Micron Brings SLS 3D Printing to the Desktop

3D printing has come a long way in the past couple of decades, but the truth is that almost every consumer 3D printer on the market utilizes one of two 3D printing processes: FDM (fused-deposition modeling) or MSLA (Masked Stereolithography). Those processes have many benefits and are well-suited to the consumer market, but they have disadvantages as well. That’s why we’re so excited to see SLS (selective laser sintering) finally make it to the prosumer market in the form of the Micronics Micron.

SLS 3D printing works by projecting a high-power laser onto a bed of fine powdered material. The laser melts the powder in the shape of the part, adding a solid layer to the part when the material cools. The SLS machine then disperses another thin layer of powder and the process repeats.

This has a few very important advantages over FDM and MSLA printing. The most obvious is the powder bed, which eliminates the need for printed supports and makes virtually any geometry feasible—the big exception is sealed hollow cavities, which are not possible (there wouldn’t be any way to remove the powder from the cavity). An SLS 3D printer like the Micron is also capable of relatively fine detail, while avoiding most of the warping concerns associated with FDM and certain materials.

And, in theory, this will support many different materials down the line. At launch, the Micron will only officially work with nylon and TPU. But conventional SLS 3D printers work with many other materials and we have every reason to believe that the Micron will, too. But don’t get your hopes up too high, because it will not support metal 3D printing. That would require a much more powerful laser.

The Micron’s laser is a 5-watt CW (Continuous Wave) diode model with a wavelength of 447nm, directed by mirror galvanometers for high-speed movement in the X and Y axes. That said, this is much slower than FDM and MSLA printing. Micronics says that a typical build speed is about 8mm per hour, at 15% infill. The build volume is 160×160×205mm, but the maximum part size is 145×145×200mm. We’re not sure of the reason for that relatively large discrepancy. The Micron comes with built-in surface and chamber heaters, as well as HEPA filters.

Traditional slicing software isn’t suited to SLS 3D printing, so Micronics developed their own proprietary slicer and it looks pretty interesting. Because supports aren’t necessary, the most efficient way to print is to fill the entire build volume with as many parts as possible. For that reason, MicroSlicer has an intriguing physics-based system for arranging dozens of parts within that volume.

If you want to get into SLS 3D printing, the Micron is currently available through a Kickstarter campaign that will continue running until July 13th. That had a funding goal of $100,000, but has already raised an impressive $1.34 million. Backers can get a single Micron with a removable build chamber and post-processing kit for $3,699, which should ship in June of 2025.