Mask and Protect a Part
Plastiform products make reusable masking molds for surface treatments and protective coatings for gauges and cutting tools. F50 XL is the usual product for masking molds made in series, while F04 Protect is made to protect gauges and tools.
The right product and method depend on your treatment, the shape of the parts, and how many parts you protect at once. Describe your process to our technical team before you choose.
Neither use is a measurement, and F04 Protect cannot be used for dimensional measurement at all.
Masking Molds with F50 XL
F50 XL is a Fluid, Medium product (50 Shore A) designed to make custom masking molds that protect groups of parts from surface treatments. Its technical sheet names it the product of choice for sandblasting, shotblasting, and paint masking.
The product is very fluid before polymerization, so it fills the shape easily. Once cured, its limited flexibility resists the treatment while the operator can still take parts out and put them back.
Each masking mold is reusable and protects a whole batch of parts, treatment after treatment, in place of masking tape.
For a single part or a specific shape, another product in the range can make the protection. Our technical team helps you choose it.
Make a Masking Mold
- Identify every zone to protect and clean the parts with DN1, wiping them dry with a clean microfiber.
- Build a container around the parts with Re-Form or Plastin to bound the pour.
- Mix the F50 XL cans for 30 seconds before use by turning them over or with the mixer supplied.
- Pour the product from the lowest point. Its working time is 5 minutes at 23°C.
- Remove the masking mold after 35 minutes at 23°C. Polymerization is complete after 45 minutes, so wait until then before the first treatment.
- Place the parts in the masking mold and run the treatment.
Protect Gauges and Cutting Tools with F04 Protect
F04 Protect is a very flexible protection product (4 Shore A) that wraps a part in a thick layer. This coating absorbs shocks, protects against moisture and corrosion, and comes off without leaving residue on the tool.
It replaces wax-based protection on plug gauges, threaded rings, and cutting tools between uses.
The product stays fluid for 20 seconds, then hardens. You can handle the coated part after 2 minutes, and polymerization is complete after 3 minutes at 23°C.
Two Formats for F04 Protect
- Five 50 ml cartridges with special nozzles, used with a DM-50 or DB-50 dispensing gun, are made to try the application.
- Bottles of 2 x 1000 ml of F04 Protect work with the ProMixR for workshops that protect many tools. This machine mixes the two components automatically with a pedal switch and a front-panel button.
With both formats, the product can harden inside the nozzle during a pause. Fit a new nozzle in that case.
Before You Commit a Process
Run a test on your own treatment before you use a masking mold in production, because the technical sheets give no resistance figure for each bath, paint, or abrasive. Our technical team can review your process with you.
Related Pages
- XL Range
- Mix and Pour XL Products
- Re-Form: Holding, Protecting and Impression Templates
- Plastin: Four Uses
- Degrease the Surface