Laser Polishing: A Postprocessing Protocol for Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printed Parts Using Existing Tooling

3D printed objects produced by fused deposition modeling have functionally and aesthetically unpleasing surfaces due to factors inherent to the process. Although it is possible to reduce the resolution of these artifacts during printing, it is not possible to eliminate them entirely, and thus postprocessing will be required to achieve a smooth surface finish. Many methods of postprocessing require a large amount of time and labor or chemical solvents. Using an unmodified laser cutter as a source of heat, we are able to achieve a great improvement in surface finish with minimal warping and fast cycle time. We propose laser polishing as a method that is simple, safe, low-cost, and uses readily available equipment.