Last Updated:
If you’ve been looking into advanced 3D printing services, you may have come across a process called Vision Controlled Jetting, or VCJ. It’s one of the newer additive manufacturing technologies on the market, and it works pretty differently from most systems you’ve probably seen before. This post breaks down what VCJ is, how the process works step by step, what materials it uses, and where it makes the most sense to use it.
What Is VCJ?
Vision Controlled Jetting (VCJ) is a 3D printing process that combines inkjet-style material deposition with high-resolution scanning and real-time corrections. Most traditional 3D printing processes rely on fixed mechanical settings — what goes down goes down, and there’s no way to fix a bad layer once it’s printed. VCJ is different. It scans each layer after it’s deposited and automatically adjusts the next one to fix any issues before they stack up.
That real-time feedback loop is what makes VCJ stand out as a 3D printing service option for production-grade parts. Because the system controls each layer so precisely, it can work with more advanced materials — specifically a polyurethane-based resin called TEPU™ — that other inkjet processes can’t reliably handle.
How the VCJ Process Works
The VCJ 3D printing process runs in a repeating five-step cycle for every layer of the part:
1. Deposition TEPU resin and molten wax are jetted onto the build platform in tiny droplets, layer by layer. The wax acts as a support material, holding up overhangs and complex features during the build.
2. Scanning After each layer is deposited, a high-resolution 3D scanner captures the surface topography of that layer. This gives the system an accurate picture of exactly what was printed and where.
3. Correction The system compares the scanned layer to the target geometry. If there are any deviations — even small ones — it automatically adjusts the next deposition pass to compensate. This is the “vision controlled” part of the name.
4. Curing Once the corrections are applied and the layer looks right, it’s cured with UV light to lock in the material properties.
5. Post-Processing After the full part is built, the wax support material is simply melted away. Because the supports are liquid at low heat and never bonded to the part mechanically, the finished surface is clean and smooth. No manual sanding, no scarring, no support removal marks.
VCJ Capabilities
Maximum build size |
Linear Accuracy |
Minimum Wall Thickness |
Minimum Hole Diameter |
Internal Channels |
| 450 x 237 x 200 mm | +/- 40 μm + 0.3% of feature size (XY) | 0.5 mm (suggested 1 mm for reliable results) | 0.5 mm | 1.5 mm or larger (to ensure wax drainage). |
Materials Available Through the VCJ 3D Printing Service
Right now, two materials are available through this process: TEPU 30a and TEPU 50a. Both are flexible, rubber-like materials made from a thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethane chemistry. The main difference between them is how stiff they feel.
TEPU 30a is softer and more compliant. It compresses easily and bounces back well, which makes it a good fit for applications where the part needs to deform and recover.
TEPU 50a is noticeably firmer. It holds its shape better under load and works well where you need a tighter seal or more resistance to compression.
Both materials are produced with high dimensional accuracy and a smooth surface finish straight off the printer, which is a direct result of the closed-loop process control built into VCJ.
Common Applications
Because VCJ produces flexible parts with tight tolerances and clean surfaces, it works well across a range of industries where standard FDM or SLA flexible prints fall short.
TEPU 30a applications:
- Soft seals and gaskets that need to conform to irregular surfaces
- Vibration damping components
- Compliant interfaces in assemblies
- Skin-contact parts where softness and biocompatibility matter
TEPU 50a applications:
- Industrial gaskets and seals under higher compression loads
- Cushioning components in mechanical assemblies
- Parts that need to maintain shape while still offering some give
If your application involves flexible parts with complex geometry, tight tolerances, or a surface quality requirement that rules out post-processing, VCJ is worth looking into as your 3D printing service option.
VCJ vs Other 3D Printing Processes
| Feature / Criteria | VCJ | SLA | SLS | MJF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials Available | TEPU 50A/30A | Resins | Powdered Nylon, TPU | Nylon & more |
| Typical Cost | $$ Moderate | $$ Moderate | $$$ Higher | $–$$ Cost‑effective |
| Strength / Durability | Good | Moderate | High | High |
| Surface Finish | Smooth | Very Smooth | Smooth | Smooth |
| Best For | Flexible Parts | High detail parts | Functional & durable | Production parts |
Who Should Consider VCJ?
VCJ makes the most sense for engineers and product developers who are working with flexible geometries that are hard to produce any other way. If you’ve tried printing flexible parts on an FDM machine and dealt with layer delamination, poor surface finish, or inconsistent hardness, VCJ addresses most of those issues at the process level.
It’s also a good fit for small-to-medium production runs where part consistency matters. Because the process self-corrects in real time, you get less variation between parts than you’d typically see on open-loop systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does VCJ stand for, and who developed it? VCJ stands for Vision Controlled Jetting. The process was developed by Stratasys as a next-generation inkjet-based 3D printing platform. It was designed specifically to enable the use of more advanced material chemistries that traditional polyjet systems couldn’t support due to mechanical process limitations.
Q: How is VCJ different from standard PolyJet 3D printing? Standard PolyJet printing deposits material and cures it without any real-time feedback about layer quality. VCJ adds a high-resolution 3D scanner into the loop that checks each layer before the next one is printed. If something is off, the system corrects it automatically. That closed-loop control is what allows VCJ to work with TEPU resins and produce tighter tolerances than conventional polyjet processes.
Q: What is TEPU and why does it matter? TEPU stands for Thermoplastic Elastomeric Polyurethane. It’s a production-grade flexible material with mechanical properties closer to molded silicone or urethane rubber than typical 3D-printed flexible filaments. The reason it matters is that it behaves like a real engineering material rather than a brittle or inconsistent flexible plastic. TEPU holds up to repeated flexing, compression, and in some cases skin contact — things most FDM flexible materials can’t reliably do.
Q: Does VCJ require a lot of post-processing? Not much. The main post-processing step is melting away the wax support material, which happens at low temperature and doesn’t require any manual labor on the part itself. Because the supports aren’t mechanically attached, there’s no sanding, no support removal damage, and no need to clean up the surface. For most applications, the part comes out of the process essentially ready to use.
Q: What industries use VCJ 3D printing services most often? The process sees the most use in industries where flexible, tight-tolerance parts are common — medical devices and wearables, industrial sealing applications, consumer electronics, and automotive. Any application that involves soft seals, gaskets, cushioning, or compliant interfaces is a reasonable candidate. It’s also used for prototyping in applications where the prototype needs to behave like the final production material, not just look like it.
Q: Can VCJ produce multi-durometer parts in a single print? This is an active area of development for the platform. The architecture of VCJ — with separate jetting channels for different materials — does allow for multi-material deposition in a single build, which opens the door to parts that are stiff in some areas and soft in others. Check with your 3D printing service provider for current material combination availability, as this capability continues to expand.