Food Contact 3D Printing

Food Safe X-ray & Metal Detectable Nylon (PA12) 3D Printing

Need 3D printed parts that are food contact compliant and detectable in production? Our Food Safe X-ray & Metal Detectable PA12 is designed for food processing environments—detectable by metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems thanks to metal content in the material. Food Contact 3D Printing services Canada.

Key benefits

• Food contact approved (FCM) for suitable applications requiring food-safe materials

• X-ray & metal detectable to help reduce foreign-object risk in production lines

• Strong, durable nylon (PA12) with excellent detail and functional performance

• Low warping risk and consistent accuracy for industrial parts

• Available in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) for reliable, repeatable production

What is Food Safe X-ray Metal Detectable PA12?

Food Safe X-ray Metal Detectable PA12 is a high-performance nylon engineered to produce strong, highly detailed parts that can be detected during quality control using common inspection methods. It was developed by the Danish Technological Institute and is certified food safe and approved as a food contact material (FCM).

It’s often used as a modern alternative to CNC machining or injection molding for low-to-mid volume production, rapid iterations, and complex geometries.

Best for:

• Food processing and packaging equipment components

• Wear parts, guides, blocks, brackets, covers, and fixtures

• Components where detectability is required as part of QA/food safety plans

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
Great for durable nylon parts, complex geometries, and production-like runs with no support structures.

Design Guidelines 

Use these guidelines to reduce risk and improve print quality:

• Minimum wall thickness: 0.8 mm

• Embossing: minimum 0.5 mm

• Engraving: minimum 0.5 mm

• Interlocking parts: Yes (supported)

• Warping risk: Low

• Default layer height: 0.1 mm

• Default infill: 100%

Technical Details (Material & Print Specs)

Accuracy
±0.3% (lower limit of ±0.3 mm)

Density
1.04 g/cm³

Maximum printing dimensions
381mm x 330mm x 460mm

Mechanical & Thermal Properties

Industries & Applications 

We support companies across Toronto, the GTA, and Ontario, with shipping across Canada. This material is particularly valuable in regulated or high-scrutiny environments where food safety and detectability matter.

Common use cases include:

• Food and beverage manufacturing

• Packaging and bottling lines

• Conveyor components and product handling tooling

• Maintenance spares and retrofit parts

• Pilot runs and short production runs

Get an Quote for Food Safe Metal Detectable PA12

What to include for fastest turnaround:

• 3D file (STEP preferred, STL accepted)

• Quantity and target lead time

• Where the part is used (food zone / washdown / contact considerations)

FAQ

FAQ: Food Safe X-ray & Metal Detectable PA12

Is this material food safe?
This PA12 is certified food safe and approved as a food contact material (FCM). Always confirm suitability for your specific use case, cleaning process, temperature exposure, and regulatory requirements.

How is it detectable?
The material contains metal, which allows detection using metal detectors and X-ray scanners commonly used in production lines.

What tolerances can I expect?
Typical accuracy is ±0.3% with a lower limit of ±0.3 mm, depending on geometry and part orientation.

What’s the maximum part size?
Up to 381 x 330 x 460 mm per part (larger assemblies may be possible as multi-part builds).

Partner with Canada’s 3D Printing Experts

Whether you’re looking for a prototype that mirrors your final product or you need accurate, large-scale patterns for casting, Agile Manufacturing delivers industry-leading SLA 3D printing services with speed, scale, and reliability.

Request a quote today to get started with your next Additive Manufacturing (AM) project.
Speak to a 3D printing expert to explore the best material and process for your application.