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Vibratory Tumbling for SLS

3D Printed Parts
Vibratory tumbling is a well-established method of improving the surface hardness and
smoothness of different materials. Traditionally used on metal parts to deburr them after
machining or pressing, many manufacturers now rely on vibratory tumbling as a vital post-
processing step for 3D printed parts as well.
In this report, we’ll detail how to choose the right machine and materials for your workflow as well
as highlight best practices and methods to achieve superior results.

May 2023
Contents

How Does Vibratory Tumbling Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Benefits of Vibratory Tumbling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Choosing a Vibratory Tumbler for 3D Printed Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Choosing Vibratory Tumbling Media and Detergent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Media Shapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Detergents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Testing and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Results With Mr. Deburr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Takeaways and Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
End Use Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Healthcare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Manufacturing Aids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Get Started With 3D Printing and Vibratory Tumbling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 2

How Does Vibratory Tumbling Work?
A vibratory tumbler agitates small pellets of media (typically metal, ceramic, plastic, or organic
material like walnut shells) and the end-use parts to create friction, which smooths the surface of
the parts and improves hardness. Vibratory tumblers are widely used due to their accessible size,
affordability, and the range of benefits they provide without adding extra hands-on labor to the
production cycle.

BENEFITS OF VIBRATORY TUMBLING

Vibratory tumbling provides two key benefits to the 3D printing workflow — improved
functionality and improved aesthetics. During the tumbling process, the outer surface of the 3D
printed parts is eroded away, improving the surface roughness of the part as well as providing a
more consistent look and feel.

Our test part, before and after vibratory tumbling. The tumbled part is light gray and
matte in appearance.

The functional benefits of vibratory tumbling also include improved surface texture. Reducing
the surface roughness allows moving components to operate with a lower coefficient of friction,
making vibratory tumbling an ideal post-processing technique for applications such as printed
hinges, actuating components, functional clips, and any other parts that are either moving or part
of a moving assembly. The improved surface texture also improves porosity, making tumbled
parts more resistant to fluid absorption.

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 3

The aesthetic benefits of tumbling are primarily the improved surface texture and cleaner
appearance, but tumbling also provides a more consistent substrate on which to apply additional
coatings, such as acrylic paint or Cerakote.

Tumbling provides a more consistent substrate on which to apply additional coatings, such as acrylic
paint or Cerakote ceramic coating.

For any 3D print that will be handled as an end-use part, is part of a functional assembly, or has
high visibility in a proof-of-concept prototype, vibratory tumbling is an easy way to drastically
improve the surface hardness and smoothness for a 3D printed part.

Choosing a Vibratory Tumbler for 3D Printed Parts

Vibratory tumbling machines for 3D printed parts can be broken down into two main categories
— industrial and consumer. Industrial machines have a larger capacity and higher power
requirements, and are typically priced around $5,000 or more. Industrial tumblers are suitable for
production-level volumes, such as mass customization or stopgap manufacturing.

They can easily handle multiple batches of parts, even medium-to-large parts, making them ideal
for businesses like service bureaus or large-scale manufacturing. Many industrial machines, like
the Rösler tumbler, are designed to integrate into an automated workflow, loading and unloading
parts through a conveyor belt or robotic system. The tumbling cycles for these larger machines
can run as short as four to six hours, with impressive reductions in surface roughness.

Many smaller vibratory tumblers can deliver the same end product as industrial tumblers, but
have a smaller capacity and may take longer cycles of tumbling to achieve those results. To

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 4

achieve nearly the same reduction in surface roughness, these smaller machines may have to
tumble parts for closer to 72 hours, compared to industrial machines at six hours.

However, their accessible price point and small footprint enable small businesses to access their
benefits without the capital expenditure necessary for an industrial volume machine. For 3D
printer users who have volumes of under 100 parts a week, small vibratory tumblers are sufficient.

Though we did not include them in the testing protocol for this study, centrifugal tumblers are
a third option for smoothing. The workflow varies slightly from traditional vibratory tumblers in
that they use high-speed rotation to smooth parts, rather than agitation. In a centrifugal tumbler,
components and media are sealed in a canister and then spun at high speeds; the resulting
G-forces can smooth parts quite quickly. Centrifugal tumblers can be a good option when looking
to decrease overall cycle time, though it should be noted that it is a more aggressive process
and can damage delicate features on some parts.

