By Sharon Spielman
Headquartered in Verona, Italy, Decoral System has
gone from an anodizing plant in the early 1970s, to
a liquid and powder finishing plant in the 1980s, to
a powder-only finishing operation in the late 1980s.
Then, in the 1990s, the company looked for a process
that would offer something new to its customers,
distancing them from competitors. That was when dye sublimation,
a process typically only usable on flat sheets, was explored
by Decoral. Since that time, the company has developed, patented
and advanced the technology into tough decorative powder finishes
that can be applied to a range of substrates, resulting in many
different textures, glosses and overall finishes.
What makes Decoral’s dye
sublimation process so unique is
the ability for the finishes to be applied
to three dimensional objects.
During the past five years, Decoral
has introduced infrared (IR)
3D decorating. According to Eric
Koslow, national sales manager at
Decoral System USA Corp, Coral
Springs, Fla., “The IR 3D machine
is designed specifically for the
industrial automated decoration
of 3D powder coated parts in high
volume. It decorates furniture,
store fixtures, automotive parts,
door handles, knobs, shelves,
welded parts, vases, faucets, wheels
and much more. It applies a realistic
wood grain or marble finish to
any powder coated object.” He explains
that the IR machine also can
apply custom logos and artwork
as well. Additionally, he says there
are applications for glow-in-thedark
powder, which include street
signs, emergency exits, bikes and
motorcycles, boats, planes, aisles
and walkways, theater exits, and
any dark area that needs back lit
signage.
How It’s Done
Any substrate that can be
powder coated can utilize the
Decoral process, including aluminum,
steel, die casting, glass,
ceramic, MDF, Nylon 66 and other
high-temperature plastic. Just like
in the traditional powder coating
process, the first step is to prepare
the substrate. The work piece
receives a traditional pretreatment
that is appropriate for proper adhesion
and the final environment.
Proprietary powder, formulated
and made by Decoral, is applied
and cured. Electrostatic guns are
utilized to apply 2.5 mils of powder,
which is then cured at 400°F
for up to 20 minutes. Polymer-
ization is then performed. The
applied base coat is conducive to
creating sufficient hardness on the
final product. Moreover, it protects
the substrate from factors such as
weather, corrosion, abrasion, light
and humidity.
Then the decoration process
begins. A preprinted transfer film
with organic photosensitive pigments
and cellulose resin is completely
wrapped around work piece
with an airtight seal. The piece is
then positioned on the surface of
a movable trolley (see sidebar on
page 24 for more on the equipment).
Air is removed through a
vacuum suction system, which
brings the printed film into contact
with the powder coated surface.
The trolley is conveyed into the
integrated curing oven where the
printed image is effected, turning
the ink pigments from solid into
gas and back into solid again inside
the paint layer. After cooling, the
film is removed. The final result is
a piece that mimics a one-dimensional
printed image on a three-dimensional
surface.
Where It’s Done
Licensees are job shops, OEMs
and extruders throughout North
and South America and the entire
world. “We look for quality
applicators that strive for proper
pre-treatment to assure adhesion,”
Koslow says.
Companies that align themselves
with Decoral tap into a global
company that is constantly innovating
and offers countless resources.
“For instance,” Koslow says, “We
are your technical, marketing and
sales support team every step of the
way.” Decoral exhibits and markets
at various national trade shows
throughout the year, he says, and
they give all of the leads in a licensee’s
region to them at no cost.
Koslow also says that they
budget tens of thousands of dollars
per year for Search Engine Optimization
(SEO) campaigns, driving
thousands of potential clients to its
website. “We give all of these leads
to our Decoral licensee at no cost,”
Koslow explains. “And we perform
marketing campaigns to attract
OEMs, builders and architects to
Decoral. We give all of the leads to
our licensees.”
Koslow explains that becoming
a licensee requires no fee, just a
commitment to use Decoral’s films
and powders to ensure high quality
standards for color and finish.
Other perks that licensees
receive are regular updates of
products and applications as they
become available through the company’s
website and newsletter; a
dedicated secure portal for materials,
inventory, FAQs, updates and
more on the company’s website;
assistance with any color matching
issues that licensees may face; and
all the necessary quality testing has
been done. “Decoral has a huge
international certified laboratory
type of test,” Koslow says. “This
service is at your disposal free of
charge. Additionally, there is an
entire quality report section on our
website for licensees to access.”
Decoral installs the machines,
provides full onsite training of staff
for two weeks, and offers a full
maintenance warranty.
Powder Types
Decoral produces all of its own
powder, enabling them to formulate
powders specific to its clients’
needs. “Most recently we were
asked to formulate powder with
a specific amount of Teflon in it,
and in another case our licensee
required a powder that is FDA
approved,” Koslow reveals.
There are a range of polyurethane
powders for numerous applications,
including smooth 20%
gloss, textured 10% gloss, gloss
smooth 90% gloss, formable/flexible
20% gloss, interior only 20%
gloss smooth no UV, super durable,
super texture, anti-skid/rubberized,
antimicrobial, super anti-graffiti,
and low cure. Decoral’s super
durable, anti-skid powders are
used to coat aluminum decking,
railing anddocks in high heat and
high traffic areas. Their powders
and finishes are used in restaurant
and hospitality venues, cruise lines,
retail and other high- traffic areas.
“Our low cure powders and IR
technology now enable our licensees
to powder coat and decorate
MDF, which is sure to create breakthroughs
in the cabinet and display
industries,” Koslow says.
For more on Decoral System USA
Corp., visit www.decoralamerica.com.
Sharon Spielman is editor of Powder
Coated Tough magazine.
She can be reached via email at
sspielman@powdercoating.org.