At
Simmonds Polishing we are often asked to develop finishing systems to suit the
specific individual requirements of a client. Recently we undertook a two-week
research and development project for a very unusual project.
One
where we were required to work with a printer to facilitate the successful
application of a two pack finish over the top of a printed Bamboo panel.
Our
client came to us with a very unusual requirement. They had bamboo panels that
needed to be printed by a specialist printer and then the bamboo panels needed
to be coated to protect the printed finish. Our involvement required us to not
only find a lacquer that would adhere to the bamboo when there was an ink
surface in between the bamboo and the lacquer but also one that would not
affect the ink and cause it to release from the surface.
We
worked with the printer to understand the limitations they had with their
choice of inks and how our lacquer choice may or may not be compatible with
those inks. We investigated a number of different application methods for the
two pack lacquer as well as experimented with differing types of lacquer.
After
a two weeklong trial we were able to successfully complete the preliminary
trials and design a lacquer choice and lacquer application process to
successfully apply a protective finish to the printed panels.
The
panels are now being printed and will be in our factory within a few weeks for
lacquering. Another successful research and development project utilising the
many years of expertise of our team at Simmonds Polishing.
