Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) | Nylon 3D Printing Service — 3D People UK

Introducing TPU01 MJF! Get flexible, resilient 3D prints with our latest material. Available now!

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

SLS is an additive manufacturing technology that uses a laser to fuse particles of plastic powder together building parts layer by layer. This powder bed technology rivals injection moulding prices for short production runs of small parts. SLS technology has hardly any printing limitations giving freedom to design and print complex geometries.

MAX PART SIZE
280 x 330 x 420 mm

LEAD TIMES
From 2 Working Days

TOLERANCE
± 0.3% (min: ± 0.15 mm)

MIN PART SIZE
1 x 1 x 8 mm

LAYER HEIGHT
100 microns

MIN WALL THICKNESS
1.0 mm

Use SLS for:

SLS_ProductDevelopment.jpg

Product Development

On-demand SLS 3D printing enables you to prototype your product using industrial quality materials. Improve your designs iteratively to perfect your product before moving to production

  • Design Freedom

  • Highly Accurate

  • Prototype matches Production

Shot_23.jpg

Functional Parts

Strong and durable, SLS Nylon produces best in class working properties that can either be flexible or rigid depending on the geometry of the design. See our datasheets below.

  • Strong & Durable

  • Consistent Properties

  • Chemical Resistance

SLS_ProductionRuns.jpg

Production Runs

SLS is a viable production method for manufacturing parts at volume. This technology can be used as an alternative to injection moulding. Key benefits include no costs for tooling or alterations.

  • No Tooling Costs

  • Easily Scalable

  • Finishes Available

 Materials + finishes:

MATERIAL

PA12 Nylon

The industry leading material for industrial 3D printing. This robust material has superb mechanical properties and can replace injection moulded alternatives.

AKA. Duraform ProX PA, Polyamide,
Nylon 12, PA2200

 

FINISH

As Printed

Crisp edges and almost no visible layer lines. The surface has a grainy texture, similar to an extra strong mint.

 

FINISH

Black Dye (Inc. Shot Peen)

Our deep-dye process penetrates approximately 0.2mm into the surface and does not alter the part dimensions.

 

FINISH

Colour Dye (Inc. Shot Peen)

Embellish your naturally white SLS parts with vibrant colour, enhance the tactile feel and increase resistance to dirt and scratches.

 

FINISH

Vibro Polished

Vibro polishing removes the grainy texture of the SLS nylon material. The result is a smooth, satin finish that is soft to the touch.

 

FINISH

Vapour Smoothed

Vapour Smoothing smooths and seals the surface and reduces crack initiation points, enhancing elongation at break, impact resistance, and fatigue strength.

 

Technical information

We use 3D Systems ProX 6100 machinery for our SLS production. These top of the range industrial 3D printers are designed for continuous production of end-use parts. Combined with our knowledge and advanced finishing techniques, we use the ProX series to produce the best quality SLS 3D prints on the market. See our material properties below or download a data sheet.

ProX-sls-6100_angle_printer-image2.png

PA12 MATERIAL PROPERTIES

This data is for Duraform PA12 printed on ProX 6100 machinery. The properties may vary depending on part geometry and print orientation, therefore the values are a good guideline but can not be guaranteed.

DENSITY (g/cm3)
0.95

HARDNESS (SHORE D)
73

TENSILE STRENGTH (MPa)
50

TENSILE MODULUS (MPa)
1770

ELONGATION at YIELD (%)
14

ELONGATION at BREAK (%)
22

FLEXURAL STRENGTH (MPa)
60

FLEXURAL MODULUS (MPa)
1650

IMPACT STRENGTH NOTCHED IZOD (j/m)
45

IMPACT STRENGTH UNNOTCHED IZOD (j/m)
644

HEAT DEFLECTION @ 0.45MPa (C)
182

HEAT DEFLECTION @ 1.82MPa (C)
97

 SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING FAQ

+ How does SLS 3D Printing work?

SLS 3D Printing works by spreading a 0.1mm thin layer of Nylon powder over the build surface. A laser is used to selectively heat areas of the powder, fusing some of the particles together. The process is repeated with further layers added on top, bonding the fresh powder to the layer below. The fused areas are built up layer by layer resulting in solid plastic parts.

+ What is the largest part I can print with SLS?

The build volume of the ProX 6100 SLS machine is 280 x 330 x 420 mm. We frequently print larger models that have been split into sectioned to be assembled after printing.

+ What Applications can I use SLS 3D Printing for?

SLS is great for applications such as:

  • Consumer Products
  • Robotics
  • Medical Devices
  • Prototyping
  • Low Volume Batch Production
  • Injection Moulding Alternative

+ Does SLS 3D Printing require support material?

No, the parts are produced while surrounded by loose powder. Therefore the loose unmelted powder acts as a supporting material. This method of 3D printing is fantastic for producing complex geometries that would otherwise be impossible with technologies that require support.

+ What colours and finishes are available for SLS materials?

SLS parts come out of the machine white in colour with a powdery finish similar to an extra strong mint. Nylon parts can be post-processed with services such as Vibro-Polishing & Black Dye

+ Can I Hand Finish SLS Materials?

Yes you can, we have some tips on some common finishing solutions.

Sanding
Try using wet & dry sandpaper of around 400 grit. The black paper can sometimes stain the parts so make sure to use lots of water and change over the paper regularly.

Painting
Our SLS prints come in white as standard, which is great for painting but they come with a powdery texture which needs to be sorted before painting. Always start with primer and sand a little before painting with acrylic paint. We would suggest taking advantage of the free vibro-polishing service before painting your part.

Dyeing
We are specialists in dyeing white SLS parts black, but there are many other colours out there that you can try out. We recommend using rit dye for synthetics and a pressure cooker, though a normal pot should work fine. There is an amazing academic paper on SLS Nylon dyeing from Goldsmiths University.

Glueing
Due to the powdery nature of Nylon prints, it requires a thicker glue to bond parts together. We recommend a 2 part epoxy resin like Araldite or a thick super glue like mitre glue. Standard superglue will not work well as it dries too quickly on the surface of the parts.

+ Is PA12 Nylon Food Safe?

3D People’s PA12 material is certified as biocompatible and can be food safe under certain conditions. Though due to the porous nature of parts via the SLS printing method we can not certify our materials as food safe. Please use it at your own risk.

+ Can I Choose the Orientation of my SLS parts?

The best orientation for your part is one that reduces stepping and warping. This is chosen for you by expert technicians. If you require a special orientation for your part, then please send an email to print@3dpeople.uk after ordering and we will manually orientate your part in the build.

+ How can I make my SLS order cheaper?

The best way to save money with SLS printing is by using 3D nesting. Geometry dependent, you can group multiple files together to get a cheaper price. Here is our guide to 3D nesting which shows when and when not to utilise nesting to your advantage.

 

Team

Bradley Humphrey

Technical Consultant

Thin Walls? Ill Email you about it

Ben Lyons

Senior Technician

Our goal is to help your business grow with the use of 3D printing. Contact our team for a technical consultation and support in ordering from our SLS Service.

  • Non-Disclosure Agreements

  • Dedicated Account Manager

  • Trade Accounts

  • Technical Consulting

Articles

PA12 Nylon (SLS) Design Guide

Check your designs meet our guidelines for 3D Printing in PA12 Nylon (SLS). The aptly named 'Design Guide' is not a rule book, and in some instances, parts with geometries that fall outside of our recommendations may print successfully. However, for best results, please use the guide.