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Key Features:
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Mockridge Digital Labels are produced on the latest machinery from roll solvent printers, to LED UV flat bed printers.
Digital labels are ideal for short print runs and for producing high quality multi colour prints with gradients and photographs.
We can digitally print on a wide range of materials:
We can produce surface printed or sub-surface printed labels depending on material and also supplied with Resin Dome finish.
Mockridge Resin Domed Badges are the perfect way to enhance your products. (Sometimes referred to as Gel Badges, Bubble Labels, 3D Domes)
They are used in many applications. Equipment manufacturers apply them as permanent marking for their products as they are durable and their three-dimensional appearance catches the eye. Resin Domed Badges are much more permanent than many other labels and do not show wear. Minor scratches or cuts heal themselves and the label looks like new once again.
We also offer a trade doming service to the printing industry, where you supply your own labels and we dome them for you.
See our doming kits & refill shop which sells a variety of Starter Kits and Refill Kits, so you can dome your own products.
Check this out. The Mockridge Elves have been busy coming up with our New product Self Adhesive Clear Domes.
Our products are made from Mockridge Polyurethane resin which sits on top of a clear self adhesive substrate.
They can be applied to pre-printed labels to create an instant domed label effect. Ideal for a very short run of domed labels, for example, domed emblems to go on to a series of trophies for the winning team, or perhaps to create a small number of professional-looking domed badges for members of staff.
We supply two stock size's of 25mm Diameter and 50mm Diameter, bespoke size's can be produced up on request.
Mockridge can supply both the printed labels and the Clear domes.
Hardly anyone in the field of industrial graphics can have failed to notice the enormous growth of the domed label and decal industry in recent years. Domed labels are everywhere, on cars, cameras, microwaves, DVD players, freezers, stereos, and just about every other type of consumer item. Resin doming is currently one of the fastest growing markets in the field of industrial graphics and product identification.
A conventional printed label is enhanced greatly by the application of a polyurethane dome. The label, which previously appeared flat and lifeless, is dramatically transformed into an interesting three-dimensional and decorative item. The high gloss finish enriches the printed colours, and doming is particularly effective when used on metalized polyester, where the mirror finish accentuates the ‘light bending’ effects of the dome, giving additional depth and interest,
As well as adding visual impact, the dome also serves to protect the image from damage. Polyurethane domes are very durable, having ‘self repair’ properties, which enable the surface to recover instantly from indentations; they are UV stable and non-yellowing, even when used outdoors for several years. Furthermore, the UV inhibitors used in the polyurethane coating greatly prolong the life of the printed image, by reducing the fading effects of UV light.
Despite the proven popularity of domed labels and decals in the field of product marking, they are rarely seen on garments or other fabric surfaces. This is because the normal method of applying a pre-printed and domed self-adhesive polyester or vinyl label to the product is only satisfactory if the surface to be marked is rigid. Undoubtedly the visual impact provided by the contrast of a glossy domed surface with the normally matt texture of the surrounding fabric would enhance many garments and other fabric products. Consequently there is a great deal of interest in the possibility of applying eye catching domed emblems to garments, shirts, sports bags, sneakers, baseball caps, storm proof jackets and a range of other fabric or leather items. For more information contact Mockridge Labels & Nameplates Ltd. www.mockridge.com
How to Resolve Doming Problems when using Cartridges
The enclosed information will resolve your problems. If the domes are not satisfactory, is almost certainly because the resin and hardener have not mixed properly.
Please follow our link below, which will connect you to a short video. This will explain the probable cause of any problems you may encounter when with using the our Doming Cartridges.
https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/USB%20J%202GB%20%28H%29/Signet%20Video.m4v?_subject_uid=6342190&w=AAAF3SNfS134Uynzm0NA8kTuyLL8bdrTQuI3oLHYmgRKkg
Unsatisfactory domes usually result from either an imbalance of the two liquids (Parts A & B) resulting in the resin being out of ratio. or alternatively, the two parts of the polyurethane being improperly mixed at the point of application.
The following instructions should help you to determine and correct any problems:
1) Are the domes that failed at the very start of the cartridge? Before commencing doming a small amount of resin should always be shot to waste first, to balance the pistons on both sides of the cartridge.
It also helps to shoot to waste upwards at a 45 degree angle then rotate the cartridge 180 degrees and do the same - this helps to remove any air in the system which can also give rise to an imbalance in the liquid dispensed from the two sides of the cartridge.
2) The other cause of problems is improper mixing. This is where the customer triggers the gun too quickly. With manual operated dispensing guns customers can accidentally put too much resin through the mixer tubes too quickly. When expressed too fast the parts A & B tend to ‘slide past’ each other in the mixing tube, and so do not mix sufficiently.
Warning, this is particularly common when customers are doing large domes, or doing a lot of doming, when the tendency is to speed up the application of the resin to the surface of the labels.
