Production Defect Standards

All parts shipped by Creallo undergo basic processing (sanding and support removal) at no additional cost. Because this baseline service is performed by multiple operators, the exact finishing may vary slightly and is ultimately left to the operator's judgment.

The defect criteria and exceptions are summarized below.

Defect Criteria

1. The part was designed in compliance with Creallo's design guidelines, but issues such as deformation, damage, or missing components occurred during shipping.
2. The manufacturing tolerance range guaranteed by Creallo is exceeded.
3. The quantity or content of the order received differs from the original order details.
4. Cases not covered under Creallo's "Defect Criteria Exceptions" listed below.

Exceptions

1. Characteristics of the Production Technology Itself

For parts without post-processing (as-machined finish), the inherent characteristics of the production technology are reflected in the surface.

• If appearance is important, we recommend performing post-processing yourself.
• The basic surface characteristics of products shipped as-machined via 3D printing are summarized below.
• As-machined finishes are often not suitable for end-use parts where appearance is important.

2. Common Characteristics of 3D Printing Technology

Cases where post-processing is not done or supports are not removed

• Cases where processing is not critical: Where the operator determines that a part functions as a housing enclosing another product, the visible outer surface is processed, but the inner surface may be left unprocessed before shipping.
• Parts that are very small or thin: These carry a risk of damage or deformation during shipping. In such cases, we may ship the part without post-processing or support removal. Supports can be easily removed with basic tools such as a knife, scissors, or nippers. Examples: thin, elongated shapes such as hair or tails; thin-walled hemispheres; or thin, wide structures such as flat plates.
• Cases where tools cannot reach certain areas: Supports in locations that are difficult for tools to reach will not be removed.

Cases involving scratches or similar surface marks

• Cases requiring precision machining: Parts with fine corners, small lettering, or other detail-heavy areas that are difficult to work on may ship with surface processing omitted, or with rough sanding marks that resemble scratches.
• Cases where tools cannot reach certain areas: The inner surfaces of parts with small openings (e.g., bottles) may also be difficult for tools to reach, resulting in lower processing quality.

3. SLA

Cases where powder residue remains

• During basic processing: Sanding may be performed using sand, and some of this sand may remain as powder on the surface or between complex structures. Solution: Shake off the powder or rinse the part with water.
• Engraved letters or shapes: Powder from processing may become lodged in recessed areas. It may appear white or black depending on the angle of light. Solution: Remove it by brushing gently or scraping lightly with a pin.
• Inner surfaces of complex parts: Raw material or sand used in processing may become trapped inside and fail to come out. Solution: Gently shake the part to remove any trapped material.

Cases where holes appear on the surface

• Hollow structures (e.g., ball-shaped parts): If hole locations are not marked on the 3D model in advance, our engineer will determine and drill the hole at the location best suited for removing internal supports and residual material. If you do not want this, please mark your preferred hole location directly on the model file before placing your order.

*During shipping: If the hole is sealed after printing, internal expansion or deformation may occur during transit depending on the material. For this reason, we may ship the part without sealing the hole — please keep this in mind when placing your order.

• Scratches on the surface [Translucent / Black Resin / Brown Resin / Heat-Resistant Resin]: Due to the characteristics of these resins, scratch marks can appear easily on the surface, even from minor friction.

4. FDM

Phenomena arising from the characteristics of FDM printing

In FDM printing, no post-processing is performed beyond support and raft removal. As a result, the following phenomena may appear in the output. These are not defects, but characteristics inherent to the FDM process:

• Layer striation patterns
• Traces of the nozzle path
• Print residue clumped on the surface

Traces of support removal

Depending on the 3D model's geometry, the material used, and the print orientation, the surface quality where supports were removed may be rough.

Sticky adhesive remaining on the surface

For FDM, adhesive may be applied to the print bed before printing to ensure stable, high-quality output. In such cases, the adhesive is not cleaned off before shipping.

Solution: The adhesive is water-soluble and can be easily removed by rinsing the part in water.

5. SLS and MJF

Rough surface

Due to the characteristics of the SLS and MJF processes and the materials used, the surface is rougher compared to other printing methods.

6. SLM

Residue or lines on the surface [Aluminum / Stainless Steel]

Creallo's metal 3D printing is shipped without post-processing. As a result, print residue or particles may remain on the surface, and lines (texture) may form as a natural result of the printing method.

7. CNC

Shape deviations due to missing drawing details or unspecified information

If information such as inserts, tapping, or precision tolerances is not indicated on the drawing, any resulting shape deviation is not considered a defect.

Machining marks arising from the process

Tool marks, rotational texture, and cutting striations may occur as a natural result of the machining process. Unless a request for appearance priority is specified, parts are produced with standard surface quality.

Edge chipping or minor burrs

For metal parts, minor chipping or burrs that occur during cutting are considered within normal range. This applies when the drawing does not specify sharp edge or chamfer treatment.

Warping in thin, elongated structures

Long structures made of materials such as plastic or aluminum may exhibit slight warping. This is a result of the machining process and is not considered a defect.

Internal marks that do not affect function or appearance

Machining marks or alignment traces on non-visible internal surfaces are not considered defects.

Oxidation or discoloration on unmachined surfaces

Minor oxidation or color variation may occur on unmachined areas such as clamping points or fixture surfaces, as a natural result of the process.

8. Painting

Partially unpainted areas

Creallo's painting service focuses on areas determined to be the "outer surface."

Full painting can be requested in advance at the time of ordering, but this may extend the lead time beyond what is calculated by the real-time quoting service.

• In joint structures, painting is not applied to prevent tolerance issues caused by paint buildup.
• Fixing points used during the painting process are left unpainted.
• Gloss coating and SF (rubber) coating can only be applied to outer surfaces.

Surface texture

A finishing material is added during painting to prevent scratches and protect the surface. If a given color is judged to need additional surface protection, the amount of finishing material used is adjusted accordingly. This may result in subtle differences in color and texture between colors.

Color variation

Because painting is done manually, with the operator referencing the Pantone color, slight color variation may occur.