ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING – SURFACE FINISH
Additively manufactured objects via the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) process often result in a significantly “stepped” appearance. This feature is most apparent in sloped, curved features. An easy means of reducing the stepped appearance through post-processing methods is manually removing the visible steps with an abrasive [2]. Another easy means of post-processing is by exposing the component into acetone vapor briefly [1].
The “stepped” appearance can be reduced through increasing the resolution of the print at the expense of increased print time. The state-of-the-art commercially available printers can achieve tolerances of 0.1 mm in every axis. More affordable desktop FDM 3D printers generally can achieve a minimum layer thickness between 0.15 to 0.5 mm in thickness and 0.2 mm in the other two axes [1].
References:
[1] Barnatt, Christopher. 3D Printing. ExplainingTheFuture.com, 2016.
[2] Goodship, Vannessa, et al. Design and Manufacture of Plastic Components for Multifunctionality: Structural Composites, Injection Molding, and 3D Printing. Elsevier, 2016.