Sublimation silicone (pressure) mat

For discussions related to designing and making ski/snowboard-building equipment, such as presses, core profilers, edge benders, etc.

Moderators: Head Monkey, kelvin, bigKam, skidesmond, chrismp

Post Reply
mammuth
Posts: 449
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:48 am
Location: somewhere in the alps

Sublimation silicone (pressure) mat

Post by mammuth »

Are you guys using silicone (pressure, not heating) mats for sublimation via pneumatics? Or just between metal plates?
Tom
mammuth
Posts: 449
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:48 am
Location: somewhere in the alps

Post by mammuth »

Nobody? Is my question too stupid? Is it a secret??? Im quite sure it wasnt written somewhere here before.....
Tom
User avatar
falls
Posts: 1458
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:04 pm
Location: Wangaratta, Australia

Post by falls »

I think often a harder silicon mat on the non printing side and a metal sheet on the printing side. A silicone heat blanket heats the aluminium sheet and then it gets pressed down onto the plastic with graphic sheet on top of it.
Folsom customs
https://www.wildsnow.com/images-blog-2/Folsom-3.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/folsomskis/3857957736/
video at 4:30
http://www.folsomskis.com/construction/
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
mammuth
Posts: 449
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:48 am
Location: somewhere in the alps

Post by mammuth »

Yeah, my setup is on top aluminium and silicon heater above. On bottom a thick metal plate.
I know that the commercial sublim presses (for t-shirts & co) use some cushion on the bottom.

This cushion helps with small irregularities in your printing material (which should be not a big issue with topsheets and bases).

There is:

9mm silicone soft foam (imho not interesting for our use, see above)

or

1-3mm silicon mat which should be fine. Im ansure about the shore hardness to use. They range from 30 - 70.

Dont know if softer or harder is better. Would like to order a roll from china, found some who should be good for that.
Tom
mammuth
Posts: 449
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:48 am
Location: somewhere in the alps

Post by mammuth »

Thanks for the link falls! Looks like folsom is using a thicker variant (like 9mm or so).
Tom
Post Reply