3D Printed - Durable Plastic
Material description
Durable plastic objects are printed from a polyamide (nylon) powder. The color is white and somewhat flexible depending on the size of the geometry. It is porous and has a slightly textured finish that can have powdery residue left over from the printing process.
Orders using this material generally ship in 2-4 weeks. Find out more.
Technology description
Durable plastic objects are made on a 3D Systems Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing machine. This machine uses a laser beam to fuse small particles of plastic together, layer by layer. A thin layer of fine plastic powder is spread over the bed of the machine. A laser passes over the powder selectively fusing it together based on a cross section of the 3D model. Once the first layer is complete, the bed lowers and a new layer of powder is spread over the work. The process is repeated until the object/s have been printed. The unsintered powder acts as the support material and once the part is complete it is removed using air. SLS is often used for durable production parts.
Design tips
The minimum recommended wall thickness for Durable plastic is 1mm and minimum detail size is 0.5mm. However, objects need enough strength to be self-supporting. For example, large, bulky geometries connected with thin structures (like a character with a big head on a skinny neck) could break in handling (especially in shipping) and should be designed to avoid this. If you have features that extend and converge to a point (eg a cone) they should be at an angle greater than 10 degrees.
Nested objects (objects floating within another object), hinged objects, and interlinking objects like chains work well using this material. A gap of 0.3-0.5mm between objects should be used for them to separate correctly after printing.
Hollow geometry requires a hole to clean out the unsintered powder from the inside.
Get an instant online price!
Upload your design »Process:
3D Systems - Selective Laser Sintering
Material:
Nylon / polyamide
Price:
Base fee:$4.00
Rate per cm3:$2.34
Prime rate per cm3:$2.22
Making Time:
2 - 4 weeks
Rating:
Strength/Durability:
Finish/Smoothness:
Detail/Accuracy:
Pros:
- Durable, production strength parts
- Strongest plastic
- Moving / internal parts
- Intricate geometries
- Reasonably flexible if the geometry is thin enough
Cons:
- Long flat parts can deform during printing
- Moderate surface detail
- Textured surface finish
- Porous
Maximum Size (WxDxH):
430 x 430 x 430mm
17" x 17" x 17"
Minimum Wall Thickness:
1.0mm / 0.04"
Minimum Detail Size:
0.7mm / 0.028"
Minimum Volume:
0.25cc
Technical Info:
Density @ 80 C (g/cm3): 1.0
Tensile strength (MPa):43.0
Tensile Modulus (MPa):1586.0
Elongation at Break (%):14.0
Layer height:0.15mm / 0.005"
Tips from other designers
111
How does Ponoko calculate cubic square cm? Is it based on the volume of material actually used or the volume of it finished dimensions?
can be sanded and painted? what types of finishes can be made?
Hi pIXoCBal,
Yes you can sand and paint Durable Plastic. We recommend acrylic modeling paints. As always, it's best to do a test sample first!
I should also clarify here that the overall dimensions of your design DO come into consideration if your file is OVER 19cm³.
Thanks!
Ponoko,
Is it possible fir you to print multiple colors on a plastic surface?
Hi there!
It's not possible for us to print multiple colors on plastic at present, but we can on Rainbow Ceramic.
Cheers!
Is it possible to bend this material with ease?
I'm afraid it doesn't bend easily - it's more brittle than that.
What type of glue would be necessary to join pieces together?
Either superglue or Araldite should work. =)
Ponoko,
The description mentions that it is porous. Does this mean that it would not be water tight? (IE if I made a cup design, would it leak water over time?)
Can the material be tapped?
Hi, in response to your previous question yes, it is pourous, and therefore not water tight. This material hasn't been officially approved as food safe as far as I know, so a cup isn't recommended. Of course for something like a vase you may be able to varnish it and it might work. I've personally varnished durable plastic pieces with wood varnish and it seemed to soak it in well, but never tried anything that contained liquid.
In regards to being tapped, I discussed it with other members of the Ponoko team, and as long as the surrounding geometry can handle it then it will probably work out. If you try it we'd love to see you post the results on our forum!
Can I specify the print orientation of my parts when printing in the polyamide material? and is the max print size a full 480mm, or do we need ot allow a bit less for material shrinkage?
Cheers
Olaf
Hi Olaf!
At this stage we can't guarantee the orientation of your part, as the production manager often has to wriggle several designs round to nest them all into one build chamber. You do not need to allow for shrinkage :)
how much would an object taking up the total volume of 480*80*200 mm be?
Hi Gavin! The key thing here is that you wouldn't want to print a solid block that size, and if it's not a solid block it's not an easy calculation to make. You really want to put together your model and then price it up on multiple materials. Cheers!
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