Material · SLS Powder
Nylon PA12: the material real products ship in
PA12 is where 3D printing stops imitating manufacturing and simply is manufacturing. Laser-sintered nylon parts are strong in every direction, indifferent to oils and solvents, slightly springy in thin sections — and the thousandth one matches the first.
Why engineers standardize on it
Because the powder bed supports every feature during SLS printing, PA12 delivers geometry no molded or FDM part can: functional hinges printed pre-assembled, internal channels, snap features that survive thousands of cycles, and lattices that cut weight without cutting strength.
It's the default for low-volume production — enclosures, clips, brackets, drone frames, ducting — and for prototypes that must behave exactly like the injection-molded nylon they'll eventually become.
Surface & color reality
PA12 comes out a uniform matte with a fine grain — professional, grippy, paint-optional. Dyeing (black is the classic) gives rich through-color for consumer-facing parts. If mirror-smooth cosmetic surfaces are the brief, that's resin's department.
| Nylon PA12 properties | |
|---|---|
| Process | SLS |
| Tensile strength | ~48 MPa, isotropic |
| Heat resistance | ~150°C short-term |
| Chemical | Resists oils, fuels, solvents |
| Supports | None — powder-borne |
| Cost | $$ — improves with batch size |
Move your part into nylon
Send the file and your program quantity — PA12 pricing improves with nesting, so bigger asks often surprise pleasantly.