Whether you are a designer in the mobile phone, automobile, home appliances, or any other industrial product, you have encountered an increasingly popular process. In essence, it is a film process, scientifically called film decoration.
film decoration applications are widely used, mainly including IMD (mold decoration), OMD (mold decoration), color board, water transfer , thermal transfer (hot stamping}, etc. Today, let’s learn about these common film decoration process processes.
1 mold decoration IMD
〈Concept IMD〉
〈Concept IMD〉
〈In-Mold Decoration Technology Classification and Process Technology IMD〉
〈In-Mold Decoration Technology Classification and Process Technology IMD〉
〈In-Mold Decoration Technology Dimensions are divided into three types according to the different processes and product structure and shapes:
In-Mold Label In-Mold Label, referred to as IML-2D
In-Mold Roller In-Mold transfer, referred to as IMR-2D
In-Mold Forming In-Mold Hot press , referred to as IMF-3D
In-Mold Label In-Mold Label In-Mold Label Process
Figure IML Process Flow
In-Mold Roller In-mold transfer process
Process steps: send the film into the mold and position it, then after closing the mold, the pattern is transferred to the injection product, after opening the mold, the film is peeled off, and the product is ejected.
Technical features: fast production speed, stable yield, low cost, meet the needs of 3C industry changes in large life cycle and short life cycle. Application products: mobile phones, digital cameras and 3C products, etc.
diagram IMR application process
In-Mold Forming In-mold thermal pressing process
diagram IMF application process
2 Exterior Decoration OMD
〈Concept OMD〉
Out Mold Decoration (Out Mold Decoration) is abbreviated as OMD. It is a visual, tactile and functional integration and display. IMD extended decoration technology is a 3D surface decoration technology that combines printing, texture structure and metallization characteristics.
〈Exterior Decoration Technology Classification and Process OMD〉
OMD is divided into OMF and OMR.
OMF(Forming Film): In OMD, there is a coating film and a rear-section cutting process is required.
OMR(Release Film): In OMD, the film can be tear apart to avoid cutting process.
Figure OMF simple process display
〈Outside mold decoration technology application process OMD〉
Figure Outside mold decoration technology application process
Note: Using OMF process requires tailoring, using OMR process does not require tailoring, but UV is added.
3 Color plate/ color coated steel plate
〈Concept color plate〉
color coated plate also refers to color coated steel plate and color plate, which is a steel plate with organic coating. color coated steel plate is a product made of cold-rolled steel plate and galvanized steel plate as substrate , which is made of surface pretreatment (degreasing, cleaning, chemical conversion treatment), and painted in a continuous method (roll coating method), baking and cooling. Color plates are widely used in the field of white household appliances, as well as TV back shells, computer cases, small household appliances, ship interiors, home decoration, etc.
〈Color plate classification color plate〉
Classified by market purpose
Color coated steel plate market uses mainly divided into three parts: construction, home appliances and transportation, among which the construction field accounts for the largest proportion, followed by the home appliance industry, and the transportation industry accounts for a small part.
Classified by substrate
Classified by substrate
The substrates commonly used for organic coated steel plates include: cold rolled plate, hot-dip galvanized plate , electro-galvanized , alloyed plate, galvanized aluminum plate, electro-galvanized alloy plate, tin plate , chrome plate, aluminum plate, etc.
Classified by process
According to different coating methods, there are organic coated steel plates made of spraying method, roller coating method, powder method, composite film method, printing method and other processes.Due to the different number of coatings, it can also be divided into organic coated steel plates made of different processes such as one coating and one baking, two coating and two baking, three coating and three baking. In addition, it can also be divided into embossed and printed materials, such as wood grain, marble grain, etc.
Classified by coating
is usually classified by coatings used for color-coated boards, mainly including polyvinyl chloride-coated steel plates, polyester-coated steel plates, acrylic-coated steel plates, fluorocarbon-coated steel plates, silicon polyester-coated steel plates, etc.
