International Sign Assoc.
Matrix Payment Systems
SGIA Specialty Graphics Imaging Assoc
Mesh exhibiting clean surfaces
Although mesh manufacturers give their completed mesh a good cleaning after it is woven and set, rolled mesh gets handled in packing and transport at the distributor location, and again at your manufacturing facility when the mesh is received and stretched. All of this handling leaves greasy residues, mud, and dirt on the mesh, any of which might interfere with stencil adhesion, and contribute to premature stencil breakdown. Proper preparation of the mesh is a reasonable way to forestall fisheyes, pinholes, and premature stencil breakdown. coustic mesh preparation is broken down into two key steps: Abrading and degreasing. Abrading is used solely with stencil films, and never liquid-direct emulsions. But word, each screen must be degreased.Apply abrader with delicate bristle brush.
Abrading
Abraders are available powder, paste and gel forms. Modern polyester mesh threads are extruded (just like fishing line), and are slick and smooth so stencil films don’t adhere readily. Abrading the mesh will increase the surface area on the knuckles for better gripping by the stencil film. Abraders are effective silicon carbide micro-grit preparations. Surprisingly, despite their effectiveness, they dont really feel rough when rubbed between your fingers! This is because the particles are so effective. Abrading the mesh is accomplished by making use of a small quantity of mesh abrader onto the substrate or print facet of the mesh with a soft brush, and evenly scrubbing it. Abraders don’t need to stand on the screen. Will be rinsed off immediately with a firm stress spray. Effective mesh abraders include Autotype Autoprep paste and Ulano #2 Microgrit powder. Do not use household scouring powder to abrade your mesh! Even though Comet® or SoftScrub® prices $2 as an alternative of $20, these family cleansing merchandise are too abrasive, and assured to shred the floor of your costly mesh. This may scale back the screens life and go away a number of deep gashes and pits the place ink and emulsion can accumulate and develop into lodged, thereby rising staining, ghosting and hazing issues within the display screen. Even with the correct product, testing on the Screen Printing Technical Foundation (SPTF) has shown extreme abrading will cut back display life. The most effective recommendation is to do it as soon as when the mesh is model new, then once more if essential after 5 – 6 stencils.
Mesh abraded with scouring powder
DegreasingMesh Prep Rule #1: Degrease every screen you ever make for so long as you reside! Degreasers are broken down into two major classes: those with wetting agents and those with out. The easiest strategy to see if your degreaser has a wetting agent is to degrease one half of a display screen and evaluate how the 2 sides hold water. Apply the degreaser in query to the appropriate half of a display and go away the opposite half untouched. Scrub the degreaser properly into the mesh, and leave it to face for a minute or two. Then flood rinse the display screen, and hold the mesh at an angle until you’ll be able to see if the mesh holds water. A degreaser with a wetting agent will leave a easy, even, glossy sheet of water across the mesh, in comparison with the management facet where droplets and rivulets type and run off without sheeting. Degreasers without wetting brokers are designed to be used with liquid-direct stencil emulsions. They’re designed to take away dirt and greasy residues left by inks and ink cleaners. Some examples of standard degreasers without wetting brokers include Ulano #3 Degreaser, Ulano #33 Degreaser Concentrate, Chemical Consultants (ICC) Nutralyze, CPS Degreaser Concentrate, Chromaline Chroma/Clean Mesh Degreaser, Fujifilm Sericol Xtend XMP-HD (Heavy Duty), KIWO Degreaser 1:20 (robust foaming motion) and 1:Forty (reduced foaming). Wetting agents are essential for a stencil films good adhesion, though many stencil technicians report that additionally they improve its coating ability for liquid emulsions. With stencil film, you can use either a degreaser with a wetting agent or separate degreaser and wetting agent. Generally, if water sheets smoothly across the mesh, even liquid emulsions with about 60 % water will circulate and sheet higher. If water is repelled from the display screen mesh, it is going to movement in little rivulets and form droplets on the mesh. Degreasers with wetting agents embrace Autotype Universal Mesh Prep, Fujifilm Sericol Xtend XMP-AC (Aqua Coat), Ulano Magic Mesh Prep, KIWO Dual Prep, Easiway Mesh Preparation, Chemical Consultants Liqua-Prep and Prep-Rite and the new KIWO Ultra Prep. Some manufacturers make a wetting agent separate from the degreaser, comparable to Ulano #25 All Mesh Prep and Chromaline Chroma/Wet Wetting Agent. Some degreasers such as CPS Degreaser Concentrate, Ulano Magic Mesh Prep, and KIWO Ultra Prep contain anti-static additives to help forestall the screens from attracting dust. This will considerably reduce pinhole problems attributable to dust and dirt.
Damaged mesh from abrasion.
