PRINTING ON EXTRUDED PLASTIC MATERIALS

At Rayda, there are many different materials that we use during the extrusion process and printing on these plastics comes into this, but how do you print on them? Plastic extrusions are all around us, from curtain rails to construction piping, so it’s important that printing onto these materials is durable and presentable. Specialist printers and components have been created to allow efficient printing onto these products, and this guide explains all about this. What’s Different about Extruded Plastics? Once plastic materials have gone through the extrusion process, there are many components like lubricating oils that come into contact with the materials. This can make printing on extruded plastics a little bit more tricky and requires specialist printing and ink. The plastics are held under extremely high temperatures and other environmental factors, such as dust build-up which can also impact the printing. Many of the purposes for extruded plastics are underground pipes like sewage and drainage systems and therefore these products are constantly exposed to harsh conditions. In addition to this, pipes and other construction tools are expected to last between 50 – 100 years. All of these factors contribute to the need for specialist ink and printers to create long-lasting and durable prints onto extruded materials. Why Do you Need to Print on Extruded Plastic Products? Due to the nature of the plastic pipes and systems that are made from extruded plastics, maintenance companies and possibly manufacturers will need to trace the product if necessary. This is where information like the product code or company name needs to be professionally printed. What Printers are Suitable for Extruded Plastics? There are a few different methods of printing on extruded plastics, and these all require specialist printers to produce the best result. Some of the printing methods are as follows: Digital Ink-Jet Printing Screen Printing UV Litho Printing Laser Printing Digital Inkjet Printing Continuous inkjet printers are just one example of 3D printers that allow printing onto extruded materials, using specialist ink that holds to the plastic. This method allows high-quality, colour printing to be applied to a range of plastics, included those that have been extruded. A great benefit of using this printing technique is that it requires little to no set-up, making it an extremely fast process and great for one-off printing. These inks are designed to dry quickly and provide crisp results through its heat and oil resistant properties. Screen Printing Screen printers use blocking stencils and a silk mesh to apply the ink through this material. The ink is then dried using an intense UV light. If you’re looking to add coloured printing to your product, this is another great method for this, but it’s important to consider that the quality of screen-printing images is restricted. UV Litho Printing This method is great at offering highly detailed images in a wide range of coloured inks. Components called UV drying units are what dry the ink onto the plastic. The set-up for this is more time consuming to some of the other printing alternatives, however, it produces far more precise results. Laser Printing Industrial laser printers are also recommended for this type of material as they are capable of printing legible coding onto products like pipes using an integrated computer software to produce the print design or code. What Software Can Be Used For Scaling? Quick Design Quick Design is available for PC’s operating on Windows, OS and other major PC platforms. It’s free to download, allowing you to customise and produce accurate product labels and codes. This software features an inbuilt product table that can be managed by you, allowing the software to recognise repeat products so you can reuse and print the same information again. There are various versions of this software available, all with different functions depending on the pricing and plan you choose to use. Simplify3D Compatible with hundreds of 3D printers for extruded materials, this programme converts your extruded plastic product into instructions for your computer. The software is commonly used by engineers, architects and many other professionals to generate precise printing onto extruded products. A convenient feature of the software is that it can work simultaneously with multiple 3D printers so that you can control all your printing in one place. We offer a range of plastic extrusions here at Rayda, so why not get in touch with our team to find out the best plastic products for you? Contact us here for more information.

For more information on PRINTING ON EXTRUDED PLASTIC MATERIALS talk to Rayda Plastics Ltd