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3D Printing Services

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

At a glance

Lifecycle

Functional testing, low to mid volume prototyping (10s - 100s)

Lead Time

3 days

Resolution

0.1 mm

Infill

100% (solid)

Materials

Nylon, Nylon 11 Flame Retardant, TPU 88A

3D Printing Materials

Nylon

Nylon 11 Flame Retardant

TPU 88A

Nylon

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) nylon is a synthetic 3D printing polymer material that is strong, durable and flexible. MJF nylon is generally considered more frequently used for end-use parts and functional testing under higher loads. With its modular design and faster production speeds, MJF nylon is a cost-effective option for higher bridging production volumes.. Nylons offered: Nylon 11, Nylon 12, and Nylon 12 Glass-Filled
Processes:
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)
Colors:
(Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)) White, Black
(Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)) Grey, Black
Resolution:
(Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)) 0.1 mm
(Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)) 0.08mm
Infill:
(Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)) 100% (solid)
(Multi Jet Fusion (MJF))
Max Print Size:
(Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)) 700 x 380 x 580 mm
(Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)) 380 x 284 x 380 mm
MJF nylon thumbnail

Design Recommendations

Max Part Size [x, y, z]

340 x 340 x 600 mm (P390) or 700 x 380 x 580 mm (P760)

Gaps for Mating Parts

0.5 mm clearance between features

Tolerance

+/- (0.25 mm + 0.002mm/mm)

Min Wall Thickness

1.0 mm for production, 1.5 mm for consistent measurement or mechanical properties
  • For long, thin parts: use ribbing to mitigate warping risks.

Cost Saving Tip

When choosing to 3D print higher part quantities (20+), SLS stands out as the most economical additive manufacturing process.

About the Process

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) harnesses high-powered lasers to selectively fuse powdered material, binding it together layer by layer to form a solid structure. It is frequently mistaken for a similar process known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM), differing in that it solely sinters the powders together rather than achieving full melting.

During the process, parts are supported by unsintered powder in each layer, which remains distributed across the build volume until each layer is fused. Upon completion, the part is extracted from the residual powder and manually cleaned, often utilizing water or air jets.

Although parts produced through this method can incorporate some metal, they typically consist of plastic composites that offer a favorable strength-to-weight ratio and are obtainable at a relatively low cost. While parts requiring structural integrity akin to forged solid metal necessitate Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), the exceptional precision, cost-effective feedstock, and capability to reach high temperatures with SLS printing render it a highly beneficial technology applicable across a wide spectrum of industries, from architectural modeling to aircraft control surfaces and surgical instruments.

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