Sign In
Cookie Policy
Xometry stores cookies on your computer to provide more personalized services to you, both on this website and through other media. By using this website, you consent to the cookies we use and our Privacy Policy.
Carbon Digital Light Synthesis™ (DLS™) 3D Printing Service
High-Performing Prototypes and Serialized Production Parts
Free Shipping on All US Orders
All uploads are secure and confidential.
Production-Grade Parts Without Tooling
Carbon® uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to produce products with end-use durability, resolution, and surface finish. This technology, along with Carbon’s custom liquid resins, unlocks new business opportunities and product designs previously impossible, including mass customization and on-demand inventory. The Carbon platform enables companies to bring products to market that were never thought possible.
Digital Light Synthesis™ Materials
DLS™ Materials Available at Xometry:
| Material Name | Description | Shore Hardness | Elongation at Break (%) | Impact Strength (J/m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RPU 70 | Rigid polyurethane | 80D | 100% | 22 J/m |
UMA 90 | Urethane methacrylate | 86D | 17% | 33 J/m |
EPX 82 | Impact-resistant epoxy | 89D | 5.9% | 44 J/m |
CE 221 | High temp cyanate ester (HDT 230C) | 92D | 3.5% | 15 J/m |
FPU 50 | Flexible polyurethane | 71D | 280% | 40 J/m |
EPU 40 | Elastomeric polyurethane | 68A | 310% | N/A |
SIL 30 | Elastomeric silicone-urethane | 35A | 330% | N/A |
More Carbon DLS™ materials are available upon request! Review more information about our materials here.
Available Finishes for Carbon DLS™ Parts
Standard
Parts built with Carbon DLS technology will typically have a matte to semi-gloss surface finish depending on feature direction. Extended protrusions will show vertical lines in the part that are parallel to the direction of growth. Supports are removed and mitigated as required.
Custom Color (UMA 90)
UMA 90 materials come in different colors available for custom mixing. Although the standard is black or white, other solid colors can be available for part productions.
Custom
Don’t see the finish you need? Submit an RFQ and we’ll look into a finishing process for you.
Ready to get started on your 3D printing quote?
Free shipping on all 3D printing
Applications for Carbon DLS™ Technology
Rapid Prototyping
Carbon DLS™ technology can be used to create strong, flexible, and colorful prototypes
End-Use Functional Parts
Carbon DLS™ materials are fully dense and engineered for end-use
Direct Digital Manufacturing
Carbon DLS™ is ideal for serialize production of small to medium-sized parts
Benefits of Carbon DLS™ 3D Printed Parts
Engineered Materials
3D print directly in urethanes, epoxies, elastomers, and other specialty thermosets.
Complex Shapes and Lattices
Best-in-class at 3D printing of lattice structures and organic shapes.
Scalability
Produce small parts in serialized production at pricing competitive with injection molding.
Carbon DLS™ General Tolerances
| Description | Tolerance Notes |
|---|---|
General Tolerances | +/- 0.005” for the first inch is typical, plus +/- 0.002” for every inch thereafter. |
Build Size | The typical build area is 7.4” x 4.6” x 12.8”. Parts with dimensions exceeding 4” x 4” x 6” will require manual review. |
Ideal Part Size | Part's below 2" x 1" x 3" or smaller tend to have the best production economy of scale. |
Minimum Wall Thickness | 0.030" or larger is suggested for any walls, text, or lattice features. |
This table depicts the general tolerances for Digital Light Synthesis™. Stresses during the build, support strategy, and other geometry considerations may cause deviation in tolerances and flatness. Improved tolerances may be possible with a manual quote review, after successful completion of a prototype build, and must be approved on a case-by-case basis. Please check out Xometry's Manufacturing Standards for more information on tolerances per process.
Overview: What is Carbon DLS™ Technology?
Carbon DLS™ Technology Basics
Carbon uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and programmable liquid resins to produce products with end-use durability, resolution, and surface finish. This 3D printing technology is called Digital Light Synthesis™, or DLS for short. Another legacy term for the process is Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP). Along with Carbon’s custom liquid resins, DLS unlocks new business opportunities and product designs previously impossible, including mass customization and on-demand inventory of end-use products.
Carbon bridges, and sometimes substitutes, for processes like Urethane Casting and Injection Molding service production, because the materials are urethane-based or epoxy-based, giving excellent mechanical properties. There are even elastomer and silicone resins that outperform most additive manufactured rubber-like materials.
What Differentiates Carbon
What differentiates Carbon from similar processes like Stereolithography (SLA) or PolyJet 3D prints is that the resin has a secondary thermal step which activates dormant epoxies or urethanes, making parts much stronger than UV-curing alone. Additionally, the DLS process is continuous, without stopping layer-by-layer as with most additive manufacturing. This gives the parts isotropic properties, meaning that strength is even regardless of orientation. This is a significant advantage over processes like Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), where Z-direction features can be much weaker than similar features built in the XY-direction.
Why Choose Xometry for 3D Printing?
Endless Options
Choose from millions of possible combinations of materials, finishes, tolerances, markings, and certifications for your order.
Easy to Use
Get your parts delivered right to your door without the hassle of sourcing, project management, logistics, or shipping.
Vetted Network
Only the top shops that apply to become Partners make it through our multi-tiered qualification process, so you can be confident your part will be made right.
