Highlights of our plant:

What's the difference between replication and duplication?

How does the process of replication work?

Highlights of our plant:

• We have 16 Singulus optical molding lines and are, quite literally, the state-of-the art in terms of equipment:
• Fourteen (14) Skyliners for manufacture of CD and DVD-5
  
• 1 is dedicated to molding 3" mini CDs which hold about 200 Mb
  
• 1 is dedicated to molding rectangular business cards which hold approx. 70 Mb
  
• Two (2) Spaceliners for molding of DVD-5, 9, or 10
  
• We can also make 3" mini and shaped DVDs
  
• We mold 5" WonderDiscsTM (a full size CD with only 3" of the disc metallized! A nice visual effect.)
  
• We have our own SONY Glass Mastering/Stamper Manufacturing system in house
  
• We have ample screen printing capacity with 5 of the very latest, Hanky printing stations, all equipped with sophisticated, automatic Vision Systems.
  
• We have a brand new HANKY OFFSET printer, too! 175 lines of resolution.
  
• We are the fourth largest VHS manufacturing plant in the United States
  
• We dupe audio cassette
  
• We're an IRMA Certified plant!
  
• We offer HEXALOCK Copy Protection as well as Macrovision, CSS and now Star Force.
  
• Our plant operates it's own glass mastering lab whereas other replicators may send your project to an external service bureau for mastering. This typically takes 5-7 days, is costly and is even more expensive if you have to expedite the process. The average turn-around time for mastering is 48 hours, therefore there is no need to expedite and there are no delays or external dependencies that could affect your production run.

What's the difference between replication and duplication?

Let's start with duplication, as it is more familiar to most people. Duplication is the process of taking a mass produced CD-R, commonly available at office and computer supply stores (yes, we sell them as well) and "burning" data onto the disc with the equivalent of the CD burner you have in your computer. Often, duplicators have banks of burners to speed the process, but it's the same process you can do with your home/office computer.

The up and down sides to duplication or burning are:

• Cost is higher than replication in large quantities
• Durability is lower - CD-R's tend to decay and damage quicker
• Turn around can be quicker in small quantity
• Price is lower than replication in small quantity (under 500)

Replication is the process of manufacturing a disc with your data. The details of the process are explained below in more detail. However, the basic result is that of a supremely high quality, long lasting product. A replicated disc is the same type found in your local music store of your favorite musician. In short, a replicated disc will withstand time and abuse far better than a duplicated disc. If you are producing music, a replicated disc will generally sound better than a duplicated one because it is capable of holding the data more securely.

How does the process of replication work?

Step 1: Pre-Mastering

In this stage we inspect and checks the media that is supplied by the customer. The inspection begins with an anti-virus test on the source followed by a format/structure check.

Step 2A: Mastering
A substrate treated with a photosensitive layer is prepared.

Step 2B: Mastering
An LBR (Laser Beam Recorder) is used to transfer your data/music and forms the pits and tracks onto the substrate.

Step 2C: Mastering
A developing solution enables the zones that were exposed by the laser to be removed.

Step 2D: Mastering
The substrate is placed into a vacuum deposition chamber and covered with a layer of silver.

Step 2E: Mastering
The end product is a metalized glass master. It is then inspected and analyzed for electrical signal properties.

Step 3A: Electroplating
Glass master is mounted and immersed into a solution of nickel sulfamate.

Step 3B: Electroplating
A process of electrolysis takes place between two electrodes, the anode and the cathode. This creates a nickel layer which is separated from the glass master in order to obtain the stamper.

Step 3C: Electroplating
The stamper is rinsed, dried & covered with a protective film.

Step 3D: Electroplating
The back face is sanded and polished in order to prepare it for pressing.

Step 3E: Electroplating
The stamper is then punched in the center and the outside and checked for uniform thickness.

Step 4A: Molding
The stamper is placed in a special mold and clamped together under very high pressure. Molten polycarbonate is then injected into the mold and after a few seconds of cooling, a clear disc is ejected, now containing the information or pit track from the stamper.

Step 4B: Molding
A fine layer of aluminum is sputtered onto the surface of the transparent disc. This allows the disc to be read by the reflection of the laser on the layer of information.

Step 4C: Molding
A fine layer of clear lacquer is then deposited on the metallic surface of the disc, then dried under a UV lamp. This is done in order to protect the CD and
prepare it for screen or offset printing.

Step 4D: Molding
Each CD is then inspected for physical imperfections and common molding flaws using a high speed camera inspection system.

Step 4E: Molding
All orders are tested at the beginning and the end through the High Tech Optical Testing Equipment to Phillips and Sony specifications.

Step 5A: Pre-Press
The film or file is initially reviewed by trained graphic staff and checked for conformity, colors, size, resolution, fonts etc...

Step 5B: Pre-Press
Pre-stretched screens are coated with a light sensitive emulsion, dried and measured.

Step 5C: Pre-Press
Once dried, a film positive is positioned upon the coated screen and exposed in a light unit for a set time.

Step 5D: Pre-Press
After exposure, the developed emulsion protected by the film is washed away with water. This leaves a hardened stencil with print area free of exposed emulsion.

Step 6A: Screen Printing
Press-ready screens are mounted on the printing press.

Step 6B: Screen Printing
Ink is placed on the screen and a squeegee passes across the image area pressing ink through the screen and onto the CD surface. One screen is required for each color.

Step 6C: Screen Printing
Once the ink is applied, it is instantly cured or dried under a UV light before the next color is printed.

Step 6D: Screen Printing
Each CD is inspected through sophisticated optics for correct inner hub identification and print quality.