MJF 3D Printing

Best nylon surface.
HP Multi Jet Fusion.
Production ready.

HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing — best surface finish of any nylon 3D print process. Ra 6-8 µm vs SLS's Ra 8-12 µm. Faster than SLS for batch production. PA12 and PA11 available. For production-intent prototypes and low-volume end-use parts.

MJF Service Quote SLA vs SLS vs MJF

Ra 6-8 µm 48-hour typical 10,000+ production Dyed black option

01 · MJF advantages

Why MJF over other 3D printing.

MJF combines SLS-like production capability with better surface finish, faster speed, and consistent part properties.

Best nylon surface

Ra 6-8 µm

Smoother than SLS (8-12 µm) and FDM (15-30 µm). Cosmetically better, closer to injection molded appearance.

Faster than SLS

40-60% shorter

HP MJF fuses entire layer at once vs SLS's point-by-point laser. Faster print cycles = faster delivery and lower cost.

Dyed black

Standard color

Most MJF parts finished in uniform black dye. Consistent color across all parts — unlike SLS grey-white that varies.

Production capable

Up to 10,000+

MJF is used for production, not just prototypes. HP and partners produce millions of parts per year.

PA12 standard

48 MPa tensile

Same PA12 nylon as SLS. Full production-grade mechanical properties.

PA11 elastomeric

Tougher

Plant-based nylon 11 for impact-critical applications. Higher cost than PA12.

Conductive PA12

ESD grade

Carbon-reinforced conductive PA12 for ESD-safe electronics housings.

Dimensional accuracy

±0.2 mm typical

Consistent across batches. Tighter than SLS for some feature sizes.

02 · MJF applications

Where MJF wins.

Bridge production

Production before injection tool ready — 100-1000 parts in MJF while waiting for tool

Low-volume end-use parts

Under 10,000 pieces annually — MJF economical vs injection tooling investment

Consumer product prototypes

Presentation-quality cosmetic prototypes with better surface than SLS

Functional testing

Drop-testing, snap-fits, mechanical validation — real PA12 properties

Industrial components

Low-volume industrial parts — brackets, housings, fixtures

Wearable devices

Consumer wearables and electronics housings

Medical external

Non-implantable medical devices — wearables, patient accessories

Automotive accessories

Interior components, brackets, aftermarket applications

Aerospace interior

Aircraft interior components per FAR flammability — FR MJF available

FAQ

MJF Service questions.

MJF advantages: better surface finish (Ra 6-8 vs 8-12 µm), faster print cycle (40-60% faster), consistent color with dyeing, improved detail on small features. SLS advantages: more material options (including PA12-GF, PA12-CF), slightly better for very large parts (EOS machines have larger build envelope). For most nylon prototyping and production, MJF is newer and generally better. SLS still dominant in aerospace and specialty material applications.

HP MJF production capacity: 10,000-50,000 parts per year economical. Above that, injection molding typically cheaper. Major applications use MJF for: medical wearables, automotive interior components, specialty electronics housings, consumer products where design iterates frequently. For stable high-volume designs, injection molding remains cost-effective. For evolving designs, MJF's tool-free production is advantageous.

Post-print dyeing (vat dye) provides: uniform color across all parts (unlike variable natural PA12 color), hides surface variation for better cosmetic, common industry expectation. Natural color available but shows more surface detail. Dark blue, dark grey dyeing also available. For brand-specific colors, standardization typically happens at the painting step rather than dyeing.

MJF: ±0.15 mm typical on critical features, ±0.05 mm possible on small features with careful orientation. Better than SLS for small features. Like all powder bed fusion, accuracy depends on part size and thermal conditions during print. For tighter tolerances, post-print CNC or grinding brings specific features to CNC tolerance while keeping overall MJF geometry.

Our MJF: 48 hours for simple parts (one print cycle). Typical 3-5 days for medium orders. Batch multiple customers per build for cost efficiency — shared builds typical for prototype work, dedicated builds for production orders. Rush 24-hour turnaround possible at premium.

MJF cost driven by volume (material per part) and build time. Typical small part: $15-40. Medium: $40-120. Large: $120-500. Batch of 100 parts nested in single build: per-part cost drops 30-40% vs single parts. For production volumes (500+ parts monthly), establish relationship for batch scheduling and pricing optimization.