CD Replication: Manufacturing Processes
With the advent of the technology used to produce CDs came the need to accurately and efficiently copy information from one disk to the next. This process allows you to pull information from any disk at all and turn it into thousands. This is CD replication. Manufacturing processes for making multiple CDs via replication are different than CD duplication, the process you’re probably more familiar with.
CD duplication can be done at home, on your computer. CD replication is a larger scale, factory-style process that makes a lot of CDs as efficiently and as effectively as possible. Unlike duplicated CDs, there’s no loss of data quality with replication. Let’s take a look at the process by which CDs are replicated to help you learn more about it and find out if this service is one you need to take advantage of for your business or organization.
There are three main parts to the CD replication process. These are mastering, electro forming and replication. All three processes must be done before any disks can be created, and the preparatory costs, while large, are required. Don’t think that you can get CD replication done without paying a setup fee. First, the surface where the information is going to be stored needs to be cleaned before the company can begin the process of CD replication. Manufacturing of disks from surfaces that aren’t clean will produce an enormous number of errors.
Mastering creates a durable, master disk from which all the other disks are then made. This disk is usually made of glass, for greater durability. The sides of this master may also be coated in steel, to make it easier to handle the disk without damage to it. The side the information will be put on will be polished to an extremely smooth shine, and then cleaned with several detergents. Laser technology is then used to etch the information into the disk, in a similar way to the one your computer uses to burn a CD. However, this laser is much more powerful.
Once an effective master has been created, the electroforming process begins. Information of all kinds is transferred from the glass master to a tougher material that will be used to make the CDs themselves. Nickel is a commonly used substance for this process. The metal master is then electroplated and production can begin. Then, disks are pressed from this version of the data. Early disks will be compared, bit by bit, to the information on the glass master to make sure that no error has crept into the production process. They’ll be played in a large number of different players and devices to make sure that the disks are uniformly effective and usable. Then, if all is well, the rest of the run will be created.
It’s important that all pieces in this production process be treated correctly, since most surfaces are electrically charged. Ion-free water is used for cleaning, and sodium hydroxide may be used to remove contaminants. The last stage of CD replication requires the disks to go through the molding process. Machines are used to produce your CDs, and these pieces of equipment are fast and capable of producing a large number of disks in a short time. For instance, some can make between six hundred and nine hundred disks in an hour, if not more. All information is permanently molded into the disks, which are very hot during the production process. Water cooling helps cut down on the temperature.
A reflective surface is added to the CD – usually a metal like aluminum, and then the disks are coated to keep them from being damaged. Like the earlier ones, each CD will be tested for defects. If the disk passes, it’s printed with UV inks or a label, and then packed for sale. Some CD replication manufacturing plants will offer packaging along with the fee you pay for disk production. Others will ask you to pay more if you want your disks to be packaged at the factory. Find out which options are available to you before you sign a contract, so you’ll have the best experience possible.
If you’re interested in making a large number of copies of a single disk, CD replication manufacturing processes are the way to do it. You’ll be assured of getting good quality and accurate data replication, and you’ll be able to quickly and easily distribute your information. Check out all your options and find out if this is the method you need.