Industrial Screen-Printing Applications

Optical or functional printing – industrial screen-printing offers an amazing diversity of versions for both of them

The classical graphic screen-printing has already gone through a technological transition and reinvents itself over and over, especial in industrial applications. In industrial applications, screen-printing can totally unfold its strengths, in terms of the variety of applications, rationalisation possibilities and the individualisation of printing and coating processes, which integrate the screen-printing technique into existing production processes. This offers totally new and unsuspected manufacturing processes and all-in-one solutions.

There are many examples:
In the automotive industry, you can find printed cylinder head gaskets, speedometer displays and rear window heatings. However, manufacturing printed circuits, solar cells, and SMD letterings for the electronic segment form an important part of industrial screen-printing. In the domain of electronics and photovoltaics, KIWO’s photoemulsions AZOCOL Z 170 FL and AZOCOL S 305 FL have proved especially successful: Two high-end emulsions, which are applied where highest resolution and edge definition are needed. FL stands for fine line, i.e. very high resolution of 30 µm and less.

Even in household equipment, screen-printing is ever-present. The furniture industry creates surface structures (e.g. wood grain, finishing of tiles, optical or haptic effects) by screen-printing.  Not to mention direct printing or transfer printing onto hollow glass, partial lacquering and finishing of printed materials of other printing processes, or the beverage industry (e.g. printing of crates).

The surface of readily manufactured parts is frequently protected with partial or all-over coatings that have been produced by screen-printing: A special task for KIWO’s KIWOMASK^® portfolio, which offers resists and coatings for etching, sand blasting, brushing and protecting diverse materials. A new and very interesting technical field that offers many possibilities.