At Amey Plastics, we are always looking to evolve and provide our customers with more than just injection mouldings.
In addition to ultra-sonic welding, pad printing, inserting and assembly, we are delighted to announce we can now offer a new service, hot foil blocking!
In this blog, we’ll explain exactly what hot foil blocking is, it’s benefits and detail the features of our new machine.
What is Hot Foil Blocking?
Hot foil blocking is a printing process in which pre-dried inks are pressed into a foil and printed onto a surface using heat and pressure.
How Does it Work?
Hot foil blocking can trace its origins all the way back to the 19th century. Over this time, it has been tweaked and refined many times, resulting in an efficient and streamlined process.
To begin with, a design is loaded onto the block. This design is in the form of a die and can be either a picture or words, and in a single or variety of colours.
A roll of foil is then placed between the block and the item needing printing. The block is then pressed down onto the foil and the part, applying pressure and heat, which then transfers the design on the foil, onto the product.
What Are the Benefits of Hot Foil Blocking?
There’s a reason that hot foil blocking is used all over the world. Aside from being cost and time effective, other benefits include:
Durability – Designs printed through hot foil blocking are incredibly long lasting and durable. It can deal with a variety of environments and is excellent for applying to products which are both used indoors and outdoors.
Versatility – As previously mentioned, hot foil blocking can be used to print both letters and intricate images. It is also especially efficient when printing a design that contains a variety of colours as all of the image and all of the colours can be printed in one hit, as opposed to for example pad printing, where each colour has to be applied separately.
High Quality Finish – Hot foil blocking can greatly improve the aesthetic finish of a product.
Print Effects – Alongside a high quality finish, hot foil blocking can also print a wide variety of designs and effects, affording more design options for a product.
Our New Machine
Our new machine comes hot of the press (if you’ll forgive the phrase) straight from PBE Marking Systems.
Originally founded in the 1920s PBE Systems as importers and distributors of genuine gold leaf.
Now, nearly 100 years later, they are the largest UK equipment supplier to the product marking industry.
Our brand-new machine, the DA1000, is capable of printing on a wide variety of items, big and small.
Smaller items can include products such as such as:
plastic containers,
cups,
tableware,
glassware,
cosmetic items,
Larger items we can print on are:
bins,
crates,
pallets,
engine covers, and
electrical and pneumatic accessories.
The arrival of the DA1000 brings a new dynamic to the Amey Plastics service.
Working in conjunction with our 35 to 320 tonne injection moulding capabilities, we can now produce parts or complete items, and then print any design on to them, providing our clients with a complete service.
To learn more about us, click here.
If you have a project you’d like our assistance on, you can contact us today, here.