How are these smartphone back covers made?
The plastic is polished black, the logo and text is reflective silver grey. I’m interested in replacing with a custom made cover, but I don’t know the process that was used to achieve this. I have found out that they most probably used laser etching for my iPod, but I can’t find anything on this. Thanks.
Update: I found an Ebay listing with the logo half scratched off, confirming my assumption of it being somehow printed on. I still don’t know how though, haha.
You are right that the metal backs are usually laser etched. The plastic ones on the other hand are usually injection molded then screen printed.
The injection molding is well outside what most would consider "hobby grade", however there are many guides on how to diy screen print (though running it on curved surfaces is an extra challenge). So your best bet would probably be to buy a clone back cover with little or no writing on the back, then screen print on your own custom stuff.
Oh yeah, injection moulding is definitely well outside of my scope of capabilities and budget, haha. I’ll look into diy screen printing! Thanks for the help <3
I found that foil transfer like stamping or printing is more likely to be the method they used. Screen print metallic ink is either too flaky or too shimmery, not reflective smooth.
As others have said. It’s injection molding with screen printing. Those two techniques are not suited for one off parts. Machining the mold for injection molding can cost thousands of dollars, especially for a gloss finish like this. The screen printing also requires to create a custom silk screen for this.
What are you trying to achieve? A new plastic cover with a different shape? Or same shape and different design on it?
Well first of all, I’m just really curious. I always had a thing for learning how things are made and if I could remake them at home. Second, I guess I’d like to go with my own design, while staying in the bounds of the same style. Third, I’m still looking for what I am good at.
That awesome! The best way to approach this in a DIY manner would be 3D printing. Easy 3D printing would be FDM printers, but better quality would be with Resin printer (in the home DIY scope).
I was thinking maybe a silicone mould for casting resin could do the trick. I don’t have access to a 3D printer and won’t anytime soon unfortunately.
You can try. You can get a 3D painter for around $200 https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNOIaES they basically pay for themselves in a couple of prints.
my guess would be double shot injection molding, like high end key caps?
I found some examples, the key caps you mentioned, made with two-shot injection moulding but the text on them looks imprecise and has rounded corners. The iPhone back cover has really precise and sharp text. The small text is also probably too small for that method.
The apple logo is probably two-shot moulded, the text is definitely printed.
In the deep forges of Apple by the Automechanoids that hold the Thrice-Divided soul of Steve Jobs. They toil with their sacred task to hammer The Material into the requisite forms, never straying from the Grand Design.
I just imagined Steve Jobs as Eorlund Gray-Mane for whatever reason.
Injection molding is something hobbyists do once in a while. Plans for the machines are not hard to find (Vince gingery wrote the book most use). Unlike 3d.printing though, you can't go from CAD to a part directly, instead you need to build the mold and that is not easy makes the process a lot more difficult and it needs more tools (a milling machine) and skill.
Still the results are a lot better than 3d printing and it isn't as hard as you might think. It is worth looking into, to see if maybe it is for you.
You can make injection molding blanks with 3D printed parts but it's still not an easy process from what I've seen. It'd be better/cheaper/easier just to make your own external protective case.