Disc Manufacturing...

The Disc industry revolves around time frames! So how quickly do you need your job delivered?  Since ATD is committed and dedicated to delivering the most cost effective service on time, every time, you can be guaranteed of meeting your deadlines.

ATD delivers quick turnaround at the lowest price available in Australia.  Fast and efficient production without compromise on quality. Duplication has the quickest turnaround time and therefore achieves the fastest delivery of your job.  Replication is most suited for large quantities, typically 500 discs or more, where tight production schedule are not required.  Replication provides the most cost effective way to have your job manufactured.

How are Discs made?

There are two technologies available to make your Discs; one is replicated (or pressed) Discs, the other is duplicated (or burned) Discs.The method employed is determined by the quantity of Discs you need and the time frame you need them in.

Replication  vs Duplication

A replicated Disc requires the manufacture of a glass master which is made from the Disc master you supply and involves injection moulding, pouring out the Disc substrate material.  The discs are then stamped out and your artwork is printed onto the disc surface.  The Discs are manufactured from  polycarbonate granules and pass through various production stages such as spin coating and printing.

A duplicated Disc uses your Disc master to copy the information onto recordable Discs.  This process uses recordable Discs that are printed and/or burned (or copied) using a bank of Disc duplicators and printers.  A laser actually burns the image onto a blank recordable Disc, and integrity of data is achieved through storage as an image on an internal hard disc.  The Discs can be printed in black only, through to full colour and full coverage.

Black print on a Disc is achieved using a thermal process.  This type of printing utilises a thermal transfer process that heats the ribbon image onto the Disc.  This application is suited most to medical, education and other areas that require the most cost effective solution with a quick turnaround time.

All of our discs full colour Discs are printed at ultimately the highest quality and highest resolution and finished with a high gloss coating. This provides a completely waterfast product with the added advantage of enhanced ‘readability’ of the Disc, and guarantees the best available duplicated  product currently available.

Which is better?

Duplicated Discs are ideally suited for projects were you need a small quantity of Discs or they are required very quickly.  ATD offers same day or overnight service if required and this can only be achieved with duplication. On the other hand replication is more cost effective but takes a longer time frame for the manufacture of your product.  So time frames usually dictate the method used.