Screen Printing Machine Screen Types and Selection Guide

The screen of the screen printing machine plays a core role in the printing process. Choosing the right screen not only affects the details of the printing but also determines the overall quality of the product.

What are the functions of the screen in screen printing? 

The role of screen printing in screen printing is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Transfer of pattern or text

Screen printing technology is a printing technology that uses a mesh-shaped printing screen to allow ink or other coatings to pass through the mesh holes during the printing process to print patterns or text on the surface of an object. The pattern or text on the screen is accurately copied to the substrate through the transfer of ink, realizing the copying and transfer of graphics.

Improve printing speed and efficiency

Screen printing has the advantage of fast printing speed, which can greatly improve production efficiency. During the printing process, the ink is evenly and quickly transferred to the substrate through the mesh holes on the screen, which reduces the printing time and increases the printing speed.

Reduce manufacturing costs

The cost of screen printing is relatively low, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. Low material cost: The price of screen materials is relatively low, which reduces the production cost for printing manufacturers.

2. Low scrap rate: Screen printing can achieve high-precision printing, reducing the scrap rate, and thereby further reducing manufacturing costs.

Suitable for a wide range of printing materials

Screen printing has strong adaptability to substrates and can be printed on almost all materials, such as paper, cardboard, cardboard, plastic film, metal, ceramics, glass, fabric, etc. This wide adaptability makes screen printing widely used in various fields.

Printing of complex patterns is possible

Screen printing can print complex and fine patterns to meet various printing needs. By adjusting the mesh size and shape of the screen, as well as the ink formula and printing process, various special effects can be achieved, such as gradient, three-dimensional, metallic texture, etc.

Improve printing quality

Screen printing has the characteristics of high precision and standardization, and can accurately control the shape and thickness of printed electrodes, improving the conductivity of electrodes and battery performance. In the field of printed batteries, screen printing technology can significantly improve printing quality and ensure product stability and reliability.

The screen plays a vital role in printing. It is not only a medium for transferring patterns or texts, but also brings significant benefits and progress to the printing industry by increasing printing speed, reducing manufacturing costs, adapting to a wide range of printing materials, realizing the printing of complex patterns, and improving printing quality.

What are the common plate-making methods in screen printing? 

In screen printing, manual plate making and photosensitive plate making are two common plate-making methods. They have their own characteristics and are suitable for different printing needs. The following will explain the production process of these two types of plate-making in detail.

Handmade plate making

Manual plate making mainly relies on manual operation to form patterns on the screen by cutting or drawing. Its production process is relatively simple, but the accuracy and efficiency are low, which is suitable for printing small batches or simple patterns.

Production process:

1. Prepare materials:

Silkscreen: Choose the appropriate silk screen material and mesh size according to printing requirements.

Lacquer paper or film: used to create the masking part of the pattern.

Carving or tracing tool: used for cutting or tracing patterns.

2. Make the pattern:

Use a carving knife to cut along the outline of the text or lines on the lacquered paper or film to form the desired pattern.

Alternatively, use a tracing tool to directly trace lines on the silk screen, and use a blocking agent to block the line part or the surrounding part to form a pattern.

3. Fixed pattern:

Fix the cut-out lacquer paper or film on the screen to ensure the pattern is positioned accurately.

If you are tracing a legal plate, proceed directly to the next step of printing preparation.

4. Inspection and adjustment:

Check whether the pattern is complete, clear and accurately positioned.

Make adjustments as needed to ensure that the printing effect meets your requirements.

Photographic plate making

Photosensitive placemaking uses the principle that photosensitive resin undergoes chemical reactions after exposure to form patterns that are insoluble in water or organic solvents. Its production process is relatively complicated, but it has high precision and efficiency, and is suitable for printing large quantities or complex patterns.

Production process:

1. Prepare materials:

Silkscreen: Choose the appropriate silk screen material and mesh size according to printing requirements.

Photosensitive emulsion: used to form a photosensitive film on the screen.

Positive Film: Transparent film containing the desired pattern.

Platemaking machine: used to expose photosensitive emulsion.

2. Coating of photosensitive emulsion:

Spread the photosensitive emulsion evenly on the screen to form a thin photosensitive film.

During the coating process, attention should be paid to controlling the thickness and uniformity of the emulsion to ensure the exposure effect.

3. Drying the photosensitive emulsion:

Place the screen coated with photosensitive emulsion in a drying oven or use other drying equipment to dry it.

