Empower medical innovation with precision SLS 3D printing

From patient-specific insoles to surgical guides, Sinterit SLS systems give medical teams full control over functional, personalized devices — safe to use and fast to produce

Precision meets personalization in SLS medical

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) offers the flexibility, repeatability, and material quality needed for real-world medical applications. Whether you’re designing 3D printed custom insoles or developing surgical guides, Sinterit systems allow you to create durable, high-precision parts directly from digital files. With access to strong, skin-touch-safe materials and accurate printing of complex geometries, SLS fits seamlessly into demanding medical environments. It gives engineers and practitioners the power to test, iterate, and manufacture without tooling — while maintaining tight tolerances and consistent results.
SLS in medicine empowers clinics, orthotic labs, and device developers to deliver custom-fit solutions faster and more independently. By working directly from patient scans, they can design and manufacture precise medical devices in-house — without relying on molds or waiting for outsourced parts. This reduces lead times, increases patient-specific customization, and brings flexibility to daily workflows. With compact, safe-to-use printers like those from Sinterit, advanced 3D printing becomes a practical and accessible tool for modern medical teams — from diagnostics to long-term treatment support.

What makes SLS 3D printing with Sinterit unique for medical applications

No tooling, no delays — just patient-ready insoles



With SLS, you can produce small batches of end-use insoles quickly and without investing in molds. This eliminates long waiting times and gives you the flexibility to respond to patient needs immediately — with production-quality results.


3D printed orthopedic insoles in PA11.5 material

Precision and geometry FDM can’t deliver



Traditional FDM limits your ability to scale up orthotic applications due to poor surface finish and restricted design freedom. Sinterit’s SLS allows for complex structures, better anatomical fit, and consistent quality — ready for testing or direct use.


Lightweight 3D printed orthopedic cast with lattice structure

True customization, finally efficient



Injection molding makes personalization slow and expensive. With SLS, you can implement fully digital, customizable workflows that match foot geometry, gait profile, or physician guidance — without manual rework or tooling changes.


3D printed spine models for medical applications

Faster design-to-delivery, even with late adjustments



Whether you’re adapting to new health standards or revising fit after clinical feedback, SLS enables same-day design updates and reprints. That means more responsiveness, better patient outcomes, and less time spent on repetitive post-processing.

3D printed knee joint model
Jakub Malec
Application Engineer, Sinterit

Working with medical professionals, we often hear how limited and inefficient traditional insole production can be — especially when you need to customize every single piece. SLS changes that. With a fully digital workflow, it’s possible to go from patient scan to a finished, functional insole or guide within hours, without molds or manual corrections. The freedom to adapt the design, reprint instantly, or respond to new clinical requirements gives practitioners the flexibility they’ve never had before. On top of that, the mechanical quality and surface finish of SLS parts make them not just prototypes, but usable products. It’s incredibly satisfying to see how this technology helps clinics speed up treatment, reduce waste, and take full control over their process.

Minimal line icon of an engineer wearing a safety helmet and working on a laptop, on a blue background.

3D in medicine – application examples

Orthotics

  • Digital workflow from scan to wearable part
  • True customization without molds or manual work
  • Soft and flexible materials for daily comfort
  • Fast redesigns based on patient feedback
  • Scalable, repeatable quality for small-batch production

Medical guides

  • Patient-specific geometries with high precision
  • Internal channels printed without supports
  • Sterilizable, strong materials for real procedures
  • Cost-effective for case-by-case use
  • Rapid design validation and in-house production

Overcome Your Challenge with the Right 3D Printer

  • Costs of investment

  • Return of investment

  • After Sales Support

  • Printouts Quality

  • Available Materials

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Materials that fit medical applications

PA12 Industrial

Versatile and dimensionally stable — ideal for stiff components in orthotic supports or diagnostic tools

PA11.5
PA11.5 Powder 10kg bag

High-impact resistant and fatigue-proof — perfect for insoles and wearable medical devices exposed to repetitive stress

PA 11 Onyx
Sinterit PA11 Onyx Fresh Powder – 6 kg container

Flexible, tough, and skin-contact friendly — excellent for custom orthotics and patient-specific components

PP (Polypropylene)
Polypropylene (PP) powder container for SLS 3D printing, 6 kg metal bucket

Lightweight and semi-flexible — suitable for low-friction medical prototypes

Flexa Performance
Sinterit PA11 Onyx Fresh Powder – 6 kg container

Soft, elastic, and resilient — best for surgical guides, pressure-distribution pads, and rehabilitation wearables and insoles parts

See what a real medical-grade SLS part looks and feels like

Evaluate surface finish, flexibility, and precision for insoles, braces, or surgical tools — and discover how Sinterit fits your workflow
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How 3D insole printer became a game-changer for Paul Hast GmbH

Discover case studies

FAQ – SLS 3D printing for medical applications

What makes SLS suitable for medical applications?

