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What is the best material for the phone case? Encyclopedia of silicone, TPU, plastic, and resin
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Published time: 2021-02-05
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What is the best material for the phone case? Encyclopedia of silicone, TPU, plastic, and resin
According to the current market situation of mobile phone protective cases, there are many kinds of materials, the most common are soft plastic (silicone, TPU), hard plastic (PC, ABS, PP), metal, leather case, and some special materials. ——-Such as carbon fiber, bamboo, wood, etc. Today I will give you a detailed introduction so that you can have a better choice when choosing a mobile phone case.
1. Silica gel
There are two main types of silicone sleeves currently known, one is organic silica gel and the other is inorganic silica gel. Silicone covers for digital products currently on the market are basically organic silicones.
Silica gel is rubber, and the molding process uses vulcanization molding. The silicone mold is opened up and down. Cut the pieces of silicone material, put it in the mold, and heat and press to make the product. Generally, plastic products have a plastic inlet, which needs to be trimmed after the product is injection molded. If the trimming is not good, it will affect the appearance. The silica gel has no glue inlet, but there is a ring of burrs around it to be repaired. If the mold is garbage, the burrs will be more obvious, just like a dog chewing.
2. TPU plastic clear water jacket
Put the second one because TPU is also soft. TPU is the abbreviation of Thermoplastic Urethane, and the Chinese name is thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. The "clear water jacket" that people often say is made of TPU.
Many people don't know the difference between silicone and TPU, and even some sellers don't know it. They say that the soft ones are silicone. Here I will explain to you.
Different from silicone rubber which belongs to rubber type, TPU belongs to plastic type. The product is made by injection molding process, which means that after heating and melting the pellets of plastic rice, they are injected into the plastic mold with a barrel to make the product.
From the feel of the hand, the hardness of TPU is generally harder than that of silica gel, and the elasticity of hand pinching is stronger, while the elasticity of silica gel is slightly worse. You can compare TPU to the feel of muscles and the feel of silicone to fat. From the outside, TPU can be made very transparent, but silica gel is not. The most transparent is very hazy, like thick fog. It is precisely because of the transparent feeling of TPU that it is now more popular with users. In addition, there are still many high-grade TPU products, with relatively strong selectivity, and more patterns than silica gel.
The disadvantage of TPU is that it is easy to deform and yellow. After three or four months of use, if you happen to buy a light-colored product such as transparent white, it will easily turn yellow. If the material is not good, the surface may become foggy or sticky. Imported German Bayer material also has this problem, but it is relatively better.
3. PC material
PC scientific name polycarbonate is a thermoplastic engineering plastic. The toughness of PC plastic is very good, the light transmittance is also very good, the product can be made very thin, the thinnest iPhone protective case is said to be 0.5mm. There are various colors of pure PC plastic, such as pure and transparent, transparent black and transparent blue, and they are all pretty good.
By the way, introduce some PC shell processing technology:
PC vacuum plating process: plating on the PC shell, after plating some patterns, the texture is also good, but after the vacuum plating is completed, a UV varnish is required. This process is not well done, just if it is not done well It is easy to produce orange peel-like lines on the product. So this kind of craftsmanship is very beautiful at first glance. If you look carefully, there are not many products that do well. Just like a star, the movie on TV is very glamorous, but it is actually normal to see it up close.
PC spraying process: you can spray rubber oil with a hand-feel, which is also liked by many people. The more complicated one is to spray a layer of primer on the colored (transparent red, transparent blue, transparent yellow, etc.) transparent PC shell, and then laser engrave some patterns , After a rubber paint at the end, this product looks very high-end.
PC water transfer heat transfer process: make some transfer patterns on the PC shell, and then spray UV varnish or rubber oil with soft touch. After the transfer is sprayed with UV varnish, the UV varnish on the surface is easier to crack with a hand pinch, so the best choice for the transfer process is to spray rubber oil, with a soft touch, matte surface, and a good process , It also looks very high-end. The disadvantage is that the surface is not scratch-resistant. If a part of the paint is dropped, it will be easy to take off along the place where the paint is dropped. The advantage of transfer printing is that the patterns are very rich.
4. ABS material
Pure ABS material is generally used as a protective cover (now commonly used in trolley cases), because ABS material is relatively hard, and the strength is not as good as PC, but there is a new process called IML-In mold label ) For the craft, ABS plastic is basically used at present, and the surface material is PET. Because the melting temperature of PC plastic is too high, it will wash away the color printed on PET and turn it into a painted face.
This process has only been popular on protective sleeves in the past two years. Its characteristic is that it can make a lot of patterns on the surface. It has the same advantages as the transfer process. There is a better advantage that its patterns are generally more than rotating. The printed pattern should be fine and the texture is strong. If the PET on the surface is made of hardened PET material, and scratched back and forth with the most calcium-rich fingernails, it will not scratch. Of course, it will not work if it is made of poor quality PET. .
