Lacquering

Production to the highest global standards

We’re alone in the Nordics in our ability to offer both wet lacquering and various vacuum-based metallising techniques under one roof. What’s more, our production equipment is among Europe’s most advanced, and we have 40 years’ experience. We began lacquering plastic parts back in 1973. Since then, we’ve lacquered hundreds of millions of components for such things as mobile phones and other consumer electronics. Today, we’re one of the few specialists in surface treatment for hearing aids, worldwide. Many companies turn to us to learn more about the possibilities of wet lacquering on plastic and other materials.

Combining colour with effects

While lacquering is an excellent, cost-effective technique that creates added value for your products, its more than just painting parts. Surface treatment, just like well considered and skilfully applied make-up, can create individual identity and beauty. This is especially true in the case of what are often drab plastic parts. Only your imagination sets the limits for what’s possible. Choose a colour and combine it with a number of different effects: signal colours, glittering precious metal metallic or colour ABC. There is also another, often forgotten quality that can be added to a product, namely its feel. These tactile effects convey sensations that lie beyond the visual. A conscious choice of how a product should feel can lead to added sales if the feel is perceived as pleasant. Typically, soft-feel lacquer provide such a surface.

Metallising adds another dimension

We may also combine the lacquer with metallising, which adds an additional dimension. Imagine a plastic part that looks like a matte, anodised aluminium surface or one that has various chrome effects. All this without any negative environmental effects as we only use eco-friendly metals in incredibly thin layers. While on the subject of the environment, none of the material we use contains heavy metals. We also take care of residual lacquer products; left-over paint is collected and incinerated together with household waste. Solvents are burned efficiently in an air cleaning incineration plant, which guarantees compliance with ISO 14001 environmental standards.

Process description

Fixturing and removal

Parts for surface treatment are known as substrates. A substrate needs to be secured in a fixture during the lacquering process, and where necessary, areas that must not be painted are masked. Fixturing and removal takes place outside the lacquering unit. The parts are inspected upon removal, and materials that fail to meet quality standards are discarded.

Manual lacquering

Short series are lacquered manually but very efficiently using single component lacquers. These lacquers contain no hardeners and cure at temperatures between 50 and 200°C and above in various ovens. In manual lacquering, a smoothing primer is also used to improve the surface of the parts before metallising. A protective clear coat in various gloss levels is applied after metallising.

Automated lacquering

We work almost exclusively with two-component lacquers in our two robotised lacquering facilities. The lacquer component is mixed with a hardener and a chemical reaction starts a curing process to form e.g. polyurethane. We can lacquer up to three layers immediately after each other. This allows various combinations such as primer, colour, topcoat, or colour 1, colour 2, clear coat, depending on the preferred effect. We can also combine lacquering with metallising. The possibilities are many.

Between each lacquering stage, the parts pass through a so-called flash-off, where the solvent evaporates before the next layer of lacquer is applied. The parts then enter an oven that accelerates curing by the application of heat for 30–45 minutes. Certain effect lacquers such as piano lacquers, must be cured further before handling.

Quality

The automated lacquering lines comply with strict quality standards. All parts handling during the process takes place in cleanrooms under constant positive air pressure. Both parts and personnel pass through airlocks so that as little dust as possible can enter the rooms. A well-trained eye with good colour vision is a must for quality control work before and after the lacquering process. Furthermore, lacquer gloss, adhesion and layer thickness is constantly checked. Fully automated inspection is also used for large volumes.

Environment

The lacquer that does not adhere to the substrate is trapped by a water curtain. The pigmentation material is then separated and incinerated together with household waste. No heavy metals are used. The solvents are led to our incineration plant, which has an efficiency of above 90 per cent.