INDUSTRIAL, ENTRY LEVEL,

HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION MID-VOLUME PRODUCTION LOW VOLUME

Example: Raytech, Tumble Vibe

Example: Rösler Example: CM Topline
Cost: <$1000
Cost: > $5000 Cost: $1000-5000
Ideal for:
Ideal for: Ideal for:
• Tumbling several small parts
• High throughput • Large parts
simultaneously
• Large parts • Batched build volumes of
• Multiple large parts smaller parts
• Automated workflow

Choosing Vibratory Tumbling Media

and Detergent
There are many different options for media pellets to use in vibratory tumbling workflows, and
choosing the right one will have a major impact on the outcome of your parts. Typical media
include stainless steel, porcelain or silica, polyester composites, or walnut shells. Their effects
range from aggressive smoothing and elimination of surface roughness to light polishing for
aesthetic benefits.

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 TYPICAL MATERIAL COST ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES AGGRESSIVENESS

High
Metal Hardened carbon and $$$ • Short run times Might damage parts
stainless steel • Prolonged service life and
superior wear-resistance
• Heavy duty burnishing and
polishing

High
Ceramic Porcelain, aluminum $$ • Heavy duty burnishing and Might damage
oxide, silicon carbide, polishing, most commonly parts, ceramic
and silica used media bits may flake off
• Ideal for heavy or fast and get stuck in
grinding or removing rust channels/negative
from metal features

Medium
Plastic Polyester, urea, and $ • Ideal for safely finishing Longer run times
formaldehyde threaded or fragile parts.
• Creates soft, bright surfaces
and edges
• Come in a range of densities
that can suit various
applications

Light to medium
Organic Walnut shells or corn $ • Can be used as a secondary Longer run times
deburring
cobs vibratory step, can absorb May need to be
oils/moisture used in a two-part
process

From left to right: walnut media, ceramic media, and steel media.

MEDIA SHAPES
When choosing media to be used in a vibratory tumbler, the size and shape of the individual
pellets should be considered along with the type of material. Pellets come in large and small
sizes and sharp or rounded shapes. Large pellets are used for rougher grinding, such as
removing burrs or rust from metal parts. Smaller pellets are used for finer pieces, offer more
polishing or burnishing effects, and can be used on a broader range of materials. Sharp pellets
(triangles, wedges, and arrowheads) are ideal for finishing complex parts with edges, crevices,
and channels, though they have a higher instance of chipping or flaking. Rounded pellets are
ideal for lighter-touch polishing and burnishing, and very rarely chip or flake. Though they are
slower to fully smooth surfaces, they are much more gentle and can be used for delicate parts.

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 6

DETERGENTS
In some vibratory workflows, called ‘wet vibratory finishing,’ water or chemical detergents are
added in with the pellets. The liquid helps temper the heat generated by the high friction and
can help in removing contaminants or oxides on the surface of the part. Parts will appear cleaner
and more polished than with a dry tumbling workflow. However, detergents can be expensive
and generate chemical waste, which has to then be disposed of and treated properly. Metal,
ceramics, or plastic media can be used in a wet workflow, but organic media such as walnut
shells or corn cobs should not be.

Testing and Results

Formlabs has conducted extensive testing on vibratory tumbling in-house using SLS 3D printed
parts in order to recommend appropriate workflows for optimal results.

THE PROCESS
We 3D printed several parts based on
one standard design that has flat and
curved surfaces as well as interior and
exterior surfaces. The parts were printed
on the Fuse 1+ 30W SLS 3D printer,
depowdered in the Fuse Sift according
to standard post-processing guidelines.
Parts were printed in both Nylon 12
Powder and Nylon 11 Powder.

Aside from an identification number, each part was identical. These parts were each measured
for dimensional accuracy using calipers and for surface roughness using a laser scanning
microscope by manufacturer Keyence.

We chose to primarily test in a CB300 vibratory tumbler, commonly referred to as Mr.Deburr. This
machine has three cubic feet of tumbling capacity and operates using a 0.75 horsepower motor.
Retailing for $3500, Mr. Deburr is a good choice for high-throughput applications. The volume
capacity enables multiple batches of SLS 3D printed parts to be tumbled at the same time, or
a lower quantity of very large parts. The media used were ceramic pellets in angle-cut triangle
shapes, with side dimensions of ¼ inch. A general-purpose finishing compound was used to
assist with the process. The liquid compound chosen was “Kramco 1010” provided by Kramer
Industries. This liquid works well with ceramic media and is good for deburring and light cutting.

