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Material Info
Design
Guidelines
Versatile Plastic
Also known as Strong and Flexible, Nylon 12 Plastic, PA12, Polyamide, PA 2200
Colors
About Versatile Plastic
Versatile Plastic is a durable nylon plastic that can be used for a wide range of applications, both for prototyping and for end products. Printed using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), when thin, it's flexible enough for hinges and springs and when thick, it's strong enough for structural components. Try the Premium finish for a higher quality look and feel.
Common Applications
Cases, mechanical parts, prosthetics, fixtures, tech accessories, art home decor, jewelry, prototypes, figurines
Material Properties
High Strength & Stiffness applications
Skin contact applications
Thin features and interlocking parts
Handling and Care
Dishwasher Safe
Heatproof to 163C/325F
Skin-Friendly
Good Chemical Resistance
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Frequently Asked Questions
What colors and finishes are available for this material?
Natural: This finish has a slightly rough surface and a matte finish
Processed: This finish removes some material to create a smoother surface
Premium: This is our smoothest finish with good scratch resistance
Colors: Versatile Plastic is naturally white. We also offer Black, Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. Colors other than White are dyed and will wear through over time with handling.
How long will it take to receive a model in this material?
Production times depend on the model size and chosen finish, but usually products ship between 4 and 6 business days with Priority manufacturing. If you need your product faster, try our Rush service available in checkout (some limitations apply). The shipping time depends on your location and your chosen speed.
How is this material made?
To 3D print this material, we start with a bed of Nylon powder and selectively sinter the powder with a laser. This repeats layer by layer, solidifying the powder as we go. Because of this layer by layer process, some products may see a staircase effect. The process is called Selective Laser Sintering.
How can I finish (smooth and dye) the material myself?
It is possible to finish your product yourself for a more customized look. You can smooth, dye and even coat your products at home. Sandpaper with different grit sizes is recommended to smooth your surface. To create an even smoother surface, try combining sandpaper with a primer.
Technical Documents
More Materials
Professional Smooth Finish
High Strength & Durability
Watertight
Applications
Cases & Mounts
Mechanical Parts
Eyewear
Technology
Multi Jet Fusion
Good Strength
Many Colors Available
High Density
Applications
Tools & Accessories
Home Decor
Art
Technology
Binder Jetting
- Bounding Box
- Walls
- Wires
- Details
- Escape Holes
- Clearance
- Sprues
- Interlocking Parts
- Multiple Parts
- Accuracy
- Design Tips
- Pricing
BOUNDING BOX
Maximum
650 × 350 × 550 mm (Natural White)
180 × 230 × 320 mm (Natural Black)
200 × 150 × 150 mm (Processed & Premium)
180 × 230 × 320 mm (Natural Black)
200 × 150 × 150 mm (Processed & Premium)
Minimum
X + Y + Z ≥ 7.5 mm (Natural)
X + Y + Z ≥ 25.0 mm and axes must be ≥ 2.5 mm (Processed & Premium)
X + Y + Z ≥ 25.0 mm and axes must be ≥ 2.5 mm (Processed & Premium)
The bounding box is a 3D imaginary outline of a box that encloses the smallest area occupied by your model. Your model must be within the minimum and maximum bounding box sizes. If the size of the model is close to the maximum bounding box, then the printing orientation will be restricted.
WALLS
Minimum Supported Walls
0.7 mm
Minimum Unsupported Walls
0.7 mm
A supported wall is connected at least on two sides of the wall, while an unsupported wall is connected only on one side of the wall. Walls that do not meet the minimum requirements may not survive printing and cleaning processes. Additionally, models may still be rejected based on the wall geometry of the model. Please consider the size of your model and reinforce the walls or add support structures as needed as minimum guidelines will not always be adequate for large models.
WIRES
Minimum Supported Wires
0.8 mm (Natural)
0.9 mm (Processed & Premium)
0.9 mm (Processed & Premium)
Minimum Unsupported Wires
1.0 mm
A wire is a circular, rectangular or even triangular feature that is thinner in its unconnected directions than its length. A supported wire is connected at least on two sides of the model, while an unsupported wire is connected on one side of the model. Wires that do not meet the minimum requirements may not survive printing and cleaning processes. Additionally, models may still be rejected based on the wire geometry of the model. Please consider the size of your model and reinforce the wires or add support structures as needed as minimum guidelines will not always be adequate for large models.