Both the above points are covered on the short video which can be accessed by using the link provided above.
Curing Bubble Problems in Doming
If you encounter bubbles in the domes the following should resolve the problem.
It is important to point the tip upwards to expel any bubbles in the mixer tub before dispensing on to the surface of the label, to ensure the two liquids are mixed and dispensed at the correct ratio. Out of ratio mixing can give rise to both bubble problems and curing problems resulting in uncured labels with a sticky surface.
Bubbles which are created in the process of doming and which are clearly seen at the time, can be removed either with a needle or other sharp implement, or more easily by the application of heat, which makes the air in the bubble rise to the surface and burst. It is important not to touch the surface of the dome with the flame from the bubble remover gun as this will 'burn off' some of the chemicals in the formula and can cause large gas bubbles due to incorrect ratio. Just hold the flame about 1 inch (25 mm) above the surface of the domes and allow the heat to remove the bubbles.
Bubbles which appear sometime after the domes are dispensed are created by chemical reaction between the liquid polyurethane and the ambient humidity in the doming room. This is why the problem can often be seasonal, because warm air holds more moisture than colder air. For this reason it is important to maintain a consistent temperature of about 72 F (22 C) and relative humidity of 35% in the doming area. Please note that the term is "Relative Humidity" meaning that both the temperature and humidity must be correct, 35% humidity at a higher temperature is not the same as at 72 F. Problems can also be caused by air conditioning which is turned off at night leaving the trays of domes exposed to an increasing humidity as the room becomes warmer.
Occasionally customers can encounter a problem with the polyurethane partially setting in the 4 mm pipe attached to the end of the mixer tube. The blockage causes pressure to build up in the liquid inside of the cartridge. This pressure eventually slightly expands the sides of the cartridge chamber, causing the pressurised liquid to escape around the piston at the back of the cartridge.
There are various causes of this problem as follows:
Temperature
Working in a hot environment
This causes the resin to set more quickly. The recommended room temperature is about 22 C with a relative humidity of no more than 35
Alternatively, you can slow down the curing time by endeavouring to reduce the room temperature to as low a figure as can be achieved with conventional air conditioning. This will extend the gel (cure) time by several minutes and reduce the risk of blockages occurring. Or consider using a slower curing material, as suggested below.
Pipe Length
Having the 4mm pipe longer than is absolutely necessary
We suggest that you cut off any excess 4mm pipe beyond that needed to reach all the labels on the sheets of labels you are doming. This is because the longer the mixed polyurethane is in the narrow pipe the more likely it is to become partly set and so block the flow of liquid from the cartridge.
Slow Resin Travel
Doming small labels
If you have many small labels to dome this can mean that the resin is moving along the mixer and the 4mm pipe very slowly. Particularly if the room is too warm (as mentioned above) this also can cause obstructions in the system. If you are doing a lot of small label doming it may be best to order a slower curing product such as Unisect 11LV-25 which has a 25 minute gel time as opposed to the 8 or 10 minute gel time of the standard product.
Switching Mixers
Switching the mixer and tube from the last cartridge to the new one
Unless this is done very quickly there is a chance that the resin in the mixer and pipe will have begun to set giving rise to the problems. Packs of spare mixer tubes are available from Mockridge Labels and Nameplates Ltd.
Pausing of Operator
Finally (and this is the most common cause of problems with polyurethane from cartridges) is the tendency for the machine operators to stop work or slow down the speed at which they are dispensing, with the result that the resin starts to gel in the pipe causing the pressure to rise in the cartridges.
If you leave the machine standing with a partly used cartridge in place it almost certain that the result will be leakage from the back of the cartridge. If you have to leave the machine standing for even a few minutes then it is necessary to replace the mixer and 4mm dispense tube on the cartridge before proceeding. Failure to do so will inevitably result in leakage of pressurised material from the back of the cartridge. Packs of spare mixer tubes are available from Mockridge Labels and Nameplates Ltd.
We are often asked about the difference between Anodised and Dyed aluminium labels and Surface Printed Aluminium. To add to the confusion the surface printed type are often printed on to a pre-anodised surface, and are often misleadingly described as ‘Anodised Aluminium Labels’. Indeed, we see many instances of the much cheaper surface printed type labels being supplied when the customer’s specifications or technical drawing clearly specifies Anodised & Dyed labels. This subterfuge allows the suspect supplier to quote a lower price than a more honest competitor who is quoting for the specified label type.
Because the two types of aluminium labels look virtually identical when first supplied this makes it easy to mislead the customer to unwittingly use the less durable label for a rating plate or other important label. When used purely for indoor applications labels, the printed on version is perfectly satisfactory, but for outdoor or industrial applications the much more durable Anodised & Dyed Aluminium label should always be used.
If you want to learn more about the anodising & dyeing process please go to our website www.mockridge.com where you will find an information column entitled PROCESSES which describes in more detail the Anodising and Dyeing process.
