The Nylon 3D Printing Reference
Nylon is the engineering polymer that 3D printing actually builds with — and its data is scattered across dozens of manufacturer datasheets. Nylon3DP gathers it in one place: material properties, machine specifications, process explainers and design guides for PA11, PA12, PA6 and filled nylons, with every number traced to the manufacturer's own documentation.
Quick answer — what is nylon 3D printing?
Nylon (polyamide) 3D printing means producing parts from PA12, PA11, PA6 or filled nylon grades, mainly by powder-bed fusion — SLS and MJF — or by extruding nylon filament (FDM). Printed nylon is tough, wear-resistant and moderately heat-resistant, which makes it the default choice for functional end-use parts: hinges, clips, gears, ducts, brackets, jigs and orthotics. PA12 is the standard grade; PA11 is the ductile, bio-based alternative.
Start with the databases
Material database
11 nylon grades with full datasheet tables — powders from EOS, Formlabs, HP and BASF, filaments from Polymaker and Bambu Lab.
Machine database
4 powder-bed systems with manufacturer-verified build volumes and layer specs.
Processes
How SLS, MJF, SAF and nylon FDM work, which materials each uses, and where each fits — plus the sourced SLS vs MJF comparison.
Guides
PA11 vs PA12 decided on datasheet numbers; drying nylon filament at manufacturer settings; designing parts for SLS & MJF from official design guides.
Glossary
16 definitions — refresh ratio, glass-filled, hygroscopic, HDT and the rest of the vocabulary the datasheets assume.
SLS vs MJF
The two production powder processes compared on their manufacturers' own PA12 data: strength, isotropy, colour, materials and economics.
Featured materials
EOS PA 2200
EOS PA 2200 is the reference PA12 powder for selective laser sintering: a balanced, unfilled nylon 12 with 48 MPa tensile strength (XY), 1650 MPa tensile modulus and 18% elongation at break in the XY plane, per the current EOS material data sheet.
EOS PA 1101
EOS PA 1101 is a bio-based PA11 SLS powder derived from castor oil.
EOS PA 3200 GF
EOS PA 3200 GF is a glass-bead-filled PA12 SLS powder (40 wt% glass beads per EOS).
Formlabs Nylon 12 Powder
Formlabs Nylon 12 Powder is the standard PA12 for the Fuse SLS series: 50 MPa ultimate tensile strength, 1850 MPa tensile modulus and 11% elongation at break (X/Y) per the Formlabs technical data sheet, with an HDT of 171 °C at 0.
Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder
Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder is a bio-based PA11 for the Fuse series, built for parts that bend or take impact: 49 MPa tensile strength, 1600 MPa modulus and 40% elongation at break (X/Y) per the Formlabs technical data sheet — the most ductile powder in the Formlabs range.
HP 3D High Reusability PA 12
HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 is the standard nylon for Multi Jet Fusion: 54 MPa tensile strength, 2150 MPa tensile modulus and 18% elongation at break in XY (10% in Z), with a density of 1.
Coverage so far — stated plainly
This is v1 of the reference, published November 2026: 11 materials, 4 machines, 3 process deep-dives plus a comparison, 3 guides and 16 glossary terms. The goal is the complete nylon landscape — every significant powder, filament and machine, every major application area — built in verified stages. What is not yet covered is not guessed at: it is queued. The standard for every page is in the editorial and sourcing policy.
Why trust the numbers here?
Because each one names its source. Property tables reproduce manufacturer datasheets (EOS, Formlabs, HP, BASF, Polymaker, Bambu Lab) with the test method kept next to the value; machine specs come from manufacturers' specification documents; design minimums come from official design guides. If a manufacturer does not publish a value, the table omits it rather than filling the gap. Corrections are welcome at cqq365@gmail.com.
Last updated: November 2026