SECTION TITLE
COATING TECHNOLOGY
AM-fabricated parts dry after their metallisation
S SIMULTAINLESS STEEL S
Del Williams introduces high-performance industrial finishes that simulate stainless steel, brass and copper at a fraction of the cost
tainless steel is a premium material used in the manufacturing of a variety of products but its high price has made it unaffordable to many customers. Although simulated stainless steel laminates have lowered the cost of achieving the ‘look’ of stainless steel, industry innovation has made attaining a stainless steel finish much more affordable. In one such innovative approach, a
high-performance industrial finish – comprised of a protective coating, paired with a special substrate – is adhered to a variety of lower cost metals. Te durable combination results in the brilliance of a polished and brushed stainless steel look. It also meets or exceeds a battery of domestic appliance tests, such as that for kitchen and laundry appliances and resists scratches, stains, chemicals and fingerprints.
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In the appliance sector, for instance, this enables larger appliances – including refrigerators, freezers, ovens, dishwashers, and washing machines – to continue to have products that look like stainless steel but at a significantly lower cost. A similar approach is also being used by manufacturers in other markets to simulate a wide range of brass and copper coated products ranging from blinds and curtain rods to decorative food containers and tobacco tins as well as cosmetic and mason jar lids.
A COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE When challenged by an OEM to come up with an affordable alternative to costly stainless steel that also met the appliance industry’s functional requirements, one innovator found a way. “Te simulated,
stainless steel finish is basically a durable protective coating system that includes a printed stainless steel pattern on a variety of substrates, which can include tinplate, cold rolled steel or other metals depending on performance requirements, which provides the underlying metallic shine independent of the substrate base,” explains Dan Chin, CTO of Universal Chemicals & Coatings (Unichem), a company that specialises in custom adhesives and coatings used in the coil coating process. When implemented in this way, as
part of the company’s Unipon line of interior decorative and performance coatings, the simulated stainless steel coating passed a wide range of appliance industry tests. Tis includes tests for water vapour, detergent and grease resistance, stain resistance to over 20 household
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