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Even though screen-printing continues to be more cost-effective with large press runs, many facets of traditional screen-printing are being supplanted by modern digital printing equipment. Yet this fact does by no means spell the death knell for screen-printing. To wit: the technology features unique processing characteristics, nearly making it the only practicable alternative for certain jobs. Next to regular screen-printing inks, the squeegee can force any viscous substance through the stencil’s mesh. It could be certain gummed products, adhesives, silicones, lacquers, silver or carbon-based materials.
This makes the process ideal for the partial coating of surfaces in industrial production. A wide field has already opened up for screen-printing, ever expanding and gaining in sophistication. The situation is confirmed by the president of the French screen-printing association GPSF, Denis Constantin: “The printing trade is suffering a severe decline in order volume, while the market for industrial screen printing keeps on expanding.”
“Screen-printing is as versatile as you want it to be”
Screen-printing unlocks a wide range of opportunities in modern production techniques as a “partial surface coating process” for substrates, media and materials. Industrial screen-printing already commands a large market share and vendors of presses, e.g., Thieme Ltd., have adjusted accordingly. “No other printing process is as adaptable to widely differing surfaces and textures as is screen-printing”, Christian Schweikert of Thieme Ltd. affirms.
For one, the configuration and characteristics of the squeegee and stencil, together with ink or the “print carrier”, can be customised to match desired results. Differing thread spacing and different thread thickness of the mesh will affect the transferability of the “indigenous image”. The viscosities of ink, adhesives or lacquer can be adapted to the surface characteristics of the print carrier. Those features enhance the appeal of screen-printing, from super-size commercial printing to a great variety of industrial custom applications. Denis Constantin sums it up: “It seems screen printing is equal to handling any job. At the same time, we are nowhere near the end of the road, ‘cause new opportunities for application keep popping up.”
The future lies in industrial manufacture
Those applications comprise the manufacture of circuit boards, electronic circuitry, keyboard foils, rear windows for cars or the lettering on dashboard panels. Further, printed electronics for RFID chips or transponders, solar cells, heating units, antennae or silicon seals and gaskets are manufactured with the help of screen-printing—applications for screen-printing are truly unlimited. Media employed may, for instance, have conducting, sealing, storing, heating, adhesive, adsorbing, filtering and many other properties. Screen-printing is not just used as a printing process, but at times also acts as one or several production steps in the manufacturing process.
“Screen printing is capable to apply absolutely uniform coating with a high degree of precision to any media. The process is not limited to the object’s geometrical shape, it may be executed as round printing or body printing, or planar printing,’’ explains Christian Schweikert. He is convinced of screen-printing’s great future in the industrial sector.
Denis Constantin
“The printing trade is suffering a severe decline in order volume while the market for industrial screen-printing keeps on expanding.”
Denis Constantin, president of the French screen-printing association GPSF
Building a car with screen-printing?
Almost all of today’s interior appointments in automobiles are made with screen printing technology: Aluminium, decor, dashboard lettering, dials, antennae or heating coils in front and rear window.
But the applied material need not always be printed diagrams. Imposition of several layers of rubber will result in a working gasket or seal.
Car manufacturers use that process for cylinder head gaskets. Printed electronics can also be realized by way of screen-printing., e.g., for the creation of airbag sensors, where circuits are printed on a foil.
