Appliance Design - April 2008 - (Page 38)

DECORATION Fig. 3C. The pane of glass with the complete imitation brushed stainless steel coating applied. Fig. 3A. Gray enamel applied to a pane of glass over the whole application field. Fig. 3B. The pane of glass after the gray enamel and the structuring print have been applied and the pane fired. these basic steps: Step 1 – Printing Light Gray Enamel Over the Entire Surface of the Substrate. The substrate glass should be clean and dust free for the best results. See previous comments on cleaning techniques. The light gray enamel can be screen-printed or roll-coated to provide a light gray coating with good opacity over the whole surface of the substrate to be treated. Step 2 – Drying the Print. The print from Step 1 is then dried in a conventional band drier or by other means as described. This print must be dry in order to accept the next print. To avoid melting the screen or other problems, the glass should be cooled before printing the next coating. (See Fig. 3A.) Step 3 – Printing Dark Gray Enamel Through a Special Screen. The glass is textured 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 250 700 1150 by the use of a special screen pattern that imitates the brushed appearance of stainless steel. Dark gray enamel is printed to enhance the effect. Step 4 – Drying the Print and Firing the Glass. The glass is dried with a band drier or other means and then is simply passed through a normal glass-decoration firing step. These underlying coatings must be fired before the LustReflex coating can be applied. The LustReflex tends to “skin over” during the early stages of the firing process and this causes bubbling in the underlying enamel if the organic medium has not been burned out. Also, the LustReflex coating exhibits its best reflective characteristics if it is printed on a smooth surface. Therefore, firing the underlying enamels to obtain good gloss before the application of the LustReflex coating will ensure that a coating with a good appearance is obtained. (See Fig. 3B.) Step 5 – Printing the LustReflex Coating. The LustReflex coating is applied to the textured and fired glass. The screen-printing parameters (paste viscosity, squeegee hardness, screen tension, snap distance, etc.) will need to be adjusted so that the coating penetrates the features of the fired enamel in an even and consistent manner. The previous notes about the film depth affecting appearance also apply here. Step 6 – Drying the Print and Firing the Glass. The glass is dried with a band drier or other means and then is simply passed through a normal glass-decoration firing step. At this point, the imitation brushed stainless steel coating is complete. (See Fig. 3C.) All manufacturers face the need for eyecatching designs on appliances. The coatings described here present the decorator with new options for styling vitreous surfaces. The LustReflex coating yields a semi-mirror effect that is particularly striking when applied to dark substrates. The fact that it can be printed and fired in air to give this reflective appearance makes it unique among coating techniques. The LustReflex coating also makes possible the imitation brushed stainless steel coating. This coating is applied by a multi-step process and gives added value to the substrate.  For more information, enter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Or email: weinstockg@ferro.com 1600 2050 2500 Wave le ng th (nm ) Graph 1. The Percent Reflectance data for untreated soda-lime glass (blue trace) and LustReflex-treated soda-lime glass (pink trace). 38 applianceDESIGN April 2008 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - April 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch A Variant of Thermoacoustic Refrigeration Known as Acoustic-Stirling is Expanding Its Range Outside Cryocooling Into More Conventional Applications Such As Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Free-Piston, Stirling Coolers Are Now Showing Up in Mainstream Applications As Costs Come Down and Heat Transport Solutions Are Devised Heat Exchanger Innovations Are Helping To Improve the Overall Efficiency of Vapor Compression Systems Environmental Concerns Have Once Again Ignited a Debate Over Refrigerants A New Glass Ceramic Material for Induction Cooktops Can Be Decorated In a Variety of Glimmering Metallic, 3-D Looks That Can Employ a Number of Shades, Patterns, Styles, Colors, Intensities, and Textures Colorful, Reflective Coatings for Glass Create a Variety of Design Options To Help Designers Establish a Unique Look for Their Products Appliance Designers Faced With Different Motor and Drive Options Need To Understand the Differences and Tradeoffs Before Choosing A New MEMS Valve Offers a Number of Advantages Over Solenoids In Certain Applications, Including the Opportunity To Cut Energy Use The AHR Expo Set Attendance Records and Showcased Thousands of Innovative New Products Classifieds Design Marts Advertiser’s Index Association Report: CEA

Appliance Design - April 2008

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