The case for mass finishing for mass AM parts and components

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

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Parts being post-processed in a rotary vibrator. Rotary vibrators allow for practical and easy treatment of work pieces in different shape, sizes, and quantities. This mass finishing technology can be utilised for metal or plastic AM parts (filled or unfilled), and the work piece spectrum ranges from delicate parts to larger more rugged components. Image provided.

Post-processing is a hot topic in the area of additive manufacturing (AM), which is unsurprising as in many applications, the post-processing step(s) can account for upwards of 50% of the total unit cost for an AM part. So the drive is on to reduce the time and cost of the post-processing step in product development, while simultaneously keeping an eagle eye on the unswerving need for precision and repeatability in production.

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