If you’re wondering what to use for special effects on your rotationally moulded parts, or how to achieve a metallic finish with rotomoulded parts, we have the perfect solution. Allow us to introduce the PSI Brand ENHANCE rotational moulding surface enhancing process, a quick and easy way to achieve a stunning metallic result on any rotomoulded plastic product.
Combining PE products with metallic materials can be tricky, as any seasoned rotomoulder will tell you. There are several methods that can be used to achieve this:
You can now have a metallic surface appearance in any of the following ways:
– Metalised, where the plastic is sprayed with a material that contains a high percentage of metal
– Self-colour metallics or dry-blend pigments, which gives the product a metallic effect throughout the moulding
– Metallic paint, which can be applied directly to the mouldings
The typical option chosen by most manufacturers is dry-blend pigments, however, this has been known to reduce the strength of your material.
PSI Brand spoke to Carla Martins, Assistant Professor at University of Minho and Director of the Polymer Engineering Master Course, who often pushes the boundary on different rotational moulding theories. Together, we decided to test this theory by using ENHANCE, and find out how to improve rotomoulded plastic strength while achieving a realistic and long-lasting metallic effect.
Water Based Surface Enhancer
Additionally, our water-based surface enhancer, ENHANCE, has proven over the years to significantly reduce surface pin-holing in PE materials. We decided to see if this rang true for rotomoulded parts with a metallic finish, enabling us to discover how to remove pinholes from products of this type.
Carla produced a range of PE parts featuring bronze metallic pigments both with and without ENHANCE and the results clearly speak for themselves.
Observations on the two boxes produced clearly show an improvement in surface quality with regards to surface porosity, meaning that pinholes were substantially reduced when ENHANCE was used. In addition, ENHANCE promotes the overall quality of the materials used, and the metallic plastic products with this innovative surface enhancer applied demonstrated higher levels of strength and durability.
PSI Brand has prepared a comprehensive report that details the use of our ENHANCE product, including comparison photos and optical microscopy analysis. You can download a copy of the full report.
To find out more about our revolutionary ENHANCE surface enhancer for all kinds of rotomoulded plastics, or to request a free sample, contact us today.
