Nylon 12.
The workhorse.
The functional default for SLS: a stiff, impact-resistant nylon for enclosures, brackets, housings, and end-use parts that have to hold up. No tooling, no minimums.
Nylon 12
PA 12 / durableNylon 12, also called PA 12, is the material most SLS parts are made from, and for good reason. It balances stiffness and impact strength, takes fine detail, and holds up as a real end-use part rather than a stand-in. Because SLS supports the part in its own powder bed, Nylon 12 prints complex geometry with no support structures to design around or cut off.
- Properties
- Good stiffness with usable impact strength
- Isotropic enough for functional, load-bearing parts
- Fine feature detail and living-hinge-capable in the right geometry
- Chemically stable and suitable for end-use, not just prototypes
Enclosures and housings
Durable cases, covers, and shells for electronics and equipment.
Brackets and mounts
Structural brackets, clips, and mounting hardware.
Functional prototypes
Test-ready parts in the real material, not a soft stand-in.
Short-run production
Tens to hundreds of end-use parts with no tool to cut.
Parts are broken out and media blasted to an even matte finish. Vapor smoothing is available for a sealed, smoother surface. We do not dye.
Common questions
- Is Nylon 12 strong enough for end-use parts?
- Yes. Nylon 12 is a genuine end-use engineering material, stiff with usable impact strength, which is why it is the default for functional SLS parts rather than only prototypes.
- Do you have a minimum order?
- No. SLS needs no tooling, so there is no minimum. We print one part or a production run on the same line.
- What finish comes standard?
- A media-blasted matte finish is standard. Vapor smoothing is available for a sealed, smoother surface. We do not dye parts.
- What tolerances can you hold?
- SLS holds functional tolerances suitable for end-use nylon parts. The specific tolerance for your part is confirmed on quote, since it depends on the geometry and size.
Have a part
for Nylon 12?
Send your file and quantity. We will quote your parts in Nylon 12 and get them into production.