The components tumbled for two, four, six, and eight hours before being removed and re-
measured to determine if changes in dimensions and reduction in surface roughness occurred,
and to what degree. The surface roughness was again measured using a Keyence VR-5000. The
roughness was measured in terms of Sa. Sa is the arithmetical mean of a surface. The Keyence
profilometer takes the average height of a surface and then compares the difference in height of
each point when compared to the mean. The dimensional accuracy measurements were taken

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 7

 using vernier calipers with an accuracy of ±0.02mm. This allows us to determine the amount of
material removed from each surface during the tumbling process. It should be noted that the
outcome may be different if using different media, detergent, or machine and that there is a huge
range of media in different materials, shapes, and sizes — all of which will impact your results.
Based on our discussions with industry leaders we chose to use ceramic for our tests.

A Note on Smaller Machines

To test out the efficacy of smaller, more entry-level tumbling machines, we also tested parts in a
lower-cost model and found that it was unable to achieve the same results as Mr. Deburr, most
likely due to the less aggressive churning of the media. However, the smaller tumbler was still
able to get the parts mostly polished, to about a 70% reduction in surface roughness over a 48-
72 hour period. These results are not included in our tables in order to highlight the efficacy of
larger machines and their efficiency for volumes of this size.

RESULTS WITH MR. DEBURR

Nylon 11 Powder
SURFACE ROUGHNESS SURFACE ROUGHNESS
RUNTIME (HOURS) SURFACE LOSS (MM) (SA) REDUCTION (%)

0%
0 N/A 35.081

66.03%
2 -0.046 11.916

71.34%
4 -0.081 10.056

76.15%
6 -0.106 8.367

80.87%
8 -0.120 6.712

100 %

80 %

60 %

40 %

20 %

0%
0 2 4 6 8

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 8

 Nylon 12 Powder
SURFACE ROUGHNESS SURFACE ROUGHNESS
RUNTIME (HOURS) SURFACE LOSS (MM) (SA) REDUCTION (%)

0%
0 N/A 25.687

59.54%
2 -0.108 10.393

75.42%
4 -0.126 6.314

75.99%
6 -0.139 6.168

82.43%
8 -0.150 4.513

100 %

80 %

60 %

40 %

20 %

0%
0 2 4 6 8

TAKEAWAYS AND OBSERVATIONS

Both Nylon 11 Powder parts and Nylon 12 Powder parts were able to have their surface roughness
reduced by more than 80% of their original surface roughness after eight hours of vibratory
tumbling, and some of the parts managed to reach 80% or less in four to six hours.

A key finding — Nylon 11 Powder and Nylon 12 Powder both started and finished with different
surface roughnesses but their proportional changes are quite similar. In our trials, we determined
that Nylon 11 Powder parts have an average initial surface roughness of approximately 35 µm
whereas Nylon 12 Powder parts have an initial surface roughness of approximately 26 µm. Nylon 12
Powder parts were reduced to 4 µm whereas the Nylon 11 Powder parts saw a reduction down to
5.5 µm. In terms of overall material removed, Nylon 11 Powder (0.12 mm) exhibited slightly less wear
than Nylon 12 Powder (.15 mm) over the course of the eight hours of tumbling. This is approximately
the same surface roughness as commercial steel piping.

Looking at both graphs that compare the surface roughness reduction to tumbling time, it
is apparent that both the smoothing rate and the amount of material removed per hour are
decreasing. For both materials, it does not appear that the surface roughness has plateaued
and we hypothesize that if we were to continue tumbling for longer you would see the Sa values
continue to decrease but at increasingly slower speeds.

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 9

Visually we saw several changes over the course of longer tumbling periods; hard corners and
edges became slightly rounded, thinner extrusions and highly detailed embossing became
slightly worn, and media became embedded in holes and pockets closer to the 72-hour mark.

Recommendations
Vibratory tumbling is an excellent way to improve the surface finish of your 3D printed parts.
Equipment is affordable, and the workflow is customizable to your exact needs. When adding
tumbling to your workflow, keep in mind that different machines and media will produce
different results.

