Month: January 2020

What is Tampo Printing?

Tampo Printing, also known as Pad Printing, is a process that transfers a 2D image onto a 3D object. It is mostly used to print on to more difficult products in an array of different industries which include but aren’t limited to medical, automotive, electronic and promotional. It can also be used to deposit purposeful materials like conductive inks, adhesives, dyes and lubricants.

How does Pad Printing work?

The process usually involves an etched plate (also known as a cliché), a silicone pad to transfer the image and the substrate. An image is etched on to the flat printing plate which is then filled with ink. The silicone pad that is used has a very smooth surface with chemical resistances which is then used to carry the ink from the plate and transfer it onto the object. The reason silicone is used for the pad is because the properties of the material means that it can’t absorb the ink into itself, it can also adapt to irregular shaped surfaces.

What are the advantages of Tampo Printing?

• Permanent marking suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications
• Can print on a wide variety of surfaces and finishes due to the silicone pad
• Cost effective production, no need to apply seperate labels
• Fast prototyping
• Low to high volume
• Single colour to full colour print production

What are the applications of Tampo Printing?

• Electrical appliances – TV, toaster, iron & computer components
• Electrical miscellaneous – Cables, relays, connectors
• Medical equipment – Catheters, implants, surgical instruments, thermometers
• Sporting goods – Golf balls, footballs, hockey pucks, tennis rackets, stress balls
• Toys – Cars, building blocks, rattles, feeding bottles
• IT equipment – Keyboards, telephones, calculators
• Large appliances – dishwasher, boiler, washing machine, microwave & dryer components
• Accessories – Watches, eyewear, jewellery
• Giveaways – Pens, keychains, travel mugs/bottles, puzzles, frisbees, boomerangs, yo-yos
• Automotive – Engine covers, buttons, dials

What is the difference between Pad Printing and Screen Printing?

For those of you who aren’t too sure on what Screen Printing entails, it is a process that uses a mesh stencil which ink is transferred to the material underneath. The stencil created from shapes, letters or words, blocks a portion of the screen. The screen sits atop the item that will receive the image, a shirt or poster, for example. The item is usually called a substrate. The print person places ink on top of the screen and stencil. They then squeegee the stencil and ink to create a sharp image on the subsrate. The main advantage of screen printing is in fact the durability due to the thickness of the inks that are used. A few advantages are that more colours in a design the more money it will be; this is because a screen has to be created for each colour. The other is the surface that are being printed on need to be flat.

As we are talking about the disadvantages of Screen Printing, Pad Printing does have its flaws. Speed isn’t one of its strongest points, you also have to apply different colours separately which does take time but there is also a possibility that the registration could then become off. Has you can see, Screen and Tampo Printing do have their similarities but they both have a place in the print industry.

Thanks to this amazing technology you can more or less print on anything. Take a look at your desk, we guarantee that you will find something that has been Tampo Printed! Keyboard, pens, calculator… You never know, this might be the print process that is needed for your business.

Reputed to be worth $73 Billion USD by 2025, the printed electronics market is growing exponentially. Printed electronics have been used in product design for decades and the impact of PE on everyday products design has been enormous. As an example, every Smartphone uses this technology as it is instrumental in the smart compact designs and incredible functionality. Without Printed Electronics we would still all be carrying around bricks for phones. According to Statista, that affects 3.3 Billion of us as 42.63% of the world population own a smart phone device.

 Printed electronics

Is the application of conductive media onto a substrate. Usually flexible in nature but sometimes applied to solid surfaces. The ink can be made with carbon, Silver, gold or copper dependent on the application. Recent developments also allow for a clear conductive ink.

At Customark, we have been designing and printing electronic circuits since 1993 mainly circuits for membrane keypads and capacitive touch fascia’. The demand for this type of product or at least the membrane keypads has been around since the late eighties. The thin film, plug in connector nature of the products has steered fascia design since the late eighties.  Originally, printed electronics related to plastic components that use one or more inks made of carbon-based compounds. As demand for thinner film electronics has increased, we see them in flexible keyboards, antennas and more.  The process is usually as inexpensive as it is efficient and the expansive range of substrates and inks allows for selection of the correct film for the application.

This increased demand means that technological advancements in conductive inks and substrates are now significant. We generally use polyester as a substrate as it is extremely durable and recent developments also allow for significant forming to match complex geometry. To cope with the demands of durability and reliability the ink systems have also come a long way since the beginning. Allowing more flexibility without impairing conductivity.

All markets are affected by advances in the printed electronics market such as Defence, Healthcare, Consumer products, Media and of course IoT. IoT is a huge driver in increases in the use of PE. Home electronics and smart user interfaces take advantage of the technology in many forms such as capacitive touch fascia’ and flexible displays and allowing for more compact design as the markets demand.

