Film

Polystyrene props are widely used across film and television stage sets because they are lightweight, cost-effective and easy to shape into detailed designs. While this makes them practical for creative teams, raw polystyrene can be fragile and prone to:

• Dents
• Surface damage (when moved, stored or reused between shoots)

To overcome this, the surface can be metal sprayed with materials such as zinc or steel, creating a thin metallic shell that significantly improves strength and durability.

The metal layer provides a tougher outer skin that resists knocks and handling marks, which in turn reduces the amount of repair and repainting required by set artists. This saves both time and labour during tight production schedules. Metal spraying works particularly well with polystyrene because the molten particles used in the Arc spray process carry very little heat energy. When these particles reach the large, cool surface of the polystyrene, the heat disperses almost instantly. This prevents melting or distortion while still allowing the coating to bond effectively, resulting in props that remain lightweight but far more resilient on set.