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Materials & Finishing Flashcards

6 cards from real 3D Product practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Materials & Finishing flashcards as text

  1. What is 'injection molding' and how does it relate to 3D product design?

    Answer: A manufacturing process that injects molten plastic into a metal mold cavity to produce identical parts at scale — designs are often prototyped in 3D print first

    Injection molding produces high-volume plastic parts with consistent quality; product designers use 3D printing to validate designs before committing to expensive injection mold tooling.

  2. What is a 'draft angle' and why is it critical in injection molded product design?

    Answer: A slight taper applied to vertical walls so the part can be ejected from the mold without sticking

    Draft angles (typically 1-3 degrees) taper mold walls so that the solidified plastic part releases cleanly from the mold during ejection without dragging or tearing.

  3. What is 'wall thickness' and why is it important in plastic product design?

    Answer: The thickness of a part's outer shell, which must be uniform to prevent sink marks, warping, and voids during molding

    Consistent wall thickness prevents differential cooling during injection molding, which causes sink marks, warping, and internal voids that weaken and disfigure parts.

  4. What does 'SPI finish' refer to in injection mold tooling?

    Answer: A standardized surface finish specification from the Society of the Plastics Industry, ranging from mirror polish (A1) to rough texture (D3)

    SPI finishes define mold cavity surface textures from A1 (mirror polish) through B/C finishes (sanded/stoned) to D finishes (rough EDM or blasted), directly determining part appearance.

  5. What is 'TPU' and what product applications use it?

    Answer: Thermoplastic Polyurethane, a flexible, rubber-like material used for phone cases, shoe soles, and seals

    TPU is an elastomeric thermoplastic with rubber-like flexibility, abrasion resistance, and good chemical resistance — used in wearables, phone cases, sporting goods, and flexible joints.

  6. What is 'electroplating' used for in product finishing?

    Answer: Depositing a thin layer of metal (like chrome or nickel) onto a product surface to improve appearance, hardness, or corrosion resistance

    Electroplating uses electrolytic deposition to coat a conductive substrate with metals like chrome, nickel, gold, or copper to enhance aesthetics and surface properties.