Minimum hole diameter for SLS nylon printing
The smallest hole we guarantee in SLS nylon printing is 1.5 mm. Smaller holes are sometimes achievable after engineering review, but the risk of tool breakage and dimensional deviation rises sharply.
- Beyond diameter, the depth-to-diameter ratio matters most. Up to roughly 4× diameter a hole is routine; beyond that you need a long-reach tool, through-tool coolant or peck drilling, which adds machine time.
- In printing processes small holes close up from powder or resin residue: expect a few tenths of loss. If the hole is functional, specify it undersize and have it drilled or reamed afterwards.
- Threads have their own lower bound: Heat-set inserts of getapt na print.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I print holes to size or ream them?
- For fits and bearing seats, always drill or ream. Produce the hole undersize and treat the critical dimension as a separate operation — the cheapest route to a reliable fit.
- How deep can a small hole be?
- Up to about 4× diameter is standard. Deeper is possible with adapted tooling and longer cycle time; mention it in your request so we price it correctly.