Aluminum imitation stone utilizes a variety of surface treatments to significantly enhance the realism of its imitation stone texture. These processes not only mimic the visual effects of natural stone but also achieve a high degree of fidelity in its tactile and physical properties, making it an ideal alternative to natural stone in architectural decoration. Its core processes include fluorocarbon spraying, thermal transfer, roller coating, stone-like paint spraying, and pre-roller coating. Each process utilizes unique techniques to enhance the authenticity of the texture.
The fluorocarbon spraying process involves multiple applications of primer, topcoat, and clearcoat to create a multi-layered composite coating. The primer provides foundational adhesion, the topcoat imparts the stone's base color, and the clearcoat, through a special formula, enhances gloss and wear resistance. During the spraying process, precise control of the spray gun angle and paint viscosity creates a natural transition in the texture, avoiding the harsh, mechanical effect of reproduction. For example, the shadows of dark stone can be gradiently altered by adjusting the spray thickness, closely resembling the natural texture of natural stone.
Thermal transfer technology utilizes high temperature and high pressure to completely transfer the stone pattern from the transfer film to the aluminum sheet. Transfer film is produced using high-precision digital printing technology, achieving a pattern resolution exceeding 300dpi, clearly capturing the subtle cracks and grain of the stone. During the transfer process, the aluminum sheet undergoes degreasing and chemical treatment to ensure complete fusion of the transfer film and substrate. High-temperature baking (approximately 200°C) chemically bonds the ink layer to the aluminum sheet surface, enhancing adhesion and creating a three-dimensional texture that resembles real stone.
The roller coating process involves continuously applying a fluorocarbon coating to an aluminum roll, imprinting the stone grain onto the roll. Key to this process lies in the precision manufacturing of the roller, which ensures the engraved texture matches the microstructure of natural stone. During the roller coating process, the coating evenly fills the roller's grooves, creating a concave and convex texture after curing. Compared to spray coating, roller coating provides a more uniform texture, making it suitable for large-scale production of standardized products, such as aluminum imitation stone panels for curtain walls.
The real stone paint spraying process involves directly applying a coating containing natural stone powder to the aluminum surface. By adjusting the particle size and spray pressure, the paint simulates the rough texture of stone. The particle size of the stone powder in real stone paint typically ranges from 50-200 mesh, ensuring coating strength while recreating the natural texture of stone. After spraying, the surface is polished to further enhance the texture's authenticity. This process is particularly suitable for outdoor applications, as the resulting 3D tactile stone effect withstands weathering and maintains its fidelity over time.
The pre-roller coating process combines the advantages of roller coating and transfer printing, initially applying a base color layer using roller coating, followed by the application of transfer printing technology to create the finer texture. This process typically employs a five-coat, five-bake process, with each layer undergoing a separate curing bake to ensure no intermixing between layers. The resulting texture not only evokes the layered texture of natural stone, but also exhibits a profound play of light and shadow due to the overlapping effect of multiple layers. The three-dimensional texture is particularly pronounced under sunlight.
The surface treatment of aluminum imitation stone simulates the formation mechanism of natural stone, fully recreating its visual, tactile, and physical properties. Whether it's the delicate gradient of fluorocarbon spraying, the three-dimensional tactile feel of thermal transfer, the uniform texture of roller coating, the rough texture of real stone paint, or the layered light and shadow of pre-roller coating, these technologies transcend the limitations of traditional materials to provide a more environmentally friendly and durable solution for architectural decoration.
