07.09.2010
Kurz releases a weather, leach, abrasion and scratch resistant coating
The surface finishing specialist Kurz will be presenting a new hot stamping foil for outdoor applications at K 2010. The Colorit High Resistance stamping foil has been specially developed for decorating and labeling plastic articles such as beverage crates, trash cans, pallets, tubs and buckets. According to Kurz, surface coatings produced using Colorit High Resistance are able to withstand high wear and tear conditions. The coating is suitable, for example, for decorating bottle crates that are stored outdoors and subjected to a variety of wash cycles with cleaning agents. This suitability has been confirmed by a test certificate produced according to the Special Technical Terms of Delivery and Supply (STLB) for bottle crates. Further information about the durability characteristics of this product can be obtained by requesting a detailed technical specification from the supplier.
Economical decoration process
To fulfill the stringent requirements on durability, these plastic containers for outdoor use have predominantly been decorated using pad or silk-screen printing. Using Colorit High Resistance, however, it is now possible to exploit the particular advantages of hot stamping for the previously mentioned outdoor applications. The hot stamping process provides an efficient means of surface finishing while also achieving a high visual quality. This dry transfer technology substantially simplifies the finishing process. The substrate requires no pre-treatment, the machine setup times are short, no adjustment of the lacquer viscosity is required, and the decorated part can be used straight away as no drying is required. Design changeovers can be achieved simply by replacing the stamping foil roll, which eliminates cleaning-related machine downtimes. The dry lacquer transfer process is also environmentally compatible because it requires no solvents. The leftover carrier foil after transfer is suitable for thermal disposal, so no special waste is produced.
Hot stamping expands the design possibilities
The visual advantages of hot stamping technology also come into play when using Colorit High Resistance for beverage crates, trash cans and the like. The hot stamping foil produces an especially homogeneous colored finish and delivers clean tear-off edges and a high gloss level. The new stamping foil is available in five standard colors ex warehouse, and can also be produced in customer-specific colors.
The hot stamping foils come in a large variety of designs, including in a gold or chrome look as well as many other metallic colors, with a matt or gloss finish, and with brushed structures. Holographic designs can also be implemented, along with multi-colored designs that can be transferred in a single work operation. Thanks to their high durability and the diverse range of designs available, these stamping foil grades from Kurz are opening up entirely new applications. To find out more, visit the KURZ booth A19 in Hall 5 at K 2010.