Metallising for decoration

For the coating to achieve the mirror-like effect, it is essential that the surface be as smooth as possible. Most plastic surfaces are not good enough, but we remedy this with a special surface smoothing primer. The rings in an Audi steering wheel or the bathroom washbasin drain are typical examples of plastic components using a thin, decorative metallic surface.

Wherever there is a need to achieve a metallic surface or effect in an eco-friendly way, our techniques are particularly useful, especially in indoor products.

We coat the plastic parts with a very thin layer of aluminium, which is then sealed with various clear lacquers. This gives the plastic a matte or gloss metallic finish that is perceived visually as solid metal.
Any material that can be lacquered is suitable for metallising, including glass and different metals. Practically all amorphous plastics such as ABS, PC or PS are suitable. We can also metallise certain semi-crystalline thermoplastics such as PA and PP. AMB coats thousands of components for applications within lighting, HVAC, toys, baby’s dummies, household appliances and so forth.

Metallising for reflection

The quality of a reflector determines how efficiently a light source is made use of. A plastic reflector coated with a thin reflecting layer of aluminium is ideal in many respects. It is resource-efficient, eco-friendly while also providing a high light yield. The design properties of plastic also allow the creation of optimal reflectors. The application controls the choice of materials; polycarbonate or PBT is suitable for compact fluorescent tubes while PPS is best for halogen headlights.

AMB has the expertise to help you choose the right material and the experience to mould high quality reflectors with various protective coatings. We retain full control of the process through our integrated production concept where we link injection moulding to metallising for reflection and surface protection characteristics by means of various lacquer finishes.

Metallising for EMC shielding

The world around us is full of electronic devices, all of which are potential sources of interference. Today, there are requirements that no equipment be allowed to interfere with other systems through electromagnetic interference (EMI).

AMB shields plastic parts which incorporate various types of electronics. A shielded plastic cover prevents the device from emitting or suffering interference from electromagnetic radiation. We do this by applying a 3–5 µm film of aluminium. Hitherto, AMB has used this effective method to shield over 100 million plastic components used in both consumer electronics and industrial applications.

The method is also excellent for very complicated parts that only require partial coating.