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.
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
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Smoother surface – Vastly improves surface finish of parts - +
Affordability – very minimal additional cost - +
Wipe clean – smoother surfaces are easier to clean
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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
How does it work?
Vibro polishing is a rough and highly abrasive finishing technique where polishing chips compact and smooth a part’s outer surface.
The process works 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.
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 0.1mm. 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.
Holes/Cavities
The polishing stones can easily get caught inside holes and cavities. These can be tricky to remove and can cause damage in some cases. This can cause either defects to the parts, or delays to an order dispatch date.
Protruding parts
Small protruding geometries can be very vulnerable to damage in the polisher. These include pins, prongs, thin walls, and the alike. If above 2mm, they will be covered for a free reprint, but we may recommend not polishing or a redesign for the second run if we think the risk is too great.
Small parts
Small parts below 10-15mm can easily get lost in the polishers, especially if MJF or SAF as they are the same colour and size of the polishing stones. This can cause delay to an order if we have to reprint.
Natural MJF and SAF colours
Parts printed from the MJF of SAF machines with no dyeing tend to feel smoother, but look visually worse. Any layering or crisp edges will be filleted and highlighted black. This is due to the core of the part being black, and the outside being grey. SLS parts do not have this problem.
Materials and Services Available
| Materail | Express | Economy | Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLS PA12 PA2200 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MJF PA12 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SAF PA11 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SLS TPU Flexible | No | No | No |
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.
Design Guidelines, Maximums and Minimums
Max Size
This is the maximum size we can finish in one piece
Express, Economy and Trade: 240 x 240x 360mm
Min Wall Thickness
This is the minimum wall thickness we can guarantee to survive the polisher. 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.
Polished: 2mm
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.
Polished: 2mm
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Other Finishes
Natrural
Shotpeen
Vapourfuse
