- It is best to avoid using a living hinge in SLS if at all possible
- The best material for a living hinge is Nylon11 (PA850)
- The hinge should have a minimum thickness of 0.8 mm (0.03 inches)
- note this is below our minimum guaranteed build thickness of 1mm (0.04 inches) so this feature will be “best effort”
- Anneal the hinge prior to flexing – soak the part in boiling water for 10 minutes then allow the part to cool slowly (note: this could cause deformation and/or dimensional changes to other features on your part)
- Things to note:
- The hinge will flex, but do not expect it to flex like an injection molded hinge
- The hinge will only flex a few times before breaking
- If over flexed, the hinge will break
- The longer you can make the hinge the better chance you have of success
