scotchtal

[David]

Hi-
3M has many products with similar "scotch" based names. I made prototype
and show control panels for a medical company years back using
"Scotchcal". It used a neg/pos process for image transfer. It was a mylar
base with a colored photo-sensitive emultion, you could handle it in
normal day light, used UV light source to tranfer image. I would do a
layout with presstype(ack!) on a piece of vellum, then use a piece of
scotchcal orange film (orange was the most opaque) to make a negative.
Expose it to a light source for a bit. Developing just used this
alcohol-based fuild, I would develop it right on my desktop(the extra
fluid cleaned my desk).

Then you could make a postive print using any of the many colors they
had. Mount the piece emultion side down to any substrate (another color
of mylar, thin self-ahiesive metalcal stock, or your metal front panel. I
ever made multi color panels by layering several sheets together.

This was in the days before laser printers,so you could do your layout on
your computer, print on vellum type paper and piece it together to get a
19" wide panel.

I made many panels like this for products, I even made membrane touch
pads using a similar method. They hold up very well.

David Robinson

> >Hey, yesterday I walked by some collegues desk, what is this silver
> >piece of metal there? It turned out to be a piece of "Scotchtal"
> >(sp?) self adhesive aluminium foil and it was anodized, black on
> silver.
>
> >
> >PRO: Easy to use. Can be cut with a knife.  Scratch and sweat
> resistant.
> >You can have holes for screws in your real alu panel, but after
> sticking
> >the foil on it they won't be visible any more....
> >
> >CON: Expensive. Not very expensive, but what the hack...
> >
> >
> >m.c.
> >
> Yea I remember the electronics shops here selling this stuff a couple
> of years ago. I seem to remember that you need to use a photographic
> method to print on this stuff. Nice to know it is still around!\
>
> dave