During the drying process, care must be taken to control the temperature and time to avoid over-drying or incomplete drying of the emulsion.

4. Exposure:

Lay the positive film and the dried screen together to ensure the pattern is positioned accurately.

Use a plate-making machine to expose the photosensitive emulsion, causing the emulsion in the pattern part to undergo a chemical reaction and harden.

The exposure time depends on factors such as light source intensity and emulsion properties, and testing is required to determine the optimal exposure time.

5. Development:

After exposure, the unhardened emulsion is washed away with a developer to form a pattern.

During the development process, attention should be paid to controlling the temperature and concentration of the developer, as well as the development time, to ensure that the pattern is clear and complete.

6. Inspection and repair:

Check whether the pattern is clear, and complete and the edges are smooth.

Perform touch-ups as needed, such as removing excess emulsion, repairing pattern defects, etc.

7. Drying and storage:

Place the developed screen in a dry place for natural drying or use drying equipment for forced drying.

After drying, store the screen in a light-free environment for subsequent printing.

Through the above steps, a screen printing plate that meets the requirements can be produced. Whether it is manual plate making or photosensitive plate making, it is necessary to select the appropriate production method and materials according to the specific printing needs and conditions.

What are the common types of screen printing machines? 

There are many different types of screen printing machines, each with its own specific applications and advantages. Here are some common types of screen printing machines:

Classification by printing method 

1. Flat screen printing machine

Features: Use a flat screen plate to print on a flat substrate. Generally, the squeegee presses the plate and moves horizontally, and the substrate is changed by raising and lowering the plate.

Application: Suitable for printing on various flat materials, such as paper, cardboard, plastic film, etc.

2. Curved screen printing machine

Features: Use a flat screen plate to print on a round substrate. Generally, the squeegee is fixed, the printing plate moves horizontally, and the substrate rotates with the printing plate at the same linear speed.

Application: Suitable for printing on curved objects such as cylinders and spheres, such as glass bottles, plastic bottles, etc.

3. Rotary screen printing machine

Features: A cylindrical screen plate is used with a wedge-shaped scraper plate or scraper roller installed inside the cylinder. The linear speed of the plate rotation and the substrate movement is the same.

Application: Suitable for printing on continuous production lines, such as web, films, etc.

4. Indirect screen printing machine

Features: The screen printing image is not printed directly on the substrate, but is first printed on a flat material and then transferred to the substrate using a certain method.

Application: Suitable for the printing of special-shaped objects with complex shapes, edges, and corners, and concave surfaces, such as special-shaped plastic parts, metal parts, etc.

Classification by degree of automation 

1. Manual screen printing machine

Features: All actions are manually operated, suitable for small batch and multi-variety printing needs.

Application: laboratories, small studios, etc.

2. Semi-automatic screen printing machine

Features: Some actions during printing are automated, such as ink scraping and ink leveling, while the rest are still manually operated.

Application: small and medium-sized printing plants, production lines, etc.

3. Fully automatic screen printing machine

Features: All actions in the printing process are automated, including lifting, conveying, drying, and stacking of printed pieces.

Application: Large-scale, high-efficiency printing production lines, such as membrane switches, computer keyboard circuits, PET face stickers, etc.

Classification by special purpose 

1. Glass screen printing machine

Features: Specially used for printing on transparent materials such as glass, it can achieve high-precision and high-definition pattern printing.

Applications: glass products, liquid crystal displays, and other fields.

2. Roll-to-roll screen printing machine

Features: Suitable for printing continuous roll materials, such as film, paper, etc. There are many types of common screen printing machines, each with its specific application areas and advantages. The following are some common types of screen printing machines:

 1. Flat screen printing machine

Features: Use a flat screen plate to print on a flat substrate. Generally, the squeegee presses the plate and moves horizontally, and the substrate is changed by raising and lowering the plate.

Application: Suitable for printing on various flat materials, such as paper, cardboard, cardboard, etc.

 2. Curved screen printing machine

Features: Use a flat screen plate to print on a round substrate. Generally, the squeegee is fixed, the printing plate moves horizontally, and the substrate rotates with the printing plate at the same linear speed.

Application: Suitable for printing curved objects, such as spheres, cylinders, cones, etc.

 3. Rotary screen printing machine

Features: A cylindrical screen plate is used with a wedge-shaped scraper plate or scraper roller installed inside the cylinder. The linear speed of the plate rotation and the substrate movement is the same.

