Surface Finishes

Surface finish is an important consideration in both prototyping and production processes, although the specific requirements and methods may differ between the two stages.

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All Surface Finishes

Name

Material

Color

Printing process

Texture

Price

Characteristics

As-machined

All Materials

n/a

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

3D Printing

Stain

$$$$$

The standard finish for our parts, the “as machined” finish, has a surface roughness of 3.2 μm (126 μin), which removes sharp edges and deburs parts cleanly.

Bead Blasting

Aluminum,

Steel,

Stainless Steel,

Brass,

Copper

n/a

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

3D Printing

Sheet Metal Fabrication

Urethane Casting

Matte

$$$$$

Bead blasting is the process of powerfully propelling, generally with high pressure, a stream of blast media against a surface to remove unwanted coating layers and surface impurities.

Anodizing

Aluminum,

Steel

Clear,

black,

grey,

red,

blue,

gold

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication

Smooth,

matte finish

$$$$$

Keeping our parts in the long term, our anodizing process resists corrosion and wear. It’s also an ideal surface treatment for painting and priming, and it looks great too.

Electroplating

Aluminum,

steel,

stainless steel

Gold,

silver,

nickel,

copper,

brass

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication

Smooth,

glossy finish

$$$$$

Electroplated coating preserves the surface of parts and resists rusts and other defects from causing decay by applying electric currents to reduce metal cations.

Polishing

All materials

n/a

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication,

3D Printing

Smooth,

glossy finish

$$$$$

Ranging from Ra 0.8~Ra0.1, polishing processes use an abrasive material to rub the part’s surface to make them shine more less shiny, depending on your requirements.

Powder

Coating

All materials

Custom

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication,

3D Printing

Smooth,

glossy finish

$$$$$

Using corona discharge, we make the powder coating adsorbed to the part, creating a more wear-resistant layer with a typical thickness ranging from 50 μm up to 150 μm.

Brushing

ABS,

Aluminum,

Brass,

Stainless Steel,

Steel

n/a

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication,

3D Printing

Satin

$$$$$

Brushing is a surface treatment process in which abrasive belts are used to draw traces on the surface of a material, usually for aesthetic purposes.

Painting

Aluminum,

Stainless Steel,

Steel

Custom

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication,

3D Printing

Gloss,

semi-gloss,

flat,

metallic,

textured

$$$$$

Painting involves spraying a layer of paint onto the surface of the part. Colors can be matched to a Pantone color number of the customer’s choosing, while finishes range from matte to gloss to metallic.

Black Oxide

Stainless Steel,

Steel

Black

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication,

3D Printing

Smooth,

matte

$$$$$

Black oxide is a conversion coating similar to Alodine that is used for steel and stainless steel. It is used mainly for appearance and for mild corrosion resistance.

Alodine

Aluminum

Clear,

Gold

CNC Machining,

Sheet Metal Fabrication

Smooth,

matte

$$$$$

Chromate conversion coating, known as Alodine, is a chemical coating that passivates and protects aluminum from corrosion. It is also used as a base layer before priming and painting parts.

Part Marking

All materials

Custom

Injection Molding,

CNC Machining,

3D Printing

Sheet Metal Fabrication

Urethane Casting

n/a

$$$$$

Part marking is a cost-effective way to add logos or custom lettering to your designs and is often used for custom part tagging during full-scale production.