by John Kaverman, president, Pad Print Pros LLC About 20 years ago, we conducted some tests on more than 60 Mold-Tech texture plaques to determine "printability" of various textures using the pad printing process. A lot can change in two decades, and - in this case - what changed was the equipment. A pneumatic printer was used 20 years ago, but we've been working almost … [Read more...] about Pad Printing on Textured Surfaces: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Articles
Rethinking Equipment Maintenance: Transitioning to a Proactive Approach
by Larry Bouvier, CMRP, and Rob Levandoski, president, Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Solutions, LLC The competitive pressures facing America's manufacturers, including mold builders, are well documented. Labor costs, competition from inexpensive imports, inconsistent availability and fluctuating costs of materials - these are the day-to-day issues that keep manufacturing … [Read more...] about Rethinking Equipment Maintenance: Transitioning to a Proactive Approach
Screen Printed IML vs. Direct Digital Printing
by Mike Ruminski, senior design IML technician, Serigraph During the SPE Decorating & Assembly TopCon, held in June and co-located with the IMDA Symposium, Serigraph's Mike Ruminski led a workshop titled "Direct Digital Printing on Molded Product vs. Screen Printed IML." The advantages and disadvantages of each created a lively discussion on the best applications for … [Read more...] about Screen Printed IML vs. Direct Digital Printing
Surface Pretreatments and Custom Inks Advance Inkjet Printing of Plastics and Films
by Scott Sabreen, president, The Sabreen Group Inc. The demand for digital inkjet printing on 3D plastic products and thin films is increasing exponentially. Application challenges to achieve robust operations include optimal ink chemistry-printhead design, compatibility between the ink and polymeric substrate and curing. Fortunately, new technology advancements … [Read more...] about Surface Pretreatments and Custom Inks Advance Inkjet Printing of Plastics and Films
Tech Watch: Engineered Printing Solutions’ Roto-Jet Industrial Inkjet Printer
by Lara Copeland, contributing editor, Plastics Decorating Located in Shires of Vermont in the Battenkill River Valley that separates the Taconic and Green Mountains, Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS), East Dorset, Vermont, has been part of the decorating and marking fields for more than 30 years. EPS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xaar PLC, the industrial inkjet head … [Read more...] about Tech Watch: Engineered Printing Solutions’ Roto-Jet Industrial Inkjet Printer