Using 3D Printing to Create Replacement Parts

Selective laser sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) are similar processes that both create parts by sintering plastic powder. These are the most common 3D printing processes for creating end-use plastic parts. Parts made in either of these processes are typically stronger than those made via FDM and the finish is textured but also more consistent than FDM. Aesthetically, they do not have that 3D-printy look that you often see on FDM parts. These processes do not use support structures, so each offers more design freedom than FDM.

The material options are more limited than FDM but SLS and MJF have several common production plastics such as polyamides (aka nylon), polypropylene, and TPU (thermoplastic urethane). You can choose to use vapor smoothing to improve the surface finish and make it glossier and smoother, helping the part mimic the finish of injection molding, which is by far the most common manufacturing method for production plastic parts. These technologies also scale well at higher volumes, so if multiple copies are needed SLS and MJF are options worth considering.