What Do You Know About Pad Printing?

 

Have you seen people using Pad Printers these days? Pad printing, also known as tampography or tampo printing, is an indirect offset (gravure) printing process. In this process, a silicon pad transfers a two-dimensional image from a laser-engraved printing plate to a three-dimensional object.

Pad printing allows for the printing of difficult-to-print shapes such as curved (convex), hollow (concave), cylindrical, spherical, compound angles, and textures. In such a way that was previously unavailable with traditional printing processes.

How To Do Pad Printing: Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Place the closed (sealed) ink cup over the engraved artwork area of the pad printing plate, covering it with ink. This is known as the home position.

Step 2: The closed ink cup moves away from the engraved artwork area, removing all excess ink and exposing the inked engraved image. When the top layer of ink comes in the contact to air, it becomes tacky. This is how the ink adheres to the transfer pad and, later, we get the printed product.

Step 3: The transfer pad briefly presses down on the printing plate. When we compress the pad, and air goes outward. It caused the ink to lift (transfer) from the engraved artwork area onto the pad.

Step 4: The transfer pad picks up the tacky ink film inside the engraved artwork area as it lifts away. The pad printing plate still has a small amount of ink on it.

Step 5: As the transfer pad advances, the ink cup advances as well, covering the engraved artwork area on the printing plate. In preparation for the next cycle, the ink cup refills the engraved artwork image on the plate with ink.

Step 6: The transfer pad compresses against the product, transferring the ink layer from the printing plate to the product surface. The printer then lifts off the substrate and returns to its starting position, completing one print cycle.

What Can Pad Printing Be Used For?

In many industrial processes, we use pad printing in many industries to print difficult products. Printing International specializes in specific product categories such as:

·         Printing on coated tablets and gel capsules in the pharmaceutical industry

·         The medical sector for printing medical device components such as syringes, inhalers, insulin pens, catheters, and so on.

·         The candy industry, prints coated sweets and chewing gums.

·         Sports equipment

·         The cosmetics industry uses it to decorate perfume bottles, lipstick holders, and other items.

·       Beverage packaging for printing on bottle caps, corks, and other similar items.

Pad Printing Machine is also useful for transferring functional materials like conductive inks, adhesives, flavors, nutritional additives, natural dyes, and lubricants.

With the rapid advancements in medical and technological design, finding a tool that bridges the past and the future is critical, both on the manufacturing floor and in budget meetings.

Pad printing is a tried-and-true technology that is adaptable to a wide range of substrates and substances. The need for customized materials deposition will only grow as market niches expand and narrow.