Finishing Archivi

Prosilas acquires the DM 60 DyeMansion automated coloring system.

Apr 17, 2023 | Finishing, News Prosilas, PA12 ALU-SLS Material

The New DM60 for Prosilas

Industrial coloring of 3D printed parts.

3D printing is making great strides in the industrial sector, thanks in part to new automated finishing and coloring systems for prototypes and finished components.

And at Prosilas, we’re not just standing by!

In fact, we’ve expanded our machinery lineup with the DM60 DyeMansion automated coloring system, thereby closing the post-production cycle already present in our company.

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Luca Ferroni Tecnico Senior Prosilas Stampa 3d

“We already had two other DyeMansion machines for finishing, the Powershot C and S models, so deciding to stick with this brand for automating coloring was the best choice,” says Vanna Menco, CEO of Prosilas. “Thanks to our collaboration with Energy Group (Digital Manufacturing Partner and a company within the SolidWorld Group), we identified and built the ideal package for our needs, and we are fully satisfied with it. Previously, coloring was done manually, which required time, attention, and constant operator presence. Now we can offer our customers a better and repeatable product even for industrial-scale production.”

The advantages of industrial coloring

The DyeMansion industrial coloring system is a great addition for Prosilas, as it offers advanced technology that allows for vibrant and long-lasting colors to be achieved quickly on a wide range of 3D printed materials: Pa2200, PA12 ALU, Pa12GF, Flame Retardant, and TPU. This results in parts that can be compared, even from an aesthetic standpoint, to those produced with injection molding.

This is a significant improvement in quality that enables us to meet demands for a variety of applications in the consumer goods, packaging, lifestyle, industrial, and automotive sectors.

Our customers will be able to obtain 3D printed parts with excellent surface finishing, such as internal parts of cars, housings or parts of industrial machinery, objects for setups and customizations, and end-use objects with perfectly repeatable colors even for large runs.

“With a complete workflow using DyeMansion systems, we can now definitely satisfy more application areas. In particular, we can move from the world of prototypes and pre-series to that of industrial production, even regarding finishing,” concludes Vanna Menco. “We can now offer high aesthetic level 3D elements, satisfying sectors such as consumer goods, packaging, lifestyle, and automotive. Obtaining internal parts of cars, housings or parts of industrial machinery, objects for setups and customizations, and end-use objects with perfectly repeatable colors even for large runs is a significant improvement in quality for us and our offering.”

DyeMansion: a solution for our customers

A repeatable, automated, and reliable coloring process offers our customers a less expensive alternative to manual coloring. That’s why we have confirmed DyeMansion, a German company specialized in coloring and finishing of 3D printed parts, as an official supplier.

Their high-precision DM60 technology allows faithful color reproduction, offering a wide range of available shades.

Materials

PA2200, PA12 ALU, PA12GF, PA2210 FR e TPU.

la produzione Stampe tre d per produzioni e preserie Prosilas

The acquisition of the Dyemansion machine demonstrates Prosilas’ commitment to providing companies with all the innovation through increasingly advanced systems.

The use of the latest technologies to improve production processes and ensure maximum satisfaction for an industry ready to grow.

Armotia Case History

Apr 9, 2023 | Case History, Finishing, News Prosilas, PA12 ALU-SLS Material

Armotia + Prosilas Case History

Prototypes of electric motorcycles: the support of 3d printing.

Prosilas played a key role in the realization of the Armotia project, a company based in Osimo that is dedicated to the design and production of electric motocross and enduro motorcycles. Thanks to the collaboration between these two companies, it was possible to create innovative and high-quality prototypes that represent a true revolution in the world of motorcycling.

Armotia: the project

ARMOTIA presents DUE X and DUE R, the first two electric series motorcycles with two electronically controlled distribution drivetrain.

Our motorcycles have exceptional traction characteristics that will give you amazing riding sensations allowing you to experience every type of track, on and off road, as never before.

Besides all this, ARMOTIA offers standard intelligent features and possibilities. Such as an integrated smartphone to record videos, check performance, save telemetry data, and share all your routes. Or the possibility to personalize the most appealing parts of the fairings with a 3D printer, to make the most special motorcycles even more “special” that you have ever seen. Because if it is true that two wheels move the soul, with ARMOTIA you will discover that two-wheel drivetrain definitely does it better.

From the Armotia website.

Prosilas’s expertise

Armotia has relied on 3D printing technology for the production of parts and components necessary for the creation of the DUE R and DUE X motorcycle prototypes. In this context, Prosilas has provided valuable support thanks to their expertise in materials and finishes for 3D objects.

Thanks to the consultancy provided by Prosilas, Armotia was able to choose the most suitable materials for the realization of their prototypes, ensuring a high level of resistance and surface finishing: PA 12 ALU and glass-filled polyamide (PA12 GF) for fairings and shells.

