One of the standout features of SAF (Selective Absorption Fusion) technology is its ability to reuse unfused powder, making additive manufacturing more resource efficient. SAF printers allow you to reclaim most of the unfused powder from the printing process by mixing it with fresh powder and reloading it into the machine. While refresh ratios may vary, a typical mix is 70% recycled powder and 30% new powder. 

While some of the powder can be recycled for future prints, research and advancements in recycling techniques are continuously emerging. Beyond unfused powder, there’s also growing interest in repurposing defective prints to further reduce waste. Though still in its early stages, these recycling efforts carry significant economic and environmental benefits.  

With that said, recycling the material waste itself—such as powder contaminated with dust or fragments, or “aged powder" that is no longer suitable for printing on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printers – remains a broader challenge. That’s where SAF™ ReLife™ PA12 comes in as a game-changer.  

What is SAF™ ReLife™ PA12? 

SAF ReLife PA12 is a progressive solution that addresses the waste challenges of powder-based additive manufacturing. Designed for use with the Stratasys H350 SAF system, it combines advanced hardware and software to enable efficient reuse of surplus SLS PA12 powder. 

The H350 hardware facilitates the reclamation and processing of unused powder, while the software fine-tunes the printing parameters, ensuring that aged powder integrates seamlessly into new manufacturing cycles. This process significantly reduces material waste, lowers costs, and supports sustainability efforts—all without compromising part quality. 

SAF ReLife PA12 transforms what would typically be discarded into a valuable resource, making additive manufacturing more efficient and eco-friendly.  (H350 WehlGreen Cover)

Wehl Green, a leading service bureau, beta tested SAF ReLife by utilizing their SLS waste to their SAF ReLife. The company reported significant savings of 20% in total cost per part and a substantial reduction in waste by turning unused powder into functional parts through a repeatable process using SAF technology. In addition, Wehl Green has been able to turn around new parts and have them delivered within 48 hours for customers, helping them meet demand. 

"By utilizing the SAF ReLife technology, we’ve cut production costs while producing parts that meet strict industrial specifications. It’s a game-changer for our competitiveness,” said Javier García, Manager and Co-founder, Wehl Green. “Thanks to Stratasys’ SAF ReLife project, we’ve been able to turn PA12 waste into high-quality parts. This circular economy approach has reduced our environmental impact while maintaining top-tier product standards.” 

Learn from Wehl Green’s success in reducing costs, minimizing waste, and delivering high-quality parts faster. Watch the full video case study below.

By using Stratasys H350 printers, manufacturers can leverage waste SLS PA12 powder, tackling the issue of global surplus material, which is substantial. This innovation not only helps repurpose waste but positions the H350 as a unique solution in the powder- bed fusion market. While formal Stratasys resources on this topic are still in development, the environmental and economic potential of this new development is significant and worth celebrating.  

Material consumption data was obtained from the build report. For the standard PA12 a new powder share of 30% was assumed and for ReLife PA12 a share of 100%. 

Read more about this groundbreaking solution and its influence —read the full Stratasys press release here.

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