🛠️ SLS Engineering & Design Playbook

Don't build fragile parts. Use our guidelines to design components that survive the real world.

• SLS Engineering Overview — How we turn raw CAD data into precision sintered components.
• SLS Design Guidelines — Wall thickness, clearances, and avoiding geometric heartbreaks. SLS Basic Design Guidelines | SLS Basic Design Guidelines
• Technical Specifications — Machine tolerances, bed sizes, and build capabilities.
• SLS FAQs — Fast answers to the questions your procurement team is going to ask anyway.
• Our Additive Process — From powder bed fusion to finished delivery.

🧪 Industrial Additive Materials (Polyamide / Nylon)

No cheap trinket plastics here. Explore our lineup of production-ready engineering powders.

Stock Nylon 12 (The Dependable Workhorses)

• PA 2201 (Standard White Nylon 12) — Great for all-around functional prototypes and production.
• PA 2201 MDS | PA 2201 SDS
• PA 615-GS (Glass-filled Nylon 12) — Added stiffness for high-thermal, high-load environments.
• PA 615-GS MDS | PA 615-GS SDS

Non-stock Nylon 12 (Specialized Alloys)

• PA 2200 (Ultra-White Nylon 12) — High-clarity white for pristine aesthetic components.
• PA 2200 MDS | PA 2200 SDS
• PA 603-CF (Carbon Fiber-filled Nylon 12) — High strength-to-weight ratio for aggressive aerospace & automotive builds.
• PA 603-CF MDS | PA 603-CF SDS
• PA 606-FR (Fire Retardant Nylon 12) — Meets FAR 25.853 compliance for aerospace flight hardware.
• PA 606-FR MDS | PA 606-FR SDS
• PA 620-MF (Mineral Fiber-filled Nylon 12) — Dimensionally stable under thermal stress.
• PA 620-MF MDS | PA 620-MF SDS
• PA 640-GSL (Carbon Fiber/Glass-filled Nylon 12) — Lightweight stiffness engineered for harsh dynamic environments.
• PA 640-GSL MDS | PA 640-GSL SDS
• Alumide® (Metallic Aluminum-filled Nylon 12) — Machinable, rigid parts with a metallic look and thermal conductivity.
• Alumide MDS | Alumide SDS

Non-stock Nylon 11 (Flexible & Impact Resistant)

• PA 840-GSL (Black Carbon/Glass-filled Nylon 11) — Toughness combined with carbon-reinforced structure.
• PA 840-GSL MDS | PA 840-GSL SDS
• PA 850 (Black Nylon 11) — Maximum elongation-at-break for living hinges and snap-fits.
• PA 850 MDS | PA 850 SDS

Need help picking? Check out our SLS Materials — Quick Search. Download our full Technology & Material Chart Comparison, or Choosing the Right Materials. If you need a quick material reference download our SLS Materials Comparison List.

🎨 Post-Processing & Surface Finishing

Raw prints are great, but sometimes you need a finish that looks like high-end injection molding.

• SLS Finishing Options — Vapor smoothing, custom dyeing, media blasting, and MIL-Spec Paint .

🏢 About NW Rapid Manufacturing

• About Us &Careers — Who we are and why we love laser sintering.
• Quality & Compliance Statement — Standards you can trust for military and commercial work.
• Contact our Engineering Team — Got a CAD file and a deadline? Talk to us.

👉 UPLOAD YOUR CAD & GET A FAST QUOTE

📖 The Bulletin: Articles & Engineering Guides

Deep dives into additive manufacturing mechanics, cost reduction strategies, and design tricks

3 Easy Steps to SLS Magic!  

• Blog Layer-by-Layer Bulletin: Summary Index

Getting Started: From Zero to Printed

• A Different Kind of 3D Printing Service
• Build Almost Anything with 3D Printing
• From Idea to Prototype
• Functional Prototyping with SLS 3D Printing
• How to Talk to Your Kids About 3D Printing
• Real Additive Power: It's More Than a printer
• The 3D Printing Process — What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Part
• What are You Planning to do with Your Prototype?
• Why Every Architect Should Switch to 3D Models

Print Smart: Your SLS 3D Printing Playbook

• Decoding MIL-Spec vs. Pantone Color
• Designing SLS Living Hinges & Snap-fit Joints: Nylon 11 vs. Nylon 12
• Essential Design Guidelines for SLS 3D Printing
• How SLS 3D Printing Lowers B2B Production Costs
• How to Choose the Best Material for Your Design
• The Engineers Guide to Glass-filled vs. Carbon-filled Polyamides in SLS

Creative Engines: Your Shortcut to Hiring Design Experts

• Finding the Right Industrial Designer
• You’re Ready for Your CAD

Looking to the Future in SLS/3D Printing

• Meet Nylon 12 PA 606-FR: Flame Retardancy That Keeps the FAA (and Your Engineers) Happy
• The Future of 3D Printing and Medicine Is Mind-Blowing (and Real)

Printed Proof: Case Studies That Deliver

• An Out-of-the-Box Solution for a Heavy-Metal Problem at The Schnitz
• Designing the First Commercial Delivery Drone of Its Kind
• How 3D Printing Supported COVID-19 Relief & PPE
• How Custom 3D Printing Cut Tooling Costs from $8,000 to $35 for a West Coast Screen Printer
• Manufacturing Wearable Technology for the Military
• NWUAV Unmanned Vehicle Engine Component “Puck”
• Propelling the Beavers with SLS 3D Printing OSU Global Formula Racing Fuel Tank
• Rapid Prototyping a Better Ride with Custom 3D Printing
• Ready, Aim, Fire… With Custom 3D Printed Firearm Parts
• Replacing Obsolete Automotive Parts with SLS 3D Printing
• SLS Rapid Prototyping for the Next Evolution in Fitness

NW Rapid News & Announcements

• Fueling Passion: Why We Love Collaborating with Local Creators and Oregon State Innovators
• Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers (With Lasers and “Cake”)
• Shepherds of the Nerd Herd

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• Disclaimer
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• Terms & Conditions
• Cookie Statement

Landing Pages

• 3D SLS Printing: Aerospace