With the increasing popularity of 3D printing technology today, PETG filament, as a commonly used printing material, is favored by the majority of users because of its excellent mechanical properties, weather resistance and printing stability. However, after the printing is completed, the surface quality of the printed part often needs to be further polished to achieve a more beautiful and practical effect. This article will introduce several grinding tools for PETG filament and their characteristics to help users make choices according to their needs.

sandpaper

Sandpaper is the most basic sanding tool, suitable for the preliminary sanding of PETG filament. According to the fine degree of grinding, sandpaper is divided into different particle sizes, generally ranging from 80 mesh to 2000 mesh. When sanding, it is recommended to start with a low mesh and gradually increase to a high mesh to obtain a smooth surface. The advantage of sandpaper polishing is low cost and simple operation, but the disadvantage is that it takes a long time and is difficult to fully polish complex shapes.

Electric sander

Electric sander is an efficient sanding tool, suitable for rapid sanding of large areas. Common electric grinding machine has two kinds of straight handle and Angle grinding machine, the former is suitable for flat grinding, the latter is suitable for complex shape grinding. The advantage of electric grinding machine is fast speed and high efficiency, the disadvantage is that improper operation is easy to damage the surface of the print, which requires certain skills and experience.

Rotary file

The rotary file is a tool suitable for fine grinding, especially for handling detailed parts of the print. The head of the rotary file is available in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be changed according to grinding needs. The advantage of the rotary file is that it has high grinding accuracy and is suitable for dealing with complex shapes, but the disadvantage is that the operation is relatively cumbersome and requires patience and meticulosity.

Sand-blasting machine

The sandblasting machine is a tool for polishing the surface by spraying abrasive, which is suitable for occasions where the surface finish is required. The sandblasting machine can control the grinding effect by adjusting the type of abrasive and injection pressure, which is suitable for fine grinding of PETG filament. The advantage of the sand blasting machine is that the grinding effect is good, the surface is uniform, the disadvantage is that the equipment cost is high, and the operation process needs to pay attention to safety protection.

Ultrasonic sander

Ultrasonic grinding machine is a high-tech tool that uses ultrasonic vibration for grinding, which is suitable for occasions where the surface finish is very high. Ultrasonic grinding machine through the high-frequency vibration of abrasive and print surface friction, so as to achieve the grinding effect. The advantages of ultrasonic sander are high grinding precision and good surface finish, but the disadvantages are high equipment cost and relatively complex operation.

Hand tool

In addition to the above power tools, hand tools such as files, scrapers, etc., are also common tools for PETG filament grinding. The advantage of hand tools is that they are flexible in operation and suitable for grinding various complex shapes, but the disadvantage is that they take a long time and require higher skills for the operator.

When choosing PETG filament grinding tools, it is necessary to take into account the shape, size, surface quality requirements of the printed part, as well as their own operating skills and budget. For simple prints, sandpaper and hand tools will suffice; For complex shapes or large areas of grinding, electric sander and rotary file is a good choice; For extremely high surface finish requirements, sandblasting machines and ultrasonic sanders are a better choice. It is hoped that the introduction of this article can help users choose the right grinding tools to improve the surface quality and production efficiency of 3D printed parts.