5. Molding and design for plastics metallization

The key to good metallization on plastic depends not only on molding conditions and metallization process parameters. It also depends on the design of the parts, the mold and its construction, the material to be molded and the design of the fixtures used to hang the parts. Designers therefore have a major impact on the industrialization, metallization and durability of treated parts. The design characteristics of the part, such as thickness, shape of corners and edges, attachment points, etc., are of great importance for the quality of the finished product.

Coating adhesion is strongly influenced by the quality of the plastic and the molding conditions of the part. When an ABS grade unsuitable for metallization is chosen, the size and distribution of the butadiene nodules will not be optimized for "good" metallization. Molding conditions introduce orientations and...