One of the many advantages of custom rotomoulding is that you can tailor the surface finish of your product to suit your needs and requirements.
From smooth and shiny to textured and rough, rotomoulding can help you achieve a variety of colours, styles, and finishes at a relatively low cost. In this article, we take a look at some of the most common surface finishes for rotomoulded products:
1. Logos and graphics
Unlike stickers, screen printing, or stamps, rotomoulding offers permanency. No matter what size or shape your graphics are, we can emboss or embed them into our polyethylene and they will last the life of your product. Moulded-in graphics are also a great way to display any safety warnings, identification labels, or instructional messages that you do not want to wear out or rub off.
Our polyethylene products can withstand:
- Hazardous chemicals
- Abrasion and rough use
- Exposure to UV rays
- Extreme temperatures
- Agricultural and industrial use
- Seawater and alkalis
2. Surface textures
With rotomoulding, you can achieve a number of different finishing textures that add depth and dimension to your product. Textures are an easy way to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your products and create tactile surfaces with intentional character.
Consistent textures are reliably achieved, even in large production runs, by applying techniques directly to the mould. For example:
- Shot-peening — tiny pieces of steel strike the surface of your mould to create textured dents and dimples.
- Sand-blasting — sand is blasted at the mould with high pressure to create a textured or rustic look.
- Glass-bead blasting — glass-beads are applied to the mould at high pressure to produce a smooth and glossy finish.
3. Speckles and metallics
Not only can you manufacture rotomoulded products in a range of different colours, but you can also get a beautiful speckled or metallic effect by mixing in different coloured plastic pellets. For example, if you mix a combination of grey, white, and black pellets you can effectively create a ‘granite’ effect, and if you mix greens, blues, and browns you can create a speckled effect that works well for camouflaging products like pond liners or pond tubs. Other rotomoulded products that look fantastic with speckled or metallic finishes include: outdoor furniture, playground equipment, dog kennels, large pots and planters, wheelbarrows, and kayaks.
Rotomoulding can also accommodate for recesses, spouts, bosses, and other unique design and engineering requirements. If you can think it, we can usually design it! Give us a call on 1800 666 333, or send us an online enquiry today to find out how we can help you mould plastic in an imaginative way.
