Upgrading to PA-12S: What You Need to Know

At Tempus 3D, we’re always looking for ways to improve the quality, consistency, and performance of the parts we produce. That’s why we’ve made the decision to switch all of our in-house Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) production from PA-12 to PA-12S. 

While PA-12S may sound like a small variation, it introduces a number of subtle improvements that benefit both the printing process and the final part quality.

What Is PA-12S? 

PA-12S is HP’s next-generation nylon 12 material for MJF 3D printing. Like the standard PA-12 you may already be familiar with, PA-12S is a strong, durable thermoplastic known for its excellent mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and chemical resistance. 

It keeps everything that made PA-12 a reliable material and introduces a few refinements that make it better suited for high-quality, high-consistency manufacturing. 

Key Benefits of PA-12S 

1. Smoother Surface Finish  Thanks to a more refined particle structure, PA-12S produces parts with a noticeably smoother surface straight out of the printer. This improves part quality and can reduce the amount of time needed for post-processing, sanding, or finishing. 

2. Greater Consistency in Builds  One of the biggest benefits of PA-12S is improved print consistency across different part geometries, sizes, and orientations. This makes it easier for us to maintain tight tolerances and deliver predictable results, even in complex or high-detail projects. 

3. Improved Flow and Packing Efficiency  PA-12S has better flow characteristics during the powder spreading process, which helps reduce variability from build to build. This also enables more efficient packing of parts in each print job, which helps us reduce lead times and increase throughput. 

4. Strong and Functional Parts  Like standard PA-12, PA-12S offers excellent mechanical strength and durability. It remains a great choice for both prototypes and production parts that need to handle wear, load, and repeated use. The material is still well suited for functional applications across industries like automotive, medical, robotics, and consumer products. 

5. Great Material Refresh Rate  PA-12S retains a similar material refresh rate as PA-12, this keeps our production just as efficient and sustainable as before, while offering improvements in print quality. 

Applications That Benefit Most from PA-12S 

While PA-12S is a strong all-around material, but it especially shines in the following applications: 

• Mechanical parts that require tight tolerances 

• Snap fits and enclosures that need dimensional stability 

• Production components with repetitive geometries or large print volumes 

• Prototypes that need a good balance of strength, accuracy, and speed 

• Parts with fine features where surface smoothness adds value 

If your application previously used PA-12, the transition to PA-12S will feel seamless, but the results may be more consistent and visually cleaner. 

No Need to Change Your Files

The best part is that this upgrade requires no changes on your end! We will be transitioning to PA-12S for all MJF prints, so every new part you order will soon benefit from these improvements automatically. 

If you’ve ordered parts from us before using PA-12, you can expect the same great performance, with a few improvements that may reduce finishing time and improve overall part consistency.