SLS offers high resolution, strong mechanical properties, and geometric freedom — all critical for creating accurate, patient-specific medical devices like insoles or surgical tools.


Can I use SLS to produce custom 3D insoles?

Yes. You can go directly from 3D foot scans to ready-to-wear insoles with no molds or manual shaping. This eliminates the need for handwork, reduces production time, and allows you to respond to individual patient needs with a fully digital workflow.

How fast can I go from scan to part?

With Lisa X, you can print a full tray of insoles or guides overnight. Most clinics and labs achieve same-day or next-day turnaround.

Are the materials skin-contact safe?

Materials like PA12 Industrial, PA11 Onyx and Flexa Performance are commonly used in wearable devices and offer high comfort and flexibility. While they are not officially certified as medical-grade, they are widely adopted in orthotic applications where non-invasive skin contact is required. Always validate materials locally for regulatory compliance. Some certifications have to be acquired based on individual setups and processes, so there is a potential for customers to adopt more materials.

How durable are the printed insoles or braces?

Very durable. SLS parts exhibit excellent strength, fatigue resistance, and dimensional stability — far exceeding what’s achievable with FDM.

Can I replace hand-made orthotic workflows with SLS?

Yes. Many clinics switch from hand-laminated or milled insoles to SLS to reduce labor, eliminate molds, and speed up customization.

Is SLS better than injection molding for low-volume orthotic production?

For small batches or personalized products, SLS is faster, more cost-effective, and fully digital. There’s no need to create molds, which removes the barrier of tooling costs and long lead times. It also allows much more flexibility for frequent design changes.

Can I adjust and reprint based on patient feedback?

Absolutely. You can edit the digital model and reprint within hours, making it easy to react to fit issues or updated clinical recommendations.

Do I need prior experience with 3D printing to use Sinterit?

Not necessarily. Our printers are designed to be user-friendly and come with full onboarding support. Most users are up and running within days.

How precise is SLS for medical tools or anatomical parts?

SLS delivers excellent dimensional accuracy, especially for parts with fine features or complex curves — ideal for surgical tools and orthopedic devices.

What materials do you recommend for orthotic applications?

PA11 Onyx and Flexa Performance are best for wearable insoles due to their flexibility and strength. PA12 Industrial is a good choice for rigid components like shells or mounts.

Can I print flexible or semi-rigid parts?

Yes. Sinterit supports materials with a range of Shore hardness — from flexible (Flexa Performance) to semi-rigid (PA11 Onyx), enabling true comfort and function.

Is SLS used in medical research?

Definitely. Many research institutions use Sinterit printers to prototype wearable medical devices, test material behavior, and simulate real-use conditions for patient-specific components. Open parameters also make it possible to run experimental workflows and material adaptation studies.

Pricing

Below there are approximate costs for some example models.
Be aware that the quotation assumes that there is only one piece printed. In SLS technology, the cost per part will be much lower with a higher number of elements printed at once.
  • Flexible
  • Standard
Model
Dimensions
PA12
Smooth
PA11
Onyx
Flexa
Grey
Flexa
Soft
TPE
Below
Model volume:
Model volume:
Total print height:
6.82 cm
Dimensions:
65 x 65 x 63 mm
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Total print height:
6.82 cm
Dimensions:
65 x 65 x 63 mm
49,90 €
49,90 €
49,90 €
49,90 €
49,90 €
49,90 €
Derailleur
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Total print height:
6.82 cm
Dimensions:
65 x 65 x 63 mm
71,80 €
71,80 €
71,80 €
71,80 €
71,80 €
71,80 €
Driller housing
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Total print height:
6.82 cm
Dimensions:
65 x 65 x 63 mm
157 €
157 €
157 €
157 €
157 €
157 €
Model
Dimensions
PA12
Smooth
PA11
Onyx
Flexa
Grey
Flexa
Soft
TPE
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
Crank
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
Model volume:
28.12 cm^3
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €
51,30 €

Get a free sample box

Universal joint + turbine
The free samplebox contains two printouts made from PA12 Smooth. They are both movable designs, and each one is printed in one piece.

These are examples showing high precision and freedom of design ensured by SLS technology.
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SEE ADVANCED samples
This product includes GeoLite2 data created by MaxMind, available from https://www.maxmind.com.