Offset Printing
Clocked multi-stage screen printing on glass, metal and plastic
Friday 23. May 2014 - Series "Innovative printing and paper technology" (4): Short cycle times, maximum precision and a fully modular design are the outstanding features of the new multi-stage screen printing machines of GEROLD. Depending on what is required, they print one to eight different colours or even functional layers on sheets of glass, plastic or metal.
The idea: Touch screens conquer the world. In the form of faceplates of stoves, drying machines or washing machines or temperature controls in showers or water taps. Screen printing is well-suited when it comes to applying the necessary functional layers and conductive pastes, but also decorative elements on glass, ceramics, plastic or metal surfaces. A prerequisite for industrial applications is flexible printing machines which transport different substrates quickly and gently and align them precisely on the printing block. Flexibility is also what is required of the printing inks and pastes being processed. And last, but not least, short cycles require drying to be fast. This wide range of requirements has been satisfied by Nettetal-based GEROLD GmbH & Co. KG with its concept of a multi-stage screen printing machine based on a totally modular design.
The technology: GEROLD has developed a set of machine modules which are used to mount printing blocks for series of 1 to 8 colours and can optionally be combined with UV and IR dryer modules. The cycle times are shorter than 5 seconds per printing block. As far as precision is concerned, the new multi-stage screen printing machine can rival with SMD-(Surface-Mounted-Device) systems. The key elements are adjustable printing blocks and positioning systems which ensure absolute repeatability in multi-colour printing lines; thermal influences of the drying system on substrates are offset by the systems. Larger batches can be processed in one piece thanks to stacking and loading cassettes in the largely automated process. As a result, screen printing has become an industrial alternative for functional and decorative printing on sheets of glass, ceramics, metal and plastic. Furthermore, the freely programmable printing blocks can be used in stencil printing which is even faster.
Facts:
Modular printing blocks for 1 to 8 colours or pastes of different viscosity
Printing on sheets of glass, ceramics and plastic as well as metal surfaces
Combinable with UV or IR dryer modules
Freely programmable and freely combinable printing blocks