Magnesium alloy etching plates (pre-coated magnesium plates) are increasingly used in the hot stamping process of printing to replace copper plates and zinc plates. Compared with copper and zinc plates, magnesium plates have the following advantages:
(1) Plate making time
The plate-making process of the hot stamping plate is roughly similar. The main difference lies in the etching time. In the case of the same etching pattern and required etching depth, it takes 5 minutes for magnesium plates, 25 minutes for zinc plates, and more than 30 minutes for copper plates.
(2) Hardness
Hardness is the main technical parameter to measure the hot stamping version. When the temperature is below 50℃, the Brinell hardness of the magnesium plate is 92, the zinc plate is 45, and the copper plate is 95. When the plate is heated to 100℃, the hardness of the magnesium plate is 90, the hardness of the zinc plate is 30, and the copper plate is 88. It can be seen that the hardness change of the magnesium plate is minimal when the temperature required for bronzing is reached. This directly affects the number of prints. Under the same conditions, the prints of magnesium plates and copper plates are both more than 200,000 times, while those of zinc plates are less than 50,000 times.
(3) Bronzing effect
After making the plate, the magnesium alloy etching plate has suitable slope, sharp edges and high hardness, and it heats up and cools quickly during the hot production process. The surface of the printed matter after hot stamping is very bright, which has the same effect as the copper plate, and far exceeds that of the zinc plate.
(4) Cost
In the case of the same area, the same thickness, and the same requirements, the cost of using magnesium plate is 30% lower than that of zinc plate and 70% lower than that of copper plate. In the bronzing production process, the production cost of magnesium plate is 10% lower than that of zinc plate and copper plate.
(5) Environmental protection
Zinc plates and copper plates produce a large amount of waste liquid rich in heavy metal ions during the plate making process, which cannot be recycled, which is particularly serious to the environment. Magnesium is a recognized light metal and is harmless to the human body and the environment. At the same time, it is rich in the crust and seawater. It is a resource with great market potential.
