1. PLET 370 Benton Lewis, Ben McElhaney, Luke Miller
Pad Printing
PLET 370
Benton Lewis, Ben McElhaney, Luke Miller

2. Overview Pad Printing is a decorating technique
Commonly used for printing small letters or logos
Very useful in many markets

3. Outline I. Background II. Equipment & Technologies III. Process
IV. Advantages
V. Disadvantages
VI. Applications

4. Pad Printing Background
Also known as ©Tampo Printing
Dates back over 200 years in Switzerland, Germany
Compared to screen printing, ink jet marking, hot stamping, and ink stamping

5. Equipment & Technologies
Transfer Pad
Generally made from soft silicon rubber
Tip should never contact graphic
Pad should not compress > 1/3 of thickness
Cliché
Made of steel or polymer (typically nylon)
Artwork critical; photoengraved into cliché
Normal detail ” deep

6. Equipment Cont’d Ink Part Fixture Doctor Blade
Most cured by evaporation
Extremely high pigmentation levels
Polyolefins and Thermosets need pretreated
Part Fixture
Steel or plastic
Parallel to cliché, held firmly
Doctor Blade
Wipes cliché, use minimum amount of pressure

7. Process Ink Flooding Pad Wetting Head Stroke
-Cliché is flooded with ink
Pad Wetting
-The pad is pressed down into the ink
Head Stroke
-Pad is lifted

8. Process Continued Ink Deposition Pad Release
-Pad is pressed onto the part
Pad Release
-pad is lifted away

10. Process Cont. Degreasing molded parts -clean with organic solvent
Surface treatment
-corona discharge etc.
Ink curing process
-thermal curing
-UV curing

11. Advantages Variety of geometries and surface finishes
Works on most materials
Wet on wet capabilities
Very fine detail
-widths to .003”
Permanent decoration
Multi-color process
Low pressures required

12. Disadvantages Some materials difficult to decorate Cost of waste
Large graphics difficult to print
Cannot print in confined areas

13. Applications Cell phones Alarm clocks Shower heads
Anything with small lettering or graphics