New method for surface decoration of metal products

Common methods for surface decoration of metal products

There are various ways to make patterns and patterns on the surface of metal products. There are various kinds of decorative films or stickers on the surface of metal products. There are chemical methods such as etching and electroplating to make the surface of metal products be decorated. There are also direct The surface of the metal product is decorated by spraying or directly through screen printing, letterpress printing, pad printing, and inkjet printing. Various methods have their strengths, but there are also deficiencies or limitations. If all kinds of decorative film or sticker paper are pasted, the decorative film or self-adhesive paper will easily break away and damage the graphic and text; if the chemical method is adopted, the process is complicated, time-consuming and labor-consuming, and special instruments and equipment are needed, and the corresponding manufacturing cost It also increases; on the surface of metal products directly painted, it requires high-temperature baking, process is difficult to control, quality and efficiency are poor, the pattern reproducibility is not good, and the cost is high, this process is now rarely used Directly through the silk screen form, although the ink layer is thick, texture is good, and the ink is used in a wide range, the curved surface printing can be performed, but it is difficult to get a fine layered pattern of 175 lines. In particular, if the surface treatment is improper before printing, the graphic and text are easily detached. The graphic layer also needs to be baked at a high temperature, but the graphic texts that have been baked at high temperatures lack the vividness of color.

New method for surface decoration of metal products

Nowadays, Shantou Dongtian Transfer Co., Ltd. uses the thermal transfer production process to easily form a variety of graphics on the surface of metal products.

The thermal transfer production process here is in the form of transferring the image printed on the transfer film to the surface of the metal product to be decorated by heating and pressing. The printing method can be divided into transfer film printing and transfer processing.

1. Transfer film printing

A protective layer, a graphic layer, and an adhesive layer are sequentially printed on the PET carrier film by gravure printing, flexo printing, or screen printing. In order to make the graphic has a metallic effect, a vacuum aluminum plating layer can be added between the graphic layer and the adhesive layer, and a decorative layer can be formed together with the graphic layer. In order to make the picture and text have a laser anti-counterfeit decoration function, any layer of the decorative layer or the protective layer may be molded so as to have a three-dimensional visual effect.

2. Transfer printing

By heating and pressing with a thermal transfer machine, the graphic decoration layer on the transfer film is transferred to the surface of the metal article to be decorated, and the primary transfer is completed.

In order to make the combination of the graphic decoration layer and the surface of the metal product more firm, an organic silicon oxide film layer may also be formed on the surface of the metal product.

Thermal transfer of metal surfaces

The use of thermal transfer production process to decorate the surface of metal products has the following advantages:

1. Strong adhesion, durable wear. Since the graphic decoration layer is fastened to the surface of the metal product by the adhesive, the surface is smooth, so the graphic decoration layer is not easy to fall off, and the adhesive layer can also be achieved by changing its formulation or forming multiple layers of adhesive layers by multiple coating. Better combined with the metal surface, so that the graphic decoration layer is more firmly attached to the metal surface; and the protective layer can also protect the graphic decoration layer, so that the graphic decoration with wear and weather resistance.

2. Improve product quality and increase added value. In particular, transfer printing film uses gravure printing method to obtain images and texts. When the images and texts are transferred to the surface of metal products, it shows high accuracy, strong three-dimensional effect, and rich layers, which can achieve photo-like image quality, and the graphic layer. Without high-temperature baking, not only save energy, but also bright colors, which greatly enhance the grade of metal products, increase the added value.

3. Transfer printing process is simple and quick, no pollution. The use of a thermal transfer machine to transfer the graphic decoration layer on the transfer film to the surface of the metal product is simple, quick, easy to grasp, and the primary transfer is complete without pollution. Pre-job training for operating workers does not require much time.

4. The surface decoration of metal products can be easily obtained, not only the graphic reproduction is good, but also large-scale industrial production, greatly reducing the manufacturing cost.

Source: China Packaging News