The uniformity of deposition which can be achieved on
metallising has also been a major advantage to companies, enabling them to produce high-quality, yet affordable foils'.
To provide an understanding of the fundamentals, performance and problems of R2R vacuum
metallising processes;
Over the past 13 years the company has been successful in developing
metallising processes for holographic, packaging and other niche markets and introducing new vacuum processes and technologies.
Idvac specialises in the development of advanced
metallising processes for holographic, packaging and other niche markets.
Its new equipment also includes a Galileo
metallising chamber and the de-metallising capability developed under the technology transfer agreement with Hologram Industries (see HN Vol 17, No 6).
And most recently, it has opened a second manufacturing plant in Connecticut and transitioned its Southeast Plastic operations from Atlanta to a new 81,000 square foot facility in Austell, Georgia in January, 2005 that will house a range of
metallising and slitting equipment up to 130" wide.
Smaller narrow web manufacturers emboss into pre-metallised substrate mainly for the simplicity of not having to outsource
metallising and for shorter production runs.
This surface relief hologram is difficult to see as there is no coating or
metallising on the polycarbonate at this point.
In a clear effort to put all the bad news into one set of financial results, the company is closing down its contract (or toll)
metallising business and will be making around 40 staff redundant, of which the
metallising closure accounts for just over half.