Medal Manufacturing Process How to make a unique medals

The production of a medal (especially a metal medal) typically involves several intricate stages, from design and mold development to molding and post-processing.

1. Design and Drawing: First, a two-dimensional sketch is designed based on the medal's theme and purpose. The designer determines the medal's shape, pattern, text, and whether it includes special structures (such as the "gold-inlaid jade" structure of the Beijing Olympics).

2. Mold Making: This is a crucial step determining the medal's precision and three-dimensionality:

* Mold Engraving: Using a high-precision CNC engraving machine or by hand, the medal's shading pattern is engraved onto the steel.

* Heat Treatment: To increase the mold's hardness and durability, the engraved mold needs to be hardened.

3. Forming: Depending on the material and design requirements, there are two main methods:

* Die Struck: Suitable for materials such as copper and iron. The mold pattern is pressed onto the metal sheet using a high-tonnage punch press, resulting in a deep and clear design.

* Die Casting: Commonly used for zinc alloys. Molten alloy is poured into a mold. This process is suitable for creating complex shapes with strong 3D effects or intricate cutouts.

4. Finishing

* Polishing: Removes burrs and rough surfaces created after forming, giving the medal a smooth, mirror-like finish or a brushed texture.

* Electroplating: Plates a layer of gold, silver, copper, or nickel onto the metal surface using electrolysis. For example, at least 6 grams of gold are electroplated onto a pure silver base.

* Coloring: If the medal requires colored designs, enamel, imitation enamel, or baking paint techniques are used to fill in the colors.

5. Assembly and Packaging
Finally, the medals are fitted with custom-made ribbons and packaged after quality inspection.

Are you looking to customize a batch of competition medals, or are you interested in the details of a specific process (such as enamel or electroplating)?