While work on the first issue of 2023 is well underway, we paused to see which Plastics Decorating articles from 2022 caught the eyes of our readers. The following stories were the top reads from 2022 for visitors to the website.
1. Dry Ice Blasting vs. CO2 Spray Cleaning
CO2 spray technologies are an effective, innovative and environmentally friendly cleaning technology option that can be configured in two ways: dry ice blasting and CO2 spray cleaning.
2. UV/Ozone Surface Pretreatment to Improve Adhesion of Polymers
Ultraviolet/ozone pretreatment is a highly effective photochemical oxidation process for removing organic contaminates from polymer surfaces and improving adhesion. The process is conducted at ambient condition, easy to use and inexpensive.
3. Design Concerns for Durable Products: IML/IMD/IME
Properly designing an injection-molded part and the resulting tooling can be complex, as modifications to traditional molded part design and additional in-mold specific consideration are required.
4. Smart Coatings for Smart Surfaces in Decorated Plastic
Smart coatings have found use in many industries and applications beyond plastic, ranging from construction to cosmetics. Smart coatings can be applied by any number of plastic decorating techniques, ranging from physical vapor deposition to conventional painting processes.
5. Advanced Technologies for Decorating Polyethylene
Polyethylene (PE), one of the most widely utilized polymers, is classified by its density and branching. The type of PE has a significant impact on secondary operations. The most common types are LDPE, HDPE and cross-linked. PE products are difficult to bond and decorate due to their chemical, physical and hydrophobic surface properties.