--- title: "Vapor Smoothing Community and Guides | AMT PostPro" description: "Vapor smoothing guides from the AMT team, and a forum where PostPro users share tips on preparing parts, materials, machines and finished parts." canonical: https://amtechnologies.com/community/ updated: 2026-10-06 type: community --- PostPro vapor smoothing community # The PostPro community. Practical guides from the AMT team on preparing parts, materials, machines and finishing. And a forum where the people who run PostPro systems ask, answer and show their parts. [Join the community (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/) Read the guides Free to join AMT staff post as “AMT Team” Machine down? [Contact support](https://amtechnologies.com/support/) Start here ## Six guides to read first. Each guide is written by the AMT team from AMT’s published product pages, whitepapers and case studies, and lists its sources at the end. Where a setting depends on your parts, it says so: your AMT application engineer sets the process recipe. - [Gallery · Show your parts AMT gallery: before and after vapor smoothing Here are four pairs from AMT’s own published images. Each pair shows the same part as printed (left) and after PostPro vapor smoothing (right).](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/amt-before-and-after-gallery/) - Guide · Materials ### [PostPro Pure, FA326 or FA9202: which consumable for which material?](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/which-consumable/) AMT makes three vapor smoothing consumables. Which one you use decides which materials you can run, and on which machines. This summary follows AMT’s consumables page. - FAQ · Design for vapor smoothing ### [Will vapor smoothing change my part’s dimensions?](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/dimensional-change/) A little, and AMT has measured how much. - Guide · Design for vapor smoothing ### [Designing internal channels for vapor smoothing](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/internal-channels/) Internal channels are one of the best reasons to vapor smooth. The process seals internal surfaces as well as external ones: the SF2X page says it “also seals internal cavities”. AMT’s systems run under vacuum, which lets the vapor travel into hard-to-reach areas of the part. - FAQ · Machines ### [SF50 or SF100? The same machine with two chamber sizes](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/sf50-or-sf100/) We get this question a lot. The short answer: the PostPro SF50 and SF100 are the same machine. The difference is the chamber. The SF50 page describes it as having the same benefits as the SF100, with a more compact processing chamber for smaller production runs and prototyping. - Guide · Racking & hanging ### [How part orientation and fixturing affect results](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/orientation-and-fixturing/) AMT’s vapor smoothing systems run under vacuum, which, in AMT’s words, allows the vapor “to travel freely, condense on hard-to-reach areas of the part, and smooth them evenly”. That is why complex parts and lattices smooth well. How you hold the part still matters, for a few simple reasons. Guide library ## Every guide, by forum category. Grouped the way the forum is organized, so a follow-up question has an obvious home. Short reads, with a table wherever AMT publishes the numbers. 1. ### Start here The fastest route to AMT for anything urgent, and the words you will meet in these guides. 2 guides - [How to get help fast: support, orders, quotes and the forum Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/how-to-get-help/) - [Vapor smoothing glossary: the words you will see in the guides FAQ · 3 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/glossary/) 2. ### Tips & tricks Practical know-how for better vapor smoothed parts: preparing parts, racking, design and what comes after smoothing. 8 guides Preparing parts - [Before your first cycle: which printer technologies can be vapor smoothed? FAQ · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/is-my-technology-compatible/) Racking & hanging - [How part orientation and fixturing affect results Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/orientation-and-fixturing/) - [Know your chamber: sizes and cycle times across the SF range FAQ · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/know-your-chamber/) Design for vapor smoothing - [Will vapor smoothing change my part’s dimensions? FAQ · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/dimensional-change/) - [Designing internal channels for vapor smoothing Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/internal-channels/) - [Press-fits, snap-fits and assemblies after smoothing Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/press-fits-and-assemblies/) Post-smoothing - [Cleaning and handling smoothed parts Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/cleaning-and-handling/) - [What “sealed” means: water resistance and porosity Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/sealing-and-water-resistance/) 3. ### Materials What smooths, and with which consumable: polyamides, elastomers, polypropylene and more. 6 guides - [PostPro Pure, FA326 or FA9202: which consumable for which material? Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/which-consumable/) - [Vapor smoothing PA12: what AMT has published Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/pa12-what-we-know/) - [Vapor smoothing PA11: what AMT has published Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/pa11-what-we-know/) - [Vapor smoothing TPU and other elastomers: what AMT has published Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/tpu-what-we-know/) - [Vapor smoothing polypropylene: the FA9202 consumable Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/pp-what-we-know/) - [Beyond PA and TPU: composites, FDM parts and machined plastics Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/other-materials/) 4. ### Machines Owning and running PostPro systems: SFX, SF2X, SF50, SF100 and automated loading with DMS. 6 guides - [SF50 or SF100? The same machine with two chamber sizes FAQ · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/sf50-or-sf100/) - [Getting the most from your PostPro SFX Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/getting-the-most-from-sfx/) - [Getting the most from your PostPro SF2X Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/getting-the-most-from-sf2x/) - [Getting the most from your PostPro SF50 Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/getting-the-most-from-sf50/) - [Getting the most from your PostPro SF100 Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/getting-the-most-from-sf100/) - [Automated loading for the SF100: what DMS does Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/dms-automated-loading/) 5. ### Show your parts Before and after photos of your vapor smoothed parts. Tell us the material, the printer and the machine. 1 guide - [AMT gallery: before and after vapor smoothing Gallery · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/amt-before-and-after-gallery/) 6. ### Announcements Programs and news from the AMT team. 1 guide - [Test your parts: AMT’s free benchmark program Guide · 1 min](https://amtechnologies.com/community/guides/benchmark-program/) Tests and how-tos ## Try it, test it Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. - [Watch on YouTube:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRLKp64-12Y) Footage · Nov 8, 2024 Length 1:10 ### _Better Surface Bonding With Selective Vapor Smoothing_ How to keep an area rough for bonding: mask it with tape before vapor smoothing, then peel the tape off after the cycle. [Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRLKp64-12Y) - [Watch on YouTube:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLT7uopHM9s) Footage · Dec 11, 2024 Length 0:48 ### _Can Vapor Smoothing Protect Against Stains?_ Raw and vapor smoothed PA2200 SLS parts against colored juices: the raw part stains, the sealed part wipes clean. [Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLT7uopHM9s) - [Watch on YouTube:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqwN-XwfmXk) Footage · Jun 13, 2025 Length 0:57 ### _Vapor Smoothing vs. Raw 3D Prints | Underwater Durability Test_ A printed freediving camera frame, raw and vapor smoothed, taken into the sea: the sealed part sheds water, the raw part soaks it up. [Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqwN-XwfmXk) - [Watch on YouTube:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiHRoftyeI) Footage · Dec 6, 2024 Length 0:52 ### _Are Vapor Smoothed 3D Parts Stronger?_ A drop test with Formlabs PA11 SLS parts: the raw part breaks, the vapor smoothed part stays intact. [Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiHRoftyeI) How the forum works ## Share what you learned. Keep it useful. 1. ### Give context Say which material, which printer technology and which machine you used. A photo helps more than a paragraph. 2. ### Show what is yours to show Post parts you have the right to show. Crop or blur anything that belongs to a customer, and never post someone else’s drawings or data. 3. ### Faults go to support A machine that is down or showing a fault is a support case, not a forum thread. [AMT support](https://amtechnologies.com/support/) gets you running faster. 4. ### Recipes stay with AMT Process recipes are set by AMT application engineers for your parts. Share results and experience, and ask AMT before changing how your machine runs. AMT staff and application engineers moderate the forum. Posts signed “AMT Team” are written by AMT and link the published source behind every number. Conversation starters From the AMT team ### Open questions for the people who run the machines - Racking & hanging [Share your best racking setup for TPU lattices (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/share-your-best-racking-setup-for-tpu-lattices/41) - Design for vapor smoothing [Small features, text and sharp edges: test before you commit (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/small-features-text-and-sharp-edges-test-before-you-commit/45) - Design for vapor smoothing [Thin walls and lattices: what to check (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/thin-walls-and-lattices-what-to-check/46) - Post-smoothing [Dyeing and vapor smoothing: which comes first? (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/dyeing-and-vapor-smoothing-which-comes-first/48) - Post-smoothing [Painting, coating and bonding smoothed parts: share your experience (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/painting-coating-and-bonding-smoothed-parts-share-your-experience/49) - Post-smoothing [How do you check smoothed parts? Share your QA routine (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/how-do-you-check-smoothed-parts-share-your-qa-routine/52) - Show your parts [Show us your parts: how to share a great before and after (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/show-us-your-parts-how-to-share-a-great-before-and-after/66) - Ideas & feedback [What would make this community more useful to you? (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/what-would-make-this-community-more-useful-to-you/77) [Answer on the forum (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/) Applications ### From the case studies Published AMT stories, by industry. Read the story, then bring your questions about the application to the forum. - Case study · Medical [Point Designs, partial hand prostheses smoothed on a PostPro SFX](https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/3d-printed-partial-hand-prostheses/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/case-study-point-designs-partial-hand-prostheses-smoothed-on-a-postpro-sfx/67) - Case study · Automotive [GM spoiler closeout seals, 60,000 vapor smoothed TPU parts](https://amtechnologies.com/industries/automotive/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/case-study-gm-spoiler-closeout-seals-60-000-vapor-smoothed-tpu-parts/68) - Case study · Automotive [ABConcept rally parts through the Rallye du Maroc](https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/3d-printed-rally-car-parts/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/case-study-abconcept-rally-parts-through-the-rallye-du-maroc/69) - Spotlight · Consumer [ZiggZagg on tailoring gloss, friction and sealing](https://amtechnologies.com/industries/consumer/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/customer-spotlight-ziggzagg-on-tailoring-gloss-friction-and-sealing/70) - Case study · Industrial [Norden replaces a machined assembly with one smoothed part](https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/vapor-smoothing-for-production-machinery/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/case-study-norden-replaces-a-machined-assembly-with-one-smoothed-part/71) - Case study · Industrial [Protolabs, flame-retardant parts with UL94 V-0 compliance](https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/flame-retardant-3d-printed-parts/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/case-study-protolabs-flame-retardant-parts-with-ul94-v-0-compliance/72) - Case study · Industrial [Intelligent Energy, hydrogen UAV casings smoothed on a PostPro SF100](https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/3d-printed-uav-components/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/case-study-intelligent-energy-hydrogen-uav-casings-smoothed-on-a-postpro-sf100/73) - News · Industrial [FABULOUS and AMT: food-contact validation for DETECT PA11 with PostPro Pure](https://amtechnologies.com/news/fabulous-and-amt-validate-3dprinted-food-contact-compliance/) [Discuss (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/t/fabulous-and-amt-food-contact-validation-for-detect-pa11-with-postpro-pure/74) Join ## Ask, answer, show your parts. The AMT PostPro Community is free to join. Sign up with your email address, introduce yourself, and bring your before and after photos. [Join the community (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/) [Community guidelines (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/guidelines) Forum · Ideas & feedback ### Want to see your feature included? Tell the product team what would make your work with PostPro systems easier, or post it in the forum’s Ideas & feedback, where other users can add to it. The product team reads every suggestion. [Post it in the community (opens the community forum in a new tab)](https://amtpostpro.discourse.group/new-topic?category=ideas-and-feedback) Next step ## See the price. Run the numbers. Hold the part. List prices are public and the cost-per-part math is yours to check, with no email needed for either. The free benchmark puts your own parts, vapor smoothed, in your hands. 1. 01 Quote ### Build your quote Pick a system and its options and get an itemized total on screen, from AMT’s published list prices. [Build your quote](https://amtechnologies.com/quote/) 2. 02 ROI ### Calculate your ROI Compare your cost per part with manual finishing, using your own labor rate and volumes. Every assumption is editable. [Calculate ROI](https://amtechnologies.com/roi/) 3. 03 Benchmark ### Test your parts, free Ship us your parts with a prepaid label. We vapor smooth them and send them back with before-and-after photos and a benchmark report. [Test your parts, free](https://benchmarking.amtechnologies.com/submit?utm_source=amtechnologies.com&utm_medium=community-page&utm_campaign=site-2026&utm_content=community-decision) No cost to evaluate · Parts returned · Typical turnaround 2–3 weeks[1] Prices: AMT list prices, excluding tax and shipping; confirmed in your formal quote. [Not sure which system? Help me choose](https://amtechnologies.com/configurator/) ## Sources 1. [PostPro benchmarking: send us your 3D printed parts](https://benchmarking.amtechnologies.com/) · AMT · read Oct 6, 2026