Post-Process Considerations for Photopolymer 3D-Printed Injection Moulded Insert Tooling Applications

Abstract

Injection moulding (IM) is a manufacturing technique used to produce intricately detailed plastic components with various surface finishes, enabling the production of high-tolerance functional parts at scale. Conversely, stereolithography (SLA) three-dimensional (3D) printing offers an alternative method for fabricating moulds with shorter lead times and reduced costs compared to conventional manufacturing. However, fabrication in a layer-by-layer fashion results in anisotropic properties and noticeable layer lines, known as the stair-step effect. This study investigates post-processing techniques for plaques with contrasting stair-step effects fabricated from commercially available SLA high-temperature resin, aiming to assess their suitability for IM applications. The results reveal that annealing significantly enhances part hardness and heat deflection temperature (HDT), albeit with a trade-off involving reduced flexural strength. Experimental findings indicate that the optimal stage for abrasive surface treatment is after UV curing and before annealing. Plaques exhibiting contrasting stair-step effects are characterized and evaluated for weight loss, dimensional accuracy, and surface roughness. The results demonstrate that abrasive blasting effectively removes the stair-step effect without compromising geometry while achieving polished surface finishes with roughness average (RA) values of 0.1 μm through sanding. Overall, a combination of abrasive blasting and sanding proves capable of precisely defining surface roughness without significant geometry loss, offering a viable approach to achieving traditional IM finishes suitable for both functional and aesthetic purposes.