Materials / Compare
FDM ASA vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare FDM ASA vs. SLS PA12 Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | not given (tensile used) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 37MPasourcetypical | 48MPasourcetypical30% stronger |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 18%sourcetypical1.96x more ductile |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.45GPasourcetypical48% stiffer | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,050kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical13% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 35.2kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg46% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.33MN·m/kg32% higher | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,528m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, typical | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, range | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 92°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | Bambu Lab ASA, TDS V3.0, printed specimens X-Y; nozzle 260 °C, bed 80 °C, 200 mm/s, 100% infill; annealed and dried 80 °C for 12 h before testing. | EOS PA 2200 (PA12) Material Data Sheet, process parameter 'Balance' at 120 µm layer thickness, X orientation, dry (conditioned values not given). Live MDS status 04.10.2026, last changed 10.09.2026; PDF via ?topdf=... link on the same page. |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
FDM ASA and SLS PA12 Nylon are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM ASA stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stronger: its tensile strength is 48 MPa against 37 MPa for FDM ASA (30%).
Which is lighter, FDM ASA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,050 kg/m³ for FDM ASA.
Which is stiffer, FDM ASA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
FDM ASA is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.45 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in FDM ASA deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM ASA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM ASA is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM ASA | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 32% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 8% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 34% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 29% heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which is more ductile, FDM ASA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon stretches further before it breaks: 18% elongation at break against 9.2% for FDM ASA.