Almost always. Jigs, fixtures and production tools are one of the most cost-effective SLS applications. You save CNC milling (hours to days) and can iterate improvements without tool rework. PA12 for standard jigs, Carbon LW for stiff fixtures, PA11 for tools taking impact or flex. Lead time from 3 working days.
Why SLS is ideal for jigs and fixtures
Jigs and fixtures are by definition customer or product-specific: one-to-a-few pieces per design, with complex geometry that fits the workpiece exactly.
Traditional (CNC-milled aluminium) costs 500-3,000 euros and 3-10 working days per fixture. Our SLS print in PA12: 50-200 euros and 3 working days.
Your design often evolves during use (“this does not clamp well, can we move the hook 3 mm?”). A tool rework on CNC is a new order. On SLS it is a CAD revision.
Which material per tool type
Standard jigs and fixtures (positioning, clamping, guiding) – PA12 suffices. 45 MPa is more than enough for most tool loads.
Structural fixtures that must stay stable (welding fixtures, measurement jigs) – Carbon LW, 2x stiffer than PA12.
Tools taking impact or flex (packaging aids, snap-join jigs) – PA11 toughness prevents cracks.
Food-processing tools – PA12 Blue MD with FDA + EC1935/2004.
Rubber-mat or damping tools – TPU 1301 rubber look.
Practical savings
Customers who switch from CNC milling to SLS for jigs report: 30-70% cost saving per fixture, lead time from 2-3 weeks down to 3-5 days, and drastically faster iteration cycles.
Fix a problem in the morning, new fixture in production the next morning. For large toolshops or production lines needing many custom jigs, switching to SLS can lower structural cost items.
Talk to an engineer if you want to work this out for your toolshop. We map candidate jigs together.