So in comparison, the quality of this in-mold IML process is generally higher than that of transfer, and the gloss is very strong. If IML is sprayed with rubber oil, it is also a high-end product. You can make some products with imitating carbon fiber effect and three-dimensional effect, or products with a touch feeling on the surface. The color should be the richest in all categories. The disadvantage is that this kind of casing feels harder when it is installed than a PC. After it is dropped on the ground, if it is dropped heavily, it will crack.
5.PP material
At present, it is not mainstream, mainly because the process is not mature and has many defects, because PP itself is a relatively cheap raw material, mainly because its injection performance is better. Some manufacturers do not have high-speed injection molding machines, and at the same time want to make super Thin protective shell, so choose this material. The defect of this product is that it is easy to deform, and it is not recommended.
6.Leather
Good quality leather cases are usually made of pigskin and cowhide. Generally, holsters will use the outer layer of leather to stick to the skin and the inner layer of PU material to reduce the cost and achieve the visual effect of the leather.
Leather case is also a more popular one. Compared with ordinary silicone sleeves with a slightly more textured texture, business people who work hard in the workplace prefer to use decent leather cases. Unlike young people who admire individuality, holding a mobile phone with a slightly single color is suitable for them. Out of taste.
7. Metal material
The texture of metal products is undoubtedly very good, most of the product grades are relatively high, and the surface treatment process is now very mature.
The disadvantage is that the installation is relatively inconvenient. If the product is installed with screws, then be careful, because the metal material is generally made of aluminum alloy. No matter what is called aviation aluminum or other aluminum materials, the screw holes are easy to slip. open.
A friend of the author bought an authentic brand product in Hong Kong for 500 Hong Kong dollars. The cowhide was boasting. Of course, the texture and workmanship were very good. As a result, it accidentally fell on the floor and fell apart. If the screws are screwed again, they are all loose and can't be locked tightly. That hurts! The conclusion is that the metal phone case is inadequate and cannot withstand wind and rain. It is a flower that grows in a greenhouse and is easy to wither. It is recommended that careless friends choose carefully.
8. Special material
carbon fiber. The protective case made of real carbon fiber is very hard, and it is difficult to break it by hand. I once did an experiment. I threw a protective shell on the tiled floor. It made a bang. It was very crisp. I jumped a few times. I stepped on it with my foot. It’s okay. I stepped on it again. No problem. I stepped on it again. Up.
However, this kind of hardness is not the strong point of carbon fiber on the protective cover. Too hard is not good. Users who choose this material mainly appreciate the crystal clear three-dimensional effect of carbon fiber. Since the carbon fiber has to be polished after being formed in the mold, there is no parting line on the surface, it can be polished and thrown off. The quality of the polishing is closely related to the skill and care of the production workers. There are not many products that are really well done. . The price is also high.
According to the current market situation of mobile phone protective cases, there are many kinds of materials, the most common are soft plastic (silicone, TPU), hard plastic (PC, ABS, PP), metal, leather case, and some special materials. ——-Such as carbon fiber, bamboo, wood, etc. Today I will give you a detailed introduction so that you can have a better choice when choosing a mobile phone case.
1. Silica gel
There are two main types of silicone sleeves currently known, one is organic silica gel and the other is inorganic silica gel. Silicone covers for digital products currently on the market are basically organic silicones.
Silica gel is rubber, and the molding process uses vulcanization molding. The silicone mold is opened up and down. Cut the pieces of silicone material, put it in the mold, and heat and press to make the product. Generally, plastic products have a plastic inlet, which needs to be trimmed after the product is injection molded. If the trimming is not good, it will affect the appearance. The silica gel has no glue inlet, but there is a ring of burrs around it to be repaired. If the mold is garbage, the burrs will be more obvious, just like a dog chewing.
2. TPU plastic clear water jacket
Put the second one because TPU is also soft. TPU is the abbreviation of Thermoplastic Urethane, and the Chinese name is thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. The "clear water jacket" that people often say is made of TPU.
Many people don't know the difference between silicone and TPU, and even some sellers don't know it. They say that the soft ones are silicone. Here I will explain to you.
Different from silicone rubber which belongs to rubber type, TPU belongs to plastic type. The product is made by injection molding process, which means that after heating and melting the pellets of plastic rice, they are injected into the plastic mold with a barrel to make the product.
From the feel of the hand, the hardness of TPU is generally harder than that of silica gel, and the elasticity of hand pinching is stronger, while the elasticity of silica gel is slightly worse. You can compare TPU to the feel of muscles and the feel of silicone to fat. From the outside, TPU can be made very transparent, but silica gel is not. The most transparent is very hazy, like thick fog. It is precisely because of the transparent feeling of TPU that it is now more popular with users. In addition, there are still many high-grade TPU products, with relatively strong selectivity, and more patterns than silica gel.
The disadvantage of TPU is that it is easy to deform and yellow. After three or four months of use, if you happen to buy a light-colored product such as transparent white, it will easily turn yellow. If the material is not good, the surface may become foggy or sticky. Imported German Bayer material also has this problem, but it is relatively better.
