2016 Australia Five Dollars Next Generation Banknote BE16

History

There are 13 production processes for the new banknotes. Some of these processes are also used in the production of the first polymer banknote series, while others are unique to the new banknotes.

Substrate Production

1. Polymer. Australian banknotes start as clear plastic beads, which are melted down and blown into a large bubble.
2. Film production. The walls of the bubble are pressed together and cooled to form laminated polymer film.
3. Gravure. Special inks are applied to make the film opaque, except for certain areas that are left free of ink to create the clear windows, before it is cut into sheets.

Printing

4. Offset. The background colours and patterns are printed onto both sides of the polymer sheets simultaneously on a ‘simultan’ printing machine. These machines can print up to 8 000 sheets per hour.
5. Foil. The multiple security features in the top-to-bottom window are applied as a continuous strip. This is the first unique process for the new banknotes.
6. Screen printing. The rolling colour effect is applied on a screen-printing process using an optically variable ink in a second unique process.
7. First pass intaglio. Major design elements, such as the portraits and narrative elements, are printed using intaglio printing machines. In this process, the ink is transferred to the sheets under great pressure using engraved metal plates.
8. Second pass intaglio. Separate print runs are required for each side of the sheet. The resulting raised print is one of the important security features of Australia’s polymer banknotes. Some of the microprinting and embossed features are also produced during this process.
9. Letterpress. The serial number is added to the sheets using a letterpress printing process.
10. Overcoating. A protective overcoating ink is applied to the banknotes using a flexographic printing process. This overcoat contributes to the extended durability and cleanliness of polymer banknotes.
11. Tactile emboss. For the new series of banknotes, the tactile feature is applied in a final printing process. The tactile feature has been developed to assist the vision-impaired community to identify different denominations. It is made up of different numbers of raised bumps on the long edges of the banknote next to the clear top-to-bottom window.

Finishing

12. Guillotining. Printed sheets are guillotined into individual banknotes.
13. Inspection. Individual banknotes are inspected electronically to ensure that their quality meets the required standard. The finished banknotes are then shrink-wrapped, packed into containers and stored in a strong room prior to distribution around the country.

Taken from www.http://banknotes.rba.gov.au Bulletin September 2016