Professional Prototype Finishing Service

All the finishing touches you could ever need to bring your prototype to life

Home | Rapid Prototyping Company | Finishing Touches

What We Offer

Here at MNL we offer all the finishing touches you could ever need to bring your prototype to life;

  • Chrome plating effect
  • Real Chrome Plating
  • Shrink-wrap coloured graphics
  • Soft-Touch Paint
  • Flocking
  • Hydro-Dipping
  • Sealing of SLS to make it water and air tight
  • Graphics/colour rub-downs
  • Specialised Packaging and Flights Cases

Expert Finishing The MNL Difference

Chrome plating effect – Vacuum Metalizing

Vacuum metalizing, a process where a very thin layer of pure aluminium is deposited over a component, requires a perfect gloss surface to emulate a chrome plated finish. Parts produced from a variety of processes such as 3D printing, moulded parts and alike may be metalized with a variety of finishes and colours. Our experienced part finishers can apply the necessary finishes to 3D printed parts such as SLS etc.

Real Chrome Plating -Metal Plating

Standard electroplating can be applied on metal components to yield every usual electroplating finish such as chrome, nickel, silver and gold.

For non-metallic components, a metal encapsulation technique can be applied to a plastic substrate as an interim process prior to finishing off with standard electroplating techniques.

Shrink-wrap coloured graphics

MNL can supply shrink wrap graphics to your product, whether it be a 3D printed finished part or a casting from a silicone tool. Adding that ‘extra finishing touch’ will give your product that “off-the-shelf” look.

 

Soft – Touch Paint

A soft touch paint coating is a process that can create rich, soft feelings on almost any surface; soft touch paint coating transforms hard surfaces into new sensational textures, giving surfaces that tactile feel.

Flocking

Flock consists of synthetic fibres that look like tiny hairs. Flock print feels somewhat velvet and a bit elevated. The length of the fibres can vary in thickness which co-determines the appearance of the flocked product.

Flocking of an article can be performed for the purpose of increasing its value in terms of the tactile sensation, aesthetics, colour and appearance. It can also be performed for functional reasons including insulation, slip-or-grip friction, and low reflectivity.

Hydro-Dipping – Water Transfer Printing The water printing process consist of transferring a pattern to an object using water displacement. Any material that is hard surfaced and non-porous such as glass, wood, metals, fiberglass, ceramics and all types of plastics and can be submerged in water without harm can be printed. There are hundreds of patterns to choose from.

Graphics -Colour Rub-Downs

Colour rub down can be added to the outer surface of a product or encapsulated in a clear housing, even illuminated. Adding these lustrous touches make your model more true to life, cutting that valuable time to market.

The Finishing Touches team will transform your project into the perfect representation of your desired intent.

“Can Making Machine” – Exhibition Display Model

MNL were tasked with not only to produce a scale model of a machine but to also make it semi function.

Triscan Fuel Pump Advertising Nozzle

  When approached by the UK’s largest manufacturer and supplier of fuel management systems, the challenge was to create a prototype durable enough to withstand the rigours of fuel such as...

Kenwood Chef Model

For more than fifty years the Kenwood Chef has been a lifesaver in the kitchen – more than 10 million have been sold worldwide.

Concept Twisty Taps

Malcolm Nicholls Limited (MNL) produced an eye-catching set of conceptual 3D Printed Vacuum Metalizing taps for their own purpose at a trade show. The taps were designed in-house using SolidWorks. Once...

Childs Plate

This model was produced for a university student’s final degree show for Product Design. Malcolm Nicholls Limited (MNL) gave the student 20% off, further helping them to produce their new plate concept to promote children to eat fruit and vegetables.

Snowboarding Helmet

Looking for a 3D Printed Helmet? The number of head injuries from skiing and snowboarding accidents is increasing, especially amongst adolescents with helmets significantly reducing the...

Powered Golf Trolley

Viper SLA 3D Printed Golf Trolley Case Study - certain projects have been selected from MNL’s Rich History, this one comes from 2005 “Golf Europe” is Europe's comprehensive golf show, exclusively for...

Drayton Manor Hotel Carousel

Looking for a large scale model? Coming full circle in the 40th year for Malcolm Nicholls Limited (MNL), one of the company’s recent projects was with the same company with which Malcolm Nicholls...

Childrens’ Toy Slime Sprayer

Prototype toys - With the toy industry forever changing and evolving and with new trends leading the way. Malcolm Nicholls Limited (MNL) were approached by a leading product design company to...

Norgren Valve Blocks

Malcolm Nicholls Limited (MNL) used enhanced rapid prototyping techniques to aid a valve manufacturer develop a safety valve system for controlling air pressure in various machines. STL files were...

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      Our prefered file format is compressed stl files [.mgx]. For the StlZip utility to produce mgx files click here.

      For a full list of acceptable formats click here. Only ONE file at a time; for multiple parts please zip into one file.

      Subscribe me to the mailing list; we won't bombard you with tons of spam, honest. Just the odd news, or general marketing email :-)

      Upon Successful upload of your data, you will be emailed a tailored enquiry form to complete and return. You will be able to confirm/append your requirements in full including the desired process, materials, colours, finish, quantities etc.