Household dish detergents aren’t efficient screen degreasers because most brands include lanolin or wool grease, which keep human pores and skin from drying out while doing the dishes. These additives depart greasy films. Contaminants on the display mesh. However, for automated degreasing gear systems, non-foaming detergents can be used as effective degreasers. While you must consult a detergent specialist for suggestions, I’ve seen both laundry powders and automated dish detergents used with varying levels of success. If you abrade or degrease a number of screens in a row, the preliminary screen could have been left to face long enough and should be prepared for rinsing by the time you have got degreased the ultimate display. Rinse generously, as any remaining detergent or abrader on the mesh will act as a contaminant!Undegreased mesh.
Combination degreasing and abrading
Mesh abraders and degreasers sometimes are combined into one product. Examples embrace Ulano #23 Roughening/Degreaser Gel, Chromaline Chroma/Brade Mesh Abrader/Degreaser gel and Chemical Consultants Ads-301 Abrader/Degreaser/Stain Remover. Sometimes caustic or etching degreasers and abraders additionally can be utilized, such as Autotype Autopaste and KIWO Pregan NT Paste. These alkaline products are significantly efficient with mesh that is closely stained with ink and emulsion residues. Some companies, resembling Intercontinental Chemical Co. (ICC), incorporate an alkaline degreaser into the haze remover. Since these products finely etch the mesh, it is very important comply with the manufacturers guidelines for dwell time when utilizing alkali degreasers. (Sodium hydroxide and/or potassium hydroxide additionally are discovered in lots of ghost, haze and stain removers.) In my early days as a display screen maker, I vividly recall being proven how you can degrease with the caustic degreaser, after which neutralize the mesh with an answer of glacial acetic acid! Im not sure that I would settle for the same meshes as properly ready right this moment, but now it’s certainly easier and fewer dangerous to make use of fashionable mesh preparation brokers.
Screen degreased without wetting agent.
Other Products and Chemicals in Screen Preparation
Bleach remains to be often used as an emulsion remover, or extra effectively as a diazo stain remover. To take away diazo stains from underexposed stencils, bleach may be brushed onto dry mesh and allowed to dry earlier than being flood rinsed and then pressure washed to take away any traces of stain and chemical. Excessive use of bleach can affect among the anti-halation dyes used on coloured meshes. The identical approach that bleach can eventually harm your jeans, it may also harm or embrittle your mesh. Also, ventilation methods are imperative if bleach is utilized in your display screen preparation space. Tri sodium phosphate has beforehand been used as a mixture degreaser and abrader. However, it is basically too abrasive for display screen mesh, and it does not degrease in addition to proper display degreasers, so display screen technicians are suggested to pick out fit-for-objective mesh preparation products. Abrasive furnishings polishes resembling Rottenstone (a mushy decomposed limestone) and pumice (a lightweight rock of volcanic origin that’s used to scrub calluses and soften the feet) are too abrasive on your costly display mesh, so remove these products when implementing trade best practices. Commercial grill and floor degreasers can be utilized on screen mesh with various degrees of success. Test carefully to ensure there are not any residues or contaminants remaining. Liquid Plumber®, Drano®, Red Devil® Lye crystals and other drain openers are corrosive products designed for the removing of clogs from family drains. They don’t seem to be secure to be used on screens. Dont use them.
Screen degreased with wetting agent.
Popular multipurpose household cleaners resembling Simple Green, Window Cleaner and Orange Spray & Wipe Cleaners (usually containing 5 p.c to 15 p.c d-Limonene) also leave a lot residue on screens and shouldn’t be used for cleansing or degreasing display mesh. Straight d-Limonene by itself will not be water miscible so it’s not an efficient mesh degreaser. However, it may be combined with surfactant packages to make it water dilutable and rinseable. For those who have virtually any inquiries with regards to where and also the best way to use industrial filter mesh (go to the website), it is possible to contact us on our web site. Then, it can be efficient as a frame degreaser, though it isn’t recommended for degreasing screen mesh. D-Limonene is pressed. Steam distilled from orange peels. Because it smells like oranges, individuals can sometimes assume that it is a totally secure product, when in actual fact it may well de-fats the skin. Safety gloves and shop glasses should be used, simply as with some other industrial product. In ConclusionChemical manufacturers design a variety of merchandise to be used in mesh preparation. Use mesh abraders only when utilizing stencil movies, reminiscent of capillary and oblique gelatin ones. All screens ought to be degreased. Degreasers with wetting agents are essential for stencil movies, however virtually any mesh degreaser can be utilized with liquid-direct emulsions. Mesh preparation is cheap and easy to overlook, but implementing a greatest-practices approach will enhance stencils, industrial filter mesh and reduce potential issues from contamination, fisheyes, pinholes and premature stencil breakdown. This text appeared within the SGIA Journal, 2nd Quarter 2007 Issue and is reprinted with permission. Copyright 2007 Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (www.sgia.org). All Rights Reserved.
