Industrial 3D Printing Services

Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing,¹ creates a product or part using a digital three-dimensional design. A 3D printer places material over a substrate and uses that design to “print” an item. There are several types of 3D printing,² all of which have different applications³ and provide opportunities for flexible and innovative designs.

Additive manufacturing processes are changing the manufacturing industry⁴ with their speed and cost-effectiveness, allowing manufacturers to produce more complex designs with less waste. SPC now offers full-service in-house 3D printing and electroplating services for manufacturers looking to enhance their production capabilities.

Why Choose SPC for Industrial 3D Printing and Manufacturing?

Our commitment to adopting innovative designs and technologies has been a hallmark of our company since our founding in 1925. As experienced surface treatment experts, we have developed the ability to prepare products in addition to coating or finishing the individual parts.

We pair our highly specialized plating techniques, such as electroplating plastics⁵ and other manufactured materials, with 3D printing to help our customers produce lightweight products that excel in the medical, aerospace and electronics industries.

Expertise in Electroplating Integration

With over a century of experience, SPC has developed a wide range of industry-leading plating and metal finishing solutions, using metals and metal alloys to meet our customers' needs. With the addition of our 3D printing factory capabilities, we can seamlessly combine 3D printing with metal plating⁶ for enhanced durability and functionality.

SPC offers custom, comprehensive solutions for industry-specific requirements with flexible material options. Our specialization in executing highly specialized plating techniques on plastics, ceramics, refractory metals and other substrates is an added benefit, allowing us to produce and plate products in the same production cycle.

Trusted Quality and Advanced Techniques

We have developed a reputation for safe, reliable, and high-quality products. We pride ourselves on partnering only with quality suppliers and adhering to strict quality control standards. As such, SPC attained ISO certification in 1994, demonstrating our ability to develop efficient production processes that minimize waste and reduce errors. SPC’s optimized workflows will take your vision from initial design to finished product, with additional services,⁷ such as consulting, kitting and assembly, to meet your specific needs.

Comprehensive, Tailored Solutions

SPC is a one-stop shop for cohesive 3D printing and plating projects, seamlessly combining manufacturing processes for enhanced durability and functionality. We regularly seek to upgrade our facilities to provide the advanced services that our customers require. Beyond our ability to carry out unique process setups and our skill in preparing and using fragile materials, SPC tailors our services to deliver customized tooling and end-part production.

Applications of SPC’s Industrial 3D Printing Services

Determining how best to manufacture electroplated 3D printed parts is critical for your company’s productivity and efficiency. With our background in 3D printing and metal plating, partnering with SPC can be a cost-effective method of revolutionizing your manufacturing process. Explore the benefits of hiring an experienced third-party 3D printing factory with metal finishing capabilities.

Efficient Prototyping and Tooling

SPC leverages low-volume production capabilities and extensive metal plating knowledge to provide rapid prototyping with metals for faster design iterations and testing. Partnering with us as your outside production team is a cost-effective option to reduce development and startup expenses, as we have the facilities and experts in place to manufacture your products.

Supply Chain and Production Optimization

Investing in an additive manufacturing partnership with SPC can improve design-to-part efficiency and shorten lead times. You can save time and resources with our services, which range from initial designs to final product manufacturing. Our hybrid manufacturing processes combine 3D printing production and metal plating for resource and cost management.

High-Quality End-Part Production

Our team is knowledgeable in advanced 3D printing and plating techniques, ensuring precision and reliability. Our experience with various industries gives us the knowledge and expertise necessary to provide state-of-the-art metal finishing services. We can produce durable plated components for specific applications.

Benefits of Integrating 3D Printing and Electroplating With SPC

Many additive-manufactured products are made with plastic rather than metal or organic materials, sacrificing strength and durability for reduced cost and weight. Electroplating 3D printed parts⁸ with SPC improves strength, resistance to heat and chemicals, shielding from EMI and RFI, and other benefits:

Enhanced Strength and Durability

Electroplating boosts the functionality of 3D printed parts. These products, especially plastic ones, can vary widely in their finishes, making electroplating an efficient and effective method of standardization. Metal plating improves durability⁹ by creating a barrier on the substrate that resists corrosion, withstands environmental conditions, and provides a range of other benefits,¹⁰ including protective barriers, tailored designs, and improved electrical conductivity.

