We build functional nylon prototypes by SLS, then finish critical fits and bores on CNC to ±0.005 mm. From one part to a pilot run, quoted with DFM feedback in 12 hours.
Most of these are visible before the part ever reaches assembly.
Thin nylon walls above 150 mm wide tend to curl when the build chamber cools unevenly. The part measures fine on the bench and then will not sit flush on the mating surface. A 0.4 mm bow across a 200 mm panel is enough to fail a gap check on a visible housing.
SLS leaves a sintered skin inside small holes. A Ø4 mm bore can print at Ø3.7 mm, so a dowel or bearing will not seat by hand. Reaming or drilling after printing fixes it, but only if the print orientation left enough stock for the tool to follow.
Standard PA12 is tough but not unlimited. A 0.8 mm hinge cycled 200 times in a drop test may crack along the layer lines. Glass-filled nylon resists deflection better, yet it loses elongation and can crack sooner in a snap fit.
As-printed nylon sits around Ra 8-12 μm with visible powder grain. An O-ring groove printed at that finish will weep under 2 bar. Gaskets, seal faces, and sliding surfaces need machining or a smoothing step before they hold pressure.
One workflow from powder bed to inspected part.
Every build starts with a print orientation review. We place long parts flat to reduce curl, angle cylindrical features to keep them round, and nest small parts so the powder bed stays thermally balanced. Layer thickness runs 0.1 mm for detail and 0.12 mm for larger housings where speed matters more than surface.
Build chamber temperature, cooling ramp, and powder refresh ratio are logged per run. Those three variables drive warpage and mechanical strength more than any machine setting on the spec sheet.
Printed nylon is not a bearing fit. On our own 3-axis and 5-axis centers we ream dowel holes, face sealing surfaces, cut threads, and skim mating faces to ±0.005 mm. The printed body carries the geometry; the machined features carry the tolerance.
That combination suits parts with a complex shell and a few tight interfaces: a pump housing with a machined flange, a bracket with a press-fit bushing, a fixture with a locating bore. We machine after printing, so any shrinkage in the build gets corrected on the same setup.
Use this to decide before you spend tooling money.
| Requirement | SLS nylon | CNC from nylon stock |
|---|---|---|
| Complex internal channels | Built in one piece | Needs splitting or drilling |
| Tolerance on fits | Machined after print | ±0.005 mm direct |
| Wall under 1.5 mm | Fine, no tool load | Deflection risk |
| Surface finish as-printed | Ra 8-12 μm, grainy | Ra 1.6-3.2 μm |
| Lead time for 20 parts | 3-5 days, nested together | 3-5 days, one setup each |
| Design changes per build | Free, no fixture | New program each revision |
Additive parts, machined parts, and tooling under one roof.
SLS nylon and polymer parts with orientation review, powder refresh control, and post-build cleaning. Suited to functional prototypes and small pilot runs.
One route for printed, machined, or cast prototypes. We help you pick the process from the tolerance and quantity, then hold that route through revisions.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers for finishing printed bodies, cutting compound angles, and machining one-piece geometry that needs several faces.
Mills, mill-turn centers, and lathes for metal and plastic parts. Up to 4,000 mm maximum processing size on the large-travel machines.
Silicone tooling for 10-50 polyurethane parts when you want a production-like surface without a steel mold. Pairs well with an SLS master pattern.
Media blasting, tumbling, polishing, painting, and laser marking. Nylon parts can be dyed or smoothed before assembly.
Numbers we hold to per part, not per marketing page.
| Item | Capability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nylon materials | PA12, PA12-GF, PA11 | Unfilled and glass-filled |
| Layer thickness | 0.1 mm / 0.12 mm | Detail or speed |
| Machined tolerance | ±0.005 mm | On reamed and faced features |
| Fine finish | Ra 0.2-0.8 μm | Polished seal faces |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Large-travel machines |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
The first three decide whether the part fits. The rest decide whether it ships on time.
We started in machining and added additive equipment later, so printed parts are judged by machining standards. Three wholly-owned plants and 7,600 m² of floor space back that up.
Layer thickness is picked from the feature size and surface callout. Small snap fits and thin ribs get the finer setting; large housings get the faster one.
Bores, faces, and threads are cut on CNC centers, not left as-sintered. That is how a nylon prototype holds a bearing or a dowel without shimming.
You get pricing and a short list of print-orientation and wall-thickness notes within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval.
A single geometry check and a 10,000-part run use the same quote path. Prototype revisions stay cheap because there is no tooling to re-cut.
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016, and ISO 27001:2022. Uploads stay confidential and an NDA is available on request.
Bumper trim, ducts, and underhood brackets judged on gap and flush, not just shape.
Housings and fluid-path parts where a smooth internal surface and clean edges matter.
Ducting and bracketry prototypes that need repeatable hole positions across a batch.
Guards, fixtures, and change parts where a printed body pairs with machined datum features.
As-sintered, expect roughly ±0.3 mm on a 100 mm dimension, and looser on long thin walls as shrinkage varies across the bed. That is fine for form and fit checks.
Where a fit has to hold, we machine the feature after printing. Bores, faces, and shoulders come off the CNC at ±0.005 mm, and the printed body keeps the complex geometry.
Plain PA12 is the default. It has good elongation, survives snap fits and drop tests, and takes dye well.
Choose PA12-GF when stiffness or heat deflection matters more than toughness. It holds shape under load, but it is more brittle, so living hinges and thin clips are a poor match.
Yes, within limits. Keep the hinge section around 0.6-1.0 mm and orient it so the hinge axis crosses the layers instead of running along them.
If the part has to cycle thousands of times, a printed hinge is the wrong answer. We will say so and suggest a machined or molded route instead.
Quotation and free DFM analysis come back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval, and parts typically ship in 3-5 days.
Orders that include CNC finishing on printed bodies still fall in that window because both operations run in the same plant.
None. One prototype and a 10,000-part run go through the same quotation process.
That matters for 3D rapid prototyping work, because most projects start with a single geometry check and grow only after the design holds.
Uploads are kept secure and confidential. We can sign an NDA before you send files if your program requires it.
STEP and STL both work. Send the native CAD file as well when a critical feature needs explaining, and we will flag anything ambiguous in the DFM notes.
As-printed nylon shows a light powder grain, usually Ra 8-12 μm. Media blasting evens the look but does not remove layer steps on curved faces.
For a sealing face or a sliding surface, we machine or polish the area to Ra 0.8-1.6 μm. The rest of the part stays as-printed to keep cost down.
For low-volume pilot builds, yes. SLS holds up to tens or low hundreds of units without tooling, and the design can still change between batches.
Past that volume, a molded or cast route usually wins on unit cost. We run vacuum casting and die casting in-house, so the switch stays with one supplier.
Upload your model and we return pricing plus DFM notes on orientation, wall thickness, and which fits should be machined. One part or a pilot run, no minimum order quantity.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum order quantityNDA on request
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Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
CNC Metals 13 grades
CNC Plastics 10 grades
Machines & processes 12 options
Surface & post-processing 10 options
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