The PosiTector 6000 FS precisely and non-destructively measures mesh, emulsion and stencil thickness, as well as substrate and dry ink deposit thickness. The PosiTector 6000 FS uses the magnetic induction principle to rapidly measure the thickness of nonmagnetic supplies.
Silk Screen Printing Origins
The fashionable silk screen printing process was patented in 1907. It involved silk stretched on frames to help hand painted stencils. In 1914 the process was expanded for multicolor printing with a display course of. At the moment silk screening popularity increased and an industrial printing course of for flags, banners and advertising signs in shops began. While high quality enhancements have been made in the equipment and supplies used for silk display screen printing, little has changed within the actual process. Today, display printing is used all over the place. Applications embody retailer shows, posters, advertising boards, digital equipment marking, textiles, clothing and bumper stickers.
Screen Printing Process
The method begins with a high quality nylon mesh stretched over a wooden or aluminum frame. The mesh is coated with a gentle-delicate emulsion or movie that, when dry, blocks the holes within the mesh. The picture to be printed is output onto a film transparency. The optimistic film transparency and coated mesh are placed together and then uncovered to ultra-violet mild. A jet of water is used to clean from the display any of the emulsion that has not been hardened by the extremely-violet mild, making a stencil corresponding to the image on the film. The display is match to a press. A substrate to be printed is positioned below the display. If you treasured this article and you simply would like to receive more info about industrial Filter mesh How much kindly visit our web page. Ink is positioned on the top facet of the display and a rubber squeegee blade is pulled across the highest of the screen, pushing the ink by means of the stencil onto the substrate. When printing a number of gadgets the squeegee floods the display screen again with a return stroke. Each merchandise is then heat cured to completely set the ink. The method is repeated as often as required for multi-colored gadgets.
Mesh Thickness Measurement
The PosiTector 6000 FS (Screen Printing) gage was particularly designed for thickness measurements on fabric and stencils. The extensive floor of the probe bridges the mesh openings enabling the probe to persistently measure from knuckle to knuckle of the mesh and stencil. Since during the tensioning process, the thickness of the mesh adjustments as compared to the thickness identified by the manufacturer, it will be important to determine the mesh thickness on a stretched display screen at printing tension. After zeroing the PosiTector 6000 FS probe on the included ferrous base plate, the gage is prepared to supply an correct thickness measurement of any substrate or screen mesh placed flat towards the bottom plate.
Accurate mesh thickness measurements are important as they are a essential factor in formulation used to foretell a mesh’s wet ink deposit. Because of variations in display mesh thickness, repeatability will be improved utilizing the statistics mode obtainable in selected models. With statistics enabled, the gage mechanically calculates a working common of the readings taken. The measurement range of the FS is up to 60 mils (1.5 mm). The PosiTector FS has a variable accuracy of 1%. Up to a 0.05 mil (1 micron) decision.05 mil (1 micron) decision.
Stencil Build-Up Thickness Measurement
The power to measure the thickness of the mesh and stencil allows the user to foretell and management important parts of the screen printing process. For process management it is important to regulate mesh. Emulsion thickness across the floor of the stencil. Stencil thickness ought to also be periodically inspected with a PosiTector 6000 FS gage, significantly for outlets that manually coat their screens.
For basic printing of non-ultraviolet ink applications and jobs that don’t require excessive detail, an emulsion construct up of roughly 20 percent of the mesh thickness often gives glorious print decision and edge definition. A measurement of 20 % EMR (emulsion over mesh ratio) offers enough emulsion build-up on the print aspect to effectively carry the threads off the surface of the substrate at the shoulder of the print reducing any loss of printed picture by permitting the ink to fill your entire image area.
Applications involving fine element, multi-shade or ultraviolet printing require thinner overall stencil thickness. 10 % EMR is more common because it supplies the stencil just sufficient relief from the mesh on the substrate facet, but nonetheless reduces total display screen thickness (mesh plus emulsion) in order that very fantastic detail can launch from it without bleeding.
The thicker the mesh, industrial filter mesh the thicker the emulsion coating required to encapsulate the mesh and form a stencil with a smooth stencil surface (Rz-worth). Thinner mesh is often easier to coat, and offers a smoother stencil at a given thickness.
Stencil Thickness
To find out the thickness of construct-up on the stencil, it is first necessary to zero the FS probe on the stretched mesh. By putting the included steel base plate below the mesh and attaining a mean zero worth (to account for variations within the mesh), the mesh becomes the zero worth. Now when measurements are taken on the coated display the gage will display the EOM (emulsion over mesh) construct-up on the screen. As with all rough substrates or coatings, better repeatability could be obtained by calculating the common of a number of measurements.
Measuring Emulsion Thickness
If the emulsion coating is too skinny, it won’t present a correct gasket seal. The ink will bleed beneath the stencil. It will cause the print to have tough trying edges (noticed-toothing). Other symptoms of insufficient emulsion thickness embody smeared photographs, dot loss in the highlights and dot achieve in the shadows. If emulsion build-up is just too excessive, the print shoulder can have too high of a vertical wall or column, and the ink could or may not fully fill into this area. If the ink doesn’t fill the area, the ensuing print will present voids. If the ink does actually fill the column it could not release correctly during printing. Even when the ink does release, an excessive amount of ink might deposit into the picture.
Dry Ink Deposit Thickness Measurement
Using an analogous process to Emulsion measurement, the Dry Ink Deposit Thickness will be attained. Place the naked substrate over the steel base plate and zero the FS probe. After attaining a median zero value (to account for variations within the substrate), the substrate thickness becomes the zero worth. Now when measurements are taken on the printed substrate the gage will show solely the thickness of the dry ink deposit.
The measurement of dry ink deposits on substrates clearly demonstrates the benefit of digital gages over most mechanical thickness measurement gadgets (calipers and micrometers). Along with its accuracy and simplicity, an digital gage can easily measure any area of a print without the need to cut the substrate to attain access for the measurement gadget.