HYDRODIPPING

Customise Any Interior Part

What is Hydrodipping?

Hydrodipping, or water transfer printing is the process of applying printed designs to three-dimensional surfaces. This process can be applied to almost any 3D object that will survive being submerged in water; from metal and wood to plastic and glass.
Our most commonly hydrodipped parts are typically interior trim, such as dashboards, facias and inserts and these can be decorated with almost any design.
Popular designs include carbon and camouflage effect across a varying range of colours.

Things to consider before Hydrodipping

Condition of your part – is the part in suitable condition to be dipped or will it require more extensive preparation work beyond standard which may add cost and time?
The material of your part – will the material survive being dunked in water?
Your chosen colours & patterns.
The final finish, whether you want matte, gloss or satin.

How does it work?

Preparation

The part to be dipped is intensively cleaned to ensure it is free from dust, grease or grime. At this point if the part requires anything additional work, such as filling or rust repair we will do this now. A pre-treatment coating is then applied, with various coatings depending on the material. This is the most important step to ensuring a good final product.

Priming & Painting

Each part then receives several base coats of primer. The type of primer depends on the material of the part and its constitution, whether it is smooth or highly textured. We then paint your part with multiple coats of high quality paint in your chosen colour. This forms the base coat to which the hydrographic film design adheres to.

Dipping

The hydrographic film is is placed on top of a vat of warm water which dissolves the the film, leaving behind the solid ink pattern, floating on the surface. When this ink is sprayed with a specialist chemical, the ink returns to a liquid state, ready to adhere to the part. At this point the part is slowly submerged through the ink layer, ensuring full bonding between the ink around all of the contours of the part before being rinsed to remove any excess from the dipping process.

Finishing

Once fully dry, the part is inspected to ensure only the highest quality workmanship. Once it passes this quality inspection we make sure the part is once again fully free from any dust or dirt and before spraying a protective clear coat layer. This is available in matte, glossy or satin and ensures your part will remain looking pristine for the life of the part. From this point we buff the part and polish it before a final coat of protective wax.

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Pride Car Customs are aware that the difference between something good and something great is the attention to detail, precise workmanship, superior quality tools and materials and a passion for creating perfection. That’s what we do.

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