Home / SLS 3D Printing
Formlabs Fuse, support-free nylonSLS printing for parts that go into service. The part is designed here, or scanned and rebuilt here, then fused in Nylon 12, Nylon 11 CF or TPU on the Formlabs Fuse, with no supports to break off and no support marks to hide. One quote, one drawing, one shop responsible for the result.
Why SLS here
Unfused powder holds the part, so hinges, snap fits, ducts and interlocking assemblies print in one piece with nothing to break off.
Nylon 12 pulls the same in every axis, so the part survives handling, drops and assembly in service, not only on the demo table.
Same file, same settings, a record per batch and scan verification on request. The reorder matches the first order.
No CAD? The part is scanned, the model is rebuilt and you own it, then it prints. Design and reverse engineering are the same shop as the printer.
CETS runs SLS printing in Puerto Rico on the Formlabs Fuse, for design and manufacturing engineers who need a nylon part that goes into service and stays there. Selective laser sintering fuses nylon powder with a laser, and the powder around the part supports it, so there are no support structures, no support marks and no orientation limits on living hinges, snap fits or interlocking assemblies. Four powders cover the work: Nylon 12, Nylon 11, carbon filled Nylon 11 CF and flexible TPU 90A.
It is an SLS 3D printing service with the engineering attached: SLS prototyping while the design is still moving, nylon 12 3D printing for end use once it is not, and reverse engineering when the part exists but the file does not. Each part is reviewed before it prints, and critical dimensions are measured against the model after, so a short run of fifty is fifty of the same part. The wider additive manufacturing page compares both processes side by side.
What SLS is for
Powders
Each powder is a Formlabs material with a published technical data sheet. We send the data sheet with the quote so your quality group reads the numbers, not our description of them.
| Powder | Property | Example part | Materials page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nylon 12 | Balanced strength and detail, low moisture uptake; the general end use nylon | Enclosure with a snap fit lid | Nylon 12 |
| Nylon 11 | Higher ductility and impact resistance, less brittle at thin sections | Living hinge clip | Nylon 11 |
| Nylon 11 CF | Carbon fibre filled; the stiffest and most heat resistant of the four | Metal bracket replacement | Nylon 11 CF |
| TPU 90A | Flexible, abrasion and tear resistant, printed without supports | Flexible duct or grip | TPU 90A |
Glass filled Nylon 12 GF is available for specific applications; ask and we confirm before quoting.
Repeat runs
A short run is only useful if the reorder is the same part. Every batch on the Fuse runs from the same file at the same settings, and what was run is written down, so the part your line approved is the part it keeps receiving.
SLS in use
Formlabs documents how Ford uses Fuse SLS nylon for tooling and low volume parts. The story is theirs; the process and the powders are the same ones on this page.
Each layer is fused into the one below it, and the powder that is not fused holds everything in place until the build cools and the parts are lifted out.
Engineering first
CETS serves Puerto Rico and the US mainland, with international service available.
FAQ
A laser fuses nylon powder layer by layer, and the unfused powder supports the part, so there are no support structures and no support marks. It is the right process for end use parts, snap fits, living hinges, interlocking assemblies and short runs. For fine features, smooth surfaces or clear parts, SLA is usually the better fit, and we say so on the quote.
Nylon 12 for general end use parts, Nylon 11 for ductility and impact, Nylon 11 CF for stiffness where a metal bracket is being replaced, and TPU 90A for flexible parts. Each is a Formlabs material with a published technical data sheet that travels with the quote.
Every part in a batch, and every reorder, runs from the same file at the same settings, with a record kept per batch. On request, critical dimensions are verified by scan on the MetroY Ultra and written down, so the tenth batch can be compared with the first.
A matte, slightly grainy surface, uniform on every face because there are no supports. Parts can be media blasted, dyed black or sealed if the application needs it. If a smooth or clear surface is the requirement, that is an SLA part.
A CAD file, a drawing or a photo of the part is enough to start. The written quote arrives in one business day, with the data sheet for the powder we recommend.
Inquire now
A drawing, a CAD file or a photo of the part is enough to start. We reply with a written quote in one business day.
Prefer to talk? (787) 000-0000 · hola@cetsllcpr.com