Seen in the right light

Development engineers from Arburg GmbH and Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT are currently working on replacing the PVD coating that is often used to create reflective surfaces by back-molding of metallized films. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, Germany, took over the production part in this study and manufactured the necessary reflector discs using the in-mold labeling process (IML) by back-molding metallized films. The metallized films available on the market for the IML process are generally characterized by a sandwich construction. PMMA discs are produced by injection molding in the trial mold and then coated in a downstream process by thermal vapor deposition. Fraunhofer IPT and Arburg, have characterized the degree of reflection of back-molded films and validated the forming of the films to replicate free form surfaces.