ROTARY SCREEN PRINTING Rotary Screen Printing is a relatively recent development of Flat bed screen printing.

It can print a continuous web of moving paper , upward of 3000 m long , as opposed to the limiting length (normally 30 m) of flat screen printed wallpaper. The screen would have a width of up to 68cm and be between 64 and 100cm in circumference, thus allowing relatively large pattern repeats. A typical rotary screen print machine would have an in-line configuration with upwards of seven or eight print stations available, each printing one colour. The cylindrical printing screen itself is a very fine honey combed type mesh. The screen is produced by photochemical means, in that a photopolymer coating is applied to the surface of the screen before photographic exposure causes it to harden on the mesh.Therefore to create the design it is just a question of masking off the mesh with a stencil in the desired shape.

The areas of the mesh that have been hardened will not allow ink through.Therefore as the ink is squeezed, under pressure from the inside of the cylindrical mesh, by way of a impression roller paper feed in cylindrical mesh screen Squeegee ink. A GUIDE TO WALLPAPER PRINTING rubber squeegee, it exits through the open mesh that was masked during the photo-exposure. The inks used in this process are quite opaque, and rich colours are achievable. It is important that the ink is fully dry before the paper reaches the next print station, thus ensuring no show through or smudging of the inks from the colour underneath. This is done by hot air dryers between each print station. Whilst rotary screen may principally be similar to flat bed screen, it does have the benefit of being cheaper, due chiefly to it

being a continuous print process. 1&2 Typical rotary screen machine

Flatbed Textile Printing Flatbed textile printing is best for decorating knitted and woven fabrics. Moreover, flatbed textile printing is the most economical way to print 4- to 24color designs on fabrics such as single jersey, silk sateen and terry towel. Overview Introduction In the early 1900's, screen printing became an improved, cost effective way to print decorative fabrics. Screen printing allowed textile printers to move forward from wooden stamps to create advanced designs with a greater number of colors, increased sizes, and improved registration. Today, flatbed textile printing still has many advantages over competing fabric decoration technologies-any desired ink deposit is possible, any ink system is possible (pigment, reactive or dispersion inks) and with wide width screen meshes from Sefar (up to 400 cm), flatbed textile printing can accommodate very large

designs and fabrics. Screen Printing Process Decoration of fabrics using flatbed textile printing is one of the multiple production steps for today's linen, scarf or fashion manufacturer. Many companies begin with the thread spinning process, and continue through weaving/knitting, dying, printing, sewing, inspection and packaging. During the printing process, the fabric is glued to a conveyor belt that will securely move it through the press. The image is transferred to the fabric using a step-and-repeat, wet in wet, screen printing process where the screen physically makes contact with the fabric (to help the fabric absorb the ink). Once printed, the colors are fixed by heat or chemical additives in-line. Flatbed Textile printing can be performed on a variety of fabrics, from fine woven

chiffon to heavy denim, knitted fabrics and blankets. Low viscosity, waterbased inks are printed using polyester monofilament fabrics like SEFAR PET 1500. The automated supply of ink allows for long print runs-up to a few hundred thousand meters in length. Mesh selection Artwork Artwork for the flatbed textile industry varies from line art to halftones up to 22 L/ cm (56 lpi), and designs typically contain between 6 - 12 colors. Colors are printed separately as spot colors-seldom as a process color technique. Frames The flatbed textile industry uses aluminum frames ranging up to 290 x 380 cm for the linen industry and 280 x 860 cm for the extra large flag printer. Mesh is stretched using mechanical stretching equipment (systems with a pre-stretching option are preferred), and glued to the frame using standard screen adhesivessolvent

resistance is not necessary since waterbased inks are used during printing. Screen preparation Flatbed textile screens should be stretched between 12-17 N/cm (2.120 to 1.560 mm), but higher tensions are preferred because it helps to prevent ink splashing on press. Screen to screen tension is very important, and Sefar recommends that all screens are within a tension tolerance range of +/- 1.5 N/ cm (+/-0.33 mm). Because most flatbed textile frames are so large, it is recommended that screens are allowed to relax for 24-hours prior to imaging. The screens should be machine coated with a direct, diazo or dual cure emulsion using a 1:1 coating sequence. Because the screen is in contact with the substrate during printing (to help with ink penetration into the fabric), flatbed textile stencils should have little or no EOM (any stencil build-up can create a

color-shift). After exposure, a stencil hardener is typically applied to help the durability of the stencil against the waterbased inks and long press runs. Once a hardener has been used on a screen, Sefar does not recommend to reuse or decoat the screens for another design.

Engrave

Roller

Printing

Roller Printing also called engrave roller printing. It is a modern continuous printing technique. In this method, a heavy copper cylinder (roller) is engraved with the print design by carving the design into the copper. Copper is soft, so once the design is engraved, the roller is electroplated with chrome for durability. This printing technique developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Until the development of rotary screen printing; it was the only continuous technique. Designs with up to 16 colors present no problem in Roller Printing.

Main parts of Roller Printing

1. Color doctor 2. Lint doctor 3. Blankets 4. Back grey 5. Furnishers 6. Color box / tray 7. Color unit

Roller Printing Machine

Working Process of Roller Printing:

This machine has a main cylinder that is fitted with a large gear.In this printing, the print paste is supplied from reservoirs to rotating copper rollers, which are engraved with the desired design. These rollers contact a main cylinder roller that transports

the fabric. By contacting the rollers and the fabric the design is transferred to the fabric. As many as 16 rollers can be available per print machine, each roller imprints one repeat of the design. As the roller spins, a doctor blade in continuous mode scrapes the excess of paste back to the colour trough. At the end of each batch the paste reservoirs are manually emptied into appropriate printing paste batch containers and squeezed out. The belt and the printing gear (roller brushes or doctor blades, squeegees and ladles) are cleaned up with water.

The Defects in the Engrave Roller Printing

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Scratches Snappers Lifts Streaks Scumming Lobbing

Advantages of Engrave Roller Printing Machine

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Higher production without rotary screen printing machine. 14 colors can be used for printing. Medium design can be produced. Can be used for printing any style. Any color is used for printing without higher alkali or conc. acid. Repeats do not exist as printing is continuous. Higher production by using single color. Complex design is possible.

Disadvantages of Engrave Roller Printing Machine

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Large design is not possible. Generally, shedding fault is found. Higher coloring effect is not possible as like block printing. Lower production by using more than one color. Changing time is high. Engraving the printing roller is expensive Operation

Difference between Rotary screen printing and Copper screen printing

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About the Author I'm Md. Mazharul Islam Kiron from Mymensingh, Bangladesh and student of Textile Engineering. I like to blogging. I also write English articles in Wikipedia. My user page in Wikipedia is kironbd07. Find Me on Facebook @ Mazharul Islam Kiron Email Me @ textilelearners@gmail.

Read more: http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2012/02/engrave-roller-printing-working.html#ixzz2DY0ZTJfi