{"id":41298,"date":"2021-01-27T15:27:34","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T20:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=41298"},"modified":"2021-01-27T15:27:35","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T20:27:35","slug":"everything-you-need-to-know-about-nylon-12-material","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-nylon-12-material","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Need to Know About Nylon 12 Material"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Selecting the right material for a part or product is key to ensuring it takes shape and performs as well in the real world as on the drawing board. When it comes to 3D printing materials, Nylon 12 plastic is quickly rising to the forefront of many applications. But what exactly makes this additive manufacturing material desirable and when does it make sense to use it? Here\u2019s a look at everything you need to know about 3D printing with Nylon 12 material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Nylon 12 Plastic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nylon 12 is one of the most common types of\nplastics used in manufacturing today. In the same family as other popular Nylon\nmaterials (notably Nylon 6, Nylon 6,6, and Nylon 11), Nylon 12 is rising in\npopularity for its unique suite of properties and reinforced formulations.\nInitially developed for conventional production techniques like injection\nmolding, Nylon 12 is now able to be 3D printed, opening up new realms of\ngeometrical and functional possibility. Popular for its mechanical properties,\ntensile strength, durability, abrasion resistance, biocompatibility, and\noverall suitability for making functional parts, Nylon 12 offers great benefits\nwhen used appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nylon 12 in its various forms is also known as Polyamide 12, PA 12, Versatile Plastic<\/a>, Strong and Flexible, PA 2200, MJF PA12 Plastic<\/a>, MJF PA12 Glass Beads Plastic<\/a>, and other formulation-specific names. Each of these formulations is compatible with a specific production process and offers specific properties. While glass bead-filled PA 12, for example, is infused with glass beads that improve product stiffness and structural integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polyamide 12 has a relatively low\nconcentration of amides and relatively low moisture absorption. These qualities\nmay make it trickier to 3D print, but also imbue Nylon 12 with desirable\nqualities like chemical and abrasion resistance, strength, and durability.\nThinner parts or part sections made using this material can also offer some\nflexibility. Further, Nylon offers a low coefficient of friction. All of these\nqualities taken together create an in-demand material often favored for\nfunctionality. This can mean functional prototypes or parts that need to move,\nlike gears or living hinges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3D Printing Nylon 12<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As briefly mentioned above, Nylon 12 has been\nformulated for 3D printing via several different processes. Extrusion-based\n(FFF), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and HP\u2019s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)\ntechnologies are among the most popular options for 3D printing Nylon 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shapeways offers Nylon 12 in its SLS<\/a> (Versatile Plastic<\/a>) and MJF (MJF PA 12<\/a> and MJF PA 12 Glass Beads<\/a>) services. Parts 3D printed in these materials initially have a relatively porous surface — which can be ideal, as it happens for a variety of finishing options including polishing and dyeing<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While SLS-made Nylon 12 parts will naturally\nbe white, dyeing options at Shapeways offer a rainbow of options: Black, Pink,\nRed, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. If the initial rough surface\nfinish won\u2019t suit a given application, a multi-step tumbling, polishing, and\ndyeing process creates a consistent color and surface finish that takes away\nany graininess or layered look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the MJF side, MJF PA 12 is a grey material with its own set of finishing options to take a matte, porous print to a glossy, smoothed black part ready for a final look. Black or Black Smooth<\/a> finishes create finely finished parts — including smooth internal cavities and watertight qualities — that maintain the structural integrity of an original design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applications for Nylon 12<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the general properties of Nylon\n12 for additive manufacturing, a natural question arises: where might it best\nbe used?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the name Versatile Plastic suggests, Nylon\n12 is an incredibly versatile material. Valuable from rapid prototyping through\nto finished high-end product, 3D printed PA 12 can be the right fit for a wide\nvariety of applications. SLS or MJF 3D printed Nylon 12 offers strength and\ndimensional accuracy with high density, fine surface detail capabilities, and a\nvariety of finishing options to give the right end-product look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the 3D printing process used,\ndesign parameters specified, and finishing process(es) employed, Nylon 12 parts\noften include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n