News in Screen Printing World
ESMA – Guides Functional Printing Future
Advanced Functional & Industrial Printing 2013
Following an excellent concept in two days, on a package of conferences and exhibitions, it was possible to benefit of 20 high-quality presentations and led by real technological leaders and industrial experts, providing ESMA the information on best practices and latest developments available in a bet of guidance on current and future applications to Screen Printing Technology in Industrial and Functional applications.
0Welcome was given by Peter Buttiens, CEO of ESMA-European Association for Screen, Digital and Flexo printing technologies, whose members are producers of machinery, software, and consumables.
The experts offered to industrial graphics, first line suppliers (Tier 1) and original equipment manufacturers (OEM´s) present in number higher than the last edition, valuable insight about the latest technologies available, from Technological Centers of reference (HdM, Holst Centre and Swansea University) dedicated to applications in industrial sectors such as the automotive, plastics (FIM-IMD), Fascia, Signage, Electronics', Conductive ink printing, Flexible Circuits, Sensors, Batteries, Labelling to Solar Energy technologies.
A special word for HdM-Hoscschule der Medien Stuttgart, University made up of 3 faculties: Print and Electronic Media, Media and Information and Communication, with more than 4,000 students, 21 accredited programs (14 of Bachelor and 7 Master's) and 120 teachers, being the presentation of Prof. Dr. Ing. Gunter Hübner, responsible for Printing and Media (Screen and Digital), in added value in terms of developments that this technology center shares with industry (automotive, electronics, thermo-conductive elements, NiMH cells, microstructures, sensors and the use of CNT Nano Carbon tubes-in tactile applications, mobile phones, PC´s, navigation instrumentation. OLED´s, etc.), and where it was well proved the growing future for Screen Printing Technology, in particular through its excellent features of layer and reproducibility when compared to other systems for the "Printronics printing", showing high flexibility, high layers creating thickness, and today with lineatures until ca. 50μm.
The majority of applications and new developments were based on the Screen Printing Technology, or Digital, or comparative of the two, being given a special attention to presentations on the themes, by Pröll, Dubuit, Kiwo, Heraeus, Durst, Cyan, Intrinsiq, Pel, Acreo, Agfa, Xeikon and Marabu.
To highlight news on Screen fabrics, a SEFAR ® presentation focus on the Pre Coated mesh SEFAR ® PCF, for faster and with less process steps in Stencil preparation and the new mesh range of SEFAR ® PME, high quality and material resistance of polyester filament, in sustainable and innovative weaving process, considered PME as a maximum global exponent in terms of strength, durability, dimensional accuracy for a better reproducibility and value for money. PME fabrics are targeted for applications demanding a high precision such as for automotive, electronics, instrumentation panels, decals, transfers, IMD, security cards, signage, solar energy, etc.
A special focus on Screen Prepress and CTS technology, the presentations of BasysPrint, G4 Automation and SignTronic, this one in partnership with Gruenig and highlighting the In-Line Automation Process and Industrial Flowcharts (quality improvements, reproducibility, speed and cost reduction) for the manufacture of Screen Printing Stencils (ecrans), as well as the latest technological developments in the increasingly important area of Direct Digital Automatic Exposing CTS (Computer-to-Screen) where in industrial and functional applications the resolution required is 2400 dpi´s.
Another interesting presentation from Dr. Günter Perner - Kissel & Wolf GmbH - showing new and growing Screen Printable Functional Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, with high effectiveness due to capacity to print design thickness from 3 to 300 μm, permanent semi – permanent or peelable, conductive, heat applicable, etc, without residue, cost efficient and environmental friendly.
For us another "highlight", with special interest to the Portuguese Industry linked to the automotive sector, electronics and plastics, to mention the growing importance of Portugal as a major European producer of molds for the plastic injection sector, has been the excellent approaches about IMD Technology (In-Mold-Decoration or Film Insert Molding) of Pröll, MacDermid Autotype and the duet Marabu / Niebling with new and interesting analyses from the substrate, process steps, equipment, with the highlight to refer Marabu new UV curing ink development for IMD (in partnership Marabu, Niebling Formtechnologie and Bayer MaterialScience), with data at the level of higher printing speeds, solvent-free, ink "washing" resistance, high forming flexibility of ink film, multilayer structures, color consistency, without temper needs and with high cost efficiency, for a improved productivity and optimized quality control.
From the side of Niebling GmbH the latest news in terms of equipment, with its FIM/IMD "high pressure forming" technology, comparative analysis of this low tolerances system vs. the normal thermoforming technology tolerances, Niebling partners, and the implementation of this technology worldwide, in growing utilization areas, indoor or outdoor, being in decoration, functional or electrical protection, such for: automotive & motorcycle industries, telecommunication, computers, medical industry, aerospace industry, white goods equipment, consumer electronics, packaging industry or in applications of tactile surfaces with electrical functions, to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd4J6iQfZss
In a world of actual and new applications where this ESMA-AFIP 2013 Conference Guides Functional Printing Future Screen Printing Technology was presented as a process of election.
Ruy de Lacerda & Cª, SA
David Zamith
