Flatbed Screen Printing Pressure Medium Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional screen printing processes face challenges with viscosity changes of printing mediums over time, leading to inconsistent results, solvent evaporation, and adhesions on the printing fabric, which hinder speed and quality of the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A pressure medium chamber supplies liquid printing medium directly to the printing fabric via a controllable outlet, allowing for continuous and controlled application, eliminating the need for a flood squeegee and reducing solvent evaporation, with adjustable pressure and ultrasonic waves to prevent clumping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the squeegee moves at conventional speed (1-2 m/second), then the printing medium can be properly applied, but the printing speed is limited and solvent evaporation occurs during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The printing medium is pre-applied to the printing fabric in a controlled manner before the squeegee passes, ensuring the medium is already in position and reducing the time required during the actual printing operation. This preliminary application allows for faster squeegee movement without compromising print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous supply and application of printing medium through the printing fabric, eliminating interruptions and dwell times that would allow solvent evaporation. The continuous process ensures consistent viscosity and print quality at higher speeds.
2Reliability
If the printing medium is applied using conventional flood squeegee method, then the medium is distributed over the fabric, but solvent evaporation occurs during dwell time causing adhesions and thickening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the conventional flood squeegee dwell time by directly applying printing medium through the fabric at the moment of squeegee passage. The process rushes through the application step without the intermediate dwelling phase that causes solvent evaporation, adhesions, and thickening problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful dwell time period is extracted and removed from the printing process. The system takes out the intermediate waiting phase where solvent evaporation occurs, transitioning directly from medium application to squeegee printing without interruption.
3Productivity
If printing medium is replenished at indefinite intervals based on operator assessment, then the process can continue, but viscosity changes occur leading to inconsistent printing results
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to continuously monitor and control printing medium properties. This allows for real-time adjustments to maintain consistent viscosity and print quality, replacing the indefinite operator assessment with controlled, measurable parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
Printing medium is pre-prepared and supplied in a controlled manner before needed, ensuring consistent properties are maintained. The system performs preliminary preparation of the medium supply to prevent viscosity changes during the printing process.
4Strength
If high-modulus meshes are used as stencil carriers, then the printing medium can be forced through the mesh, but the process requires high pressure and solvent usage for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conventional high-pressure mechanical forcing method with a lower-pressure application method where printing medium is applied directly through the fabric. This substitution reduces the need for strong solvents for cleaning while maintaining effective printing.
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 method significantly increases printing speed by up to 30% and improves reproducibility and quality by maintaining consistent viscosity and preventing adhesions, while reducing solvent usage and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
A squeegee applies a force to the printing fabric, causing it to deform elastically and bringing the printing medium into contact with the object to be printed
Implementation Method 2
adjustable pressure and ultrasonic waves to prevent clumping
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
Figure 8~11
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a device for producing a flatbed screen print on objects such as textiles, films, plastics, metallic, glass and/or wooden objects, paper, cardboard, and the like, in which a liquid printing agent is applied to a printing fabric (1) and deposited as a defined layer of printing agent on the printing fabric (1) by means of a movable squeegee (6), and a force is exerted on the printing fabric (1) by means of a squeegee (5), causing it to deform elastically and bringing the defined layer of ink into contact with the object to be printed. To significantly improve this method and this device, it is provided thatthat the flood squeegee (6) and the pressure squeegee (5) are moved together over the printing fabric (1) in their respective working positions, and that a pressure medium chamber (4) filled with the liquid printing medium is moved along with the flood squeegee (6) and the pressure squeegee (5), that the liquid printing medium is supplied to the printing fabric (1) at an adjustable pressure via a chamber outlet (9) during the forward movement of the flood squeegee (6) and the pressure squeegee (5) spatially in front of the flood squeegee (6) and the pressure squeegee (5), that the outlet (9) of the pressure medium chamber (4) can be controlled and closed, that, with respect to the forward movement of the flood squeegee (6) and the pressure squeegee (5), the pressure squeegee (5), which is spatially arranged behind the flood squeegee (6), exerts the force on the printing fabric (1) during the forward movement of the flood squeegee (6) and the pressure squeegee (5), and that the defined ink layer with the comes into contact with the object to be printed (Fig. 1).