PA12 aluminium filled is a very resistant material that presents a good surface finish, making it ideal for the realization of parts that require high-quality finishing. Moreover, this material can be easily painted, allowing for further customization of the prototypes.

On the other hand, the glass-filled polyamide is a highly resistant material, which is perfectly suited for the production of parts that require greater robustness, and also CNC treatments.

Thanks to Prosilas’ consultancy, Armotia was able to choose the most suitable material for each specific application.

This synergy shows how 3D printing and the consultancy of specialized companies like Prosilas can make a difference in the realization of innovative and high-quality projects.

Post-processing treatments: painting

In addition to advice on the optimal choice of materials, we offer advice on which post-process treatment is the most suitable to achieve the best possible result.

The painting service allows to obtain parts in different customizable colors with a surface finish similar to that of the parts produced with injection molding. Our finishing department is able to replace the entire range of RAL colors and special colors according to customer requests.

Painting is an important aspect to consider in the production of parts in 3d and it gives an added value allowing to get an aesthetically appealing prototype and very close to the final product.

Thanks to advanced technologies and materials, the prototypes and series produced in Prosilas can also have matt, glossy and metallic finishes or resistant to UV rays or to hydrocarbon.

What’s after additive manufacturing and 3D printing?

Jun 1, 2022 | Finishing, News Prosilas

Post-process treatments

beyond the production

“The customer always has his reasons”, ie specific needs that require an exclusive evaluation and an ad hoc solution. Our commitment to propose ourselves as AM Service and Consulting from Mathematics to Post Process allows us to take into account this aspect, devoting particular attention to this last phase, that is to all those finishing treatments that are performed on the part already produced, in order to optimize functionality and aesthetics.

We deepen together with Marco Soldini, Head of Laboratory and Post Process of Prosilas.

At every result his Post-Process treatment

All parts developed with additive Manifacturing, whether made with polymer or metal, can receive end-of-process treatments for aesthetic and/or functional improvements. The most performing and suitable post process (automatic or manual) is chosen according to the needs and objectives that the final result must reach.

There are almost always two possible paths:

1. Automated Finishing

through a machine that the operator only cares to support

2. Manual Finishing

with an operator who performs the various operations required by the procedure.

The choice is determined by the required precision rate, also depending on the use of the workpiece in question.

Automated Finishing

In Prosilas the Manual Finishing is the preferred option, even if there are cases in which Automated Finishing is used, such as vapor smoothing and coloring, respectively a chemical steam treatment and an immersion of the part in the color.

VAPOR SMOOTHING

The chemical smoothing is an acid vapor that applied on the piece allows you to smooth the surface, making it, depending on the case, waterproof, washable, shiny, food compatible and not only.

Examples of objects that can be subjected to this type of Post Process? A tank to contain specific liquids, but also dishes and glasses.

COLORING

With the coloring you go instead to change the color resulting from the construction material (white if polyamide, gray if metallic, for example) by immersing it in a liquid colored preparation that is absorbed, covering any surface imperfections without altering the thickness.

They can be subject to coloring design components such as those for eyewear, which require a uniform color even in the smallest parts, all potentially exposed. Or, they can be parts like pulleys, which have to move inside machinery without leaving residue, which would happen if they were painted.

Seven types of Manual Finishing

Manual Finishing is preferred not only in all cases where the skill of the operator makes the difference, but also when customers have only one piece, absolutely exclusive (something that often happens in rapid prototyping), to apply the post process and it is said that there is an ad hoc machinery.

Seven results that customers usually look for with manual finishes:

Waterproofing for liquids and vapors.

Sometimes the process is necessary only on one side of the product. Prosilas determines together with the customer, from time to time, which substance to use and whether to spray or bath, for example. It is different to waterproof a thermos for drinks, the tank of a motorcycle or a part of a hull exposed to salt. It must then consider what type of maintenance or treatment the object will be subjected to, for example if it will have to be disinfected.

Metal Insert – Helicoil.

The customer can supply parts with holes and Prosilas must put threaded inserts, embedded in the material, to allow – for example – to insert screws or other metal parts.

Metal Plating.

It is the arrangement of metal particles on plastic. It is useful, for example, in the case of restorations in which original spare parts are no longer available, to be created ex novo and then chrome.

Fuel Resistant treatment.

It is another type of waterproofing, excluded from the process nº1 for chemical reasons. It’s about the tanks, but also all the parts that could come into contact with the fuel, such as the protective cover of a part of the car near the tank. It is a very complicated process, especially when it comes to storing substances that are difficult to manage, up to those considered aggressive for which only glass works.

UV Resistant treatment.

It concerns all those parts that change due to exposure to the sun, white or transparent, which turn yellow, or objects for which the passage of UV rays causes chemical problems.

Painting.

When painting a blank piece, the surface is not smooth. Applying a primer, however, is free of imperfections and you can decide whether it is smooth or opaque.

Micro shot peening.

