Type 5P – INMOULD Xtreme, featuring PTAC™

If you’re on the hunt for high quality, self-adhesive graphics with no cleaning required that are designed for use with rotationally moulded plastic parts, PSI Brand has the perfect solution. Let’s take a look at our Type 5P X-Treme in-mould graphics for extreme applications.

PSI Brand INMOULD X-Treme graphics become fully fused-into and flush with the surface of your plastic part, during the moulding cycle itself. This brilliant permanent branding method combines the many benefits of our classic ‘easy-peel’ adhesive featured in our INMOULD Original range, with a unique addition – a fully transparent, flexible polyethene based construction that gives your graphic a high level of abrasion and flame resistance. INMOULD X-Treme graphics allow you to maintain an ultra-fine level of detail against a transparent background that blends into the plastic surface during the moulding process.

Like all of our popular INMOULD products, the INMOULD X-Treme graphic system is fully self-adhesive. Your graphic is simply applied to the inside surface of the mould – just peel and stick using the PTAC easy-peel adhesive system, with a hard-plastic squeegee handy to smooth out the application and remove any air bubbles.

How to apply Type 5P to rotomoulded parts

The application process for your INMOULD X-Treme graphics is as follows.

Step 1
Ensure that the mould surface is clean and free from dust, powder particles and release agents, as these can all affect the appearance of your graphic once moulded. A simple tape test can be used to make sure your mould surface is ready – if a piece of tape placed on the surface removes easily, this indicates that a release agent may be present.

Remove the release backing from your graphic, exposing the pre-coated self-adhesive side of the graphic.

Step 2
Carefully apply the graphic to your selected part of the mould, using your finger to create a central line of adhesion.

Step 3
Use a hard plastic squeegee to smooth the graphic from the center line out towards each edge, to avoid trapping air and creating air bubbles in between the graphic and the surface. Apply even pressure over the entire graphic to ensure full contact of the adhesive with the mould surface. If correct adhesion is not achieved at this stage, small dimples or sunken areas may appear in the graphic once moulded.
At this point, check that graphic is correctly positioned – if not, it can simply be peeled from the mould, and then carefully reapplied.

Step 4
Proceed with your moulding cycle, but avoid overcooking the material as this can cause the graphic pigments to discolour.
When moulding large, open type products such as troughs and tanks that require large quantities of powder, you may need to reduce the rotation speed, or apply the graphic to a recess in the surface to optimise your results.

Step 5
Once the mould cycle is complete and you’ve removed your plastic part from the mould, you should notice that the adhesive backing has separated from the graphic. Remove this clear film from the surface and discard it, then admire your handiwork!

Using INMOULD X-Treme with PTAC self-adhesive removes the need for you to clean any residue from either the graphic or the mould. What’s more, your new INMOULD X-Treme graphics feature a superior level of resistance to harmful UV rays and harsh outdoor environments, as well as chemicals, physical abrasion and flames.

The training process for rotational moulding

For further tips on the application of our INMOULD and POSTMOULD graphic systems, we have a series of detailed application videos available on our website.

We’ve also launched an online training portal where you can learn all about our revolutionary graphic solutions and develop the ability to brand plastics with confidence through our professionally developed, three-step training process. To get started, register for free today and start your journey towards becoming PSI Certified.

If you have any questions about our INMOULD X-Treme product or any of our other permanent graphics solutions, feel free to contact us and one of our plastic branding experts will be happy to assist.