News
Samsung uses see-through coating
Samsung has adopted a rather unusual coating from Beckers — an invisible coating! Mobile devices face quite a tough environment once they leave the store — they share pockets and handbags with keys and coins, which coatings must (and generally do) resist.
Beckers has developed a clear UV curing hardcoat (UC907) to be used as a monocoat over coloured substrate. This significantly reduces the overall decoration cost as well as speeding up production. Naturally the substrate must be free from significant defects. Currently used as an ultra-high gloss finish on the E350 model, the hardcoat is being evaluated for future mobile products and by other consumer electronics OEMs. It is also being evaluated for protecting screens and windows on mobile phones and PDA devices. It is suitable for any device that requires optical clarity such as plastic lenses for sunglasses.
UV curing is an attractive technology for Samsung. As well as speeding up manufacturing cycle times, the low energy requirements for curing and the very low solvent emissions both make for lower environmental impact, which aligns closely with Samsung’s corporate objectives. The UC907 UV hardcoat is particularly attractive in lowering applied cost.
Where UV curing is not suitable, Beckers is supplying Samsung with water borne coatings for mobile phones and CDMA/GSM models. For example, the stylish E530 clamshell GSM uses BKC002 waterborne basecoat. These coatings have a lower environmental impact than solvent borne coatings, and Beckers’ waterborne coatings are increasingly the coatings of choice for Samsung and other manufacturers of mobile devices.
Along with other mobile communication OEMs Samsung also benefits from product availability, not just in Korea but world wide — and from Beckers’ well-developed styling input.
www.samsung.com
Released: May 2006