Eight processing technologies for the surface of aluminum plates

Product appearance designs are diverse, and texture is one of the factors that affect the exquisite appearance of products. Different textures can bring different styles and feelings. Here, we will briefly introduce several surface texture realization techniques.

1. Embossing:

Metal embossing drawing is to emboss the metal plate through mechanical equipment, so that the surface of the plate has a concave-convex pattern.

The embossed metal sheet is rolled with patterned work rolls. The work rolls are usually processed with corrosive liquid. The depth of the unevenness on the plate varies with the pattern, and the minimum can reach 0.02-0.03mm. After the work roll is continuously rotated and rolled, the pattern repeats periodically, and the length of the embossed plate is basically unlimited.

At present, the metal embossing plate is suitable for decoration elevator car, subway car, various cabins, architectural decoration, metal curtain wall and other industries. It has the advantages of being durable, durable, durable, visually beautiful, easy to clean, maintenance-free, resistant, resistant to pressure, scratching, and leaving no fingerprints.

2. Metal wire drawing:

Metal wire drawing is the manufacturing process of repeatedly scraping aluminum plates out of lines with sandpaper.

The metal wire drawing process can clearly show every tiny wire mark, so that the metal matte shines with fine hair luster, and the product has a sense of fashion and technology. Wire drawing can be made into straight grain, random grain, thread, corrugated and spiral grain according to the needs of decoration.

Straight grain: Wire drawing refers to the processing of straight grains on the surface of the aluminum plate by mechanical friction.

Random pattern: Wire drawing is a kind of irregular and non-obvious matte silk pattern obtained by moving and rubbing the aluminum plate back and forth under a high-speed copper wire brush.

Thread: use a small motor with a round felt on the shaft, fix it on the table, at an angle of about 60 degrees with the edge of the table, and make a carriage with a fixed aluminum plate for pressing tea. A polyester film with straight edges is attached to limit thread competition.

Ripple: Generally, it is made on a brushing machine or a grazing machine. Using the axial movement of the upper group of grinding rollers, the surface of the aluminum or aluminum alloy plate is brushed to obtain wave patterns.

Swirl pattern: It is a kind of silk pattern obtained by rotating and polishing the surface of aluminum or aluminum alloy plate by using cylindrical felt or grind nylon wheel to install on the drilling machine, blending and polishing oil with kerosene. It is mostly used for decorative processing of round signs and small decorative dials.

3. IMR process:

IMR (In-Mold Transfer) This process is to print the pattern on the film. The film is attached to the mold cavity through the film feeder for extrusion. After extrusion, the patterned ink layer is separated from the film, and the ink layer remains On the plastic part, a plastic part with a decorative pattern on the surface is obtained. There is no transparent protective film on the surface of the final product, and the film is only a carrier in the production process.

IMR products are not easy to be deformed, the edges of the products are completely covered, and the edge adhesion is strong. It is very easy to change the roll of IMR transfer foil. The process is simple, so the defect rate can be controlled within a few points. The process is simple, so the demand for personnel can be reduced. At the lowest point, the pattern alignment is perfect, the hardness can reach 2H, the automation degree in production is high, and the cost of mass production is low.

can realize texture: wood, bamboo, marble, leather and other textures.

Product shortcomings: The printed pattern layer is on the surface of the product, and the thickness is only a few microns. After the product is used for a period of time, the printed pattern layer is easily worn off, and it is also easy to fade, causing the surface to be very unsightly. In addition, the new product development cycle is long and the development cost is high.

4. Water transfer printing process:

Water transfer technology is a kind of printing that uses water pressure to hydrolyze patterned transfer paper/plastic film. As people's requirements for product packaging and decoration increase, water transfer printing has become more and more widely used. The principle of indirect printing and perfect printing effect have solved many problems of product surface decoration.

5. Hot stamping

Hot stamping is commonly known as "hot stamping". The essence of hot stamping is transfer, which is the process of transferring the pattern on the hot stamping paper to the substrate through the action of heat and pressure. The pressure of the mold produces depressions, and the printed words or patterns are not easy to be blurred, so the patterns, logos, text or pictures can be firmly adhered to the surface of the product.

Hot stamping die and foil are the two key components of the hot stamping process. The stamping die is generally composed of magnesium, brass and steel, and some use silicone rubber on the surface of the metal stamping die for uneven surfaces. The hot stamping mold foil mainly includes a carrier, a release layer, a protective layer and a decorative layer.

The hot stamping process consists of 4 steps:

(1) The hot stamping foil is in contact with the substrate;

(2) By virtue of heat and pressure, the transfer layer is transferred to the surface of the substrate;

(3) Relieve the pressure and peel off the polyester film;

(4) Feed the hot stamping foil and replace it with the substrate to be hot stamped.

6. Metal etching

is also called photochemical corrosion. After exposure, plate making and development, the protective film on the pattern area to be etched is removed, and the chemical solution is contacted during metal etching to achieve the effect of dissolving and corroding, forming a concave-convex or hollow-out molding effect. For general consumer products, the pattern or text logo on the aluminum plate is often made by etching. In addition, etching is often used to make various metal horn nets.

7. CNC machining

CNC machining refers to machining with numerically controlled machining tools. The CNC numerical control machine tool is programmed by the numerical control processing language to control the feed speed of the processing tool and the spindle speed, as well as the tool changer, coolant, etc., so as to physically process the surface of the substrate. CNC machining has great advantages over manual machining. For example, the parts produced by CNC machining are very accurate and repeatable; CNC machining can produce parts with complex shapes that cannot be completed by manual machining.

8. Metal hot stamping

Refers to the use of a metal hot stamping plate to transfer the hot stamping foil to the surface of the printing material through heating and pressure. For metal substrate hot stamping, a proprietary metal hot stamping film is required, or after spraying on the surface of the substrate, the hot stamping film is attached. Since the hot stamping foil has diversified characteristics, the metal substrate can also be quickly and diversified, and the surface hot stamping treatment can be performed more environmentally, so as to achieve our original design intention.