SignsWizard
New Member
Hey y'all,
As the title suggests, I'm attempting to print directly to bare aluminum, using a UV flatbed printer (Vanguard VK300D to be exact). Besides one test, all of my test prints have failed, with the paint easily cracking off and peeling from the substrate after taking a blade to the print.
For more context, I'm printing a white base layer followed by color graphics, and I'm using AP3155 to prep the surface before printing. I've tried a wide variety of different application methods with the adhesion promoter, with nothing giving me a strong result. My gut is telling me that I might be missing something involving the printer itself, like messing with speed and going from bi-directional to uni, or even changing how many passes I'm taking. Right now I'm running these tests under the same setting I use for coro and ACM, and while my UV lamps set high.
I also have hunch that the white ink itself may be the issue here, given it's already finicky nature, I can see the white ink having an even harder time adhering to an already difficult surface. But I've had tests fail with and without the white base layer, albeit my only successful print has been without. The specific test the worked was a 3:1 IPA spray that was wiped off and then allowed to sit 24 hrs before I printed graphics with no white layer.
For the sake of covering bases:
-The substrate is cleaned with 99 IPA before any chemicals applied, and the 5052 aluminum I'm using came vinyled from manufacturer
-I've tried applying AP3155 with a saturated white microfiber, as well as mixing the AP3155 3:1 with IPA and 1:1 with Acetone and spraying those mixtures on
-I've tried wiping the AP3155 off after application using white microfiber, as well as not wiping after applying
-I've tried printing directly after applying, as well as having pieces set for intervals of 30 mins/4 hrs/24 hrs
Any thoughts on where I might be going wrong? Apologies if I'm all over the place!
As the title suggests, I'm attempting to print directly to bare aluminum, using a UV flatbed printer (Vanguard VK300D to be exact). Besides one test, all of my test prints have failed, with the paint easily cracking off and peeling from the substrate after taking a blade to the print.
For more context, I'm printing a white base layer followed by color graphics, and I'm using AP3155 to prep the surface before printing. I've tried a wide variety of different application methods with the adhesion promoter, with nothing giving me a strong result. My gut is telling me that I might be missing something involving the printer itself, like messing with speed and going from bi-directional to uni, or even changing how many passes I'm taking. Right now I'm running these tests under the same setting I use for coro and ACM, and while my UV lamps set high.
I also have hunch that the white ink itself may be the issue here, given it's already finicky nature, I can see the white ink having an even harder time adhering to an already difficult surface. But I've had tests fail with and without the white base layer, albeit my only successful print has been without. The specific test the worked was a 3:1 IPA spray that was wiped off and then allowed to sit 24 hrs before I printed graphics with no white layer.
For the sake of covering bases:
-The substrate is cleaned with 99 IPA before any chemicals applied, and the 5052 aluminum I'm using came vinyled from manufacturer
-I've tried applying AP3155 with a saturated white microfiber, as well as mixing the AP3155 3:1 with IPA and 1:1 with Acetone and spraying those mixtures on
-I've tried wiping the AP3155 off after application using white microfiber, as well as not wiping after applying
-I've tried printing directly after applying, as well as having pieces set for intervals of 30 mins/4 hrs/24 hrs
Any thoughts on where I might be going wrong? Apologies if I'm all over the place!