts.
Key strengths: It’s fast—printing a small model takes just 1–2 hours. It’s also great for multi-color or detailed decorative parts.
Ejemplo del mundo real: A home decor brand used 3DP to make custom, multi-color figurines. The technology let them print 50 figurines in 8 horas (each with 5+ bandera), en comparación con 2 days with traditional painting methods.
Limitaciones:
- Parts are weak—they can’t handle heavy loads (most 3DP parts break under 5kg of pressure).
- Powder can be messy—unused powder needs to be cleaned up and reused carefully.
- Parts are porous (absorb water), so they need a protective coating for durability.
2.5 PUG (Vacuum Injection Molding): Speed for Small-Batch Production
Cómo funciona: PUG uses a moho de silicona (made from a master model) to copy parts. Resin is poured into the mold under vacuum (to avoid air bubbles), then cured. It’s not “printing” in the traditional sense, but it’s a key 3D-related tech for small batches.
Key strengths: It’s fast—you can make 10–50 copies of a part in a day. Molds are cheap (a silicone mold costs \(50- )300) and easy to make.
Ejemplo del mundo real: A film studio used PUG to make 30 identical prop swords for a movie. The silicone molds let them produce the props in 3 días (en comparación con 2 weeks with traditional casting), and each prop cost just $15 para hacer.
Limitaciones:
- Mold materials have poor performance—they can’t handle high temperatures (over 80°C) or repeated use (most molds break after 50–100 copies).
- Parts often have defects like bubbles or missing material (due to uneven resin flow in the mold).
3. Other Important 3D Printing Technology Categories
Beyond the core 5 technologies, there are other types grouped by how they work. These are useful for specific niche needs:
- Material Extrusion: Includes FDM plus subtypes like architectural 3D printing (printing large structures with concrete) y biological 3D printing (printing human tissue with bio-resins). Por ejemplo, a construction company used architectural 3D printing to build a small house in 72 hours—cutting labor costs by 40%.
- Reduction Polymerization: Uses light to cure resin, like SLA and DLP (Procesamiento de luz digital) (which uses a projector instead of a laser for faster curing). A jewelry designer used DLP to print 100 small earrings in 4 hours—twice as fast as SLA.
- Directed Energy Deposition (DED): Melts material (like metal wire) with a laser or electron beam and deposits it directly onto a surface. It’s used to repair large parts—an automotive shop used DED to fix a cracked truck engine block, saving the customer $5,000 (instead of buying a new block).
- Sheet Lamination: Glues thin sheets of material (like paper or metal) together and cuts them into shape with a laser. A packaging company used this to make prototype boxes—each box took 15 minutes to print, and they tested 20 designs in a day.
4. Yigu Technology’s Take on Common 3D Printing Technologies
En la tecnología yigu, creemos common 3D printing technologies are tools to solve specific problems—not one-size-fits-all solutions. We’ve helped clients pick the right tech: small businesses often start with FDM for low-cost prototyping, while medical or aerospace clients use SLA/SLS for precision. We advise focusing on your goals first (P.EJ., “I need a detailed part” vs. “I need 100 cheap copies”) to avoid overspending. As tech advances, we see more affordable metal SLS machines and safer resins making 3D printing accessible to even more users.
Preguntas frecuentes
Q1: Which 3D printing technology is best for beginners?
FDM is the best choice. It’s cheap (machines start at $200), fácil de usar (most have user-friendly software), and materials are safe (PLA is non-toxic). A beginner can learn to print a simple part in under an hour.
Q2: Can any 3D printing technology make metal parts?
Sí, but mainly SLS and DED. SLS uses metal powder (like stainless steel or titanium) and is good for small to medium metal parts. DED is better for large parts or repairing existing metal components. Nota: Metal 3D printing machines are expensive (a menudo $50,000+), so for small batches, it’s sometimes cheaper to use traditional machining.
Q3: How long does it take to print a part with common 3D technologies?
It depends on the tech and part size:
- FDM: Una pequeña parte (P.EJ., a keychain) takes 1–3 hours; a large part (P.EJ., a chair) takes 12–24 hours.
- SLA: A small detailed part (P.EJ., a jewelry charm) takes 30 minutes–2 hours.
- SLSS: Una parte media (P.EJ., an engine bracket) takes 5–12 hours.
- 3DP: A multi-color figurine takes 1–3 hours.
- PUG: Once the mold is made, each part takes 10–30 minutes (mold making takes 1–2 days).
