3D Print Post-Processing

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Basics

  • This Page Aims to Lay Out The Existing Methods of Post-Processing 3D Printed Things
  • It also will organize methods that need further investigation

Existing Methods

FDM Prints

=Sanding

Media Blasting

  • Also known as "Sandblasting"
  • Media Blasting is the more broad concept, and especially given the hardness of (most) FDM 3D Printed Plastics, a less "aggressive" media is most likely required
  • Would need to look into the existing literature on all this
  • In theory could something like Plastic Pellets / Plastic Regrind be used?

Solvent Vapor Smoothing

  • This only works for certain plastics, but a Solvent (Typically Water or Acetone ) is vaporized in a chamber, the print is placed in there, and the vapor (partially) dissolves the surface of the material
  • After a certain time period of exposure, the part (or the solvent if done in some fancy Solvent Recovery method, Vacuum + Bakeout ?) is removed
    • The solvent then evaporates leaving behind a smoothed (but sometimes deformed, reducing/predicting and accounting for this is key) surface
  • (akin to Recrystalization / Zone Melting removing impurities, it does the same but for surface finish impurities)
  • Main Downside is Solvent Cost (especially if Solvent Recovery (short of "don't dump the bucket down the drain until all of it was used/evaporated") isn't done) and the potential for part deformation)

FDM 3D Print Annealing

Internal Links

External Links