In CNC prototyping, machining the prototypes or product samples is not the only activity you can perform in your production process. There are also various post-processing techniques that you can apply after completing the machining operations for your prototypes or product samples.
Here are various post-processing techniques you can use to enhance your prototypes or product samples:
- Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is a process you can perform after completing the CNC machining operations, whereby you heat your machined prototype to reach high temperatures and then cool it down under certain parameters. The purpose of the heat treatment procedure is to help add more hardness and strength to the machined prototypes you have made.
Benefits:
- Heat treatment can improve various properties of your machined parts, such as hardness, structural durability, machinability, and material strength.
- It’s best for use in the tooling process to increase the physical properties and durability of the molds you create using CNC technology.
- It can change the micro-structure of the machined parts if you need to apply further machining processes, as it can increase its machinability factor.
- Anodization
Creating CNC-machined prototypes with basic metal materials will put your product samples at risk of corrosion when you use it in the long run. Anodization is the best method for protecting your prototypes or product samples from corrosion. Also, this finishing process will add various improvements to the machined prototypes or product samples you have built, with better aesthetics, improved material durability, and easier maintenance.
Benefits:
- Anodizing can make your prototypes or product samples easier and cheaper to maintain.
- Various aesthetic improvements for your prototypes can be achieved with anodization to make them look better and more presentable.
- The material durability will also get improved, because you are adding more strength to the CNC-machined prototypes around the surface area.
- Brushing
Brushing is a common post-processing technique offered in many prototype machining services, which uses abrasive brush materials to brush the surface of your CNC-machined prototype or product sample. The primary purpose of the brushing technique is to help smooth out the rough surfaces caused by cutting and other CNC-related activities. The result is a smoother finish without the rough edges for your product samples.
Benefits:
- The smooth finishes can help improve the overall aesthetics of the CNC-machined prototypes.
- Removing the rough edges means making it easier and safer for you to hold and use the prototype or product sample.
- The application is very simple, and it is suitable for most metal materials.
- Polishing
Polishing is a post-processing step for CNC-machined parts or prototypes that involves polishing the areas that are considered not perfect or defective, for the purpose of improving their aesthetics. For instance, there might be some blemishes around the prototypes or product samples you’ve built with CNC machining. You can use the polishing step to remove those blemishes and make your prototype or product sample look the best.
Benefits:
- Turning a prototype with a bad look into a good-looking prototype with better aesthetics.
- Removing blemishes and other imperfections from the prototypes or CNC-machined parts.
- Smoothen the surface finish of your machined parts or prototypes with a simple polishing procedure.
- Bead Blasting
Just as the name suggests, bead blasting means blasting the glass or steel beads into the surface of your CNC-machined prototypes or product samples using certain pressures. Bead blasting has the purpose of creating a certain finishing characteristic for your prototypes, such as satin or matte finishes. By implementing the bead blasting process, you can enhance the look and feel of your prototype or product sample and create a uniformed appearance for your finished products.
Benefits:
- There are two primary bead options for you to use, which are steel beads and glass beads.
- This post-processing technique can help create a sleeker and more elegant surface for your prototypes, which also eliminates any rough surface areas.
- Bead blasting can help cover various imperfections on the surface of your prototype or product sample.
- Engraving
The engraving post-processing technique involves using the engraving tool to add various texts and images onto the surface area of your CNC-machined prototype or part. With this finishing technique, you can add various information on your prototype surface, and you can also use this process to add your branding on the product or CNC-machined part. You will need to feed the engraving equipment with the text or design you would like to engrave on the prototype surface area.
Benefits:
- With engraving, you can make each prototype unique.
- You can engrave precise images and texts onto the surface area of your CNC-machined prototype or product sample.
- Custom design is also available for better branding and aesthetics for your prototype or product sample.
- Painting
Another excellent post-processing technique you can apply to your CNC-machined parts or product samples is painting. Painting is a simple finishing process that involves painting the outer side of your prototype or product sample with various types of paints. There are plenty of painting color options you can choose to make your prototype or product sample look even better.
Benefits:
- Choose the color you want to apply for your prototype or product sample to make it better.
- You can choose between metallic painting and regular painting based on your preferences and budget.
- Painting is very simple to do, and you can apply any color paint after polishing or brushing your CNC-machined part or prototype.
Conclusion – Plenty of Post-Processing Techniques to Choose
Aside from the post-processing techniques mentioned above, there are still many more finishing options you can choose for your prototype or product sample. The other finishing options include screen printing, powder coating, passivating, plating, and black oxide coating. With all these CNC post-processing options, there are plenty of ways for you to enhance the quality and appearance of your prototypes or product samples based on your preferences.
TEAM Rapid is a reputable prototyping company in China that can handle various prototyping projects based on your design requirements within your requested deadline. No matter what the industry you are working in and how much the budget you have, we can offer the best prototyping options tailored for your needs and preferences.
