“Do you want it good or Tuesday?”..…”Is it too much to ask for both?”

In many ways, the final stages of the prototyping process are the hardest.  This is when quality control is critical in the 3D printing service process, and the success or failure of a build can be on the line.  But what is involved in finishing and how can we ensure the standard is always met?

Finishing and painting plays a critical role in the production process.  It is often overlooked when we think of the awe-inspiring technology involved in building a 3D-part using powder and lasers, but to make those parts worthy of display requires a great deal of skill and patience.  The processes involved are similar across the board, with small differences in machine used and quality of ingredients.  The real difference comes from the finish.  When your part has been taken and finished by a team of master craftsmen with decades of experience, you can see the difference.

When it comes to painting, perfection is the our aim.  The process is not to be taken lightly, with paints often requiring an expert hand.  For example, a matt finish can’t be treated, can’t be buffed and can’t be covered over.  One speck wrong and the whole piece will need redone, which adds time to the job and leads to greater expenses in the long run.  This is why you need experience, and why it is essential to have a team who will produce perfection the first time, every time.

LPE are always forging ahead with our painting and finishing options, and everything we produce is hand finished by a dedicated in-house team.  We’re always expanding our painting options and to the usual options of spark, satin, matt and gloss we’ve added a soft-touch rubberised paint, specialised metallic paints and will continue to add more to meet customer demand.

All of our painting work is done from a custom built temperature controlled spray area to ensure that there is no contamination and that the finish is flawless.  This was built to ensure that we can provide customers with consistent results, which require a controlled environment.

Our work is of an extremely high quality and has been used in promotional photography, on television and in film, and even gets used as final production pieces in working MRI machines.  The standard of finish required is extremely high, and it shows the level of quality our work is recognised as having.

For more details, or a quotation on a current project please call 028 9070 6940 or email 3D data to sales@laserproto.com.

Contact us now for a fast, competitive quotation on your latest project.