PRINT PRECISION AND THE IMPACT OF THE PRINTING SCREEN

SignTronic explores the impact of the printing screen on print precision and highlights the significance of dimensional accuracy in connection with computer-to-screen (CtS), direct-exposing technology. The company demonstrates, through a practical example, how temperature fluctuations can affect print precision.

DAEDALUS enables precise monitoring and analysis of tolerances, allowing for early detection and correction of potential deviations, ensuring consistently high print quality. In modern printing technology, precision plays a crucial role in the quality of the end product. Particularly in screen printing – where the screen is responsible for transferring the print image – precision presents a significant challenge. The impact of the printing screen on print quality and dimensional accuracy is a key topic that is critical both in theory and in practice.

The development and application of CtS direct-exposing technology has brought significant progress to the printing industry in recent years. Mask-based systems are less precise. The technology enables designs to be exposed directly and precisely onto the screen, leading to substantial improvements in print precision. However, external factors such as temperature fluctuations – which can greatly affect print accuracy – are often underestimated.

Precision is a crucial factor in the printing screen itself

Precision in screen printing refers to the accuracy with which a print image is transferred to a substrate. High precision is especially important in industries where detail and dimensional accuracy are critical. This precision is influenced by many factors. These include the quality of the materials used, the settings of the printing machine and environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity.

Precision is a crucial factor in the printing screen itself, which greatly affects the image-transfer process. The screen’s geometry, mesh count and fabric quality all play essential roles in determining print precision. Defects in screen production or wear and tear can lead to inaccuracies that are evident in the final product. Therefore, it is essential to produce and maintain printing screens with precision, to ensure consistently high print quality.

Direct exposing allows for fine details and exact dimensions to be maintained

SigntTronic’s CtS technology is an advanced method that enables printing designs to be exposed directly and precisely onto the screen. In this process, the image is digitally created and then exposed onto the coated screen using a powerful UV light source. The technology offers numerous advantages over traditional methods. It eliminates errors that can occur with manual exposure and ensures accurate reproduction of the print image. Direct exposing allows for fine details and exact dimensions to be maintained. It significantly improves dimensional accuracy and overall print quality. The digital control of the imaging process largely prevents distortions and inaccuracies that can arise with traditional methods.

Another advantage of SignTronic’s CtS systems is their ability to make production processes more efficient. Since digitalisation allows for quick adjustment and reproduction of print designs, flexibility in production is increased. This leads to shorter lead times and lower costs, especially for small print runs and frequently changing designs.

Temperature fluctuations represent one of the biggest challenges for screen-print precision. Materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. This effect can cause distortions in the print image, especially with large-print formats. In industrial-printing processes, even a moderate temperature change of +10°C can lead to a significant alteration in dimensions. Such distortions may result in printed products that no longer meet the required tolerances, leading to waste and rework.

Temperature fluctuations represent one of the biggest challenges for screen-print precision

At the company’s facility, a concrete experiment was conducted to demonstrate the effects of temperature fluctuations on print precision. In this case, the screen frame was heated by 10°C (from 22–32°C), in a drying oven. This temperature change often occurs in practice due to seasonal conditions or daily temperature variations between morning and evening.

The result shows that a +10°C increase in a 600x600mm print format can cause an expansion of up to 140 microns. This seemingly small deviation can lead to significant issues in sensitive applications, such as printing electronic components.

This experiment illustrates the importance of closely controlling the ambient temperature during the printing process. In addition, it shows the necessity of taking appropriate measures to compensate for the thermal expansion of materials. It also shows that the tolerances in this example arose solely from the heating of the screen frame, as might occur when using warm frames directly from the drying oven before imaging.