What are the surface treatment processes for rapid prototyping?

The whole process of rapid prototyping processing, in the selection of the appropriate processing method CNC processing or 3D printing, after the completion of processing, most of the rapid prototyping need to be surface treatment. Meet the product's corrosion resistance, wear resistance, decorative or other special functional requirements.

There are dozens of surface treatment processes for rapid prototyping processing, and Qile Industrial, as a large rapid prototyping processing factory, can provide most of the surface treatment process requirements for rapid prototyping processing, and has a standardized production process.

01. Spraying

Surface painting is one of the most widely used surface processes.

Spraying has the following advantages.

(1) It can cover the surface defects of the workpiece after forming.

(2) By spraying, a variety of colors, different gloss, different visual effects and a variety of different hand feel can be obtained.

(3) Enhance the hardness and scratch resistance of the workpiece surface.

(4) Spraying effects are: matte, semi-matte, high gloss, various colors, various textures, etchings, brushed effects, leather effects, elastic feel effects (rubber paint), etc.

02. Polishing

Sandpaper sanding can be done by hand, or by using belt sanding machine equipment.

Sandpaper sanding should be done with care when dealing with small parts, as it relies on manual or mechanical reciprocating movements.

If the part has minimum requirements for accuracy and durability, avoid over-sanding and calculate how much material is removed by sanding, otherwise over-sanding will deform the part and scrap it.

03. Polishing

Polishing is a finishing process on the surface of the workpiece based on grinding using flexible polishing tools and abrasive particles, or other polishing media.

Polishing can not improve the dimensional accuracy or geometric accuracy of the workpiece, but to smooth the surface or mirror gloss for the purpose, sometimes also used to eliminate gloss.

After polishing process, the surface roughness of the workpiece is generally up to Ra0.63 ~ 0.01 micron. PMMA transparent workpiece is more expensive because of the very high polishing requirements, so PMMA transparent parts.

04. Sandblasting

Sandblasting is a process that uses compressed air as power to form a high-speed jet beam to spray material onto the surface of the workpiece at high speed.

The process can make the workpiece obtain a certain degree of cleanliness and different roughness, the mechanical properties of the surface of the workpiece are improved, increasing the adhesion between the workpiece and the paint coating, extending the durability of the paint film, but also conducive to the leveling and decoration of the paint.

Qile Industrial sandblasting treatment can be completed in about 5 to 10 minutes, and the surface of the product is smooth and has a uniform matte effect after treatment.

The blasting media are usually very small finely ground thermoplastic particles. They are more durable and can be sprayed in the light to heavy wear range.

05. Silkscreen

Silkscreening is a type of printing in which a design is printed where it is needed. The screen is framed with a frame, and the screen is cut out where the design is to be screen printed. The dye is applied to the screen, and the squeegee is used to squeegee the dye into the cut-out design.