Stereolithography is a manufacturing process that
uses a UV laser to create successive cross-sections of a three-dimensional object within a vat of liquid photopolymer.  The cross-sections build layers typically of 0.004 inches or 0.006 inches.  A platform is placed on top of the vat filled with the polymer (an epoxy resin). 

Just before the build begins, the platform is moved to a point just below the surface of the resin.  As the UV laser (Helium-Cadmium laser) traces the layer in the
polymer, the resin begins to cure; thus, solidifying the
part to be manufactured.  After a layer has been completed, the platform drops down again and the same
procedure takes place. The object is manufactured layer by layer, curing the part on each level. When the build is complete, the platform raises above the vat, draining the excess resin away from the part.

 The parts that are built using the Stereolithography machine are durable.  The dimensions of these parts are very accurate, only varying at times by 0.002 to 0.005 inches. The SLA machine is the most accurate with building parts containing complex geometries and intricate details.

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