Question Will any paint/vinyl/UV Printing stick to the polyethylene core in ACM?

[rossmosh]

Working on a project where I'm trying to replicate the look of an etched aluminum sign with using brushed aluminum ACM. The big catch is the etched element needs to be colors other than black.

Any tricks or products I can use to paint the black polyethylene?

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Working on a project where I'm trying to replicate the look of an etched aluminum sign with using brushed aluminum ACM. The big catch is the etched element needs to be colors other than black.

Any tricks or products I can use to paint the black polyethylene?

If you can spray with Matthews, the plastic primer should work well. I think it's called Tie something. I've never Cnc cut into ACM like this, but I would be concerned about that super thin aluminum causing problems.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Aluminate brand comes in fire retardant Grey along with dark grey and black. The fire retardant Grey looks like raw aluminum.

 

[rossmosh]

Has anyone tried this: http://kleanstripauto.com/products/bulldog-adhesion-promoter ?

It seems it's used in the automotive industry with success.

 

[Andy D]

I would route and bend the ACM.
If you have a lip after bending & you can route that off, if need be.

 

[equippaint]

Has anyone tried this: http://kleanstripauto.com/products/bulldog-adhesion-promoter ?

It seems it's used in the automotive industry with success.

We use it sometimes but cant say for sure if it does much. Our upholstery guy heats up plastics before he paints them with a heat gun. Said it holds the paint better, printers do the same so maybe that's the way to go.

 

[Andy D]

I don't. I haven't done much of that, but I know there are companies that do that all the time...
I toured a company that made all of their gas station canopies that way.. Youtube should have something.

 

[TimToad]

This is the brand primer we use for nearly everything and have had good luck with adhesion on the edges of ACM with it.

If I think I understand what your intent is and it was us, we would cover the ACM with a high performance vinyl as a mask, then rout or engrave leaving the mask in place for painting then peel the mask off.

 

[rossmosh]

I'm not making a box or needing a bend. I'm literally just engraving a logo into brushed aluminum ACM. The issue is I was planning on using epoxy with the impression it stuck to anything and found out shortly after it does not.

I was going to follow Tim's method exactly: Peel the stock slip sheet. Put down Avery paint mask, route/engrave, "prime", paint, and then finally peel. The lack of adhesion just threw me off.

 

[signbrad]

According to the Matthews painting handbook, flame or corona treatment is required for paint adhesion to polypropylene or polyethylene. This allows for the pastic to be paint-receptive for a short time. Even then, adhesion test is recommended. Tiebond bonding primer is NOT recommended by the handbook.

 

[John Miller]

We ran into this issue on a project. I spoke with The Matthews tech people and the Alupanel people and both told me getting paint to stick to the polyethylene is highly unlikely.
The path of least resistance is to use ACP with a gray core.