Surface Treatment and Analysis of 3D-Printed Plastic Molds for Prototype and Small-Series Injection Molding

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F49777513%3A23210%2F25%3A43976936" target="_blank" >RIV/49777513:23210/25:43976936 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/17/22/2977" target="_blank" >https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/17/22/2977</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym17222977" target="_blank" >10.3390/polym17222977</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Surface Treatment and Analysis of 3D-Printed Plastic Molds for Prototype and Small-Series Injection Molding

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a promising technology for producing low-cost, customized tooling, particularly for prototyping and small-series injection molding. However, the inherent surface roughness and anisotropic properties of 3D-printed parts pose significant challenges for their direct use as functional mold inserts. This study investigates the effectiveness of various post-processing techniques on 3D-printed plastic inserts made from polyamide 12 (PA12) and glass bead-filled PA12 (PA12GB). The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of these surface treatments on the functional properties and service life of the mold inserts. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, including a detailed characterization of roughness using a confocal microscope, cross-sectional analysis to determine layer thickness, and tribological tests employing the ball-on-disc method to assess wear resistance. The study employed a modular injection mold and tested a range of surface finishing processes, including PostProcess Suspended Rotational Force (SRF) technology, metal decomposition coatings from HVM Plasma, and various methods from DyeMansion (Powershot S and Powerfuse). Results show a significant reduction in surface roughness across all methods. Notably, the vapor-based Powefuse treatment from DyeMansion achieved a surface roughness (Ra) of 1.2797 mu m, which is below the typical Ra value of 1.6 mu m for conventional metal molds, thereby making it suitable for high-quality molding applications. The tribological analysis provided critical insights into the durability and wear resistance of the treated surfaces, supporting their potential for extended use. This research validates the potential of specific post-processing methods to transform AM parts into functional tooling, enabling cost-effective and rapid prototyping in the plastics industry.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Surface Treatment and Analysis of 3D-Printed Plastic Molds for Prototype and Small-Series Injection Molding

Popis výsledku anglicky

Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a promising technology for producing low-cost, customized tooling, particularly for prototyping and small-series injection molding. However, the inherent surface roughness and anisotropic properties of 3D-printed parts pose significant challenges for their direct use as functional mold inserts. This study investigates the effectiveness of various post-processing techniques on 3D-printed plastic inserts made from polyamide 12 (PA12) and glass bead-filled PA12 (PA12GB). The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of these surface treatments on the functional properties and service life of the mold inserts. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, including a detailed characterization of roughness using a confocal microscope, cross-sectional analysis to determine layer thickness, and tribological tests employing the ball-on-disc method to assess wear resistance. The study employed a modular injection mold and tested a range of surface finishing processes, including PostProcess Suspended Rotational Force (SRF) technology, metal decomposition coatings from HVM Plasma, and various methods from DyeMansion (Powershot S and Powerfuse). Results show a significant reduction in surface roughness across all methods. Notably, the vapor-based Powefuse treatment from DyeMansion achieved a surface roughness (Ra) of 1.2797 mu m, which is below the typical Ra value of 1.6 mu m for conventional metal molds, thereby making it suitable for high-quality molding applications. The tribological analysis provided critical insights into the durability and wear resistance of the treated surfaces, supporting their potential for extended use. This research validates the potential of specific post-processing methods to transform AM parts into functional tooling, enabling cost-effective and rapid prototyping in the plastics industry.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

20301 - Mechanical engineering

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Polymers

ISSN

2073-4360

e-ISSN

2073-4360

Svazek periodika

17

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

22

Stát vydavatele periodika

CH - Švýcarská konfederace

Počet stran výsledku

11

Strana od-do

nestránkováno

Kód UT WoS článku

001623784800001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105022886343