How Pad Printing Machines Works

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How Pad Printing Machines Works

Posted On : Apr-12-2010 | seen (552) times | Article Word Count : 637 |

Pad printing is a process in which a thin layer of ink is lifted off of a plate that has an image in it. The ink is lifted by a print pad. The print pad then presses onto a part, transferring the image onto it. One of the newest and most innovative applications for pad printing is tagless printing. The pad printing process has 3 major components: the plates, pads, and machine. The quality and of each component is equally important in printing a clean, clear image.

Pad printing has been around for over a century. Animal organs were originally used to make the transfer pad; now the industry uses silicone pads that come in different form and hardness. There have been significant technological advancements within the past couple of decades in the pad printing industry to make this a more widely used printing process.

The first component of the pad printing process is the pad printing plate. An image is etched into the printing plate in order to use it as a template to hold the ink. The ink needs to sit in the etch to ensure a clean pick up from the pad, the depth of the image has to be just right, not too deep or too shallow. The depth depends on how fast one wants the ink to evaporate, which in turns depends on how fast the printing process should be. Plates come in different thicknesses for longer use.

Plate making comes in two forms: uv exposure and laser etching. UV exposure involves coating the photopolymer plate in a special emulsion, placing a film positive on top of the emulsion and exposing the plate to light and so that the light cures the emulsion around the film positive. When washed, the uncured emulsion is rinsed away leaving a stenciled image of the film positive. The laser etched plate making process is more straightforward: the printing plate is placed in a laser etching machine (YAG or CO2 laser), and an image is etched into the plate. A digital image is used as the original source instead of using a film positive.

The second component of pad printing is the pad itself. Pads are made out of silicone, which allows for excellent pick up and release of the ink. Pads come in different shapes in order to best complement the image style and size (e.g. a larger pad is necessary for a larger image.) Pads also come in different consistencies; some are firmer than others in order to complement the material and ink that is being used for printing.

The final component is the pad printing machines itself. The machine brings all of the components together in order to print multiple images in an efficient amount of time. The plate is placed into the machine and secured with tightening screws. The ink cups are then placed on top of the plate and attached to the top of the machine (ink cups hold the ink that is released onto the etched image on the plate.) The pad is then attached to the top of the machine in front of the ink cup. The material is then placed on top of the platform.

In one seamless motion the ink cup slides over the image and releases a thin layer of ink to sit in the image. The pad then slides over the image and presses down directly over the image to pick up all of the ink. The pad then slides over to the material and presses down once again. The ink is then transferred from the pad to the material, and the process begins all over again. Depending upon what the printing application is, a pad printer can make anywhere from 800-1400 imprints per hour.

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<h1>How Pad Printing Machines Works</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Alex Lewey.aspx'>Alex Lewey</a> Pad printing is a process in which a thin layer of ink is lifted off of a plate that has an image in it. The ink is lifted by a print pad. The print pad then presses onto a part, transferring the image onto it. One of the newest and most innovative applications for pad printing is tagless printing. The pad printing process has 3 major components: the plates, pads, and machine. The quality and of each component is equally important in printing a clean, clear image.

Pad printing has been around for over a century. Animal organs were originally used to make the transfer pad; now the industry uses silicone pads that come in different form and hardness. There have been significant technological advancements within the past couple of decades in the pad printing industry to make this a more widely used printing process.

The first component of the pad printing process is the pad printing plate. An image is etched into the printing plate in order to use it as a template to hold the ink. The ink needs to sit in the etch to ensure a clean pick up from the pad, the depth of the image has to be just right, not too deep or too shallow. The depth depends on how fast one wants the ink to evaporate, which in turns depends on how fast the printing process should be. Plates come in different thicknesses for longer use.

Plate making comes in two forms: uv exposure and laser etching. UV exposure involves coating the photopolymer plate in a special emulsion, placing a film positive on top of the emulsion and exposing the plate to light and so that the light cures the emulsion around the film positive. When washed, the uncured emulsion is rinsed away leaving a stenciled image of the film positive. The laser etched plate making process is more straightforward: the printing plate is placed in a laser etching machine (YAG or CO2 laser), and an image is etched into the plate. A digital image is used as the original source instead of using a film positive.

The second component of pad printing is the pad itself. Pads are made out of silicone, which allows for excellent pick up and release of the ink. Pads come in different shapes in order to best complement the image style and size (e.g. a larger pad is necessary for a larger image.) Pads also come in different consistencies; some are firmer than others in order to complement the material and ink that is being used for printing.

The final component is the pad printing machines itself. The machine brings all of the components together in order to print multiple images in an efficient amount of time. The plate is placed into the machine and secured with tightening screws. The ink cups are then placed on top of the plate and attached to the top of the machine (ink cups hold the ink that is released onto the etched image on the plate.) The pad is then attached to the top of the machine in front of the ink cup. The material is then placed on top of the platform.

In one seamless motion the ink cup slides over the image and releases a thin layer of ink to sit in the image. The pad then slides over the image and presses down directly over the image to pick up all of the ink. The pad then slides over to the material and presses down once again. The ink is then transferred from the pad to the material, and the process begins all over again. Depending upon what the printing application is, a pad printer can make anywhere from 800-1400 imprints per hour.About the Author: For more insights and further information about <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.inkcups.com/">pad printing machines</a>, CO2 laser engravers, and screen printing machines visit our site <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.inkcups.com/">http://www.inkcups.com</a> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How-Pad-Printing-Machines-Works_16070.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How Pad Printing Machines Works_16070.aspx</a>

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For more insights and further information about pad printing machines, CO2 laser engravers, and screen printing machines visit our site http://www.inkcups.com

Keywords : pad printing machines, CO2 laser engravers, screen printing machines,

Category : Business : Business

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