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View Full Version : Engraving silicone rubber I-phone covers and color filling with powder coat paint?



Larry Bratton
06-19-2013, 5:33 PM
I have an opportunity to engrave a large quantity of I-Pad cases that need a permanent mark that is going to be a logo. Trouble is, they want the mark to be one color (orange). I have done some of the silicone rubber like the case is wrapped with and it actually does work nicely. Question is, would it be possible to fill the engraving with powder coat paint and re-laser to get the color? Anybody ever done this before? I know some of you have done the powder coat thing, but how about with the rubber? Thanks in advance for any advice, suggestions etc.

Gary Hair
06-19-2013, 7:03 PM
Just because of the slippery nature of silicone, you may have trouble getting anything to stick. Harbor Freight powder paint is cheap enough that you may just want to give it a try. Laser it slow speed and low power - my 30 watt machine I use 20% power and 70% speed - any more power and it obliterates it, any more speed and it doesn't fully melt. You'll probably have to cut the power even more for your 40 watt machine, maybe 12-15% power.

matthew knott
06-19-2013, 7:27 PM
I hate lasering silicon, it needs loads of cleaning after and we have to use a little toothbrush and soapy water to make them look good, never tried painting, good knows how you get it to stick to silicon.

Larry Bratton
06-19-2013, 8:51 PM
Thanks for the info so far. Wondering how it would work with just a mask and regular paint fill. This is for a school, they are supplying them to protect the I-pads they are farming out to the students. They want them marked, as they will retain ownership so they don't want a mark that would come off. The colored logo throws a wrench in the works but hopefully there is a way.

Mike Chance in Iowa
06-19-2013, 9:00 PM
I would try lasering at 70% gray or less to try to give the engraving some texture. That might give the paint a little something to grab on to. Getting something to stick and not scrape off is going to be a challenge.

Mark Maslonkowski
06-19-2013, 9:20 PM
I would skip the laser all together and dye sublimate IPad cases. Just my 2 cents.

Mark Maslonkowski

Larry Bratton
06-19-2013, 9:40 PM
Whoa..since when can you sublimate to silicone cases? It would be very difficult to press also. (I think) Keeping in mind I am working to a specific specified product and it is black in color. Tell me what you know, as far as I know you would have to put some kind of coated insert in it.

I would skip the laser all together and dye sublimate IPad cases. Just my 2 cents.

Mark Maslonkowski

Mark Maslonkowski
06-19-2013, 9:45 PM
You are 100% correct if you are set on 100% silicone cases Dy Sublimation would not work but I have worked with several very nice Dye Sub cases that worked out very well. Sorry if i offended you.

Mark Maslonkowski

Larry Bratton
06-19-2013, 9:59 PM
Oh no, no offence taken at all. I was hoping you were right and knew something I didn't know about sublimation. It would be dandy if it would work but I don't see a way with the particular product. Thanks for your reply.

You are 100% correct if you are set on 100% silicone cases Dy Sublimation would not work but I have worked with several very nice Dye Sub cases that worked out very well. Sorry if i offended you.

Mark Maslonkowski

Dan Hintz
06-20-2013, 6:13 AM
Larry,

I did a Nexus 10 a few days back... those have a rubber-like coating on the back for grip. I used the plastic-specific paint for fill. A small strip peeled off when I removed the mask, but I think that was due to me being too impatient and taking the mask off too soon. Give it a few hours to cure more and you should be golden. After 24 hours, that stuff was NOT coming off that Nexus.

Mike Null
06-20-2013, 6:15 AM
Larry

Do you think heat pressed vinyl like is used for t-shirts might work?

Scott Shepherd
06-20-2013, 8:04 AM
Larry, I think the process you'd want to use is to have them silk screened. They make inks specifically for silk screening rubber. I think you'd get along better down that route (and less expensive). You could easily have multicolor done and the cost wouldn't be too expensive, in my opinion.

I've had some 4 color items done on different substrates and the cost was VERY low, in my opinion.

Might be worth looking into and finding someone nearby that can do that for you. It won't be down into the surface, but it'll be stuck probably better than anything you can do with spray paint.

Isaac Clarke
06-20-2013, 9:32 AM
If you can find a silicon based paint you should be ok, silicon likes sticking to silicon, but nothing else does :) Maybe colour some RTV to your preferential colour.

Larry Bratton
06-20-2013, 10:44 AM
Mike,
I doubt you can heat press this thing due to the shape of it and all. However, it came to me that it might be possible to do it with a plate puck. I have one of those that has never done a plate..LOL.

Larry

Do you think heat pressed vinyl like is used for t-shirts might work?

Larry Bratton
06-20-2013, 10:53 AM
Scott,
I would tend to agree to a point, but I am still of the mind that an engraved mark will be there forever, regardless of the color part. This is going to be a competitive bid situation for my customer that would actually be supplying the product, so I doubt there is room in this for yet another party. I'm not a screener, I am an engraver.

