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

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Manufacturing Technology
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM) offers low-cost, customized tooling potential.
• 3D-printed parts exhibit surface roughness and anisotropy, limiting their use as functional mold inserts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate post-processing techniques for 3D-printed plastic mold inserts (PA12, PA12GB).
• To assess the impact of surface treatments on functional properties and service life.

Main Methods:

• Confocal microscopy for roughness characterization.
• Cross-sectional analysis for layer thickness.
• Ball-on-disc tribological tests for wear resistance.
• Testing various methods: DyeMansion (Powershot S, Powerfuse), HVM Plasma, PostProcess SRF.

Main Results:

• All tested methods significantly reduced surface roughness.
• DyeMansion's Powerfuse achieved R_a of 1.2797 μm, below conventional metal mold standards (1.6 μm).
• Tribological analysis confirmed enhanced durability and wear resistance of treated surfaces.

Conclusions:

• Specific post-processing methods can transform AM parts into viable functional tooling.
• These advancements enable cost-effective, rapid prototyping in the plastics industry.
• Treated AM mold inserts show potential for extended service life and high-quality molding.