The process of CD/DVD manufacturing has altered the way the world enjoys its audio and visual entertainment. Before the introduction of CD/DVD mass-production, more ancient methods, such as records, tapes and VHS were used to produce music and movies in large quantities. However, now that CD/DVD manufacturing has made its way onto the scene, those are now artifacts of the past. Music and movie enthusiasts no longer have to purchase cumbersome vinyl records or low-quality tapes to listen to their favorite songs or watch their favorite movies. With the debut of the CD, we can now enjoy this type of entertainment in the form of a small, shiny disc that can be played in a car stereo or home entertainment center. How did it come into play that the mass-production of CDs and DVDs is such a driving force in the world of entertainment? What was the turning point that made the manufacturing of CDs and DVDs possible and in the process forever changed the way in which the whole world welcomes its entertainment?
For the people who would like to learn the answers to these questions, it must first be understood that the process of manufacturing CDs and DVDs is complicated. Remarkable chemical processes combined with complex and time-consuming procedures are the ingredients that go into the formation of a disc. In examining the rise of CD/DVD technology, it is crucial to understand the process of replication. When manufacturing discs, many steps take place: glass mastering, photoresist or non-photoresist mastering, post mastering, and electroforming. The most vital step, however, in the manufacturing process is replication.
CD/DVD replication is the step that takes place after the quality of the master has been determined and is ensured to be ready to be replicated on a large scale. This is the crucial point in the manufacturing process where mass-production takes place; it is the turning point in which the album makes a super-star out of its singer. CD/DVD replication has created a world where listeners from New York to Tokyo can have access to the same exact CDs and DVDs. It is a process that has reinvented the way the world enjoys its movies and listens to its music.
The replication process involves a few steps, and each must be understood to learn how the process works. Replication takes place in a factory using a CD molding machine. This machine uses high-temperature polycarbonate injectors to insert hot molten plastic into the mold cavities, forming a disc. Each molding can produce 900 discs per hour! Then cool water is run so that it gathers around the molding. The plastic solidifies and the molding is opened. The entire process takes only three to five seconds to complete.
After molding is complete, a vacuum handler removes the disc and places it onto a cooling station. The disc actually contains all of its digital information at this point in the process. However, it doesn't have its reflective layer yet. The reflective layer is what ensures the disc can be played. After it is cooled, the disc passes into a chamber and undergoes the "sputtering" process. During this phase, metal is coated onto the data side of the disc (the side which does not have the record label).
After metallization, lacquer is coated onto the metal layer. This provides the right surface for the DVD or record label to be printed. It is crucial that the ink used in printing the label is compatible with the lacquer coating. It is also important for people to remember the necessity of ink being compatible when using a pen to write on a CD or DVD as the disc might fracture and be ruined if it's not.
Replication has been instrumental in the mass-production of CDs and DVDs. It has altered the way we listen to and view entertainment. The next time you head down to the record store to buy that hot new CD or the latest DVD release, take a moment to think about the replication process. It has truly allowed CD/DVD manufacturing to be driving force in the world of entertainment.
For the people who would like to learn the answers to these questions, it must first be understood that the process of manufacturing CDs and DVDs is complicated. Remarkable chemical processes combined with complex and time-consuming procedures are the ingredients that go into the formation of a disc. In examining the rise of CD/DVD technology, it is crucial to understand the process of replication. When manufacturing discs, many steps take place: glass mastering, photoresist or non-photoresist mastering, post mastering, and electroforming. The most vital step, however, in the manufacturing process is replication.
CD/DVD replication is the step that takes place after the quality of the master has been determined and is ensured to be ready to be replicated on a large scale. This is the crucial point in the manufacturing process where mass-production takes place; it is the turning point in which the album makes a super-star out of its singer. CD/DVD replication has created a world where listeners from New York to Tokyo can have access to the same exact CDs and DVDs. It is a process that has reinvented the way the world enjoys its movies and listens to its music.
The replication process involves a few steps, and each must be understood to learn how the process works. Replication takes place in a factory using a CD molding machine. This machine uses high-temperature polycarbonate injectors to insert hot molten plastic into the mold cavities, forming a disc. Each molding can produce 900 discs per hour! Then cool water is run so that it gathers around the molding. The plastic solidifies and the molding is opened. The entire process takes only three to five seconds to complete.
After molding is complete, a vacuum handler removes the disc and places it onto a cooling station. The disc actually contains all of its digital information at this point in the process. However, it doesn't have its reflective layer yet. The reflective layer is what ensures the disc can be played. After it is cooled, the disc passes into a chamber and undergoes the "sputtering" process. During this phase, metal is coated onto the data side of the disc (the side which does not have the record label).
After metallization, lacquer is coated onto the metal layer. This provides the right surface for the DVD or record label to be printed. It is crucial that the ink used in printing the label is compatible with the lacquer coating. It is also important for people to remember the necessity of ink being compatible when using a pen to write on a CD or DVD as the disc might fracture and be ruined if it's not.
Replication has been instrumental in the mass-production of CDs and DVDs. It has altered the way we listen to and view entertainment. The next time you head down to the record store to buy that hot new CD or the latest DVD release, take a moment to think about the replication process. It has truly allowed CD/DVD manufacturing to be driving force in the world of entertainment.
