Method and apparatus for surface finishing of articles produced by 3D printing

An apparatus for surface finishing of pieces made of plastic material obtained by 3D printing, the apparatus comprising:

• an hermetically sealable chamber for containing at least one piece in need of treatment;
• a feeder for feeding a controlled amount of a process plasticizer to a bottom portion of said chamber, said feeder comprising a housing for a packaged dose of said process plasticizer, and a conduit connected to said chamber;
• a heater placed at least at said bottom portion of said chamber for heating said process plasticizer, thus forming, when said chamber is hermetically closed, a mixture of air and vapours of said process plasticizer, and for raising a temperature of said air/vapours mixture to a working temperature lower than a boiling temperature of said process plasticizer;
• a circulator positioned within said chamber for keeping a uniform circulation of said air/vapours mixture in said chamber during the heating step and during the step of maintaining at said working temperature for a prefixed time sufficient to allow a direct contact of said process plasticizer vapours with a surface of said piece and absorption of said vapours up to a desired depth under the surface of the piece;
• and
• a separator for separating said process plasticizer vapours from said air/vapours mixture capable of being placed into communication with said chamber once said prefixed exposure time has lapsed;
• wherein said packaged dose is a pierceable capsule, a blade for piercing said capsule being provided at a bottom part of said housing in the feeder, to allow content thereof to flow out into said chamber through said conduit.