Nylon parts
Why nylon?
Nylon or Polyamide (PA) is one of the most widely used materials in manufacturing. A thermoplastic that is light-weight, durable material with excellent chemical and heat resistivity, Nylon is an ideal material for replacing injection moulded parts and producing tooling and production aids.
Available materials
We use 2 types of Nylon in our Additive Manufacturing methods; a PA12 and a PA6 blend with Carbon Fibre (known as Onyx).
PA12 is printed using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This process can be used for prototyping and small-batch production of functional parts. The printing method does not require the use of supports, so it can produce complex geometries and full assemblies.
PA6 CF (Markforged Onyx) is printed using Continuous Fibre Reinforcement (CFR) which is a derivation of FDM. This process can be used for prototyping and low volume functional part production. The printing method results in a very high-quality surface finish but requires the use of support material. It is well suited to tooling, manufacturing aids and one-off components.
Know your nylon parts
- Nylon 3D printed parts have excellent surface finish
- Nylon 12 SLS parts will have a natural “powdery” feel to them. We bead-blast as a standard part of our printing service which removes some of this “sawdust” feel. To make them smooth we offer a polishing service at an additional cost. This will make SLS parts comparable to the finish of injection moulded parts
- Nylon 12 SLS parts are certified biocompatible
Material summary
| PA12 (Nylon 12) | PA6 blend with carbon fibre (Onyx) |
|---|---|
| Additive Manufacturing Method: SLS | Additive Manufacturing Method: Specialist FDM |
|
Colour: Grey Black dying service available at additional cost |
Colour: Black |
| High tensile strength and environmental stability, Nylon 12 is suitable for creating complex assemblies and durable parts with minimal water absorption | A Nylon embedded with micro carbon-fibres with good stiffness and high temperature resistance up to 145°C, ideal for use in parts subjected to higher loads, stresses or temperatures |
| High Strength | Impact Resistant | High Strength | Carbon Fibre | High Temperature |
Technical data
| Property | Test (ASTM) | Onyx |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile Modulus (GPa) | D638M | 2.4 |
| Tensile Stress at Yield (MPa) | D638 | 40 |
| Tensile Stress at Break (MPa) | D638 | 37 |
| Tensile Strain at Break (%) | D638 | 25% |
| Flexural Strength (MPa) | D790 | 71 |
| Flexural Modulus (GPa) | D790 | 3.0 |
| Heat Deflection Temp (°C) | D648 B | 145°C |
| Izod Impact (notched J/m) | D256-10A | 330 |
| Density (g/cm3) | - | 1.2 |
| Property | Test (ASTM) | Nylon 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa) | D638 | 50 |
| Tensile Modulus (MPa) | D638 | 1850 |
| Elongation at Break (x/y %) | D638 | 11% |
| Elongation at Break (z %) | D638 | 6% |
| Flexural Strength (MPa) | D790 A | 66 |
| Flexural Modulus (MPa) | D790 A | 1600 |
| Heat Deflection Temp (°C) @ 1.8 MPa | D648 | 87°C |
| Heat Deflection Temp (°C) @ 0.45 MPa | D648 | 171°C |
| Izod Impact (notched J/m) | D256-10A | 32 |
| Water Absorption (printed part) | D570 | 0.66% |