Whitepaper · Arkema Rilsan PA11

Improving SLS nylon 11 parts with vapor smoothing

AMT and Arkema studied how AMT’s Boundary Layer Automated Smoothing Technology, run on the PostPro3D machine, changes the surface and mechanical properties of SLS-printed nylon 11 parts.

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Cover of the whitepaper “Improving SLS nylon 11 parts with vapor smoothing”
With
Arkema
Material
Arkema Rilsan PA11
Printing
SLS
Tested on
PostPro3D
Published

Source:Arkema whitepaper, amtechnologies.comPDF (opens in a new tab) published

2022 Published Nov 2022. These tests ran on PostPro3D, the earlier generation of AMT’s automated vapor smoothing systems; today’s systems are the PostPro SF range.

The material

Arkema’s Rilsan PA11 is a nylon derived from the castor plant, with more elasticity, ductility and impact resistance than PA12. It is used in automotive, medical and aerospace applications.

Test method

Sets of nylon 11 tensile specimens were processed at three surface finish settings (Finish 1 to 3) on the PostPro3D and tested for tensile strength, modulus and surface roughness to ISO standards.

Results

Post-processing reduced surface roughness to a finish comparable to injection molding and made the parts more hydrophobic by removing surface porosity. Elongation at break and break stress increased markedly, with no significant change in tensile strength or modulus.PDF

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Test your parts

Send us a part. See it smoothed.

We vapor smooth your own parts and send them back with the results. No cost to evaluate · Parts returned · Typical turnaround 2–3 weeks1

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