Most-Read Stories of 2015

Plastics Decorating

While work on Plastics Decorating's first issue of 2016 is well underway, we paused to see the topics with which our readers spent the most time in 2015. We found that readers often check through our archives, referring to information published in the last two years. The following stories, published in 2015, were the top reads for nearly 28,000 visitors to the website.

1. Technology Innovation in Plastics Decorating
   The plastics industry is the third largest in the US, and aesthetics play an important part in most plastic products. As part of that, plastics decorating is a wide-ranging and yet fragmented subject.
2. Improving the Adhesion of UV-Curable Coatings to Plastics
   UV-cured coatings provide a number of benefits to plastic part manufacturers, including improved performance, enhanced appearance and various process advantages. However, the same densely cross-linked chemistry and rapid film formation that provide these benefits also increase the likelihood of encountering adhesion failures. Since these coatings often contain little or no solvent, attaining adhesion even is more challenging.
3. Market Trends for IMD and IML
   Surveys from the In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) and Alexander Watson Associates (AWA) show growth in the use of and market for in-mold labeling (IML) and in-mold decorating (IMD). Anecdotal evidence points to development in both the automotive and appliance sectors, with interest due to demands for lightweighting and lower material costs for plastics over metals.
4. Q&A: Laser Welding of Plastics
   A laser beam is an amplified concentration of light energy at a specific wavelength. It is coherent light, which allows focusing on a tight spot and a narrow beam over long distances. The word LASER is an acronym, which stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
5. Laser Texturing Adds Another Level of In-Mold Decoration Possibilities
   Laser texturing allows for intricate and consistent designs to be added to injection molds for decorative purposes. These textures enable individualization of products ranging from automotive components to packaging by mimicking the look of leather, wood, geometric patterns and much more. When compared to conventional surface treatment using chemical etching processes, laser texturing can offer ecological and design advantages.