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Data v0.4.2-fixes-deployed · 2026-05-17T20:40:00.000000
issue · 2026.q2
PolymerSLSTRL 9 · Mature

Powder Bed Fusion Polymer SLS MJF

Strong production process for polymer end-use parts. HP MJF adopted at production scale by automotive, consumer, and medical sectors. SLS well-established for engineering prototypes and functional parts.

Mature
TRL 9
confidence 88%
How it works

SLS uses a CO₂ laser to selectively sinter polymer powder. HP's Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) uses inkjet agents (fusing + detailing) and an infrared lamp instead of a laser — enabling faster production. Both produce isotropic or near-isotropic parts without support structures.

Also known as: Selective Laser Sintering, Multi Jet Fusion, SAF (Stratasys)

Strengths
  • 01No support structures — enables complex internal channels and assemblies
  • 02Near-isotropic mechanical properties
  • 03Good resolution and surface finish for polymer
  • 04Production-scale throughput (MJF 5210 and 5600 series)
  • 05Wide materials range for engineering applications
Bottlenecks
  • 01Powder management and refresh cost
  • 02Limited color options (natural PA12 is grey/beige; MJF offers some color)
  • 03Post-processing required for cosmetic finish
  • 04Material options narrower than FDM
Key Applications
  • 01Automotive interior components (door handles, vents, brackets)
  • 02Consumer goods (custom footwear components, sports equipment)
  • 03Medical devices (surgical instruments, custom orthotics)
  • 04Industrial functional parts and assemblies
  • 05Defense equipment housings and brackets
Key Suppliers

• HP (MJF) — 5210, 5600• Jet Fusion platform• broad industrial adoption• EOS (SLS) — P 396, P 500, P 770 SLS systems• Stratasys (SAF) — Selective Absorption Fusion• H350 production system• Formlabs (SLS) — Fuse 1+, Fuse 1+ 30W• accessible professional SLS• Sinterit — Desktop-scale SLS for prototyping and small production• Sintratec — S3 modular SLS production

Trajectory 2025–2035

MJF production scale deployments growing. More materials (PP, elastomers, glass-filled). Color MJF expanding (HP Jet Fusion 5200 color). Increasing automation of powder handling and post-processing. Challenge: sustainable powder refresh economics.

RELRelated technologies
TRL 5 · 70% confidence
Continuous Fiber Composites

Used for strong tooling, fixtures, and selected end-use parts.

TRL 7 · 70% confidence
FDM FFF

Dominant low-cost process; industrial variants support tooling, fixtures, jigs, and end-use polymer parts.

TRL 5 · 70% confidence
Large Format AM LFAM

Used for molds, patterns, tooling, construction-scale polymer/composite structures.

TRL 9 · 90% confidence
Material Extrusion FDM FFF

Most widely deployed polymer AM process. Strong across prototyping, tooling, and selective production. Bambu Lab and Prusa driving rapid desktop performance improvements 2022–2025.

SOURCES & CITATIONSMethodology →

Cite this page

APA

AM Roadmap. (2026). Powder Bed Fusion Polymer SLS MJF. AM Roadmap (v0.4.2-fixes-deployed). Retrieved 2026-05-17, from https://amroadmap.com/technologies/polymer-powder-bed-fusion-polymer-sls-mjf

BibTeX

@misc{amroadmap_powder_bed_fusion_polymer_sls_mjf_2026,
  title  = {Powder Bed Fusion Polymer SLS MJF},
  author = {{AM Roadmap}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://amroadmap.com/technologies/polymer-powder-bed-fusion-polymer-sls-mjf},
  note   = {AM Roadmap dataset v0.4.2-fixes-deployed, accessed 2026-05-17}
}

Canonical URL: https://amroadmap.com/technologies/polymer-powder-bed-fusion-polymer-sls-mjf