Another huge contributor to the increased PE market is electronic wearables, smart clothing with embedded sensors, heating elements or smart glasses with integrated displays. All good examples of where we are now. This market should grow at an exponential rate in years to come with increasing demand for thin film flexible electronics. Smart clothing currently targets mostly the active market and sports professionals. However, most are now pursuing new markets in gaming, healthcare including care of the elderly which make a lot of sense.  New market segments not only expand wearables market but expand the use of printed electronics technology worldwide.

One of the most recent new developments in the use of PE is In Mould Structured Electronics (IMSE) which is an advancement on in mould decoration, mainly used by the Automotive industry and consumer products. The printed electronics are placed in the cavity of the plastic injection mould tool so becoming an integral part of the finished moulding. The Automotive industry is significant in the growth of IMSE due to the attractive design, process efficiency and robustness of the finished components.

The final word. There is no doubt of the impact of printed electronics nor the importance of this technology in the hugely expansive electronics markets. Printed electronics are making everything better designed and smarter. From keypads and capacitive sensors to displays, printed electronics are being integrated into plastic film, fabric, and 3D printed objects. Printed electronics are opening a host of possibilities for electronic device applications and are influencing a range of industries including Automotive, Defence, Healthcare IoT and Wearables.

We have found that Domed Labelling has become a popular brand/product labelling technique across a vast range of industries; this is because of the plenitude of benefits these labels have for all kind of environments. If you are on the fence regarding using Domed Labels, also known as Gel Badges, this blog post that we have put together will help explain all that you need to know.

First of all, let us explain what we mean by Domed Labels or Gel Badges. A Domed Label is a 3D label with a clear ‘bubble’ appearance. This is because there is a layer of resin applied over the top of a standard label, the resin is a measured quantity of liquid plastic that is poured on top which then flows to the edge of each label, creating a plastic dome shape. As it’s a standard label underneath, the labels are extremely versatile; from full colour photographs to a brushed metallic look, almost any design and quantities can be printed.

As well as being unique and appealing to look at, there are many other benefits of Domed Labels which include: –

• Low cost – Starting from £0.25 per label over on our website
• Design flexibility – As well as being able to be a variety of shapes, different materials can also be used for you to get your desired effect. Metallics are always a nice touch!
• Durability – The resin makes these labels scratch proof and shatterproof with strong adhesive, chemical resistant finish that can also withstand water
• Eye catching – 3D quality appearance adds brand value when added to products
• Tactile appeal – Yes that is a benefit! Due to the smooth, shiny surface people are more likely to touch them. Which then increases their marketability

There’s so many uses when it comes to Domed Labels. One of which is in fact the Beer Industry! Beer pumps to be exact. The 3D effect with the shiny finish is very appealing to the eye when matched with a sleek new beer tap. Got a clothing store and looking to spread your brand? Why not use Gel Badges on your coat hangers? It will definitely make your name stand out! Automotive sector? Domed Labels look great on boats and motorbikes, being water and UV resistant they are a perfect option. Name badges, musical instruments, outer packaging for food products, industrial machinery. Domed Labels look great on all of these!

How Domed Labels are made:

There are many ways that these can be made, one of which is a slight ‘do it yourself’. The first of many components that are needed is print media that has been cut to shape, this will be the standard labels that are underneath the resin dome. A doming kit or a doming machine that either applies the resin manually or automatically as well as various accessories including resin applicators , work trays, mixers, wipes, spirit level and repair tools are also needed. Mercury-free is now an EU requirement, so polyurethane resin is now used in the doming process. And finally, a curing oven; this isn’t a requirement as they can also air-dry.

The environment needs to be right! Ideal for temperature in the room should be 25˚C with less than 35% humidity. It is also free of dust and any fibre particles as this could affect the clarity, smoothness and finish of the resin.

After printing and cutting the images or labels, the sheet is lay flat on a work tray. This is so the resin sits perfectly level.

The resin is then loaded into the applicator with a 90-degree twist and then the static mixer is added by using the same twisting motion. 5ml of material is discarded from the cartridge before use to begin the chemical reaction and prevent any air bubbles from appearing.

Patience is key when applying the resin, time and care is taken when applying around two thirds of the labels size is resin. It will then flow to the edge. Before dust and air bubbles are removed, the newly domed labels are left for a few minutes to sit; if after this time air bubbles have been spotted, the surface is given a quick flash of heat with a flame torch. This isn’t done to excess as it will cause the doming process to fail.

If they are being cured naturally, they are covered with the next work surface and left for 4 hours. By then the domes should be dry. It is faster in the oven, but both have the same end result.

Gel Badges aren’t just limited to what we have mentioned, if you feel like a Domed Label is what you need to make your brand pop then why not speak to a member of our friendly Sales Team? They can be reached on 01384 264700, alternatively you can email sales@customark.co.uk