When should a cold-plate validation fixture move from SLA to metal?

General Discussion
1

I’m mapping a staged validation workflow for a compact cold plate and would like input from Formlabs users who build engineering fixtures.

My current split is:

  • use SLA for connector fit, hose routing, assembly access and low-temperature flow visualization;
  • add metal inserts where threaded ports or repeated clamping would damage resin;
  • move the fluid body itself to metal once pressure, wall temperature and dimensional drift matter;
  • keep the same datum scheme and sensor locations across the polymer and metal stages.

The later-stage metal validation context is this thermal design and validation reference for LPBF copper parts.

Disclosure: I work with Copper3DP; the link is our engineering reference. I’m asking about the practical limit of Formlabs materials in a staged fixture workflow.

For High Temp Resin or Rigid 10K users: which failure mode usually forces the transition first—creep at hose fittings, sealing-surface distortion, thermal expansion, or repeated assembly damage?