Nylon 12 White Powder combines all of the great qualities of general purpose, biocompatible Nylon 12 Powder with the customizability of white parts. Create medical devices and models with high contrast and detail or create functional prototypes that can be easily dyed to suit the application. Read our whitepaper for more information about dyeing Nylon 12 White parts.

Formlabs recommends printing with Nylon 12 White Powder in a nitrogen atmosphere for best results. Nylon 12 White can be printed in air, but parts may yellow as the powder ages. Nylon 12 White Powder has additional required setup steps like bed temperature tuning and powder aging that must be completed before starting your first print.

Recommended for:

• Branded, “looks-like” prototypes
• Medical devices and models
• Safety guides, parts
• Small batch manufacturing

See the table below for a comparison of relevant material properties:

To learn more about the performance properties of Formlabs materials, refer to the library of material properties data sheets.

Nylon 12 White Powder requires bed temperature tuning before first use. Tuning the bed temperature of the Fuse 1+ 30W prior to printing your first build will result in fewer surface defects caused by variable printer temperatures. The bed temperature tuning process is run as a diagnostic print and uploaded through PreForm to the printer.

After tuning your printer, you may also want to age your powder before starting to print. Certain geometries, specifically those whose cross-sections do not change significantly along the Z-axis, do not print as successfully with fresh Nylon 12 White Powder. If you plan to print those types of models, age your powder after tuning the bed temperature. The aging process only needs to be performed once to create sufficient recycled powder for the first print. Read Aging Nylon 12 White Powder before first use for full instructions.

Nylon 12 White has a refresh rate of 30% to maximize efficiency and printing reliability. For the best results, follow Formlabs design specifications for SLS printing.

Formlabs recommends printing in nitrogen to maintain the consistent white appearance across multiple builds and for the most consistent mechanical properties. Parts printed in air may yellow after multiple builds and often yellow unevenly as the parts cool in the build chamber. If the end goal is to dye parts, this may not be an issue. Increasing the refresh rate to 50% when printing in air may help slow the rate of yellowing from build to build.

Best practices for printing with Nylon 12 White:

• Orient parts towards the center of the build chamber and away from build chamber walls and floor, the back wall in particular, to reduce surface defects.
• Large flat surfaces print with the best quality perpendicular to the print plane.
• Avoid facing flat faces towards the front of the build chamber.
• Slightly curved surfaces oriented along the Z-axis will result in layer lines on parts.
• Space all parts at least 3 mm from each other for best surface quality and easiest depowdering.

Refer to the support article Starting a print (SLS) to open the model in PreForm, orient it, and send it to the printer.

Nylon 12 White powder is stickier than other powders and may obscure the hopper window. Check that the hopper is full of powder by opening the lid on top.

Nylon 12 White Powder is stickier than standard Nylon 12, which makes it harder to separate parts from the powder cake. Using a brush helps clean parts more effectively.

If you are using a Fuse Sift, the Nylon 12 White powder often covers and impedes the Sift’s sensors and may cause errors, even if sifting continues to occur.

• The surface of Nylon 12 White appears rougher than standard Nylon 12.
• Thin features that print successfully in standard Nylon 12 may be more fragile in Nylon 12 White.
• Fine features and sharp edges may appear duller and less resolved with Nylon 12 White.

Nylon 12 White is sensitive to cross-contamination from powder. Use a dedicated depowdering station or Fuse Sift and a dedicated media blaster to prevent parts from appearing dirty. Over-blasting parts may create dull patches on the parts.

Accumulated powder and condensed airborne particulates can cause print failures in future print jobs if not properly cleaned out after each print. Clean the following areas between prints:

• Inspect and clean the optical cassette
• Inspect and clean the IR sensor
• Clean the IR sensor housing
• Clean any powder that fell below or around the build chamber
• Clean both powder troughs and the area around the recoater’s path using a compliant vacuum with static dissipative components
• Inspect and clean the recoater if necessary

Cleaning the top of the print enclosure

Powder can accumulate at the top of the print enclosure, particularly on the runways, the areas between the powder troughs and the top of the build chamber. This excess powder may fuse and be dragged into the build chamber during subsequent prints. Vacuum this area thoroughly to help prevent print failures.

Vacuuming the troughs

Close the print enclosure door and move the flipper motors to dislodge powder for cleaning.

To move the flipper motors:

1. Close the print enclosure door.
2. On the touchscreen, tap the wrench icon. The Maintenance menu appears.
3. Tap Motor Moves. The Motor Moves screen appears, which allows you to manually activate various motors in the print enclosure.

Cleaning the recoater

Fuse 1 generation printers, the Fuse Sift, and related accessories are designed to be used with only one powder type at a time. Make sure to clean each device thoroughly, following Formlabs instructions, before switching powder types. Mixing powders can lead to print failures or permanent damage to the machine.

Using a dedicated build chamber for Nylon 12 White Powder is highly recommended. If using a build chamber that has previously printed with a different powder, the print bed assembly should be replaced in order to prevent failures due to stuck print beds. Please contact Formlabs Support or your certified service provider for guidance on replacing this component. Swapping out the print bed is most important when the previously printed material has a lower printing temperature than the new material, for example when switching from Polypropylene to Nylon 12.

If you plan to regularly print in multiple different materials, Formlabs recommends dedicating a separate printer, build chamber, and Fuse Sift for each material type for an easier workflow.

Consult the following support articles for additional information:

• Switching SLS powder types (Fuse 1/Fuse Sift)
• Cleaning all powder out of a Fuse 1
• Cleaning all powder out of a Fuse Sift
• Cleaning all powder out of a build chamber