SLM 3D Printed Two-Tone Cup Prototype in SS316L

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About Project

This project features an SLM 3D printed SS316L stainless steel cup prototype made for appearance validation and brand presentation. The cup has a tapered body, a darker metallic-looking upper rim section, a light-colored painted main body, and a screen-printed “CUP SENSE” logo near the lower front area. It looks like a drinkware product prototype, but with an important engineering footnote: this sample is intended for visual review and display, not direct food contact.

SLM metal 3D printing was used because it can produce stainless steel parts directly from digital data without tooling. For product teams exploring premium drinkware concepts, smart cup housings, branded metal containers, or unusual cup-shaped structures, SLM makes it possible to validate the overall form before committing to molds or other production processes. SS316L stainless steel is commonly selected for metal printing projects where corrosion resistance and a real metal body are required, although final use conditions still depend on the full design and post-processing route.

After printing, the part was polished to reduce the raw metal texture, then spray painted to create the light-colored outer body and darker upper section. The front logo was added by screen printing, giving the prototype a more complete branded appearance. From the available photos, the logo is clean and readable, the two-tone color separation is clear, and the overall cup silhouette looks suitable for concept presentation. Under strong light, the body still shows some local waviness, reflections, and surface variation, which is normal for a post-processed metal printed prototype rather than a mass-produced consumer cup.

This workflow is suitable for metal appearance prototypes, premium product mockups, branded display samples, and early-stage cup or container design validation. If the part needs to become a real drinkware product later, additional work would be required, including food-contact material and coating review, internal surface finishing, leak testing, cleaning validation, and production-oriented design changes. For your own metal 3D printed prototypes, send your files to info@facfox.com or visit FacFox to discuss the right manufacturing route.

Challenge

The challenge was to turn a metal 3D printed cup form into a clean brand presentation prototype. SLM printing can build stainless steel geometry directly, but the raw surface is not suitable for this kind of consumer-facing appearance. The cup therefore needed polishing, spray painting, and screen printing to create a smoother two-tone finish and a readable front logo.

Solution

• Step 1: The cup model was reviewed before production, including the tapered body shape, upper rim transition, wall structure, logo placement area, and expected presentation finish.
• Step 2: The part was prepared for SLM metal 3D printing using SS316L stainless steel, with attention to build orientation, support planning, and post-processing accessibility.
• Step 3: The cup prototype was printed by selectively melting SS316L metal powder layer by layer, forming the stainless steel cup body directly from the digital model.
• Step 4: After printing, support structures were removed and the metal part was cleaned before surface finishing.
• Step 5: The printed metal surface was polished to reduce roughness and prepare the cup for coating.
• Step 6: Spray painting was applied to create the light-colored outer body and darker metallic-looking upper section.
• Step 7: The “CUP SENSE” logo was added by screen printing on the front of the cup body.
• Step 8: The finished prototype was inspected for overall silhouette, coating coverage, logo readability, color separation, and presentation quality.