Polymer 3D printing brings accessible geometric complexity, but a plastic part might not deliver all the functionality the application demands. For situations requiring electrical conductivity, EMI shielding, heat conductivity or greater strength than polymer alone, electroplating these parts can be an option. RePliForm in Baltimore, Maryland, specializes in plating polymer printed parts with layers of nickel and copper to achieve the desired effects. This video provides an overview of how the process works (from part design through plating) along with considerations for taking advantage of electroplating as an option between straight polymer and directly 3D printed metals.

Transcript for this video available at How Electroplating Works for Polymer 3D Printed Parts

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

The full process for plating these compression cubes:    • Formlabs User's Summit Video  

RePliForm and the applications for plated polymer: https://www.additivemanufacturing.med...

An example of a coper plated polymer antenna in The Cool Parts Show RAPID 2022 episode:    • 8 Cool Parts From RAPID+TCT 2022 | Th...  

Finishing’s potential role in additive manufacturing: https://www.additivemanufacturing.med...

Electroplating from our sister publication Products Finishing: https://www.pfonline.com/zones/electr...

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