Tight-Tolerance and High-Precision Parts

Both Formlabs and Markforged systems achieve very fine detail and fit. Formlabs SLA printers routinely build parts at 25–50 μm (0.025–0.05 mm) layer height, yielding very smooth finishes and tight fits. PSYONIC’s team, for example, prints its toughest resin (Tough 1500) at 25 μm so mating components have almost no play. Markforged’s Onyx material likewise has excellent dimensional stability; the company advertises that parts come off the printer within tight tolerances so mating surfaces have “no gaps or guesswork”. These capabilities mean 3D-printed parts can be used directly in precision assemblies (e.g. jigs for inspection or end-effectors on robots) without hand-fitting.

In practice, engineers report that 3D-printed parts routinely meet their precision needs. For instance, Formlabs users noted “finer surfaces” and exact fits after upgrading to the Form 4 printer. In short, whether it’s an SLA resin plug fitting into a mold or a carbon-fiber-nylon fixture aligning a sensor, modern printers can achieve the required tolerances for high-end industrial use.