Vibro Polishing Service
Overview
Our vibro polishing service is a great way to enhance the surface finish of your parts with minimal extra cost. Parts from our SLS, MJF and SAF come off the machine with a slightly granular texture, akin to that of an extra-strong mint. Using our vibro polishing service, the parts transform from this rough surface to a much smoother texture much like Softmint/Mentos, fastly improving the feel of the part as well as the usability as it reduces friction, and make the parts easier to clean.
How does it work?
The process by placing parts into a large vibratory doughnut-shaped bowl. This bowl is filled with thousands of ceramic cone-shaped chips and with the addition of water to wash the parts as they process. The circular motion of the bowl creates a helical/vortex movement for the chips around the bowl. This movement drags the parts around the bowl, allowing them to rotate, submerge and resurface hundreds of times over the course of a few hours. The edges of the chips combine with their mass create abrasive forces on the parts’ external faces, whilst the bowl’s motion allows for uniformity of the application.
Maximum size of a part we can polish in one piece:
240mm x 240mm x 360mm (Express, Economy & Trade service)
What machine does it run on?
We run a fleet of three Sharmic SM10 industrial vibro polishers.
Advantages of Vibro Polishing your parts
- +
Smoother surface – Vastly improves surface finish of parts - +
Affordability – very minimal additional cost - +
Wipe clean – smoother surfaces are easier to clean
.
- +
Paint Preparation – save hours of sanding if you are planning to paint - +
Uniform colour – colours are more consistent with polished parts than natural parts when dyed - +
Friction reduction – smoother surfaces have far less friction
3-Way Slider Test
Results
In the images below, you can see the before and afters for vibro polishing.
Natural
Polished
Polished and Dyed
Natural
Polished
Polished and Dyed
Natural
Polished
Polished and Dyed
Considerations and Risks of vibro polishing
Sharpness
The polisher will wear down sharp edges. The result will be similar to a fillet of around 0.25mm. This means that any angular parts will have a small radius on them. This can effect surface details too, such as text or logos.
Wall Thickness
Minimum wall thickness must be above 2mm – anything below will be at risk of damage in the polisher. Parts below 2mm thickness can be ordered at your own risk, but are not covered for a free reprint if damage occurs in the polisher.
Trailing edges
Trailing edges can get damaged easily in the process. We do not recommend any print to have an edge that trails to zero regardless of finish, but if parts do have a trailing edge below 2mm, then damage is likely and not covered for a free reprint.
Multiple holes
Minimum wall thickness must be above 2mm – anything below will be at risk of damage in the polisher
Protruding parts
Minimum wall thickness must be above 2mm – anything below will be at risk of damage in the polisher
Small parts
Minimum wall thickness must be above 2mm – anything below will be at risk of damage in the polisher
Technical Data
Mechanical Properties
| Property | Mean | Unit | Test Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile Strength | 45 (7397) | MPa (psi) | DIN EN ISO 527 |
| Elongation at Break | 20 | % | DIN EN ISO 527 |
| Flexural Modulus | 1240 | MPa/psi | DIN EN ISO 178 |
| Melting Point | 181 | °C | DIN EN ISO 306 |
Datasheets
For more information on SLS PA12 please download the datasheet you require from the list below. If you have any further questions please feel free to give us a call to discuss your project.
Colours Available
White, Black, Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, and custom on request.
Certifications
Flame Retardancy
Yes, SLS PA12 has UL94 HB certification.
Food Grade
Yes, SLS PA12 is certified as food-safe if undyed, i.e. white only.
Skin Safe
Yes, SLS PA12 is certified as non-irritant and shows no cytotoxic effect.
ESD
SAF PA11 is not classed as an ESD safe material.
3DPRINTUK observations while working with SLS PA12
Small holes – smaller holes (below 10mm diameter) tend to be slightly elliptical on the upper side if printed up the Z axis. We run a few compensation processes to reduce this, however, this does not totally eliminate it, resulting in a slightly flat top to the circle.
Cleanliness – when a part is left in its natural finish, it can be prone to getting dirty easily. If this is an issue, we recommend polishing or shotpeening.
Small internal diameters – these can print fractionally undersized (around 0.2mm) for chunky parts with small holes below 10mm. This is due to the heat around the part causing thermal bleed and resulting in a fractionally larger melt pool than is desired.
Talk to Andrew, our Head of Technical Sales, and discover how our services can save you time and money while achieving the highest quality prints.
Appearance and finishes available
Design Guidelines, Maximums and Minimums
Max Print Size
This is the maximum size we can print a part in one piece
Express: 310 x 236 x 186mm
Economy and trade: 600 x 300 x 300mm
Min Wall Thickness
This is the minimum wall thickness we can guarantee to print. You are able to print under this guarantee at your own risk, however, prints under our guarantee are not covered for a free reprint if damaged.
Natural: 1mm
Shotpeen: 1.5mm
Polished: 2mm
Min Embossed Thickness
This is the minimum thickness a surface detail can be – this includes text and small intricate details. Note the thickness stroke width, not the width of the entire letter if referring to text.
Width: 0.5mm
height: 0.3mm
Min Engraved Thickness
This is the minimum thickness a engraved surface detail can be – this includes text and small intricate details. Note the thickness stroke width, not the width of the entire letter if referring to text.
Width (except shotpeen): 0.5mm
Width (shotpeen): 0.7mm
Depth: 0.3mm
Min Hole Sizes
This is the minimum diameter of a hole. As a rule of thumb, the longer the hole, the larger the diameter is required to prevent them from blocking with powder. It is best to avoid long and twisting holes as these are near impossible to clear the powder from post-print.
<2mm depth: 1mm
2-5mm depth: 2mm
5-10mm depth: 3mm
10mm+: at least 4mm
*Powder may not be able to be cleared out of holes longer than 30mm
Clearance
This is the minimum gap required between two separate parts that are designed to fit together, such as a case and a lid. This is the distance between surface faces – remember that this is each side meaning that you need to double this measurement if the whole part is interlocking. e.g. if a shaft is going into a hole, 0.15mm between surfaces means 0.3mm between diameters.
Tight fit: 0.15mm
Smooth fit: 0.25mm
Flat/Warpable Parts
Flat parts are prone to warping. Warping is where the part cools at different rates causing geometrical changes in the object. It is best to try to avoid these shapes where possible, or contact us to ask for advice.
Limitation: part dependant – ask us if you are concerned.
Min Sharp Angle
This is the minium angle recommended without a fillet or chamfer. Parts with sharp angles tend to get damaged in the print or post-processing stages. Anything sharper than the minimum angle is recommended to have a fillet.
Min Angle: 60°
Sharp Angle Fillet
Anything sharper than our minimum guaranteed angle is recommended to have a filleted edge. Filleted edges are far stronger than sharp edges and are less prone to damage in either post-processing or print stages.
Min Fillet: 1mm
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