CD Manufacturing Process

THE COMPACT DISC MANUFACTURING PROCESS

The Compact Disc has become ubiquitous since its introduction in the early 1980s.

Yet, for most people, how a CD is made remains a mystery. At duplication.ca, we have chosen an experienced, ISO9002-certified CD manufacturing partner that has been in the business since the early days of the Compact Disc. The plant is capable of producing hundreds of thousands of CDs per day. The CD manufacturing process includes eight stages of production. The first stage applies only to CD-ROM production, while the remaining steps are dedicated to both CD-Audio and CD-ROM.

First, we ensure the CD-ROM content provided by our customers meets the proper ISO standards when it is organized on the disc. This is an essential step to guarantee quality for professionals who require precise, high quality data reproduction that is backed by ISO certification.

Then we create a glass master covered with a photosensitive layer and engrave all our customer’s information on it with a laser light. To help fight against piracy on behalf of our customers, the plant engraves its International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) number on every glass disc it produces. Following that, a fine silver coating is applied to the glass master’s surface by a process known as vacuum evaporation.

The glass master is then transformed into a “mould” which is used to press discs. This is achieved by adding a layer of nickel on the glass master by means of electrolysis. The nickel layer is then separated from the glass base to recover the negative of the CD. The result is what is called the stamper. Other masters can be produced by repeating the electrolysis phase.

With the mould ready, CDs can now be replicated. Liquefied polycarbonate is then injected into the mould and, after only a few seconds of pressing, a compact disc containing all the data is quickly created.

In order for the CD to be readable, it must be covered with a micro thin layer of aluminum which is vacuum laid. The aluminum surface acts as a mirror to reflect the laser light back so information can be read.

To protect the CD and its information from harm — scratching, bending, or dropping it — the disc is covered with a layer of varnish. The lacquer envelops the aluminum and seals it from the elements. The disc is then ready for printing.

The final touch comes with the printing of the label right on the disc, either by a silk screen or offset process and with up to six colors. The result is a clean, polished appearance.

The CD is automatically packaged and prepared for shipping. We are committed to providing customers with the highest quality printing services and the most complete selection of packaging solutions in the industry. We know the importance of choosing packaging that has maximum customer impact, and offer a variety of options from cost-saving automated packaging to custom-made solutions.