by Jennifer Heathcote, business development manager, GEW, Inc. Optically transparent UV-cured hardcoats, topcoats, overcoats and clearcoats are utilized in numerous plastics decorating processes. As the descriptors suggest, these coatings tend to be clear but also can be tinted or formulated with other visual additives, are applied to the outermost surface of manufactured … [Read more...] about UV LED Curing for Surface Hardcoats
Articles
Improving Polymer Adhesion: Advancements for Low Surface Energy Plastics Applications
by Scott R. Sabreen, president, The Sabreen Group Many polymers are inherently hydrophobic, low-surface energy substrates that do not adhere well to like or dissimilar materials. Surface modification methods are proven to solve most adhesion problems. Traditional methods include electrical (corona) discharge, flame plasma, atmospheric plasma, cold-gas plasma and UV … [Read more...] about Improving Polymer Adhesion: Advancements for Low Surface Energy Plastics Applications
In-Mold Decorating Continues to Expand
Despite its slow growth in the US, in-mold decorating and labeling processes have proven themselves to be popular with plastics decorators and molders. Plastics Decorating recently sat down with Dave Schoofs, business and product development at Central Decal, to discuss the ways in which IMD/IML has made an impact, how molders can best make use of the technology, and how IMD … [Read more...] about In-Mold Decorating Continues to Expand
20 Years of Plastics Decorating Magazine
by Dianna Brodine, managing editor, Plastics Decorating Some things that began in the year 2000 were built to last. The television program “Survivor” crowned its first winner and became the most popular TV show of the season. Oprah published the first issue of her magazine, O. The first three-man crew was assigned to live on the new International Space Station. And, 20 years … [Read more...] about 20 Years of Plastics Decorating Magazine
The Importance of Process-Specific Audits
by Paul Uglum, president, Uglum Consulting, LLC Auditing and quality assessment have long been critical for success in plastic decoration. These can take the form of widely accepted quality certifications or more narrowly defined requirements that are industry or company specific. Two assessments that are well established are ISO 9001 and IAFT 16949. ISO 9001 is the … [Read more...] about The Importance of Process-Specific Audits