Sublimation coating is a widely used technology for heat transfer on decoration items such as ceramic mug. But how to apply this coating properly is a technical tatctic which is not workable by home purpose. Here we mainly talk about the mass operation for industrial production line.
What’s sublimation coating? Sublimation coating is clear, paint-like coatings that can be applied to virtually any surface, making that surface into a sublimatable substrate. In this process, it allows an image to be transferred to any type of product or surface that has been covered with the coating. Sublimation coatings are applied using aerosol spray, which affords a greater control over the amount applied. Materials as diverse as wood, metal and glass can be coated to allow images to adhere to them and not lose any definition.
What’s the process of sublimation coating?
- Load to conveyor system -> 2. Preheat -> 3. Dust cleaning -> 4. Flamming -> 5. Spray coating -> 6. Curing
This is the full process on automatic painting system. After preheating for few minutes, it’s ready for surface cleaning by electrostatic solution. Because we must make sure it’s dust free and grease free, then the next stage is flamming. Spraying is handled by multiple spray guns from different angles by preset position. Make sure to adjust air pressure and paint atomizing properly so everywhere on mug can be properly coated. After paint spraying, we let them to stay few minutes on conveyor so the paint layer can be smooth and even (paint will flow till its even). The final stage is curing in furnace under high temperature(250 celius degrees) for 20-30 minutes. After cured and cooled down, it’s ready for image transfer printing. It doesnt have to be done immediately but can be stored for very a long time so we can use when required.
