I am curious how companies paint thier models. Does anyone know specifically what kind of machine is used? Any guess on how much one costs. I have tried my hand at air brushing an unpainted model and then decalling and on my first attempt I wasn’t close to the precision I can buy. Not that I want to spend thousands for a printer for one model but more so I am simply curious how they color so perfectly what I struggle at by hand. A link to a company that makes a “3-d” printer or just some info would be great, thanks!
Bryce,
First off, I believe models are usually made from a material called styrene - short for polystyrene. Styrene is a strong but flexible material. The preferred process by manufacturers for making models is called injection molding. Injection molding is where the “plastic” is warmed to the point of liquidization then injected into a hot metal mold under pressure and allowed to cool.
On the other hand, the 3D printers on the market used in rapid prototyping usually use ABS for their material. ABS is fairly strong but is a lot more brittle than styrene. The 3D printers heads warm the ABS and print layer upon layer of material to build up the prototype until the sample is complete.
Depending on the complexity of the prototype, there may also be a complex support structure or matrix that needs to be built into the design so that the sample doesn’t collapse under it’s own weight while curing. (This is a different material than the ABS.) The support matrix can be left in or can be removed via mechanically or chemically.
For cost effectiveness and longevity, polystyrene and injection molding are the obvious choice to the manufacturer because they are trying to cut their costs and increase profit margin. A 3D printer just isn’t as practical, takes longer to manufacturer parts, and is not meant for manufacturing (or “turning the crank”) large numbers of items at a time. And, as mentioned earlier, ABS is just way more brittle of a material than styrene. This wouldn’t be very conducive for manufacturing small or thin parts that might need to be “flexed” to position them in place.
However, a 3D printer’s strength is in design and proof of concept, and used in the initial designing process to help test and determine whether a design is a viable one or not. Once a design is finalized, the drawings for the molds can then be d
I remember from somewhere that the painting is all automated.
This sentence says it all - your first attempt. Has anyone done anything for the very first time that was of the highest quality? Good work comes with practice, there is no way around it, no machine that can be a short cut to quality work. Some people are “naturals” - they can do precision work without a whole lot of experience, but they are few and far between. Keep on painting, trying new ways, different paints, different air pressures, etc.
Are you carrying out the basics? The model should be washed in dishwashing soap to remove mold release and fingerprints, rinsed off in hot water. It should not be handled with bare hands after that - use rubber gloves or hold it from the inside. Prime the model before the final coat. Priming prepares the model to accept the final coat, and exposes any flaws or areas that might need additional work. After the final coat, be sure to let the model dry in a dust free area before handling it again. If you can smell paint fumes on the mode, then it is not dry enough. Wait until there is no smell before working on applying the decals.
Practice can do wonders!
I can do wonders with a brush, but not for others.
I saw a segment once that showed the painting process for some models. It was basicaly a person with a high dollar production spray gun in a booth. the interesting part was the two-tone process. They did not mask with tape but, rather they used a rubber form that fit around the part and covered the area they did not want painted. As far as the graphics go, it is simply a pad printing machine. These use a soft silicone pad to pick up ink from an engraving and transfer it to the area on the model that is supposed to get it. This is usually a automated setup, but I have seem manual run machines as well.
Dan
As a former HO factory painter, I will tell you what I know. Automated painting is not used as it is very ineffective for multi dimensional items like cars. I only know one company (no longer in business) that used a paint line and their product showed it. Also one other did not paint at all but lettered on precolored plastic (also not very good).
The cars are painted in batches in large spray booths with spray guns , not with a small airbrush ( think your local auto body shop). They are painted one side at a time and left to dry before going on to the next. The body count is determined by the size of what will fit on a tray in the drying racks.
Two (or more) colors are added in a small paint booth with metal masks by hand, one at a time with smaller paint guns. Again, usually one side or end at a time so the process is time consuming. Paints are not model paints, but industrial which is why trying to match factory paint can be hard.
I’ve seen a video of the Marklin factory painting their stuff as jsoderq described. Also, lettering and multi colored logos were applies with paint stamping machines. A person feed shells one at a time into a stamp pad press. As mentioned, it looks pretty time consuming.
To paraphrase Railphotog:
Practice makes perfect.
Your response has pretty well hit the nail-on-the-head as far as my recollection of a recent TV feature involving painting toys. These toys were being manufactured in - I’ll bet your not ready for this - the good ole’ U.S. of A; the video of the painting process for this company’s line of cars showed a very complex paint job on the body. Unfortunately it was not done with narration but I do remember that as the bodies moved down the assembly line they were clamped in a jig; I will guess that, as you stated in your post, the inside of this jig had some sort of a rubber device that guided that particular color onto the toy’s body. When they were released they moved down the production line to a new station where a new color was added.
As you stated in your response graphics are stamped with ink.
The printing process for lettering and other graphics is known as “Tampo” printing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pad_printing
Rotor
Very interesting! Thank you all for satisfying my curiosity, I am always amazed at the vast (and quick) knowledge of this community. The fact that models are individually painted by a live human adds a coolness factor when here I thought some high tech printer was doing the job. And the “pad printing,” I don’t think I ever thought about how each of my keyboard keys got letters on them. The description makes me want to see it with my own eyes, guess I’ll have to wait for the discovery channel special on that one.
by any chance was that on one of the “tracks ahead” tapes
No matter how they do it, it’s very precise & time consuming. That is why I can’t understand why painted & undecorated models USUALLY cost the same. Guess they just average out the cost. Jerry
I’ll add to the curiosity here, when a model is stated as ‘Laser Printed’, how is this effected, I make my own decals, but there are limitations, Laser printing hardly seems to have any limitations as to size and/or complexity.
Teditor