Flocking is the technical term used to define a special process that coats an object, or part of the same, with tiny fibres that give a velvety look and touch. The material used is called “flock”, a word from which the term “flocking” derives.
In English flock is a term that aims to describe the light consistency of the fibres it is made of.
There are 4 main steps involved in the flocking process:
- application of the adhesive on the support (plastic, metal, wood etc.);
- positioning of the flock inside an electrostatic cabin that orients the fibres in the correct position; perpendicular to the surface to be flocked
- drying of the adhesive, which completes the process that fixes the flock to the object;
- compressed air brushing of the flocked articles to remove excess fibres.