When choosing which tumbler to purchase for a 3D printing workflow, first consider your volume
of 3D printed parts: mid to high production volumes will require a larger industrial tumbler, while
prototyping, manufacturing aids, and rapid tooling applications might only require a smaller,
inexpensive tumbler. In these applications, the longer time required by the smaller tumbler
shouldn’t negatively affect your workflow.

Choosing your media is the next consideration, and very part dependent. For SLS 3D printed
parts, ceramic, plastic, or organic materials will all work, while metal might be too abrasive.
For parts with many internal pockets or channels, ceramic media might become flaked and
embedded in the parts. Although removal is simple with small hand tools, organic or plastic
media might be a better option. For parts that have very fine features, delicate embossing, or thin
extrusions, a less abrasive media is optimal. Likewise, choosing rounded media instead of sharp
media will help protect delicate parts.

Applications
Many 3D printing applications demand a smooth surface finish and low coefficient of friction.
Adding vibratory tumbling to your workflow can improve both the functionality and appearance of
parts used in a variety of industries and settings.

END USE GOODS

As 3D printing technology makes mass customization a reality, high-throughput 3D printing
applications become more common. The Fuse Series ecosystem enables mid- to high-volume
manufacturing of end-use goods that function like injection molded parts while still taking
advantage of the design freedom of SLS technology.

Vibratory tumbling is a low-cost method to achieve a surface finish comparable to injection

molding, without adding hours of labor or manual post-processing. Batching parts together in a
larger tumbler keeps touchpoints low and results optimal. Tumbling also prepares parts for further
coating, which can further elevate the functionality, finish, and color of SLS 3D printed parts.

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 10

Vibratory tumbling is ideal for improving surface finish and preparing parts for further post-
processing, such as dyeing, painting, or coating. These end-use eyewear frames have been tumbled
(light grey), tumbled and dyed (black), and tumbled and Cerakote ceramic coated (blue and red).

HEALTHCARE
3D printing in medicine enables innovation in almost every speciality, from customizable prosthetics
and orthotics, to low volume production of new medical devices. For some orthotics and
prosthetics customers, surface roughness of SLS 3D printed parts can be a pain point. Vibratory
tumbling can go a long way to improving the look and feel of braces, orthotics, and prosthetics.

The wrist brace pictured below was printed on the Fuse 1+ 30W in Nylon 12 Powder, and customized
to fit the exact shape of the patient’s forearm. Though the file is designed to fit comfortably and the
finished part has a 0.1 mm tolerance, improved surface smoothness would help the patient feel more
comfortable. Vibratory tumbling would improve the comfort level, as well as the porosity of the
device’s surface, increasing its resistance to ambient moisture in the air and making it more functional.

Tumbling improves the wearability and surface roughness of SLS 3D printed parts like this arm brace
(left). Tumbling also helps prepare the surface for coating — these Spentys aesthetic covers (right)
were tumbled for eight hours with ceramic media and then Cerakoted. The covers are for lower limb
prosthetics with the aim to provide a customizable coating, so users can choose different covers to
suit their mood and outfit.

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 11

MANUFACTURING AIDS
Manufacturing aids are often used in high-friction applications, and as part of assemblies on the
factory floor. Using vibratory tumbling can improve their coefficient of friction and increase the
surface hardiness, which leads to better durability and longer usage.

Vibratory tumbling improves the durability of complex assemblies and manufacturing aids.

FORMLABS: Vibratory Tumbling for SLS 3D Printed Parts 12

Get Started With 3D Printing and
Vibratory Tumbling
Vibratory tumbling is an accessible method of making SLS 3D printed parts more similar in
appearance and functionality to injection molded parts. Adding this process as a step in your
3D printing workflow doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive — there are many options
for tumbling equipment that are affordably priced and accessible in terms of footprint and
power requirements. For applications such as rapid prototyping, manufacturing aids, or end-use
parts, vibratory tumbling widens the scope of possibilities for 3D printing. When coupled with
the geometric freedom of SLS 3D printing and the customization capabilities of a low-volume
production workflow, vibratory tumbling presents benefits for every industry.

To learn more about how to streamline your SLS and vibratory tumbling workflow, or get expert
advice on which machine and media to choose for your particular needs, contact the Formlabs
Sales Team. Or, continue exploring options for SLS post-processing possibilities on our website.

Contact Formlabs Sales Explore SLS Post-Processing

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