Chemical polishing and painting
New surface treatment options for 3D printed parts
In the following post you can read about our coloring and surface treatment solutions.
We undertake chemical polishing of 3D printed models in-house, whether they are made of polyamide, ABS or even ULTEM™ 9085 or ULTEM™ 1010 resin.
Use our surface treatment options in addition to our 3D printing services, which does not require us to manufacture the parts, we can also provide a solution for third-party models.
Instead of or in addition to chemical polishing, we also offer a post-coloring solution, with an average turnaround time of 3 working days. Request a quote now!
Chemical polishing
In our country, more and more companies are purchasing industrial additive manufacturing equipment in the hope of a quick return on investment and precise work. These machines are diverse in terms of production size, choice of raw materials and resolution, but all 3D printers using thermoplastic polymers – whether FDM, SLS, FFF or even MJF technology – have one fundamental thing in common: the visibility of the printed layers.
3D printed parts made of ASA: Chemically polished on the left, untreated on the right.
In some cases, such as when the design is perpendicular to the XY plane, the phenomenon is not visible. However, when 3D printing a tilted or curved surface, the visible layer order is immediately apparent.
In addition, equipment using powder materials also has another characteristic: tactile surface roughness.
The two phenomena described above, i.e. visible layering and intense surface roughness due to porosity, are on the one hand an aesthetic problem, and on the other hand, for example in the case of the production of parts to be sterilized or cleaned, they can even be a critical factor in terms of usability.
Aftercare with traditional methods
There are several methods to eliminate these. The most common is grinding the part, which removes material from the piece. Another solution is to apply a leveling layer to the part with a spray putty before grinding, which can cover the unevenness in itself. These methods work as long as the dimensional accuracy is not compromised. An experienced specialist may be able to process surface unevenness with an accuracy of a few hundred microns, but this can mean a huge increase in both time and cost. In addition, repetition accuracy cannot be guaranteed in a series consisting of several hundred parts. In many cases, neither time nor cost can be ignored, since the given concept may have to be presented to decision-makers or investors the very next day. Not to mention that a production line sub-part cannot be delayed due to painting.
Today, it is a fundamental requirement that a part made with industrial additive manufacturing equipment should produce the same mechanical quality as a part made by injection molding. The repeatability expected in series production can be ensured with the industrial 3D printing equipment we sell.
The consumer market has recently reached a level where quality expectations regarding surface treatment are no less high, as a dynamically developing company cannot provide a slow, half-finished, or even expensive solution.
BLAST chemical polishing: with PostPro3D
To meet this need, Additive Manufacturing Technologies developed the chemical polishing used in PostPro3D equipment, the BLASTTM process (Boundary Layer Automated Smoothing Technology), which we call “silk-finishing” in-house. This term well describes the possibilities offered by the technology, as after using the machine, the surface of the treated piece will indeed be shinier and more even.
During the process, PostPro3D runs a predefined program appropriate for the given material, be it any thermoplastic polymer. This can be PLA, ABS, ASA, ESD-ABS, ULTEM™ 9085 or ULTEM™ 1010 resin, polyamide (PA6, PA11, PA12), polyamide mixed with fire retardant additives (FRPA), polyamide filled with carbon fiber or glass fiber (PACF, PAGF), TPU, TPE, or even PP. The above list can be continued, as the equipment has countless setting options, which allows you to adapt the process to your own needs.
Surface quality close to injection molding
At the same magnification, the left side of the scanning electron microscope images of a model made of SLS/PA shows the untreated state, while the right side shows the treated state.
The process can work with any thermoplastic, you just need to use the right settings to achieve the most optimal result.
Chemically polished ULTEM™ 9085 and ULTEM™ 1010 resin parts
At VARINEX Zrt., we have already gathered a lot of our own experience, so we can confidently post-treat ABS, ULTEM™ 9085, ULTEM™ 1010 resin and PA parts.
The process is completely manufacturer-independent, so it works with Stratasys FDM materials, EOS SLS powders, most FFF filaments, and even HP MJF powders.
Surface quality close to injection molding
PostPro3D is best used in three main areas. One of these is in applications where aesthetic expectations are high, or where quality approaching injection molding is required. The other potential area is where sterilizability and cleanability are critical, as the parts coming out of the machine are sterile from the start, which provides a huge product advantage in the production of medical devices. AMT's PostPro3D PRO equipment is the only post-treatment equipment for 3D printed parts with a health certificate. Finally, the third area is the increase in mechanical properties. Since the BLASTTM process processes the outermost boundary layers of the parts with the chemical vapor circulating in the machine, which greatly helps the adhesion between the layers, almost completely uniting them. As a result, the mechanical load capacity of the post-treated part is significantly improved. The above three requirements can even occur simultaneously, so PostPro3D equipment is available in several sizes and with different skills. All of these can be easily integrated into manufacturing processes, reducing lead times and project costs.
Have your 3D printed parts surface treated at VARINEX
The BLASTTM process is available to anyone as a service at VARINEX Zrt, which, with nearly 30 years of professional experience, continuously strives to provide its customers with the latest solutions. Regardless of the fact that we mainly manufacture on EOS and Stratasys equipment, we also accept third-party components for surface treatment. It is worth highlighting that the “silk-finishing” of HP Multi Jet Fusion components can significantly increase the density of the surface, thereby improving its mechanical properties and at the same time its aesthetic quality.
If you would like more information about the equipment, please contact us!
