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Pad Printing
PLET 370
Benton Lewis, Ben McElhaney, Luke Miller
Objective
• Ease of Pad Printing
• Inform about process
• Very useful in many markets
Outline
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I. Background
II. Equipment & Technologies
III. Process
IV. Advantages
V. Disadvantages
VI. Applications
Pad Printing Background
• Also known as ©Tampo
Printing
• Dates back over 200
years
• Similar to other
decorating techniques
Equipment & Technologies
• Transfer Pad
– Generally made from silicon rubber
– Tip should never contact graphic
• Cliché
– Made of steel or polymer
– Artwork critical; photoengraved into cliché
– Normal detail - .001” deep
Equipment Cont’d
• Ink
– Extremely high pigmentation levels
– Polyolefins and Thermosets need pretreated
• Part Fixture
– Steel or plastic
– Parallel to cliché, held firmly
• Doctor Blade
– Wipes cliché, use minimum pressure
Process
• Ink Flooding
-Cliché is flooded with ink
• Pad Wetting
-Pad pressed down into ink
• Head Stroke
-Pad is lifted
Process Continued
• Ink Deposition
-Pad pressed onto the part
• Pad Release
-pad is lifted away
Process Cont.
• Degreasing molded parts
-organic solvent cleaned
• Surface treatment
-corona discharge etc.
• Ink curing process
-thermal curing
-UV curing
Advantages
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Variety of geometries and surface finishes
Works on most materials
Wet on wet capabilities
Very fine detail
-widths to .003”
• Permanent decoration
• Multi-color process
• Low pressures required
Disadvantages
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Some materials difficult to decorate
Cost of waste
Large graphics difficult to print
Cannot print in confined areas
Applications
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Cell phones
Alarm clocks
Shower heads
Anything with small lettering or graphics