Rotary Screen Printing Material with Asymmetric Elongated Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current screen materials, primarily developed for other applications, are unsuitable for rotary screen printing due to limitations in printing speed and quality, particularly with large surface area motifs, as they restrict ink flow and lead to cloud formation and clogging issues.
Innovation Solution
A flat screen material with elongated openings, formed by metal webs arranged at angles, providing a larger open area and improved ink flow, is designed specifically for rotary screen printing, featuring a 1:1 linen weave or twill weave structure with nickel-plated metal or plastic components, and optionally coated with a polymer layer for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a close-meshed square-mesh structure is used to ensure screen material stability, then structural stability is improved, but ink flow is restricted leading to printing speed limitations and clouding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional square-mesh structure into an asymmetric structure with elongated openings (slots) that have different dimensions in different directions. The openings are elongated in the direction of ink flow, providing greater cross-sectional area for ink passage while maintaining structural stability through the web configuration. This asymmetric geometry resolves the contradiction by allowing high printing speed through improved ink flow while preserving screen material stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the mesh structure from equal-dimension square openings to elongated rectangular openings with specific aspect ratios. The opening dimensions are optimized to provide sufficient cross-sectional area for ink flow in the printing direction while maintaining appropriate support density. This parameter transformation enables both high printing speed and structural stability simultaneously.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a close-meshed structure with many support points is used, then screen material stability is improved, but ink particle flow is impeded causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric elongated opening design provides sufficient clearance for ink particles to pass through without contacting the screen material edges. The elongated geometry creates a flow path that accommodates particle movement while the web configuration maintains structural stability. This resolves the clogging issue while preserving screen material integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional square openings to elongated rectangular openings that effectively utilize the third dimension (depth/thickness) of the screen material. The elongated openings extend through the screen thickness, creating a volumetric flow path that reduces particle-surface interactions and prevents clogging while maintaining structural stability.
3Manufacturing precision
If screens with thin wire and high mesh count are used to achieve fine image resolution, then image resolution is improved, but paste flow is restricted and screens become expensive and delicate
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated opening design provides sufficient cross-sectional area for paste flow even at high mesh counts. The asymmetric geometry allows the openings to be narrow in one direction (maintaining fine resolution) while being wide in the flow direction (enabling paste flow). This resolves the contradiction between fine image resolution and ease of paste flow.
4Productivity
If high rotation speed is used to increase hydrodynamic pressure and improve printing speed, then printing speed is improved, but print quality deteriorates due to clouding and ink flow restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric elongated opening design allows ink to flow freely at high rotation speeds without creating turbulence or clouding. The elongated geometry in the flow direction accommodates the increased ink flow rate generated by high-speed rotation, maintaining print quality while enabling high printing speed.
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
The screen material enables high printing speed and quality by facilitating paint flow through elongated openings, reducing clogging and wear, and accommodating large paint particles, while maintaining stability and wear resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The metal was deposited on the webs in an electroplating process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention relates to a sieve (4) and a planar sieve material (1) for use in rotary screen printing with ribs (10, 11) arranged at an angle to each other, forming a sieve structure, e.g. strands, wherein the ribs (10, 11) form a structure (15) with elongated openings (13), e.g. long meshes.