Color Prototype, Adding Color to an SLA Prototype
For some uses of SLA prototypes, the color of the prototype is important. ProtoCAM has a well-developed expertise in dyeing stereolithography prototypes using a proprietary process to have the part properly absorb the dye. A prototype may be colored with any of the basic colors such as red, green, blue, purple, yellow, etc. 
There are many reasons to color SLA prototypes and parts. Four main reasons for adding color are:
Assembly
Having multiple parts in an assembly may make it difficult to communicate which part is doing what. Coloring the parts provides the advantage of easily indentifying every part and its purpose within the assembly. Dyeing also helps with a precise fit – no extra material is added as with painting. Dyeing will eliminate galling or peeling that may occur from painted parts as well.
Aesthetics
In some cases it is important to color the part to the desired color of the end product. If the end product will be blue, then dyeing could be a fast and simple solution to help bring the SLA to life. While the dyeing process cannot achieve specific colors such as Pantone numbered colors, it can provide the basic colors to provide a part that is close to the production color.
Identification
In multi-piece projects in may be helpful to color all parts of a certain family - blue parts are all part of Project A, red parts are all part of Project B, etc. This will help to quickly identify the parts and keep them with their associated projects. It can also be used to help with keeping track of prototyping revision levels - all green parts are revision 1, red parts are revision 2, etc.
Cost
Dyeing SLA parts is a less expensive alternative to painting. Painting parts requires multiple steps of sanding, priming and painting. Painting can be an expensive process depending on the specific part geometry. The dyeing process is a fast and very cost effective process for most part geometries.
For more information about coloring your prototypes or to request a quote for a color SLA prototype, please contact ProtoCAM at 610-261-9010.
There are many reasons to color SLA prototypes and parts. Four main reasons for adding color are:
Assembly
Having multiple parts in an assembly may make it difficult to communicate which part is doing what. Coloring the parts provides the advantage of easily indentifying every part and its purpose within the assembly. Dyeing also helps with a precise fit – no extra material is added as with painting. Dyeing will eliminate galling or peeling that may occur from painted parts as well.
Aesthetics
In some cases it is important to color the part to the desired color of the end product. If the end product will be blue, then dyeing could be a fast and simple solution to help bring the SLA to life. While the dyeing process cannot achieve specific colors such as Pantone numbered colors, it can provide the basic colors to provide a part that is close to the production color.
Identification
In multi-piece projects in may be helpful to color all parts of a certain family - blue parts are all part of Project A, red parts are all part of Project B, etc. This will help to quickly identify the parts and keep them with their associated projects. It can also be used to help with keeping track of prototyping revision levels - all green parts are revision 1, red parts are revision 2, etc.
Cost
Dyeing SLA parts is a less expensive alternative to painting. Painting parts requires multiple steps of sanding, priming and painting. Painting can be an expensive process depending on the specific part geometry. The dyeing process is a fast and very cost effective process for most part geometries.
For more information about coloring your prototypes or to request a quote for a color SLA prototype, please contact ProtoCAM at 610-261-9010.
Labels: color prototype, prototypes, rapid prototyping, stereolithography
posted by ProtoCAM at
11:42 AM
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