3. PC material
PC scientific name polycarbonate is a thermoplastic engineering plastic. The toughness of PC plastic is very good, the light transmittance is also very good, the product can be made very thin, the thinnest iPhone protective case is said to be 0.5mm. There are various colors of pure PC plastic, such as pure and transparent, transparent black and transparent blue, and they are all pretty good.
By the way, introduce some PC shell processing technology:
PC vacuum plating process: plating on the PC shell, after plating some patterns, the texture is also good, but after the vacuum plating is completed, a UV varnish is required. This process is not well done, just if it is not done well It is easy to produce orange peel-like lines on the product. So this kind of craftsmanship is very beautiful at first glance. If you look carefully, there are not many products that do well. Just like a star, the movie on TV is very glamorous, but it is actually normal to see it up close.
PC spraying process: you can spray rubber oil with a hand-feel, which is also liked by many people. The more complicated one is to spray a layer of primer on the colored (transparent red, transparent blue, transparent yellow, etc.) transparent PC shell, and then laser engrave some patterns , After a rubber paint at the end, this product looks very high-end.
PC water transfer heat transfer process: make some transfer patterns on the PC shell, and then spray UV varnish or rubber oil with soft touch. After the transfer is sprayed with UV varnish, the UV varnish on the surface is easier to crack with a hand pinch, so the best choice for the transfer process is to spray rubber oil, with a soft touch, matte surface, and a good process , It also looks very high-end. The disadvantage is that the surface is not scratch-resistant. If a part of the paint is dropped, it will be easy to take off along the place where the paint is dropped. The advantage of transfer printing is that the patterns are very rich.
4. ABS material
Pure ABS material is generally used as a protective cover (now commonly used in trolley cases), because ABS material is relatively hard, and the strength is not as good as PC, but there is a new process called IML-In mold label ) For the craft, ABS plastic is basically used at present, and the surface material is PET. Because the melting temperature of PC plastic is too high, it will wash away the color printed on PET and turn it into a painted face.
This process has only been popular on protective sleeves in the past two years. Its characteristic is that it can make a lot of patterns on the surface. It has the same advantages as the transfer process. There is a better advantage that its patterns are generally more than rotating. The printed pattern should be fine and the texture is strong. If the PET on the surface is made of hardened PET material, and scratched back and forth with the most calcium-rich fingernails, it will not scratch. Of course, it will not work if it is made of poor quality PET. .
So in comparison, the quality of this in-mold IML process is generally higher than that of transfer, and the gloss is very strong. If IML is sprayed with rubber oil, it is also a high-end product. You can make some products with imitating carbon fiber effect and three-dimensional effect, or products with a touch feeling on the surface. The color should be the richest in all categories. The disadvantage is that this kind of casing feels harder when it is installed than a PC. After it is dropped on the ground, if it is dropped heavily, it will crack.
5.PP material
At present, it is not mainstream, mainly because the process is not mature and has many defects, because PP itself is a relatively cheap raw material, mainly because its injection performance is better. Some manufacturers do not have high-speed injection molding machines, and at the same time want to make super Thin protective shell, so choose this material. The defect of this product is that it is easy to deform, and it is not recommended.
6.Leather
Good quality leather cases are usually made of pigskin and cowhide. Generally, holsters will use the outer layer of leather to stick to the skin and the inner layer of PU material to reduce the cost and achieve the visual effect of the leather.
Leather case is also a more popular one. Compared with ordinary silicone sleeves with a slightly more textured texture, business people who work hard in the workplace prefer to use decent leather cases. Unlike young people who admire individuality, holding a mobile phone with a slightly single color is suitable for them. Out of taste.
7. Metal material
The texture of metal products is undoubtedly very good, most of the product grades are relatively high, and the surface treatment process is now very mature.
The disadvantage is that the installation is relatively inconvenient. If the product is installed with screws, then be careful, because the metal material is generally made of aluminum alloy. No matter what is called aviation aluminum or other aluminum materials, the screw holes are easy to slip. open.
A friend of the author bought an authentic brand product in Hong Kong for 500 Hong Kong dollars. The cowhide was boasting. Of course, the texture and workmanship were very good. As a result, it accidentally fell on the floor and fell apart. If the screws are screwed again, they are all loose and can't be locked tightly. That hurts! The conclusion is that the metal phone case is inadequate and cannot withstand wind and rain. It is a flower that grows in a greenhouse and is easy to wither. It is recommended that careless friends choose carefully.
8. Special material
carbon fiber. The protective case made of real carbon fiber is very hard, and it is difficult to break it by hand. I once did an experiment. I threw a protective shell on the tiled floor. It made a bang. It was very crisp. I jumped a few times. I stepped on it with my foot. It’s okay. I stepped on it again. No problem. I stepped on it again. Up.
However, this kind of hardness is not the strong point of carbon fiber on the protective cover. Too hard is not good. Users who choose this material mainly appreciate the crystal clear three-dimensional effect of carbon fiber. Since the carbon fiber has to be polished after being formed in the mold, there is no parting line on the surface, it can be polished and thrown off. The quality of the polishing is closely related to the skill and care of the production workers. There are not many products that are really well done. . The price is also high.
