Sublimely printed signs and labels

Problem: . Solution: Mega Electronics, based just outside Cambridge, has spent a year and a half putting together a package of technologies, including some it has invented itself, to sublime logos and lettering into the surfaces of hard substrates. The package they have come up with comprises an Epson inkjet printer that prints special inks obtained in continental Europe, onto a special release paper. A US made heating press is then used to transfer the printed graphics into the surface of the material. The company's Tony Hawkins points out that because the process uses sublimation, pigments can be deposited within pores in anodised aluminium, and may then be sealed in using hot water in a process that the company has patented. Because the image is embedded in the substrate, no over lamination is necessary, and there is no way it will rub or scratch off. Applications: The system can be used on materials that include: fibreglass, polyester, polycarbonate, and aluminium, aluminium coated and magnetic sheets. Typical applications include: safety signs, control panels, name plates, bar code labels, touch membranes and computer mouse mats. A printed substrate can be produced within two to three minutes and a startup package costs less than £1,000. TS Mega Electronics email Mega Electronics