Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D Printing

Selective Laser Sintering or SLS is an industrial 3D printing technology with builds accurate and durable parts from nylon (PA 12) materials. SLS is used extensively for prototypes and production. Similar to other technologies it builds parts layer by layer from a powder material. Due to the powder surrounding the part as it is built SLS can realise overhangs and complex features without support structures.

There are a range of material options for SLS but at HLH we run either a PA 12 material or a PA 12 glass filled.

Testimonials

I would like to congratulate you and your company with your service and prototyping quality. The communication with our company was very clear and constructive. The prototypes have a very good quality and the delivery speed are fantastic. With your prototypes we can communicate better and faster with our clients and give them a glance of how the product will look and feel like.Ing. Marc E.J. Van Strydonck Industrial designer

Marc E.J. Van Strydonck Industrial designer

Hi HLH, I received the CNC prototypes last week and have spent the past few days assembling them. I would like to thank you and HLH for the work you have done CNC machining these parts and for delivering them to us as quickly as possible. I look forward to working with HLH again as new projects arise in the future.

Jamie Booth

We have always been very impressed by the level of service and quality provided by HLH. HLH gives our company a real competitive advantage in allowing us to provide our clients with quick and cost effective pre-production quality prototypes.

Danny Kane

The prototypes arrived this morning and they look great. Thank you very much for your work on this project and your prompt and thorough communication. We will certainly be in contact again in the future.

Gareth Lauchlan, BDes ID

We have worked with HLH Prototypes on a number of projects over the past year and have always been very satisfied with their services. We have produce with them high quality rapid prototypes for testing before tooling as a means to make sure we have the best design possible.

We will surely be continuing our working relationship with HLH Prototypes in many years to come

Michael Kitchenham

I would like to convey my sincere thanks to your company for all the work you have provided over the past year in helping to create parts for our models and the dedication you brought to our projects.

Not only was the work done to a high standard, and with considerable speed despite the harsh deadlines, but with the kindest and warmest of attitudes. I am delighted to have worked with your company, and would definitely recommend you to others.

Matthew Shaw

Thank you very much again for your teams speed and effectiveness in producing our RP molds. The quality in finish as always was fantastic especially the clear plastic parts.

Our engineers were just commenting on how the quality in the surface and spray finishing are superior to the models that we had received before from other China based RP houses in the past.

Like the previous years, we look forward to displaying your RP models as various international toy trade shows, where they have proven themselves in the past with strength and durability

Chen Kit Li – Chief Designer

HLH Prototypes. What can’t they prototype?

We have had everything from soft rubber to hard plastics, various grades of aluminum to stainless steel parts prototyped via HLH to characterize the performance and gain high level of confidence on design months before actual verification parts and data is available. We have used many of their arsenals of processes from SLA, CNC mill, lathe, forming, wire-cutting, EDM, vacuum cast and my favorite – custom springs. Product development is so much more progressive and easier with HLH as your prototype partner.

Han Hwang, R&D Manager

Advantages of SLS

Great for functional parts and prototypes
Complex geometries
Low volume production possible
High strength material
Fast and flexible

The combination of the many advantages listed above, makes selective laser sintering a popular solution among engineers.

What is it used for?

SLS is a good choice for prototypes and low volume production where strength and function are important. SLS parts are increasingly used not just for prototypes but also in a great number of production applications in several industries. SLS produces accurate and repeatable parts and can realise complex geometries.

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SLS 3D Printing Tips

SLS is an incredibly versatile process and allows a great range of possibilities for both prototypes and production. Anything you can do to keep the weight of the part down without compromising performance will help keep costs down. Any thick sections you hollow out will need escape holes for the excess material.

As SLS builds parts from a powder material it does have a rough surface finish and resolution is not as high as some other processes. This is worth remembering when designing any fine details or features.

There are many surface finishing solutions worth considering.

Another SLS tip is to avoid large flat surfaces in the designs, as such surfaces are susceptible to warping. However, if these flat surfaces are a critical part to your SLS part design, ribs should be added to provide support.

You can download our SLS design tips here

To talk to us about your SLS for prototype or production get in touch with our team here