When to Use SLS for Functional Prototypes

Quick answer: SLS 3D printing is best used when you need functional parts with good load-bearing capacity and performance for mechanical tests. You can also use it to assess mobile assemblies and the aesthetics or real-world handling of your custom component. HLH Prototypes provides SLS 3D printing services according to your needs.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) gives you a practical way to turn a CAD model into a functional prototype that you can actually put through real-world testing. Since the surrounding powder supports the part while it prints, you don’t need separate support structures to keep it steady. That means you can produce complex designs with moving components, as well as lattices and internal geometries that may be difficult to make with other 3D printing methods.

But when does SLS 3D printing make sense for your project? Here are a few situations where you may want to consider it.

You need parts with excellent durability and mechanical strength

If you plan to put your prototype under physical stress, SLS can give you the mechanical properties you need. SLS parts can offer:

• Good tensile and impact strength
• Resistance to fatigue
• Near-isotropic properties, which means they have similar strength in different directions

These qualities make SLS useful when you need to test how a component behaves under demanding conditions. Instead of limiting your prototype to visual evaluation, you can confidently subject it to stress tests and other real-world evaluations.

You need production-grade prototypes

With selective laser sintering, you can produce functional parts using nylon powders such as PA12 and glass-filled PA12.

These materials offer chemical resistance and thermal stability, and even make your prototype resistant to wear. Their properties can also come close to those of some injection-molded plastics, so you can test your design in the real world with more confidence.

This makes SLS 3D printing particularly useful when you’re making prototypes of automotive components and medical equipment. Likewise, you can use it to make parts for consumer products and industrial machinery. Having production-grade parts also makes your part ready for compliance and pre-certification testing down the road.

You need to make design iterations quickly

Waiting weeks between prototype versions can slow down your entire development process. With SLS, you can produce new iterations within days in many cases.

That shorter turnaround gives you more opportunities to test your design and find problems, so you can make changes before moving further into production. Instead of committing to a design too early, you can use feedback from each prototype to improve the next version.

You need functional prototypes that look good

SLS 3D printing will generally give you parts with a grainier surface compared to those produced through stereolithography (SLA). However, many service providers can also post-process your design with methods like bead-blasting and coating to improve the surface.  This can make your prototype more suitable for presentations or other situations where both appearance and function matter.

Thinking of using SLS?

Not sure whether SLS 3D printing is right for your part? HLH Prototypes can review your project at no cost and help you decide whether SLS fits your design and testing requirements. Their team can also provide design tips to help you get better results from your SLS parts.