It owes its name to the microspheres that form the abrasive dust with which an object is treated by blowing, in an automated machinery. It leaves no residue.

When and where it is useful to employ with post processing

The post process has different uses depending on the purpose of the client.

A prototype of a tank, for example, may be required:

as a prototype for its own sake, so it does not need a post process;
for a static demonstration, so need an external painting but not internal;
for a functional demonstration, so not needing an external finish but certainly a functional finish.

A single piece can therefore be used for very different uses, so the finishes that a process partner like Prosilas can recommend will be just as different.

sls - post process - chemical smoothing - lisciatura chimica

The smaller and more delicate the object, the less likely it will be finished in a machine. However, the automated process guarantees a more homogeneous result. Sometimes the post process modalities can be interchangeable: choosing the best one in a given case is part of the competence of the AM consulting service.

The most requested post processing systems

Based on our experience, there is a large demand for the primer ready for painting, which then intervenes the customer’s paint, and waterproofing, including food, especially in terms of FPA certifications and biocompatible materials.

MARCO SOLDINI

Plant Manager

Marco Soldini is member of TAB – Prototal Group Technical Advisory Board

Soldini’s professional figure is fully employed in the Company: he is R&D Finishing Manager and in charge of special projects: he researches and develops new techniques and new solutions so that the Company always has a cutting-edge offer.

Plus, he’s IT & Plant Manager at Prosilas.

3D Tank in Polyamide

Oct 6, 2020 | Case History, Finishing, News Prosilas, Pa2200 - SLS Material

Design and 3D Printing of a Functional Prototypical Tank in Polyamide

Printing Material: Pa2200 / Polyamide

Prosilas has leveraged the capabilities of additive manufacturing to design and 3D print a prototypical and functional tank in PA2200 intended for laboratory testing or trials.

This tank is engineered to contain corrosive liquids such as gasoline, diesel, ethylene glycol, brake fluid, and ATF.

Un serbatoio funzionale realizzato con il materiale PA2200/poliammide, inizialmente progettato come prototipo per test di laboratorio e collaudi, è stato successivamente incorporato nel processo di produzione. La sua progettazione mirata lo rende adatto per il sicuro contenimento di liquidi corrosivi come benzina, gasolio, liquido glicole-etilenico, liquido freni e ATF.

PA220o materiale di stampa 3D con la tecnologia SLS.

What is polyamide?

Polyamide (PA2200) is a 3D printing material commonly known as Nylon, used with Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology.

Characterized by excellent mechanical and chemical properties, it complies with biocompatibility standards. It is employed in manufacturing of components and medical devices and industrial parts, and in the automotive industry.

Its versatility in SLS printing makes it suitable for mass production. Printed parts can undergo various finishes, such as metallization and painting.

Data sheet

Custom Functional Finishing

To ensure a personalized functional finishing, Prosilas has implemented a waterproof surface treatment.

This treatment has been developed to seal the microporosities of polyamide, eliminating the release of dust particles commonly associated with SLS artifacts, without altering weights and dimensions.

Validation, Mass Production, and “As-Built” Aspects

Following the thorough validation of the process and the optimization of the surface treatment, the application has entered mass production, enabling the production of an entire batch of tanks.

Thanks to advanced additive manufacturing technologies and new materials, Prosilas has achieved the creation of an “as-built” product, meaning it is ready for use without compromising functional aspects.

SLS Technology and Optimization of the Production Process

The adoption of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology has enabled the creation of complex parts without the need for support structures, contributing to faster production times and reduced manufacturing costs. The production process has been carefully optimized to accommodate the part geometries and post-processing operations necessary to ensure the waterproofing of the final product.

Applications in Key Sectors and Materials Used

This innovative tank, developed at the Civitanova Marche facility, has been designed considering the specific needs of the automotive, motorcycle, moped, heavy-duty vehicle, heavy transport vehicle, and agricultural machinery sectors.

The material used for its construction is PA2200; tanks and similar applications can also be produced in Alumide, PA12 GF, PA2210 FR, and PP.

Furthermore, we provide customized finishes to meet any specific customer requirements.

Objectives and Strategic Benefits

The objectives of this project were waterproofing, eliminating the release of dust particles, and minimizing added material layers (to preserve weight and dimensions). The achieved benefits include a significant increase in production speed and a notable improvement in mechanical performance, demonstrating the validity of the strategy implemented by Prosilas.

From Prototyping to Mass Production

3D printing not only accelerates production but also adds immediate flexibility. By reducing development times, we can quickly respond to customer needs. Just-in-time production eliminates waiting for expensive molds, improving overall efficiency.

Product updates are rapid and readily adapt to customer feedback. On-demand production reduces waste and optimizes inventories. Additionally, the ability for real-time customization enables production aligned with market needs.

The solutions offered and the speed of execution have steered the choice towards mass production.

This outcome is a source of pride for us: it underscores the effectiveness of our proposals and our ability to meet customer needs with efficiency and timeliness.

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