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Glass-Filled Nylon: 4 Things You Need to Know

This material is a new alternative to standard Nylon-12 for parts that are stiffer and cost-effective, with fast lead times.

Xomety X
By Team Xometry
October 7, 2020
 2 min read
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Glass-Filled Nylon is a selective laser sintering (SLS) material available on Xometry's instant quoting platform. This material allows you to have the same complexity of Durable White Nylon but with a much bigger build area, as well as parts that are mechanically more robust. Check out exactly how Glass-Filled Nylon can benefit you.

1. Glass-Filled Nylon Results in Stiffer Plastic Parts

Glass-Filled Nylon is stiffer than regular nylon-12, because of the glass infill along the entirety of the part. This infill drastically prevents warping and breaking, especially for larger parts. Glass-Filled Nylon parts are highly heat resistant, which allows them to operate under elevated temperatures, making them ideal for uses in the aerospace industry, as well as many others. It’s important to note that Glass-Filled Nylon parts will be stiffer than standard unfilled nylon-12, meaning very fine features could be more brittle.

Glass-Filled Nylon Has Larger Size Capabilities

When you are being limited in size by standard nylon-12, this material is perfect for parts that don’t normally fit within our build volume of about a 12 inch cube. The overall build volume for Glass-Filled Nylon is 26” x 15” x 23”. This can be for a few large parts, or many smaller pieces. Make sure to design wall thicknesses appropriate to a part’s size; as the size increases, walls should thicken up to about 0.1-0.2” max.

Glass-Filled Nylon Results in Cost-Effective Complex Parts

Glass-Filled Nylon is a cost-effective option that will save you money for larger, more complex parts, as compared to standard nylon-12. This pricing solution occurs in part due to theComplexity Paradox, a concept detailing that as 3D parts become more complex, often with organic shapes and pockets, the price will become more competitive versus traditional manufacturing.

Xomety X
Team Xometry
This article was written by various Xometry contributors. Xometry is a leading resource on manufacturing with CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, 3D printing, injection molding, urethane casting, and more.