In the process of manufacturing products, Surface Treatment is an inevitable step. The process of surface treatment is to improve the product’s aesthetic appearance and mechanical performance. At present, many enterprises are using the surface treatment technology to meet their needs in prototyping because it can produce a prototype with a good appearance and excellent physical properties.
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Most common surface treatment process
1. Painting
It is also known as the surface treatment process which can be directly performed on the material and can not destroy it.
It is generally used for plastic parts and metal parts (generally used for architectural, household appliances, toys and packaging products).
The main purpose of painting is to produce a shiny surface with a good aesthetic appearance, uniform color, and uniform texture. It gives the surface high mechanical strength and a high-quality appearance.
The commonly used painting technology includes spray coating, roll coating, silk screen printing and other spraying technologies.
2. Plating
This is done by coating a layer of metal on the surface of the material. It has good corrosion resistance, wear resistance, adhesive, and anti-rusting performance
Some precious metals such as silver or palladium are also used for plating.
It is mainly used in the manufacture of machine tools, and hardware parts such as screws, needles, and small metal products.
Metal parts are usually plated with nickel or gold to improve the corrosion resistance, hardness, and lubricity of the surface.
The commonly used plating technology includes electroplating, vapor deposition (vacuum deposition), chemical solution deposition, and electroless plating processes.
3. Coating
Coating is an advanced surface treatment technology of the most widely used in the production of metal parts and plastic parts.
It is easy to handle, it can be used to increase the hardness and wear-resistance of all kinds of non-ferrous metal, in addition to coating gold and nickel.
Coating technology has a large diversity, it can be directly applied using several types of tools such as air spray, electrostatic spraying and screen printing equipment.
The most popular coating technology is Anodizing.
3.1 Anodizing
It is an electrochemical process to form a thin layer of anodic oxide such as aluminum oxide on the surface of the metallic material( aluminum).
The main purpose is to improve the protective properties and mechanical strength of the part (including a variety of packaging and household products).
The commonly used process includes electrolytic anodizing, electrolytically plating and electro galvanic coating.
A surface treatment method that uses chemical agent or physical agent to modify the surface texture or chemical composition of a raw material.
4. Polishing
This surface treatment method consists of high-speed polishing and rubbing processes. The main purpose of polishing is to improve the smoothness and uniformity of the surface texture.
The polishing technology involves sand-based polishing, dry process, plasma etching, and abrasive grinding. It is commonly used on plastic parts (including electronic products).
The polishing process is to produce a high-quality surface with a good aesthetic appearance, uniform grainy surface and smooth surface.
The commonly used polishing technology includes abrasive polishing, grinding, sandblasting and other high-speed polishing technology.
5. Other Technology surface treatment
Other technology include electro-polishing; abrading, grinding hot pressing and flame polishing. These are commonly used on metal products, especially in electronics and hardware production
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that the surface treatment of plastic and metal prototypes is a new type of technology that can make a variety of products with different appearances and uses. Therefore, the surface treatment technology is an important part of the whole manufacturing process.
