Carding Forum
Professional
Obviously, plastic cards are made of plastic. But there are different types of plastic, and each company chooses the most suitable one for itself. It can be PVC, FBS, PC, PET, and even a special one - composite PVC (a mixture of different materials). Today we will talk about which one “Country of Cards” chooses and why. And also what are the pros and cons of each type.
We chose this plastic because it is easy enough to process. Cutting out cards will be easy. The material does not break or crack from mechanical impact. But at the same time it is durable. Additional protection is provided by the laminate, which we always apply over the print. This coating prevents fading and abrasion of the design. In addition, the laminate protects the paint layer from scratches. These two layers of PVC, although thin, still increase the thickness and durability of the card.
Another significant plus is excellent sealability. Although we use offset equipment in production, the characteristics of the plastic are still very important. It is necessary to take into account its color, surface smoothness and many other factors.
Its price will also be an advantage. PVC is quite cheap, so the cost of one card is low. If you use other materials, the price for each copy of the circulation will increase significantly. This is not beneficial for either customers or manufacturers.
So what are its advantages?
ABS plastic is probably familiar to everyone. It is suitable for plastic card production due to its durability. This plastic is very durable. It does not lose its qualities even with large temperature changes. Of course, such high wear resistance is good. But for plastic cards this is rather a minus, because they will be difficult to process. One of the disadvantages is the difficulty of printing. The paint will not apply as evenly as on PVC. Because of this, the appearance of the product may suffer. In addition, it is impossible to emboss cards made of ABS plastic. This is also due to its properties.
PC or polycarbonate is probably the most durable. If the company plans to produce cards with a huge service life, this is a great option. In addition, it tolerates sudden temperature changes. Why didn’t we choose it? Polycarbonate is processed at very high temperatures. And this dictates the features of its use. For example, you can’t put a magnetic strip on polycarbonate or apply a scratch panel. And all because they require lower processing temperatures. There may also be problems with printing. At the same time, polycarbonate is expensive.
Another popular material is PET. Its advantage lies, again, in strength. It is resistant to deformation, low and high temperatures. And at the same time, PET can be recycled, so it is environmentally friendly. But additional steps are required to produce PET. There may also be difficulties with lamination. Because of this, the cost of one card becomes an order of magnitude higher. It is much better to use it in conjunction with PVC.
Composite PVC is another leader in the plastic card market. It is a combination of several layers: PET and PVC. The first material gives additional strength. And 2 layers of PVC are used for high-quality and easy printing.
Although each material has its own advantages, manufacturers prefer to use pure or composite PVC due to its properties specifically associated with the production of plastic cards.
Source
What are the cards made of in our company?
All plastic cards: standard, non-standard (except paper and light) and even chip - we make from PVC. Polyvinyl chloride is the most popular material among manufacturers.We chose this plastic because it is easy enough to process. Cutting out cards will be easy. The material does not break or crack from mechanical impact. But at the same time it is durable. Additional protection is provided by the laminate, which we always apply over the print. This coating prevents fading and abrasion of the design. In addition, the laminate protects the paint layer from scratches. These two layers of PVC, although thin, still increase the thickness and durability of the card.
Another significant plus is excellent sealability. Although we use offset equipment in production, the characteristics of the plastic are still very important. It is necessary to take into account its color, surface smoothness and many other factors.
Its price will also be an advantage. PVC is quite cheap, so the cost of one card is low. If you use other materials, the price for each copy of the circulation will increase significantly. This is not beneficial for either customers or manufacturers.
So what are its advantages?
- Processable
- Excellent sealing
- It has high quality,
- It's inexpensive.
What other plastic can be used?
There are at least 4 more different materials from which plastic cards are often produced. Why didn't we choose them?ABS plastic is probably familiar to everyone. It is suitable for plastic card production due to its durability. This plastic is very durable. It does not lose its qualities even with large temperature changes. Of course, such high wear resistance is good. But for plastic cards this is rather a minus, because they will be difficult to process. One of the disadvantages is the difficulty of printing. The paint will not apply as evenly as on PVC. Because of this, the appearance of the product may suffer. In addition, it is impossible to emboss cards made of ABS plastic. This is also due to its properties.
PC or polycarbonate is probably the most durable. If the company plans to produce cards with a huge service life, this is a great option. In addition, it tolerates sudden temperature changes. Why didn’t we choose it? Polycarbonate is processed at very high temperatures. And this dictates the features of its use. For example, you can’t put a magnetic strip on polycarbonate or apply a scratch panel. And all because they require lower processing temperatures. There may also be problems with printing. At the same time, polycarbonate is expensive.
Another popular material is PET. Its advantage lies, again, in strength. It is resistant to deformation, low and high temperatures. And at the same time, PET can be recycled, so it is environmentally friendly. But additional steps are required to produce PET. There may also be difficulties with lamination. Because of this, the cost of one card becomes an order of magnitude higher. It is much better to use it in conjunction with PVC.
Composite PVC is another leader in the plastic card market. It is a combination of several layers: PET and PVC. The first material gives additional strength. And 2 layers of PVC are used for high-quality and easy printing.
Although each material has its own advantages, manufacturers prefer to use pure or composite PVC due to its properties specifically associated with the production of plastic cards.
Source
