One of the most difficult films to press when working with a membrane press is the high gloss film. High gloss films are prone to telegraphing, orange peeling, and wrinkling, and some tips for correcting these issues when you encounter them with a membrane press are discussed below.
Orange Peel
If you encounter orange peel within your parts, you should first reduce the amount of time you preheat, and you should also consider evening out the pressure slightly. When pressing high gloss it is best to have minimal temperature for a minimal amount of time, and by doing this you will avoid the small pockets of built up heat that is characteristic of the orange peel.
Telegraphing
If telegraphing is experienced when pressing your parts, it is recommended that you sand your parts in order to get a smoother texture before you apply the glue. If small dust particles are encountered, examine whether your roll is rack grounded, as if it is not, static electricity could be responsible for pulling up dust onto your roll. Additionally, you may want to consider moving your press into a special room if it is located in the same room as your router, as this can reduce the amount of dust that it is exposed to.
Wrinkling
Wrinkling is often caused when a thicker gauge of PVC is used, as this requires greater heat exposure. However, if the heat is too high, wrinkles could form on the finished part. To avoid this problem it is recommended that a lower temperature is used to press. For example, an average wood grain should be set at a temperature of 105 Celsius instead of 118 Celsius. It is also recommended that the preheat temperature should be increased from one minute to two minutes for the same average wood grain. Spacing your parts out farther than average can also help, as it will provide more material and will require less stretching. Visit us for more information about membrane presses and other machinery.
