ADVANCED
MANUFACTURING
YOUR TOTAL SOLUTIONS PROVIDER
What started out as simple hand operated screen printing and ultrasonic insert installation has evolved into an extensive array of advanced manufacturing offerings allowing us to provide our clients with plastic components and sub-assemblies of unparalleled quality and completeness.
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Our Advanced Manufacturing Services include Pad Printing, Heat Transfer, Silkscreening, Ultrasonic Welding, Thermal Insert Insertion and Staking, Laser Degating and Marking, UV Potting, Painting, Plating, Vacuum Metalization and Packaging all handled either in-house or transparently through our network of hand-chosen and highly-qualified supplier-partners.
Craftech’s goal is to provide its clients with the most cost-effective components and sub-assemblies- streamlining procurement and allowing them to concentrate on final assembly and testing. Contact us with your most demanding advanced manufacturing challenges.
PAD & SCREEN PRINTING
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Pad printing and screen printing are simple ways to add a logo, directions designators or other identifiers to your products. Both employ a wet-ink medium and work exceptionally well on both plastic and non-plastic surfaces. Each has its advantages and consideration must be given to the size and shape of the part, area to be printed, resin type, substrate color and durability requirements.
Craftech offers single to 5-color pad printing and flat and rotary screen printing, contact us for assistance in choosing the correct process and ink formulations for your decoration requirements.
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Click here to watch our videos on pad printing and screen printing
HEAT TRANSFER & HOT STAMPING
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These decoration processes employ a dry film (foil) passed under a heated die. These foils come in a wide array of colors, finishes and textures. Whether your application calls for a simple tipping operation or a specialty engraved hot stamp die let us help guide you through your options.
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Click here to watch a video on hot stamping.
ULTRASONIC WELDING​
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Ultrasonic welding is an industrial technique whereby high-frequency, ultrasonic acoustic vibrations are locally applied to workpieces being held together under pressure to create an integral, oftentimes hermetic bond. It is commonly used for plastics, especially joining dissimilar materials.
Other applications for Ultrasonics include insertion of threaded inserts, staking and swaging or joining parts housing filter media, surgical blades or other fabricated or converted components where insert molding is not possible or practical. Craftech specializes in advanced manufacturing techniques such as Ultrasonic welding.
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Click here to watch a video on ultrasonic insert installation.
THERMAL PROCESS
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Depending on various factors thermal (heat) processes can be a viable or preferred option to the use of ultrasonic for inserting threaded inserts, fabricated components or staking parts together. Enclosures with multiple inserts at different levels can be effectively inserted in 1 cycle using thermal inserting.
Resins, insert materials, boss designs, heat and dwell times are all important considerations when considering thermal processes, contact us to let Craftech review your application and help determine suitability of these processes.
LASER DEGATING
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Brittle materials such as PMMA (Acrylic) used to mold lenses are very susceptible to cracking when removing the runner and gate by mechanical means. Craftech offers laser degating to effectively degate parts with a high degree of process capability, no particulate and most importantly no micro-cracking that can lead to failures during the product’s lifetime.
To see a short video clip click here.
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UV POTTING
UV potting and gluing provide a fast, effective way to prevent dust or moisture ingression in enclosures where a hermetic seal cannot be achieved through processes such as ultrasonic welding, applications of converted, adhesive tapes or strain reliefs. Common areas are found in enclosures that have jacks or other wired connections that must be certified to certain Ingress Protection (IP) ratings.
PAINTING
For ultra-high cosmetic requirements where Alternate Temperature Technology is not sufficient to produce an acceptable surface such as metallics, “piano-black” or “flat-black” finishes wet paint is still a commonly used finishing technique. Other applications include exterior “soft-touch” and internal RFI/EMI Shielding.
Often combined with pad printing or silk screening a successful painting application requires extensive up-front planning and consultation; let Craftech refer you to a painting specialist.
PLATING
Typically associated with metallic finishing plating on plastic is a very common finishing technique. A variety of finishes can be achieved from bright chrome to brushed nickel with the appearance of the part greatly enhanced. In addition to decorative applications plating can also provide an otherwise non-conductive surface the ability to conduct electricity as well as block RFI / EMI emissions. Colors of plated parts can also be enhanced with Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).
VACUUM METALIZATION
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Vacuum Metalizing is a thin film deposition process in which a metal, alloy or compound is evaporated onto a substrate in a vacuum. Applications include decorative metallic finishes and well as EMI/ RFI Shielding and Reflective surfaces.
As in painting, advanced planning for masking and adhesion need to be addressed up-front, let Craftech aid you in finding a suitable supplier.
