Industrial Screen Printing
Custom screen printing is an incredibly versatile printing technique wherein inks are applied directly to an object using layered stencils. This method stands out in the printing world because it can print upon a wide variety of different substrates. Industrial screen printing is typically used for labeling or decorating various products, including glass, circuit boards, foils, and solar applications.
At Techprint, Inc., we provide custom screen printing and sheet fed screen printing services to support a wide range of industrial projects.
How Screen Printing Works
Screen printing—also known as silkscreen printing, serigraphy, or serigraph printing—presses ink through porous stencils directly onto the product. The screen printing process involves several steps:
- A mesh screen is stretched tightly across a frame.
- A stencil is used to mask the areas on the screen that will not be part of the design, ensuring that ink will only pass through the desired areas of the screen.
- Thick ink is pressed through the screen using a squeegee, a process which can be either automated or manual.
- Due to the use of individual stencils, only one color can be applied at a time when screen printing. This necessitates the use of multiple screens for multicolor projects, layering different colors onto the design one at a time. It is vital that each stencil be layered carefully so that the final design comes out correctly.
Screen printing is highly customizable and scalable. Some of the options available with screen printing include:
- Multi-color printing
- Process color printing
- Color matching
- Precision automated screen printing
- Long and short runs
- Conventional and ultraviolet inks
Industrial Screen Printing
Screen printing for industrial projects is vital to the success of many in-plant manufacturing operations. Industrial screen printing supports a wide range of applications, such as:
- Mirrors
- Decorative glass
- Façade windows
- Sealants
- Adhesives
- Nameplates
- Flexible circuits
- Sensor systems
To accomplish successful industrial screen printing, specific coatings need to be carefully layered one over the other. This is an ideal method of printing for industrial manufacturers because it offers a practical way to identify, label, and decorate products and equipment. The versatility of the process makes it perfect for almost any type of substrate regardless of shape, thickness, or size.
Some materials that can be screen-printed include:
- Aluminum
- Steel
- Die cast
- Glass
- Plastic
- Wood
- Powder coated surfaces
- Painted surfaces
- Laminated surfaces
- Anodized material
- PVC
- Styrene
- Paper board
- Foam-core
- Corrugated plastic
Techprint Inc.’s Screen Printing Capabilities
At Techprint, Inc., we provide fully automated screen printing and sheet-fed screen printing at the industrial level. We can print on a wide variety of materials, from paper and plastics to paperboard, metals, and fabrics. No matter what size or thickness, we can screen print your product.
With our high-speed, automated printing presses, our facilities are equipped to deal with large volume runs. Our presses can handle sheets ranging in size from 32–44 inches at temperatures of up to 300° C. While our screen printing services support many applications, we commonly screen print on decals, labels, electronic circuit boards, and signage.
Request Your Quote Today
Screen printing is one of the most customizable, versatile methods of printing. By using stencils to apply ink directly to a product’s surface, you can effectively identify or brand it without affixing additional labels or other marking processes that are reductive to the material.
At Techprint Inc., we use state-of-the-art technology to provide our clients with optimal screen printing and sheet fed screen printing options. We can adhere to IPC, ISO, CSA, UL, and ESD standards, and are RoHS compliant. To find out more about how we can assist you, contact us or request your quote today.