Larry, I think the process you'd want to use is to have them silk screened. They make inks specifically for silk screening rubber. I think you'd get along better down that route (and less expensive). You could easily have multicolor done and the cost wouldn't be too expensive, in my opinion.

I've had some 4 color items done on different substrates and the cost was VERY low, in my opinion.

Might be worth looking into and finding someone nearby that can do that for you. It won't be down into the surface, but it'll be stuck probably better than anything you can do with spray paint.

Larry Bratton
06-20-2013, 10:58 AM
Dan,
Tell me more. What kind of paint specifically and what did you use for masking? I could not find the specs for exactly how the Nexus compares to the product that is specified, so some more research will be required. I may just buy one of the cases to get the feel of the whole thing. Thanks for your reply.

Larry,

I did a Nexus 10 a few days back... those have a rubber-like coating on the back for grip. I used the plastic-specific paint for fill. A small strip peeled off when I removed the mask, but I think that was due to me being too impatient and taking the mask off too soon. Give it a few hours to cure more and you should be golden. After 24 hours, that stuff was NOT coming off that Nexus.

Dan Hintz
06-20-2013, 1:19 PM
I just picked up a can of spray paint designed for keying into plastic from Lowes. After engraving, the bottom had a nice texture to it, which is also helpful for the paint to key into. For masking, I just used blue painter's tape, 3" wide.

AL Ursich
06-20-2013, 1:30 PM
I wonder how the Direct Color UV LED Printer would work on this?

Gary Hair
06-20-2013, 3:19 PM
I wonder how the Direct Color UV LED Printer would work on this?

I haven't tried it yet but have been told it won't stick. Silicone is very hard to get something to stick to.

Isaac Clarke
06-20-2013, 4:42 PM
I'm not sure if this is allowed, but this is the stuff I was talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29QgZVEhETo

Larry Bratton
06-20-2013, 10:32 PM
Now that has my interest. I'm going to check on that further. Thanks for posting it.

I'm not sure if this is allowed, but this is the stuff I was talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29QgZVEhETo

Larry Bratton
06-20-2013, 10:34 PM
Dan, I appreciate the info. If I'm going to price this I have to figure out how to go..my price to it is due on Monday. Thanks again

I just picked up a can of spray paint designed for keying into plastic from Lowes. After engraving, the bottom had a nice texture to it, which is also helpful for the paint to key into. For masking, I just used blue painter's tape, 3" wide.

Dan Hintz
06-21-2013, 7:39 AM
I don't remember the brand of the paint, but it was a big one, if memory serves... it has a picture of a plastic lawn chair on the label.

Chuck Stone
06-21-2013, 12:07 PM
If you can find a silicon based paint you should be ok, silicon likes sticking to silicon, but nothing else does

True.. the only things I've found that silicone will permanently attach
to are silicone and glass. Everything else holds temporarily, if at all.
Mind you, I have not tried bonding silicone to every material out there.
But so far everything else has come off.

Chuck Stone
06-21-2013, 12:08 PM
I don't remember the brand of the paint, but it was a big one, if memory serves... it has a picture of a plastic lawn chair on the label.

sounds like Krylon Fusion. It didn't stick that well for me, but then I was
trying to use it on RTV silicone rubber. Composites would be different.

Larry Bratton
06-21-2013, 6:38 PM
After doing some research on the case, I found out from the mfg that there are two places on the back that are poly-carbonate. That being the case, I know polycarb doesn't laser cut worth a flip, but I think it engraves well. I may end up going with the polycarb areas if research proves out it would engrave and fill well. I think it plastics paint would do that job and I know I can get a custom color. Thanks to all so far.

Larry Bratton
06-26-2013, 7:46 PM
I finished my research on this and thought I would post what I finally concluded. In order to give the customer what he wants with these cases is to do two processes instead of one. First, the silicone back would be masked and engraved with some sort of mark that identifies ownership and being in the silicone, it is truly a permanent mark. The ideal solution would be to fill this mark with Inkpad's silicone ink, however, that product requires curing at 425 degrees F, in an oven, for 2 to 6 minutes. Bearing in mind that the shell of the case is polycarbonate which has a melting point of 300 degrees. More than likely the curing process would cause the poly to warp and render the case unusable. In order to give the customer the colored logo,in a second operation, we would pad print it with epoxy based ink onto one of the flat spots made of polycarbonate, which actually is ideally suited to the process. The pad printing would be very durable but these are going to be used by school kids and they could possibly destroy that mark- you know kids. The pad printing is very fast and actually inexpensive and can be done in conjunction with handling the products coming off the laser.
I had to do this research in order to price the job, which I have done now. Now I have to wait and see what happens with my customer who is selling them Ipads and having to competitively bid the case supply.
Thanks to everyone that gave me input on this, you were a great help.