Tailored Material Solutions

As experts in a wide range of flexible material options, SPC’s electroplating services allow manufacturers to choose the most suitable options for industry-specific requirements. There is a wide range of materials available for 3D printing,¹¹ the use of which depends on the technology used to print objects, including:

• Plastics: Polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) are common plastics used for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing.
• Powders: Polyamide (nylon), alumide, steel, copper, and various metals can be used in powder bed fusion (PBF) and selective laser sintering (SLS) printers.
• Resins: High-detail, paintable and transparent resins are the three categories of photosensitive liquid polymers used in additive manufacturing.
• Metals: Commonly used powdered metals in the printing process are stainless steel, bronze, nickel, aluminum and titanium.

Our ability to plate on exotic materials like ceramics, glass, plastic and other substrates, and our expertise in plating with precious metals such as silver and gold, make us one of the few metal finishing companies that can offer this caliber of 3D printing and metal plating services for our clients.

Streamlined Manufacturing Efficiency

SPC’s 3D printing facilities allow us to optimize workflows from initial design to finished product, streamlining your operations by eliminating the need to shepherd your product from production line to plating. We also offer consulting services¹² to deliver your project on time and within budget, reducing downtime and increasing production without startup or development costs.

Frequently Asked Questions About SPC’s 3D Printing Services

These answers to frequently asked questions about SPC’s 3D printing services reveal further benefits of integrating our 3D printing and electroplating services into your production process.

How Does 3D Printing Integrate With Electroplating?

The process for plating onto 3D printed materials¹³ is similar to plating plastics unless the product is made of metal or organic materials. Industrial plating for 3D printed parts generally follows the same initial electroless plating process for plastics, which metallizes the plastic to deposit a first layer of metal:

• Cleaning: The part's surface is cleaned to remove oil, dirt and debris that could interfere with the plating process.
• Pre-dipping: Pre-dipping swells the surface of the print to make it easier to reach for the etching chemical.
• Etching: Dipping the part in an etching solution — typically a chromic acid-based etchant —  increases the surface area by creating minuscule holes in the print’s surface, promoting bonding between the plastic and deposited metal.
• Neutralizing: The etching solution needs to be rinsed off and neutralized, usually with a neutralizing base like sodium bisulfite.
• Pre-activating: Once dry, the piece is dipped into a pre-activator to prepare the product for activation.
• Activating: The product is then introduced to a low-concentration precious metal liquid — usually palladium, platinum or gold — to act as a catalyst in the plating process.
• Accelerating: After activation, the piece is placed in an accelerator to remove excess activator. This process helps prevent skip plating and improves the finish's consistency.
• Bath immersion: Finally, the metal coating is applied by placing the print into an electroless bath containing the metal for coating. The catalyst reacts with the solution, causing the metal molecules to bond to the plastic molecules on the product's surface. Common plating metals are nickel, copper, gold or silver.

After the first layer is deposited, another layer can be applied using different methods to produce the final finish. Depending on the client’s needs, electroless plating can be applied to a whole printed part or select portions of a part.

What Industries Can Benefit From SPC’s Services?

As 3D printing technology advances, manufacturers reap the benefits of cost and waste reduction, complex design capabilities, speed to market and improved efficiency. Manufacturing companies in various industries,¹⁴ from aerospace and automotive to medicine and health care, are turning to 3D printing to upgrade their operations:

• Product enhancements: Changing a product’s design is much simpler using 3D printing software than traditional manufacturing methods. Swapping an old design for an enhanced one increases your improved product’s speed to market and for your customers.
• Low-volume production: Additive manufacturing’s flexible development processes make producing prototypes and new designs easy.¹⁵ Short-run part production also makes it easier to work in smaller batches and see how the market reacts to your offerings.
• High-volume production: Incorporating 3D printers into production allows manufacturers to fine-tune their processes in real time, streamlining high-volume output and increasing efficiency.

Get Started With SPC's Additive Manufacturing Services Today

Choosing SPC to produce 3D printed products and finish them with electroplating can enhance your components' strength and durability. You can reduce the time it takes to deliver consistent parts, streamlining your operations and increasing production.

Contact SPC for a Consultation

Discover how SPC can provide tailored solutions to meet your industrial 3D printing and plating service needs. Our experts will explore your manufacturing challenges and goals to deliver your high-quality products as quickly as necessary.

Partner With Industry-Leading Experts

SPC has the experience, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to provide tailored solutions for your 3D printing and plating needs. Our expertise in plating complex parts made of various materials gives us more opportunities for innovative and efficient product manufacturing. If you want to take the next step toward advanced manufacturing solutions, please contact us to request a free quote.¹⁶