Screen printing processing cannot be separated from rubber squeegee. The quality of the rubber squeegee directly affects the quality of our screen printing. So it is very important to choose the right rubber squeegee. Here is a brief introduction to the correct selection and use of the rubber squeegee.
What’s screen squeegee?
Screen printing squeegee, also known as a squeegee, the official name is rubber squeegee. Most of them made from PU materials, according to the characteristics of the screen printing substrate, as well as the accuracy of the screen printing picture requirements. And then according to the different screen printing printing method, then the choice of scraper rubber is different.
According to the hardness of the scraper: usually includes 55 degrees, 60 degrees, 65 degrees, 70 degrees, 75 degrees, 80 degrees, 85 degrees, and 90 degrees.
According to the cross-sectional shape of the squeegee: there are usually flat, pointed, and beveled.
How to choose the hardness of screen printing scrapers?
- 45 degrees - 65 degrees: soft squeegee, suitable for screen printing of products with uneven surface.
- 65 degrees - 80 degrees: moderate hardness, good overall performance, suitable for a variety of product printing.
- 75 degrees - 95 degrees: wear-resistant, but also solvent-resistant, suitable for fine pattern printing, such as four-color dot printing.
How to choose the cross-sectional shape of the scraper?
- Flat rubber scraper: Commonly used specifications, with a certain wide range of use. It can withstand high pressure.
- Blunt mouth rubber squeegee: It has the characteristics of both flat and sharp mouth scrapers. There is no problem with the chipping of the blade.
- Pointed scraper: good flexibility, suitable for uneven surface printing, applying a certain amount of pressure, can be printed in place.
The scope of application of rubber squeegee is very wide
- Can do multi-color printing
- Can do electronic circuit board printing
- can do hook surface printing (such as bottles, cans, and round barrels)
- can use in the textile, clothing, and garment accessories screen printing
- manual screen printing or screen printing machine printing can use it
However, now some newly opened screen printing companies don't aware of the correct usage methods of the rubber squeegee. This causes increased printing costs, and increased mechanical wear and tear occurred, so the accurate use of scrapers is extremely important to printing companies.
Correct use of the squeegee, and you can save a lot of costs in your production.
A. The cleaning of the rubber scraper
- Using weak heating solvent to clean rubber squeegee.
- Do not put the rubber scraper directly in the solution stirring.
- Do not use the following solvents purge scraper: cyclohexanone, acetone, MEK, triglycerides, ethyl ethoxylate, butyl propyl esters, carbon water oxides, etc.
B. Storage Conditions
- After using and cleaning, put it flat on the top of the jig with the knife mouth upward.
- Do not make the sunlight ultraviolet radiation on the rubber squeegee directly.
- Place under constant temperature and humidity. The best storage temperature is 15℃-25℃.
- When receiving a new scraper, we should immediately take it out of the box and put it flatly. 24 hours later can be used.
- Put it in a ventilated place to make the solvent rapid volatility.
- Prevent dust and dirt.
C. Attentions when using the rubber squeegee
- Every 4 hours should clean once when using. Flat the rubber squeegee to make solvent volatility. About 3 hours later, you can use it again. It can make the service life 0.5-1 times longer.
- Do not use a rubber squeegee that gets hot from rapid printing. Even if the rubber scraper with a conservative solvent cleaning, it needs to natural dry for two hours and use again.
- The increase in temperature will make the rubber scraping material more permeable (somewhat similar to human skin). If we clean the rubber scraper at this time, even if the solvent cannot save the damaged material structure too.
- If the ink dries on the rubber scraper, we should clean it as soon as possible once it gets hot.
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