3D Printed Saddle Padding for Selle Italia’s last model for Cross-Road: meet the new SLR XC 3D Carbon.
Selle Italia has introduced the new SLR XC range, a four-tier saddle lineup — Advan, Elite, Carbon, and 3D Carbon — built specifically for cross-country riding. At the top of the range, 3D printed saddle padding makes its off-road debut.
Every model in the range shares the same XC-specific engineering: a tapered rear geometry for a fast return to the saddle after technical sections, extended padding for long days on demanding stages, and a shell shaped to work with full-suspension MTBs.
At the top of the range sits the SLR XC 3D Carbon, the first model to bring Selle Italia’s 3D printed padding technology — already established on the brand’s road saddles — into off-road application.
Prototek acted as manufacturing partner for the project, producing the padding in EPU 46 through Carbon DLS™ technology.
From Road to Trail: Why Off-Road Needed a Different Approach
Cross-country terrain places different demands on a saddle than road cycling. Impacts and vibrations vary sharply across the riding position — heavier on sections absorbing terrain shock, lighter where consistent contact and pedaling efficiency matter more than cushioning.
A uniform padding structure, however well tuned, is a compromise across the surface, not an optimized response.
Selle Italia designed the external surface pattern of the SLR XC 3D Carbon.
Prototek’s engineering team worked alongside Selle Italia to adapt the internal lattice geometry to this specific application, translating the zone-differentiated cushioning concept into a structure calibrated for off-road impact and vibration patterns: higher absorption in high-impact zones, firmer response where power transfer is the priority.
Reinforced side edges are produced as part of the same printed structure, combining impact protection with a smooth, low-friction surface that supports fast repositioning during dynamic trail riding.
This detail would require a separate manufacturing step and secondary bonding in a conventional production process.
Producing 3D Printed Saddle Padding: EPU 46 and Carbon DLS™
The 3D printed saddle padding is manufactured as a single geometry — external pattern, internal lattice, and reinforced edges printed together — using Carbon DLS™ with EPU 46, an elastomeric material selected for its balance of resilience and surface quality.
Four factors made Carbon DLS™ the right process for this application:
- Surface quality. Carbon DLS™ produces smooth, consistent surfaces without the visible layer lines typical of other additive processes — relevant for a component in direct, repeated contact with the rider.
- Repeatability. A production saddle line depends on consistency across batches, not single-unit results.
- Design freedom. The internal lattice geometry — and its zone-by-zone variation — would be difficult or impossible to reproduce through conventional molding.
- No dedicated tooling. The geometry is defined at CAD level, allowing design iteration without new molds — a meaningful advantage during a technical development phase like this one.
Prototek's Role for 3D Printed Saddle Padding
For the SLR XC 3D Carbon, Prototek’s contribution covered the production side of the project: adapting the internal lattice geometry for off-road use alongside Selle Italia’s team, material selection and processing of EPU 46, and quality control across production batches on Carbon DLS™ platforms.
The result is a saddle that keeps its external identity fully under Selle Italia’s design control, while relying on a production partner able to translate a complex internal geometry into a consistent, repeatable manufactured part.
Technical Specifications
| Dimensions | S3 130×250mm / L3 145×250mm |
| Rail | Carbon Ø7×9mm |
| Intended use | Off-Road / Cross-Country |
| Family | SLR |
| Padding | 3D printed, zone-differentiated lattice |
| Manufacturing technology | Carbon DLS™ / EPU 46 |
The new Selle Italia SLR XC will be available from October 2026.
Prototek is an HP Multi Jet Fusion and Carbon DLS™ service bureau based in Valenza (AL), Italy, and an ISO 9001 / ISO 27001 certified additive manufacturing partner for technical and industrial applications.