In Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), plastic powder is applied in thin layers onto a building platform and sintered with a laser beam: the powder is heated to just below its melting point and thereby fused. The component is built up layer by layer from bottom to top.

SLS is ideal for prototypes, small series and models. Components are cost-effective and offer high chemical, mechanical and thermal resistance. Depending on the application, reinforced, chemically resistant and rubber-like materials are available.

DuraForm HST, fibre-reinforced composite material
PA 11 (SLS)
PA-GF (SLS)
PP (SLS)
Polyamide PA 12 plastic 3d printing material, technology SLS
TPU (SLS)

DuraForm HST, fibre-reinforced composite material

Very stiff material with excellent mechanical strength and high Heat deflection temp.

3D-Druck-Materialien-Jellypipe-Platzhalter-Bild

Features:

Density [g/cm3] 1.2
Tensile strength [MPa] 48
E-modul [Gpa] 5.48
Flexural strength [MPa] 83
Flexural modulus [Gpa] 4.4
Impact resistance (Izod notched) [J/m] 37.4
Heat deflection temp @0.45MPa [°C] 184
Elongation at break [%] 4.5

DuraForm® HST is a fibre-reinforced composite material based on PA12. The 3D printed material combines excellent mechanical strength with high Heat deflection temp (@0.45MPa 184°C). In addition, the material is very stiff. A typical field of application is functional prototypes.

PA 11 (SLS)

Features:

Density [g/cm3] 1.03
Tensile strength [MPa] 48
E-modul [Gpa]
Flexural strength [MPa] 62
Flexural modulus [Gpa]
Impact resistance (Izod notched) [J/m]
Heat deflection temp à 0.45MPa [°C]
Heat deflection temp à 1.81MPa [°C]
Dehnung bis Bruch [%] 55
Shore hardness 76D

PA-GF (MJF)

A thermoplastic filled to 40% with glass beads

Features:

Density [g/cm3] 1.22
Tensile strength [MPa] 51
E-modul [Gpa] 3.2
Flexural modulus [GPa] 2.90
Impact resistance (Izod notched) [J/m] 21.30
Heat deflection temp @1.81MPA [°C] 110
Elongation at break [%] 6.00
Shore Hardness 80D

Advantages:

High stiffness
Good elongation at break
Excellent mechanical properties
Very smooth surfaces
High level of detail

MJF-PA-GF is a thermoplastic filled to 40% with glass beads. Optimum mechanical properties are as much a benefit of this material as a high recycling rate of around 70%. In this way, MJF-PA-GF makes it possible to significantly reduce the unit costs of production.

PP (SLS)

Thermoplastic material

Advantages:

High chemical resistance
Good resistance to material fatigue

This thermoplastic material combines high chemical resistance with good fatigue resistance. In addition, the slightly elastic PP proves to be extremely temperature resistant.

Polyamide PA 12 plastic 3d printing material, technology SLS

Polyamide (PA) 12 is an engineering plastic that stands out above all for its good mechanical properties.

3D-Druck-Material-PAGF-Technolgie-SLS-Jellypipe-Ans1

Features:

Density [g/cm3] 0.95
Tensile strength [MPa] 48
E-modul [Gpa] 1.65
Flexural strength [MPa] 41
Flexural modulus [Gpa] 1.5
Impact resistance (Izod notched) [J/m] 4.4
Heat deflection temp @1.81MPA [°C] 86
Heat deflection temp @ 0.45MPA [°C] 180 (ASTM D648)
Elongation at break [%] 20
Shore Hardness 75D

Advantages:

High strength & stability
Flexible Protoypes
Minimum wall thickness
Good resolution and detail
High variety of variants
Versatile after-treatments
No support material (support necessary)

Polyamid (PA) 12 is an engineering plastic which is particularly striking because of its good mechanical properties. At the same time, PA 12 offers high strength and toughness as well as excellent sliding and wear behaviour. These properties make this plastic a particularly good material for robust components.

TPU (SLS)

Elastic and wear-resistant material

Bionische-Struktur-3D-Druck-Plexiglas-Binder-Jetting-PMMA-AE12-Web

Features:

Density [g/cm3] 0.78
Tensile strength [MPa] 2.1
E-modul [Gpa] 0.01
Flexural modulus [Gpa] 0.1
Elongation at break [%] 200
Shore hardness 59A

Advantages:

Elastic & wear resistant
Dynamic resistance

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is an elastic and at the same time wear-resistant material. TPU also offers dynamic resistance.

What is Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)?

SLS is a powder bed process for plastics in which a laser fuses thin layers of powder into a component. It is cost-effective and ideal for prototypes, small series and models.

What is SLS 3D printing suitable for?

SLS is suitable for rapid prototyping, concept models, small-series components, demanding model-making applications, architectural models, and design and art objects.

How large can SLS components be?

The maximum build space is 950 x 450 x 400 mm.

Does SLS require support structures?

No. The components are stabilised in the powder bed during printing. This means undercuts and overhangs can be printed without difficulty, and movable, interlocking parts can be printed in one piece.

Which materials are available for SLS?

The options include PA 12 (strong and flexible), glass-reinforced PA-GF, aluminium-reinforced PA-AL, fibre-reinforced DuraForm HST, chemically resistant PP and rubber-like materials such as TPU and Flex.

SLS or MJF – which is the better fit?

Both are powder bed processes for plastics that require no support structures. MJF offers very high accuracy and is particularly suitable for larger quantities. Which technology fits better depends on the requirements of your component – we are happy to advise you.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)