Application: Suitable for occasions requiring continuous, high-speed printing, such as printing on roll materials.

 4. Electrostatic screen printing machine

Features: It uses electrostatic attraction to transfer ink from the screen printing plate to the printing surface. It is a non-contact printing method.

Application: Mainly used for printing on high-temperature substrates, such as steel plates just out of the oven.

 5. Fully automatic screen printing machine

Classification:

+ Glass screen printing machine: mainly used for printing on hard materials such as glass.

+ Roll-to-roll screen printing machine: suitable for continuous printing of roll materials such as film and paper.

Features: high degree of automation, fast printing speed, and high production efficiency.

 6. Oblique arm screen printing machine

Classification: including circuit board text screen printing machine, oblique arm screen printing machine, etc.

Application: Mainly used in the packaging industry, such as cigarette packaging, wine box packaging, gifts, cosmetics, and other paper packaging, as well as trademarks, calendar oil paintings, New Year paintings, decals, colored gold glass, various cards, metal nameplates, circuit board text printing, etc.

 7. Vertical screen printing machine

Categories: including air conditioner shell screen printing machine, sign screen printing machine, semi-automatic screen printing machine, decal paper screen printing machine, acrylic screen printing machine, circuit board screen printing machine, mobile phone lens screen printing machine, electric flat screen printing machine, etc.

Application: Mainly used in the printing of air conditioners, mobile phone lenses, decal sheets, acrylic, and other materials.

There are many different types of screen printing machines, each with its own specific applications and advantages. Here are some common types of screen printing machines:

 1. Flat screen printing machine

Features: Use a flat screen plate to print on a flat substrate. Generally, the squeegee presses the plate and moves horizontally, and the substrate is changed by raising and lowering the plate.

Application: Suitable for printing on various flat materials, such as paper, cardboard, cardboard, etc.

 2. Curved screen printing machine

Features: Use a flat screen plate to print on a round substrate. Generally, the squeegee is fixed, the printing plate moves horizontally, and the substrate rotates with the printing plate at the same linear speed.

Application: Suitable for printing curved objects, such as spheres, cylinders, cones, etc.

 3. Rotary screen printing machine

Features: A cylindrical screen plate is used with a wedge-shaped scraper plate or scraper roller installed inside the cylinder. The linear speed of the plate rotation and the substrate movement is the same.

Application: Suitable for occasions requiring continuous printing, such as printing on roll materials.

 4. Electrostatic screen printing machine

Features: It uses electrostatic attraction to transfer ink from the screen printing plate to the printing surface. It is a non-contact printing method.

Application: Mainly used for printing on high-temperature substrates, such as steel plates just out of the oven.

 5. Fully automatic screen printing machine

Classification:

+ Glass screen printing machine: mainly used for printing on hard materials such as glass.

+ Roll-to-roll screen printing machine: suitable for continuous printing of roll materials such as film and paper.

Features: high degree of automation, fast printing speed, and high production efficiency.

 6. Oblique arm screen printing machine

Classification: including circuit board text screen printing machine, oblique arm screen printing machine, etc.

Application: Mainly used in the packaging industry, such as cigarette packaging, wine box packaging, gifts, cosmetics and other paper packaging, as well as trademarks, calendar oil paintings, New Year paintings, decals, colored gold glass, various cards, metal nameplates, circuit board text printing, etc.

 7. Vertical screen printing machine

Categories: air conditioner shell screen printing machine, sign screen printing machine, semi-automatic screen printing machine, decal screen printing machine, acrylic screen printing machine, circuit board screen printing machine, mobile phone lens screen printing machine, electric flat screen printing machine, etc.

Application: Mainly used in the printing of air conditioners, mobile phone lenses, decal sheets, acrylic, and other materials.

 8. Other screen printing machines

Types: such as balloon screen printer, manual suction screen printer, LCD glass screen printer, lens window screen printer, large format glass screen printer, TC high resistance screen printer, desktop screen printer, CCD screen printer, etc.

Application: These screen printers each have their own specific application areas, such as printing on balloons, liquid crystal glass, large area glass, resistors, toys, wood, plastic, cut pieces and other materials.

There are many types of screen printing machines, each with its own unique characteristics and application areas. When choosing a screen printing machine, you need to choose the appropriate model based on the specific printing needs and material characteristics.

What are the types of screens used in screen printing? 