DETAILS
Minimum Embossed Details
0.2 mm high & wide for details
0.5 mm high & wide for text
0.5 mm high & wide for text
Minimum Engraved Details
0.2 mm high & wide for details
0.5 mm high & wide for text
0.5 mm high & wide for text
For text, the ratio between width and depth, should be 1:1 and sans-serif fonts are preferred for line weight consistency.
ESCAPE HOLES
Single Escape Hole Diameter
4.0 mm
Multiple Escape Hole Diameter
2.0 mm
Escape holes are necessary to empty the support material of a hollow model. Two escape holes at the opposite ends of the model is optimal for the support removal process. Please consider the size of your model and make the escape holes bigger or add more escape holes as needed as minimum guidelines will not always be adequate for large models.
A single escape hole at the end of a cavity will not allow material in the corners near the escape hole to fully escape. So we recommend multiple escape holes at both ends of the cavity.
CLEARANCE
0.5 mm
Clearance is the space between two individual parts in a model. If the space among the individual parts do not meet the minimum clearance, then parts can fuse together or can be difficult to clean. This is important for movable pieces like hinges, gears, etc.
SPRUES
2.0 mm thick, attached in at least 2 places per part.
Sprues are wires that keep two or more parts together. Parts should be connected with a minimum of two sprues each. Please consider the size of your sprues and increase them as needed as minimum guidelines will not always be adequate for large models. If the sprues are within the guidelines and are broken, but there is no damage to your model, we will still ship them as is.
INTERLOCKING AND ENCLOSED PARTS
Interlocking : Yes
Enclosed : Yes
MULTIPLE PARTS
Up to 250.
ACCURACY
± 0.15mm, then ± 0.15% of longest axis
For example: a product with dimensions of 50x50x100 mm can be 0.15 mm + 0.0015*100 mm = 0.3 mm bigger or smaller in any direction.
DESIGN TIPS
Stepping
Stepping is an inherent part of selective laser sintering, because models are printed layer by layer. Stepping will produce a "staircase" effect on your model and it will be more pronounced on curved surfaces and for angles less than 25°. The top surface of the horizontal plane tends to have more noticeable stepping, while the bottom surface of the horizontal plane has inconspicuous stepping. Our production team will evaluate your model and orient it in a way to create as little stepping as possible.
Orientation
Our production team evaluates each model individually and tries to assess its application. Then, depending on this, they will select an orientation that prioritizes dimensional accuracy or aesthetics, as these do not always go hand in hand. The mating surface and other important features like holes are the most accurate when placed in the horizontal plane. Generally, top surfaces have more visible stepping than the bottom surfaces.
Warping
Large flat surfaces and thick dense areas are prone to warping. To avoid warping, reduce the mass of the design by making the model hollow, creating cut outs, holes etc. Following these guidelines will help the thermal energy to escape evenly from the model.
Laser Overlap Line
Our big printers operate with two lasers simultaneously. If a model is located in the overlap plane where the two lasers meet, minuscule calibration differences between the lasers may create a visible line on the surface of the model. Models larger than 33cm long in any direction are too big to fit in one laser’s area, so you may see a visible overlap line on your model. If your model is smaller than 33cm, then it will not have a laser overlap line.
Holes
Small holes can fuse shut during the printing process. Holes that are too small compared to their depth cannot be cleaned adequately. If there are multiple access points to the holes, then we can easily clean your model. If you need an accurate hole, consider creating it after the model has been printed successfully.
Tapers
If your model has tapering geometry it can break during post-processing or not print properly. Please try to avoid tapers that are below the minimum wall thickness and ending up in a sharp edge.
Color
Nylon 12 is a white powder, so all Versatile Plastic models are printed white and then dyed in a hot color bath. Versatile Plastic is a porous material and the dye can penetrate the surface up to 0.5 mm. In case that the surface is broken or scratched, then the original white color will be displayed. Please be aware that color may vary slightly between models, and it will fade over time due to light exposure.
PRICING
How will the price of my model be calculated?
- Material volume - the amount of material needed to 3D print your model.
- Machine volume - the amount of space your model takes inside our 3D printers.
- Number of parts - a part is a piece of a model that can be separated from other pieces of the model.
- Production - associated production costs including labor, quality control, machine maintenance, general utilities, and other supporting services required to 3D print your model.
What is the minimum price per part?
- Natural White - $5.00
- Natural Black - $9.00
- Processed White - $7.00
- Processed Color (Not Black) - $11.00
- Premium White - $9.50
- Premium Black - $13.50
- For models with at least one axis larger than 25cm, there is also a minimum of $0.04 x Parts Bounds Volume [cc] for all colors and finishes. The Parts Bounds Volume is the sum of the bounding box volume of each part in a model file.
