True inlays (1 Viewer)

[John77]

Can someone tell me how the true inlay chips are made? I don't understand how can the inlay get inside the material? Is it hollow underneath? Is it a automated machine performed work or a manual work?

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Closest we will ever see is this:

https://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/mfgchip.htm

Short of CPC or Paulson letting us see what happens inside (basically never going to happen because of gaming commission rules and trade secrets) this is the best we have.

Short answer, inlay is pressed into the clay of the chip as part of the process. Maybe a tiny dab of glue to hold it in place as part of the process, but the inlay becomes part of the chip as part of the process and not just stuck on.

 

[GianThaMan]

True inlays can only really be achieved on compression molded chips because for the inlay to reside within the material it must be placed on and then compressed with extreme pressure to mold it and make it flush with the rest of the clay. The inlay is a fairly robust laminated label that is able to withstand high pressures so that when the softer clay is compressed by the mold cups the inlay can displace the clay and take on the texture and depth that the mold imbues. The clay blank may be punched beforehand so that there is a recess where the inlay can reside flush with the rest of the clay and thus minimize the amount of clay displaced during the compression.

It's not an ordinary label like you would see with plastic chips, as those are simply applied onto the chips after they are manufactured and finished, usually into a premade recess. With compression-molded chips, the inlay becomes part of the chip itself.

 

[John77]

Closest we will ever see is this:

https://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/mfgchip.htm

Short of CPC or Paulson letting us see what happens inside (basically never going to happen because of gaming commission rules and trade secrets) this is the best we have.

Short answer, inlay is pressed into the clay of the chip as part of the process. Maybe a tiny dab of glue to hold it in place as part of the process, but the inlay becomes part of the chip as part of the process and not just stuck on.

@AlbinoDragon, thanks for the explanation. Do they (inlay) have any kind of taflon coating to preserve the printing?

 

[allforcharity]

Do they (inlay) have any kind of taflon coating to preserve the printing?

There is a clear plastic laminate layer on top.

 

[Tonysquander]

See this excellent thread for inlay removal which has plenty of pics of various chips like those below with inlays being removed

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/paulson-full-label-replacement-tutorial-thread.31535/page-16