3D Printing for Research and Development: Nabson Case Study

Nabson manufactures ground power cable assemblies and connectors for the commercial and defence aviation industry. When the team needed to add a safety thermal switch to a specific product line, the part geometry, the rubber injection process, and the tight free space inside the connector ruled out conventional manufacturing. By moving the housing design into a Sinterit Lisa SLS workflow, Nabson tested over 20 designs in 3 weeks, then ran 1,500-plus production sleeves on the same machine. Their use of 3D printing for research and development became a daily working tool, not a quarterly experiment.

The challenge: thermal switch encapsulation for aviation safety

A safety thermal switch had to be added to one specific product line. The switch's job is straightforward: cut power to an aircraft if a connector overheats. The engineering brief, however, was not. Nabson's connectors are rubber over-moulded, which means free space inside the connector is severely limited, and the rubber injection process exerts real pressure on anything sitting inside the assembly.

Two problems followed. First, the housing had to be small enough to fit inside the connector's available space. Second, the housing had to protect the thermal switch from rubber injection pressure, while still letting heat reach the switch fast enough to do its safety job. Nabson's engineer worked with the assembly team to design a housing capable of meeting both requirements once filled with epoxy.

Why Nabson chose Sinterit SLS for R&D

Nabson already had additive manufacturing in the building. In early 2019 the team bought a dual-head FDM 3D printer to expedite research and development across new product lines. FDM proved the workflow but capped the ceiling on accuracy and surface finish for small-run prototypes. After initial success, Nabson moved into market research for an SLS upgrade.

Selective laser sintering opened up tighter tolerances, finer features, and isotropic strength suited to functional aviation parts. After weighing cost, build volume, and material range, the team chose the Sinterit Lisa PRO. Sean Higgins, manager of Organisational Effectiveness at Nabson, led the deployment and reported on the 2020 results.

3D printing for research and development at Nabson: the daily workflow

Once the Lisa PRO was installed, the iteration loop tightened. Nabson's engineering team prints three to four housing designs overnight, fills them with epoxy the next morning, and tests the results the same day. The cycle runs in single-day increments rather than week-long supplier waits.

"In a three-week period, we were able to print, test, and modify over 20 designs." Sean Higgins, manager of Organisational Effectiveness at Nabson

Twenty design revisions in three weeks is the kind of iteration density injection moulding cannot match without a prototyping budget large enough to fund tooling for each variant. SLS makes design changes effectively free.

The results: 1,500+ sleeves, 50% saving, 0.6mm wall accuracy

Three measurable outcomes followed the move to in-house Sinterit SLS:

• 50% cost saving per sleeve. Outsourcing the housing came in at $2.28 per sleeve in quantities of 1,000. In-house Sinterit SLS production cut close to half off that figure once the Lisa PRO ran consistently.

• 0.6mm thinnest wall at the corners. Accuracy gain over FDM let Nabson hit tight wall thicknesses without losing structural integrity, a non-negotiable for thermal-switch encapsulation.

• 1,500-plus sleeves produced. Lisa PRO running close to seven days a week kept up with full production demand without incident.

"In order to keep up with our production demand, we have been operating the Lisa PRO almost 7 days a week for the past couple of months, without incident, and produced over 1500 sleeves." Sean Higgins, manager of Organisational Effectiveness at Nabson

Design revisions have continued, twice since October. Each revision printed overnight, tested next day, and moved into production within the same week. No tooling change, no setup cost, no supplier lead time.

What this means for Australian aviation and defence manufacturers

Australian aviation and defence manufacturers face a similar set of constraints to Nabson. Safety-critical part iteration moves slowly when every design revision needs supplier tooling change-over, and the recent push for Australian sovereign manufacturing capability raises the stakes for keeping safety-relevant fabrication in-country. In-house SLS sidesteps both problems.

Sinterit's Lisa platform suits this brief because it does not require a dedicated production room or specialised ventilation, and its material library covers polyamides plus an ESD-safe option for electrical-adjacent parts. AusIndustry's Defence Industry Development Grants and the R&D Tax Incentive cover qualifying SLS hardware purchases, making the capital outlay realistic for mid-sized aviation suppliers.

Which Sinterit SLS printer for R&D today?

Lisa PRO, the printer Nabson originally bought, has since been superseded. The current production-grade flagship is the Sinterit Lisa X, a faster, larger-build version of the same compact SLS platform. Lisa X supports the same Sinterit PA-12 Industrial powder Nabson uses, plus PA-11 ESD for static-sensitive electrical applications and Flexa Performance TPU for rubber-like flex.

For smaller R&D teams not yet at production volume, the Sinterit Suzy runs the same workflow at a lower entry cost. Both printers fit Nabson's office-grade footprint and overnight-cycle pattern.

Our Sinterit Lisa X overview covers the platform in more detail. For another aviation-adjacent SLS case study see our Jetson One aerospace case study, and for in-house SLS replacing injection moulding tooling, our Rotite case study.

Frequently asked questions

What is 3D printing for research and development?

3D printing for research and development is the use of additive manufacturing to design, test, and refine new products in-house. SLS in particular suits R&D because it produces functional, isotropic-strength parts in real engineering polymers, not visual-only prototypes.

How does SLS speed up R&D iteration?

SLS lets engineers print three to four designs overnight, test the next day, and modify within hours rather than ordering tooling for each variant. Nabson's team logged 20 design revisions in 3 weeks running the workflow this way.

Can SLS produce safety-critical aviation parts?

Yes. Sinterit PA-12 and PA-11 powders have the dimensional stability and isotropic strength suited to functional aviation parts. Nabson's thermal-switch housings have run in commercial and defence aviation connectors, with 1,500-plus sleeves produced on a Sinterit Lisa.

Which Sinterit printer suits aviation R&D today?

Lisa X is the current production-grade choice, replacing the Lisa PRO Nabson originally bought. Suzy fits earlier-stage teams at a lower entry point. Both share the same compact, office-grade footprint Nabson runs.

Is in-house SLS cheaper than outsourcing prototypes?

Usually yes once volume crosses a few dozen parts per month. Nabson's outsourced housings cost $2.28 per sleeve at quantities of 1,000. Bringing production in-house saved close to 50 per cent on the same parts and removed supplier lead time entirely.

What materials does Sinterit SLS support for aviation applications?

Sinterit Lisa X covers PA-12 Industrial and Smooth, PA-11 CF and Onyx, PA-11 ESD for static-sensitive parts, PA-11.5, Flexa Performance TPU, and Polypropylene. Aviation parts most commonly use PA-12 Industrial for structural housings and PA-11 ESD for electrically sensitive applications.

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Want to expedite your own R&D cycle with in-house SLS? Talk to our team about the Sinterit Lisa X, the Suzy, or the right powder for your application. We can also help you map the capital outlay against your current outsourced prototyping spend.

Want to view our range of Sinterit SLS printers? Click here.

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3D Printer 3D Printers aviation manufacturing case study connectors in-house manufacturing Manufacturing Nabson Prototyping R&D rapid manufacturing rapid prototyping Sinterit Lisa X SLS 3D Printing SLS printing thermal switch