Direct Source's CD Replication service

Basic summary of CD replication

CD ROM replication is less expensive than CD Duplication when it comes to quantities over 500 pcs or more but they need to be produced by a professional replication plant. With millions of CDs being replicated each day, CD ROM replication can yield significantly lower costs in large volume.

We can print finish the disc using silk screen or litho techniques, please read the PDF's below on the specifications of the printing service.

What is replication : The process of pressing or stamping data onto a DVD from a master disc

The CD replication Process

The CD replication and DVD replication process begins the same as CD duplication. You provide us with a finished CD-r master but instead of duplicating the CDs in duplication towers on blank CDrs we create what is called a stamper. A stamper is a digital mirror image of your master disc and is used in a press that takes plastics, metals and bonding agents to actually stamp an exact copy of your original master CD disc. Because of the lower costs associated with CD replication, the majority of high volume produced discs on the market are not duplicated.

The CD Replicated disc gives a duplicate of your master CD.

Glass Mastering

Glass mastering is performed in a class 100 (ISO 5) or better clean room or a self-enclosed clean environment within the mastering system. Contaminants introduced during critical stages of manufacturing (eg, dust, pollen, hair, or smoke) can cause sufficient errors to make a master unusable. Once successfully completed, a CD master will be less susceptible to the effects of these contaminants.

During glass mastering, glass is used as a substrate to hold the CD master image while it is created and processed; hence the name. Glass substrates, noticeably larger than a CD, are round plates of glass approximately 240 mm in diameter and 6 mm thick. They often also have a small, steel hub on one side to facilitate handling. The substrates are created specially for CD mastering and one side is polished until it is extremely smooth. Even microscopic scratches in the glass will affect the quality of CDs pressed from the master image. The extra area on the substrate allows for easier handling of the glass master and reduces risk of damage to the pit and land structure when the "father" stamper is removed from the glass substrate.

Once the glass substrate is cleaned using detergents and ultrasonic baths, the glass is placed in a spin coater. The spin coater rinses the glass black with a solvent and then applies either photoresist or dye-polymer depending on the mastering process. Rotation spreads photoresist or dye-polymer coating evenly across the surface of the glass. The substrate is removed and baked to dry the coating and the glass substrate is ready for mastering.

Mastering is performed by a Laser Beam Recorder (LBR) machine. These use one of two recording techniques; photo resist and non-photoresist mastering. Photoresist also comes in two variations; positive photoresist and negative photoresist.

Date Added: 25 June 2010