Silkscreen Printing on Curved Substrates via Elastic Flattening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers are unable to effectively perform silkscreen printing on substrates with curved surfaces, as they do not account for the curvature, leading to difficulties in maintaining a plane print surface for accurate ink application.
Innovation Solution
A printer with a holding part that elastically deforms the curved substrate to reduce its curvature, allowing a printing part with a squeegee and screen printing plate to apply ink uniformly across the flattened surface, utilizing a system of pressing parts and a pedestal to correct and hold the substrate in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If silkscreen printing is performed on a substrate with a curved surface without correction, then the printing process cannot be properly performed, but if the curved surface is flattened, then the print surface becomes plane and printing can be performed accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The holding part performs preliminary flattening of the curved substrate before the printing process begins. By pre-correcting the curved surface to a plane state, the substrate is prepared in advance for accurate silkscreen printing, eliminating the need to perform printing on a curved surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding part changes the physical state of the substrate by transforming it from a curved configuration to a flattened plane configuration. This parameter change in surface geometry enables the subsequent printing process to achieve high precision by working on a planar surface rather than a curved one.
2Manufacturing precision
If a holding part is introduced to flatten the substrate, then printing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding part serves multiple functions: it holds the substrate in place, flattens the curved surface, and maintains the substrate in a plane state during printing. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the device complexity is minimized while still achieving the desired printing precision.
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
Enables precise and efficient silkscreen printing on substrates with curved surfaces by flattening the print surface, preventing positional deviations and ensuring a high-quality finish without leaving marks on the design panel, thus improving manufacturing efficiency and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
holds a print substrate having a curved surface in a state where the print substrate is pressed and elastically deformed so that a curvature of the curved surface is small
Data Source
AI summary
A printer according to an embodiment includes a holding part and a printing part. The holding part holds a print substrate having a curved surface in a state where the print substrate is pressed and elastically deformed so that a curvature of the curved surface is small. The printing part performs silkscreen printing on a print surface of the print substrate held by the holding part.