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The PosiTector 6000 FS accurately 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 precept to rapidly measure the thickness of nonmagnetic supplies.

Silk Screen Printing Origins

The trendy silk display printing course of was patented in 1907. It involved silk stretched on frames to assist hand painted stencils. In 1914 the process was expanded for multicolor printing with a display course of. Right now silk screening popularity increased and an industrial printing process for flags, banners and promoting indicators in stores started. While quality enhancements have been made in the equipment and supplies used for silk display screen printing, coustic mesh little has changed within the actual course of. Today, display screen printing is used in every single place. Applications embody retailer shows, posters, advertising boards, digital tools marking, textiles, clothes and bumper stickers.

Screen Printing Process

The method begins with a wonderful nylon mesh stretched over a picket or aluminum frame. The mesh is coated with a mild-sensitive emulsion or film that, when dry, blocks the holes within the mesh. The picture to be printed is output onto a movie transparency. The positive film transparency and screen printing mesh sale coated mesh are positioned collectively after which uncovered to extremely-violet light. A jet of water is used to clean from the screen any of the emulsion that has not been hardened by the extremely-violet gentle, creating a stencil corresponding to the picture on the film. The screen is match to a press. A substrate to be printed is positioned under the screen. Ink is positioned on the top side of the display and a rubber squeegee blade is pulled across the highest of the screen, pushing the ink by the stencil onto the substrate. When printing multiple items the squeegee floods the screen once more with a return stroke. Each item is then heat cured to completely set the ink. The method is repeated as typically as required for multi-coloured items.

Mesh Thickness Measurement

The PosiTector 6000 FS (Screen Printing) gage was specifically designed for thickness measurements on fabric and stencils. The huge surface of the probe bridges the mesh openings enabling the probe to consistently measure from knuckle to knuckle of the mesh and stencil. Since throughout the tensioning course of, the thickness of the mesh adjustments as in comparison with the thickness recognized by the manufacturer, it will be important to find out the mesh thickness on a stretched screen at printing tension. After zeroing the PosiTector 6000 FS probe on the included ferrous base plate, the gage is prepared to provide an correct thickness measurement of any substrate or screen mesh placed flat in opposition to the base plate.

Accurate mesh thickness measurements are important as they are a vital consider formulation used to foretell a mesh’s wet ink deposit. Because of variations in display mesh thickness, repeatability can be improved utilizing the statistics mode out there in chosen models. With statistics enabled, the gage automatically calculates a working common of the readings taken. The measurement vary of the FS is as much as 60 mils (1.5 mm). The PosiTector FS has a variable accuracy of 1%. Up to a 0. If you treasured this article and you would like to get more info regarding screen printing mesh sale please visit our own site. 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 enables the user to predict and control vital components of the screen printing process. For course of management it is important to manage mesh. Emulsion thickness across the floor of the stencil. Stencil thickness should even be periodically inspected with a PosiTector 6000 FS gage, notably for shops that manually coat their screens.

For screen printing mesh common printing of non-ultraviolet ink applications and jobs that don’t require excessive detail, an emulsion construct up of roughly 20 p.c of the mesh thickness usually gives excellent print decision and edge definition. A measurement of 20 p.c EMR (emulsion over mesh ratio) gives sufficient emulsion build-up on the print facet to successfully raise the threads off the floor of the substrate at the shoulder of the print decreasing any lack of printed picture by permitting the ink to fill the entire picture area.

Applications involving effective detail, multi-color or ultraviolet printing require thinner general stencil thickness. 10 percent EMR is extra widespread as it provides the stencil just sufficient relief from the mesh on the substrate facet, but nonetheless reduces total screen thickness (mesh plus emulsion) so that very effective element can release from it with out bleeding.

The thicker the mesh, the thicker the emulsion coating required to encapsulate the mesh and kind a stencil with a clean stencil floor (Rz-value). Thinner mesh is normally easier to coat, and supplies a smoother stencil at a given thickness.

Stencil Thickness

To determine the thickness of construct-up on the stencil, it is first essential to zero the FS probe on the stretched mesh. By putting the included steel base plate underneath the mesh and attaining a mean zero value (to account for variations in the mesh), the mesh turns into the zero value. Now when measurements are taken on the coated display screen the gage will display the EOM (emulsion over mesh) build-up on the screen. As with all rough substrates or coatings, better repeatability might be obtained by calculating the average of several measurements.

Measuring Emulsion Thickness

If the emulsion coating is simply too thin, it is not going to provide a proper gasket seal. The ink will bleed beneath the stencil. This may cause the print to have rough wanting edges (noticed-toothing). Other symptoms of insufficient emulsion thickness embrace smeared photographs, dot loss within the highlights and dot gain within the shadows. If emulsion build-up is simply too high, the print shoulder can have too excessive of a vertical wall or column, and the ink may or might not completely fill into this space. If the ink doesn’t fill the realm, the ensuing print will show voids. If the ink does truly fill the column it might not release properly during printing. Even when the ink does launch, an excessive amount of ink might deposit into the picture.

Dry Ink Deposit Thickness Measurement

Using a similar process to Emulsion measurement, the Dry Ink Deposit Thickness can be attained. Place the naked substrate over the metallic base plate and zero the FS probe. After attaining a median zero worth (to account for variations within the substrate), the substrate thickness turns into the zero value. 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). In addition to its accuracy and simplicity, an digital gage can easily measure any space of a print with out the need to cut the substrate to achieve entry for the measurement gadget.