Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)

PA 12 Black is a high tensile strength nylon. Final parts are dyed black, and they exhibit quality surface finishes and slightly more isotropic mechanical properties when compared to SLS. When more detail is required, PA 12 can achieve smaller minimum feature resolution 0.5mm as compared to SLS materials 0.75mm PA 12 Smooth Light Grey is the best material option for designs that incorporate living hinges.

Primary Benefits

• Near isotropic mechanical properties
• Economical material choice

Datasheet

PA12-Glass Beads Black is a 40% glass bead polyamide with excellent stiffness and dimensional stability. The material possesses higher thermal resistance than unfilled polyamides and exhibits excellent long-term wear resistance. Due to the glass additive, it has decreased impact and tensile strengths compared to other nylons.

Primary Benefits​

• Stiffness and dimensional stability
• Long-term wear resistance
• High-temperature resistance

Datasheet

PA 12 Flame Retardant is a halogen-free, UL94-certified material that can be used across a wide range of industries. It opens up new possibilities by combining the design freedom of 3D printing with flame-retardant properties.

Datasheet

PA 11 Black provides excellent ductility and temperature resistance without sacrificing tensile strength. It offers one of the highest elongation break thresholds in the nylon family.

Primary Benefits

• Isotropic Mechanical Properties
• Enhanced Elongation at Break
• Water and airtight without any further treatment

Datasheet

This thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) combines rubber-like elasticity and elongation with good abrasion and impact resistance. Ideal for automotive components due to its high chemical resistance to oil and grease. Also possessing high UV resistance. Showing high accuracy and detail resolution, supporting optimisation of lattice structure designs.

Primary Benefits

• Flexibility
• Tear and Abrasion Resistance
• High Durability

Datasheet

Multi Jet Fusion is an industrial 3D printing process that produces functional nylon prototypes and end-use production parts in as fast as 1 day. Final parts exhibit quality surface finishes, fine feature resolution, and ‬more consistent mechanical properties when compared to processes like selective laser sintering.

Multi Jet Fusion design guidelines will help you understand capabilities and limitations.

MJF offers engineering grade materials with great overall properties. Additionally, MJF offers enhanced surface finish, finer features, more consistent mechanical properties, and faster build times. We also offer a number of secondary services such as painting, post machining and measurement and inspection, to further enhance the finish of your 3D-printed project design. 

Multi Jet Fusion material data sheets can be found in our Material Comparison Guide

The components of a Multi Jet Fusion 3D printer include: nylon layer (1), powder bed (2), material recoating unit (3), print carriage (4), inkjet array (5), fusing and detailing agents (6), thermal energy (7), part (8).

Multi Jet Fusion uses an inkjet array to selectively apply fusing and detailing agents across a bed of nylon powder, which are then fused by heating elements into a solid layer. After each layer, powder is distributed on top of the bed and the process repeats until the part is complete.

When the build finishes, the entire powder bed with the encapsulated parts is moved to a processing station where a majority of the loose powder is removed by an integrated vacuum. Parts are then bead blasted to remove any of the remaining residual powder before ultimately reaching the finishing department where they are dyed black to improve cosmetic appearance.

• Fine minimum feature size
• Accelerated build time
• More consistent isotropic mechanical properties in the Z build direction when compart to other additive processes
• Improved surface roughness

• Thin-walled or large, flat surfaces should be reinforced with ribs or gussets, and holes surrounded with raised bosses wherever possible.
• Raised text and cosmetic part features smaller than 0.5mm might not survive secondary post-processing. Check the design for manufacturability analysis that accompanies your part quote for details.
• Wall thicknesses from 2.5 - 4.0 mm are ideal. 
• If your geometry has a thick area (> 4 mm), as a rule, hollowing out the part to a wall thickness of 2 to 4 mm will be required, to avoid sink marks or even a machine crash. Protolabs will modify the CAD file. Un-sintered powder will remain within the hollowed-out part and cannot be removed.
• MJF does a great job with assemblies, living hinges, snap fits, and pin hinges.
• As with any 3D printing process, MJF produces some stair-stepping on oblique angles. Cosmetic surfaces should be clearly identified on the part drawing or digitally in the product manufacturing information (PMI), so Protolabs can attempt to orient the parts in the build chamber accordingly.
• PA 12 Smooth Light Grey is water and airproof without further treatment. It also has near isotropic mechanical properties.
• PA 11 Available as Smooth Grey and Vapour Smooth Black.
• Ultrasint™ TPU01 - 88A Pure Grey and Vapour Smooth Black is flexible, durable, with tear and abrasion resistance. It also has high chemical resistance, impact resistance and high UV resistance. It is a great candidate for the automotive industry and sporting products.