YOKOITO installs two UnionTech SLA printers to offer large-format transparent AM services in Japan

Kyoto-based YOKOITO has installed two UnionTech SLA 3D printers — the ultra-large RsPro 1800 and the medium-format LITE 600 2.0 — to expand its contract manufacturing capabilities. The RsPro 1800 offers a build volume of 1,800 x 900 x 600 mm and can produce single-piece transparent parts exceeding 2,000 mm diagonally using UnionTech's UTR-8100 clear resin. The LITE 600 2.0, with a 600 x 600 x 400 mm build volume, uses ABS-like TUF-86 resin for functional prototypes and jigs. YOKOITO is currently in the verification phase and will launch large-format printing services under its YAM (Yokoito Additive Manufacturing) brand.

This investment addresses a persistent gap in the Japanese service bureau market: large, high-precision transparent parts that previously required multi-piece assembly and bonding. By enabling true one-piece SLA at the 2-meter scale, YOKOITO targets automotive lighting development, fluid visualization models, and industrial enclosures — applications where dimensional accuracy and optical clarity are critical. The move reflects a broader pattern of service bureaus specializing in specific size-and-material niches rather than competing on volume alone. While UnionTech is a Chinese OEM, the pairings of local resin control and build-volume ambition position YOKOITO as a rare domestic source for this capability. The real competitive benchmark will be whether they can deliver consistent surface quality and lead times comparable to established European and North American large-format SLA bureaus.

For potential customers, YOKOITO’s new capability is promising but still unproven at production scale. The company must demonstrate repeatable process control across the RsPro 1800's large vat and validate the long-term stability of the UTR-8100 resin. Buyers should request sample parts and insist on dimensional reports before committing to full-run projects. This is a capability expansion, not a category shift — but for Japanese OEMs needing large transparent prototypes without overseas shipping, it is now a viable domestic option.