New metal finishes for our Brass 3D printing material

Posted By Marianna Papageorgiou on Jan 31, 2018 | 0 comments

At Sculpteo we always think about the constantly growing needs of our customers, that’s why we keep updating the list of our 3D printing options. Recently we announced two new thicknesses for our Laser Cutting materials and two new colorful finishes for our 3D printed plastics. Today we have more exciting news for you! We will introduce you to 4 new metal finishes for our brass 3D printing material! These are: White Rhodium finish, Black Rhodium finish, Gold plating and Pink Gold plating.

Let’s go through these new plating options for your 3D printed brass objects and see how each one can fit your needs.

About our Brass 3D printing material

First of all, let’s see what brass is and how it can be used as a 3D printing material.

The brass material that we offer through our online 3D printing service is composed of 82% copper and 18% zinc. It is a metal alloy that it is used in the 3D printing industry to create unique jewelry or decorative creations. Our brass models can stand extended skin contact, and will cause no harm to the skin in doing so.

The final brass product is robust but may be subject to scratching and tarnishes when exposed in air. This happens because brass is oxidised in air, especially in humid conditions. Fortunately though, you can avoid the effect of oxidation, by plating your brass models with any of our new plating options: White Rhodium, Black Rhodium, Gold plating and Pink Gold plating.

Last but not least, we recommend to keep your brass items apart from your other jewels and to clean them using a soft cloth slightly moistened with soapy water. As any other jewelry on the market, you should not expose it to frequent friction as it may wear out with time.

Available finishes for your brass 3D printed models

So far, we used to offer 2 different finishing options: the Rough finishing option and the Mirror Polished option.

Raw Finish: This is the simplest and most economical option we offer for your brass 3D printed models. The model undergoes a sanding process in order for the surface impurities to be removed. As the name implies itself, the remaining surface is raw but still wearable.

Mirror Polish: The model is post-processed and polished through a tribo finishing machine and hand polishing until it gets a mirror shine look. The technique of mirror polishing uses a method of subtractive polishing, so if your model has finer details, keep in mind that they may be less visible after the process. Please note that the inside of the object will not be polished as it cannot be reached by hand.

New available metal finishes for plating your Brass 3D printed models

As mentioned at the beginning of our article, we have 4 new available finishing options with which you can plate your brass models. These are: White Rhodium finish, Black Rhodium finish, Gold plating and Pink Gold plating. Let’s see each one of them one by one:

White Rhodium Plating: Your brass model is plated using electroplating. With this process the 3D printed object is covered with a very thin layer of white rhodium. White rhodium is a precious metal that looks like white gold, and protects your brass object from oxidation that may occur due to its exposure to air.

Black Rhodium Plating: The process of plating with black rhodium is the same as the one for white rhodium. The brass printed model is plated using electroplating.  With this process, the 3D printed object is covered with a very thin layer of black rhodium. Black rhodium is a precious metal that gives your 3D printed parts a dark grey tint. Moreover, black rhodium plating finish protects your brass objects from oxidation.

Gold Plating: With the gold plating process, a thin layer of gold is deposited onto the surface of your 3D printed brass part. As in the previous cases, this plating option protects the brass part from getting oxidized. Moreover, your gold-plated brass objects get a shiny and elegant surface, perfect for jewelry and decorative parts.

Design guidelines for plating your Brass 3D printed models

In order to successfully plate your brass 3D printed part, make sure your 3D model is compatible with our design guidelines for plating. So, we invite you to have a look at these guidelines and if needed to adjust your 3D file according to our tips:

• About the maximum dimensions of your parts, they should not be more than 88 x 88 x 120 mm in order to be plated. This is a restriction that should be definitely respected, otherwise your order risks to be discarded.
  

• Regarding the geometry features of your 3D models, there are a few details that you should take into account. Keep in mind that if your 3D model contains interior details, they cannot be polished. Moreover, try to avoid the very sharp edges. They will be rounded off during the polishing process, and the final result might be different from what you expected.

• Keep in mind that when it comes to 3D printing with brass, the object is first printed in wax and afterwards it will  be casted in brass. Thus, you cannot get a 3D printed plated part if it’s hollowed or if it includes objects enclosed within another object. Moreover, make sure that your design respects the minimum clearances and wall thicknesses as indicated on our page for 3D printing with Brass.

Do you already feel inspired for creating your first plated brass with White Rhodium finish, Black Rhodium finish, Gold plating or Pink Gold plating? Feel free to upload your 3D model on our online 3D printing service and we will deliver it to you as soon as possible!