Bent Substrate Printing with Curved Screen Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing methods, such as screen printing, struggle with high accuracy and productivity on substrates with curved surfaces, particularly those with both convex and concave parts, as flat screen plates cannot reach deep enough to print effectively and often interfere with the surface, limiting the ability to print on substrates with significant curvature or complex geometries.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a masking step to form a predetermined pattern on a bent substrate, followed by a printing step using a printing material applied via a nozzle, such as spray printing, to create a print layer on both flat and curved surfaces, with optional steps including heating and UV irradiation, and a removal step for the masking material, ensuring high accuracy and uniformity of the print layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a flat screen plate is used for printing on a bent substrate, then the printing process is simple, but the screen plate cannot reach deep concave parts or interfere with convex parts, making printing impossible on substrates with significant curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a curved screen plate that matches the curvature of the bent substrate surface. The screen plate is designed with a specific radius of curvature corresponding to the substrate, allowing it to conform to the curved surface and reach deep concave parts without interference from convex parts, thereby enabling printing on substrates with significant curvature while maintaining printing accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the screen plate, specifically its curvature radius, to match the substrate characteristics. By adjusting the screen plate's curvature parameter to correspond to the bent substrate's surface geometry, the system achieves effective contact across the entire printed surface, resolving the limitation of flat screen plates on curved substrates
2Productivity
If screen printing is used on bent substrates, then the method is well-established, but productivity and printing accuracy are insufficient for substrates with small curvature radii
Solution Approach 1:
The curved screen plate design enables the printing system to handle bent substrates with small curvature radii effectively. The screen plate's curvature allows it to maintain proper contact and spacing across the entire printed area, achieving both high printing accuracy and improved productivity for curved surface applications
Solution Approach 2:
The screen plate is designed to copy or replicate the curvature characteristics of the target substrate surface. By creating a screen plate with matching geometric properties, the system achieves consistent printing results across curved surfaces, improving both accuracy and productivity for bent substrate applications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high-accuracy printing on substrates with complex geometries, ensuring a uniform print layer and strong adhesion to display panels, improving the longevity and appearance of the printed surface by forming an obtuse angle at the boundary between the print and non-print surfaces, which enhances the bonding with adhesives.
Implementation Method 1
a printing step of forming a print layer on a surface to be printed of the bent substrate provided with the masking material
Implementation Method 2
a heating step of heating a printing material printed on the bent substrate
Implementation Method 3
a step of irradiating a printing material printed on the bent substrate with UV
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a bent substrate, having a masking step of forming a masking member (M) on a bent substrate (10) and forming a predetermined pattern, and a printing step of forming a print layer (P) on a surface to be printed of the bent substrate (10) including the masking member (M). It is thereby possible to perform printing on a bent substrate having a curved surface part in a productive manner and at a high printing accuracy.