Classified by coating performance
According to organic coating performance, it can be divided into high weather resistance coating board , high temperature resistant coating board, self-extinguishing coating board, sterilized coating board, non-stick snow coating board, fingerprint-resistant coating board and self-lubricating coating board, etc.
〈Generics of color boards and their composition of color boards〉
PCM color boards
PCM color boards are continuous roller coating decoration on hot-dip galvanized substrates. In 1936, the first generation of colored panel PCM originated in the United States and was originally used to replace wooden blinds.
PCM is also called color pre-coated steel plate. The first generation of color plate products are pre-coated on metal substrates, that is, spray paint on the metal surface. The main advantages of this type of product are rich colors, high production efficiency and large cost advantages. However, it is generally monochrome products and may not be suitable for the appearance of high-end products, but it has been widely used in European brands of refrigerators and domestic washing machines.
Figure PCM color plate structure
PPM color plate
Printed PPM color plate is a color coated steel plate specially designed to increase the product's rich pattern effect while ensuring product anti-corrosion performance.
PPM product is the fourth generation color plate product, which is a roller-coated color plate. The number of coatings can reach two coats, two baking or even three coats, and the appearance effect is no longer limited to monochrome. It can be printed according to the needs to create a rich appearance effect. This product has almost the same appearance, quality and cost advantages, and is widely used.
Figure PPM product structure
VCM color board
VCM i.e. PET/PVC film color steel plate, usually refers to a product made by surface treatment of the galvanized substrate or bonding an organic film and baking it.
VCM product is to composite PVC film on the metal surface to make it firmly bonded, also known as PET/PVC film colored steel plate. This product has the advantages of beautiful appearance, excellent processing performance, corrosion and scratch resistance, and can achieve different effects from low to high light. The film on the surface has special treatment characteristics such as printing, and can show a variety of colors and texture effects.
Figure VCM product structure diagram
PEM color board
PEM color board not only has a beautiful appearance and excellent decorative effect, but also does not contain PVC at all. It is a true green color board and has become a new trend in the development of the home appliance color board and decorative color board industry.
PEM product is an environmentally friendly upgrade of VCM products. This product removes the PVC layer of VCM and retains the PET layer. It not only has a beautiful surface effect, but also conforms to the true green and environmental protection.
Figure PEM product structure diagram
ACM color board
ACM product is a new type of composite color board, which is laminated with steel plate after composite of PET and AL alloy platinum, and the appearance of metal is very strong. The enhancement of metallic feel can directly enhance the texture of the appearance of home appliances, which is suitable for the appearance of high-end home appliances.
diagram ACM product structure diagram
〈color board production process color board〉
diagram color board production process and its product application
4 water transfer
〈Concept water transfer〉
〈Concept water transfer〉
water transfer is a technology that transfers flat printed graphics and texts to the surfaces of objects of different materials through the action of water. Water transfer is divided into two types: water mark transfer and water-covered transfer (curved surface covering). Water mark transfer is mainly used for transfer of text and photo patterns, while water-covered transfer is mainly used for complete transfer on the entire surface of the object.
〈Process process water transfer〉
Figure Water transfer process process
water transfer process dynamic demonstration
water transfer product diagram, from the network
.
5 Thermal transfer
〈Concept Thermal transfer〉
Thermal transfer is an emerging printing process that has been introduced abroad for only more than 10 years. This process printing method is divided into two parts: transfer film printing and transfer processing.
transfer film printing adopts dot printing (resolution up to 300dpi), and the pattern is pre-printed on the film surface. The printed pattern has the characteristics of rich layers and bright colors, which can achieve the required effect of the pattern designer and is suitable for mass production.
transfer processing transfers exquisite patterns on the transfer film on the product surface through a thermal transfer machine (heating and pressurizing). After forming, the ink layer is integrated with the product surface, which is realistic and beautiful, greatly improving the grade of the product. However, due to the high technical content of this process, many materials need to be imported.
〈Processing process thermal transfer〉
Figure Thermal transfer process
Figure Thermal transfer equipment and consumables
