PA 950 HD

What is PA 950 HD?

PA 950 HD is an industrial-black PA12-class SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) polymer, co-developed by ALM and EOS. Chemically it belongs to the PA12 family, meaning engineers can expect the same material properties they know from standard PA12, but with black colour and better cost efficiency. The material achieves its black colour through pigment distributed throughout every powder particle, not as a coating or surface treatment. That makes it the only SLS polyamide in Europe that is black to the core, without dyeing or post-processing.

Black SLS parts normally require an additional dyeing step after production. That costs time, money, and introduces risk of colour layer wear under mechanical stress. PA 950 HD eliminates that step. No dyeing, no white core becoming visible through wear or damage.

The result: parts that look identical on day 1 and day 1,000. Consistent industrial black, without the extra cost and lead time of dyeing.

How does PA 950 HD compare to PA12 and MJF?

Property	PA 950 HD	PA12 (white)	MJF (PA12)
Colour	Industrial black	White (dyeable)	Grey (dyeable)
Tensile strength	44 MPa	48 MPa	48 MPa
E-modulus	1800 MPa	1700 MPa	1700 MPa
Elongation at break	18%	15%	20%
Density	1.01 g/cm3	1.01 g/cm3	1.01 g/cm3
Powder reusability	80%	~50%	~70%
Cost per part	~35% lower *	Reference	Reference
Dyeing step required?	No	Yes (for black)	Yes (for black)
Series production	1 - 100,000	1 - 100,000	1 - 100,000
Surface after wear	No change (black through material)	White core visible	Grey visible + orange peel
Surface quality	Smoother (smaller particle size)	Standard SLS	Rougher (detailing agent)
Detail resolution	Finer (smaller powder particles)	Standard SLS	Limited on fine features
Tolerances	Near-CNC (closed-loop P500)	Near-CNC (closed-loop P500)	Variable with changing nesting

* 80% powder reusability results in approximately 35% lower cost per part (ALM technical specification, 2026). Comparison versus dyed PA12 at volumes >500 parts.

Technical specifications

PA 950 HD is a PA12-class polyamide powder, specifically formulated for SLS production on EOS P-series systems. The material achieves its black colour through pigment distributed throughout the entire powder particle, not as a coating or surface treatment.

Mechanically the material performs comparably to standard PA12 (48 MPa tensile strength for PA12 vs 44 MPa for PA 950 HD, ALM technical data sheet, 2026). The 4 MPa difference is negligible for most industrial applications. The 18% elongation at break provides sufficient ductility for snap-fits and living hinges.

Why does PA 950 HD deliver a smoother surface and finer details?

PA 950 HD has a smaller particle size distribution than standard PA12 and MJF powders. Smaller powder particles fuse more closely together, resulting in a smoother surface straight from the machine, without additional post-processing like blasting or polishing. For appearance parts, that means: lower finishing costs and shorter lead time.

The same finer powder structure produces sharper details and finer features. Thin walls, small holes, and fine text come out better than with coarser powder. If your design contains fine geometries, you need to make fewer compromises on manufacturability.

Combined with closed-loop process control on the EOS P500, this delivers near-CNC tolerances and reproducibility where part 1 and part 10,000 are dimensionally identical.

How does PA 950 HD scale from prototype to series production?

The step from prototype to series production causes tolerance drift with many 3D printing technologies. PA 950 HD runs on EOS P500 dual-laser systems with closed-loop process control. That delivers near-CNC dimensional tolerances, build after build. Part 1 and part 10,000 are dimensionally identical.

The P500 is 3-4x faster than conventional SLS systems. Three machines in parallel mean that PA 950 HD series of thousands of parts are achievable on lead times that in specific cases make moulds redundant. The build volume of 500 x 330 x 400 mm is large enough for most industrial parts, and smaller parts are nested to reduce cost per part.

What is PA 950 HD used for?

Appearance parts and housings: Machine housings, valve panels, and cover plates that face impact, scratches, and wear on the factory floor. With PA 950 HD, no white core appears after six months of use.

Series production of functional parts: Grippers, guides, holders, and assembly tools that need to be functionally and visually representative, even after thousands of handling cycles.

Metal replacement: Combine PA 950 HD with DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) to replace aluminium or steel parts with 40-60% weight savings, without compromising visual appearance.

Is PA 950 HD available from other 3D printing bureaus?

Your competitors face the same dyeing problems as you. The difference: you can now switch to industrial black without dyeing, they cannot yet. PA 950 HD on EOS P500 is exclusively available from Parts on Demand in Europe.

That gives you a concrete advantage: faster delivery, lower cost per black part, and a finish your competitors simply cannot offer yet. Read more about the campaign behind this material at Black to the Core.