SLS — Selective Laser Sintering
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) fuses fine nylon powder with a laser, building strong, fully functional parts with no support structures. It is ideal for complex geometries, durable end-use parts, and low-volume production.
How SLS works
A thin layer of nylon powder is spread across the build bed and pre-heated to just below its melting point. A laser then traces the cross-section of the part, sintering (fusing) the powder particles together. A fresh layer of powder is rolled on top and the process repeats, with the surrounding loose powder acting as natural support.
Because un-sintered powder supports the part, SLS handles interlocking, hollow, and highly complex geometries that other processes cannot — with no support marks to remove. Finished parts are strong in every direction (isotropic) and production-ready.
What SLS is best for
- Strong functional and end-use parts
- Complex geometries and interlocking assemblies
- Living hinges, clips, and snap-fits
- Ducting and enclosures
- Low- to mid-volume production runs
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
- Strong, isotropic parts
- No support structures required
- Complex geometries with ease
- Great for batches and production
Trade-offs
- Grainy, matte surface texture
- Limited colour (dyed, not native)
- Slight porosity in as-printed parts
- Higher cost than FDM
Materials available in SLS
A selection of the stocked materials for this process. Browse the full materials library to filter by property.
Other technologies
MJF
MJF (Multi Jet Fusion) jets a fusing agent across a bed of nylon powder and fuses it with infrared energy, p…
FDM / FFFFDM
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), also called FFF, builds parts by extruding melted thermoplastic filament la…
Metal DMLSMetal DMLS
DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) fuses fine metal powder with a high-power laser to build fully dense met…
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