Hi everyone,
I would like to ask if there is any available metal printing option that can be gold plated/anodized?
I am working on a project creating a pair of earphones for my customer who wants to have the shells in gold color. The available options I found here are brass/bronze gold plated but my concern is whether the plated brass will tarnish over time?
Can 3D printed aluminum or titanium plated in gold? What other options should I look into?
Thanks in advance,
H
Dear Hieu,
Plating will wear off when your model is exposed to friction or is in constant contact with skin. Brass and bronze parts will oxidize then.
We also offer gold-plating for steel parts: https://i.materialise.com/en/3d-printing-materials/steel/colors-finishes
Considering thickness of layer, gold-plated parts are rather suited for decorative use.
You can order your models in natural finish and then apply plating that will be more suitable by yourself. In this case silver might be a good option to be used as base material.
In general, titanium can be gold-plated, but the process might be more difficult.
Thanks for the prompt reply. Can the polished steel attain the level of mirror finish before plating? I don’t mind the additional cost if there is such option.
Can you suggest any of your supplier that can provide mirror finish gold plating? Preferably aluminum, stainless steel, or titanium.
Dear Hieu,
We will not be able to achieve mirror polished surface for 3D-printed steel parts. To achieve a polished finish, your model is put into different tumblers with small stones that vibrate at a high frequency to smooth out the surface of your model. Following the link below you can find examples of parts with different finishes: https://i.materialise.com/en/3d-printing-materials/steel/colors-finishes
Yellow Gold-Plated Polish finishing for brass models may be the finishing that you are looking for: https://i.materialise.com/en/3d-printing-materials/brass/colors-finishes
We do not offer similar finishes for other materials.