There are many different types of screens used in screen printing, each with its own specific applications and advantages. Here are some common screen types:

Classification by material and structure

1. Conventional screen

Composition: It is composed of a mesh of different mesh sizes woven from stainless steel wire, coated with latex, and then fixed on a mesh frame.

Features: Remove the latex from the openings of the screen pattern design so that when the scraper brushes over the mesh, the slurry can pass through the openings of the pattern and be printed on the substrate.

Application: It is widely used in various printing fields, but due to the existence of mesh knots, it may affect ultra-fine line printing and further narrowing of the secondary grid line opening.

2. No-knot mesh version

Features: There is no mesh knot in the secondary grid opening area, and the mesh angle changes from oblique mesh to straight mesh. The aspect ratio and line type after printing are significantly better than conventional screens.

Advantages: By increasing the aspect ratio and optimizing the line shape, the efficiency of the battery cell can be significantly improved, while the narrowing of the line width can significantly reduce the unit consumption.

Application: Mainly used in fields with high precision requirements, such as microelectronics printing and photovoltaic industry.

Classification by printing method 

Although screens themselves are not directly classified by printing method, different printing methods may use different types of screens. For example:

Flat screen printing: usually uses a flat screen printing plate to print on a flat substrate.

Curved screen printing: Although a flat screen printing plate is also used, the plate moves horizontally during printing, and the substrate moves with the plate to accommodate the printing of curved objects.

Rotary screen printing: uses a cylindrical screen printing plate with a fixed scraper inside the cylinder. The cylindrical printing plate and the substrate move synchronously at the same linear speed to achieve continuous printing.

Other special types 

In addition to the conventional types mentioned above, there are some special types of screens, such as conductive metal screens for electrostatic screen printing, etc. These special types of screens usually have specific functions and uses to meet specific printing needs.

Screen selection and precautions 

When choosing a screen, consider the following factors:

Substrate type: Select the appropriate screen type and specifications according to the material, shape, and size of the substrate.

Printing requirements: Select the appropriate screen mesh and material according to the printing accuracy, color, and pattern requirements.

Cost-effectiveness: Under the premise of ensuring printing quality, consider the cost and service life of the screen and choose a screen with high-cost performance.

In addition, the following points should be noted when using the screen:

Screen cleaning: Clean the ink and impurities on the screen regularly to keep the screen unobstructed. In screen printing, there are many types of screens used, which can be mainly classified according to their materials, structures and characteristics. The following are some common types of screens:

Classification by material 

1. Natural silk screen: Natural silk (such as silk) is used as the screen material, which has excellent air permeability and ink absorption, but the cost is higher and the durability is relatively poor.

2. Metal screen: It is woven with metal wire (such as stainless steel wire, copper wire, etc.), has high strength and durability, and is suitable for printing needs with high precision and long life.

3. Polyester screen: It is woven with polyester fiber, has excellent wear resistance, corrosion resistance aging resistance, moderate cost, and is widely used in various screen printing fields.

4. Nylon screen: The screen made of nylon material has good elasticity and wear resistance, and is suitable for printing on curved surfaces and irregular objects.

By structure 

1. Conventional screen: Made of stainless steel wire woven into the mesh of different mesh sizes, and coated with latex. The latex is removed at the opening of the screen pattern design, so that when the scraper brushes over the screen, the slurry can pass through the pattern opening and print on the substrate. Conventional screens may affect the uniformity of the printed line type due to the presence of mesh knots.

2. Knotless screen: In order to solve the shortcomings of conventional screens, knotless screens do not have knots in the secondary grid opening area, and the screen angle changes from oblique to straight. The aspect ratio and line type of this screen after printing are significantly better than conventional screens, and it is particularly suitable for ultra-fine line printing and the need to further narrow the secondary grid line opening.

Classification by characteristics 

1. High mesh screen: The higher the mesh, the denser the screen, the smaller the mesh, the worse the slurry passability, but the higher the printing accuracy. With the increasing requirements for slurry line width in battery printing and other fields, the application of high mesh screen is becoming more and more extensive.

2. Low wire diameter screen: A screen with a finer wire diameter can better control the flow and distribution of ink during the printing process and improve the printing quality. Especially in high-precision fields such as HJT metallization development, a low wire diameter screen is required.

Other types 

In addition to the above classification, there are also some special-purpose screens, such as conductive metal screens for electrostatic screen printing.

Understanding the different types of screen printing machine screens and selection criteria can help increase the added value of your products and gain a competitive advantage in the market.