Manufacture of rubber stamps with liquid polymer

If you are interested in making rubber stamps and have researched other rubber stamp manufacturing methods, you should seriously consider polymer stamp production as a serious option.

What are polymers?

Tiny molecules strung together in long repeating chains form polymers. Why the chemistry lesson? Well, for one thing, your body is made of them. DNA, the genetic blueprint that defines people and other living things, is a polymer. The proteins and starches in the foods we eat, the wheels on our skateboards, and even the tires on our bikes and cars are polymers. In fact, we are surrounded by polymers every day, wherever we go. Polymers also form one of our recyclables, which is good for the environment.

Polymer curing: how stamps are made with chemistry!

In polymer chemistry and process engineering, curing refers to the hardening or hardening of a polymeric material by crosslinking the polymer chains; this is caused by chemical additives, ultraviolet radiation or heat. Rubber stamp polymer is supplied in liquid form and is cured with ultraviolet radiation. Although natural sunlight can cure the polymer, liquid stamp polymer requires precise exposure to ultraviolet light to make rubber stamps.

Polymer stamps – make your own stamps without any skills!

How many times has this been said in the past! The production of polymer stamps has always attracted people who are trying to make a quick buck from the process. We’ve seen vendors selling briefcase-sized polymer stamp machines to unsuspecting stationery and newsstand owners and, more recently, DIY kits sold over the internet aimed at crafters. If you are serious about stamp production, you should beware of some of the claims that are made about liquid polymer stamp making.

polymer in a bag

The most exciting recent development is a new innovation where polymer is injected into a flat rectangular sealed bag; This new product eliminates the backing sheets, foam tape, and protective film normally required for stamp production. Processing times are reduced by approximately 50% when using these new bags; this reduced labor cost offsets the additional cost of the bagged product. Bags are available in a variety of sizes to suit production demand. Bagged polymer has also eliminated the problem of air bubbles during processing; This common objection to making polymer stamps has now been overcome.

Where is the polymer rubber stamp industry headed?

You have two different markets for rubber stamps. The first is the traditional trade stamp market where stamps are affixed to handles and self-inking units. The second market that is growing rapidly is the cottage industry; These stamps are attached to blocks of wood or clear acrylic and are used for card making and scrapbooking. Artisanal stamps, such as an artist’s range of stamps that follow a theme, are traditionally made using the vulcanizing process as it is more suitable for mass production of the same stamp. Card manufacturers today want custom designs and clear seals through which polymer is making significant inroads in this market.
Another problem has arisen where polymer “jelly” stamps are sold to the craft industry, these polymer stamps do not have a structural backing that allows the polymer stamp to adhere to an acrylic block without adhesives. In theory this works fine, the problem is that distortion of the seal can occur as well as the possibility of the seal breaking.

Fortunately, a new transparent silicone-based product called InstaGrip has solved this problem so that a polymer stamp with a solid structural backing can be adhered in the same way, without adhesive.

So where is the industry headed?

Commercial stamping appears to be as strong as ever, with the introduction of bagged polymer many more manufacturers will offer polymer stamps due to the labor saving benefits of bagging and the lower cost of entry for bag processing equipment. polymer.

The craft stamp industry will see a lot more polymer in the future for the same reasons. The demand for personalized stamps through services such as stampsearch.com.au Here you select handcrafted artwork online and then turn that image into a stamp that will help the polymer stamp industry develop in a positive way.