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-----Improve Labeling Process on Anodized Aluminum
Q. Currently the company I work for makes dials by anodizing aluminum and sealing it, then going through a silk-screen to paint the label onto it. However, we are looking for alternative printing methods on the dials. Our dials stay in the sun for years and we are trying to avoid fading as much as we can.
We were thinking of using UV LED ink printing, but with our initial tests, the print falls off the anodized dial in our accelerated weathering machine. I read on here about water transfer printing and sublimation printing, but we are trying to automate this process. The label is one color and not complex, usually only having numbers, lines, and company logo. Any ideas?
- Buffalo, NY
July 23, 2024
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A. Hi Jadon,
I could be in error, but I think a viable way of making such components, rather than painting them, is to anodize them and leave them unsealed, then use the silk screen to dye in the desired patterns, then to seal them. Even the best black dyes are not totally UV-proof but they ought to be pretty good. For ink-black color you'll need thick anodizing, probably about 0.0006".
I have not actually done this myself, so I hope that a reader who has will fill us in on anything I missed or correct any misinformation.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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A. Laser engraving after anodize will leave a permanent white mark.
Chris Jurey, Past-President IHAALuke Engineering & Mfg. Co. Inc.
Wadsworth, Ohio
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