Although the operation of textile silk screen printing silicone requires certain skills and knowledge, even beginners can operate it as long as they follow the correct steps. The following is a detailed analysis of the operation of textile silk screen printing silicone:
1. Preparation
Choose the right material:
Textile silk screen printing silicone: Choose silicone with excellent adhesion, soft feel, strong three-dimensional sense, beautiful decorative effect, and non-toxic and harmless.
Diluent: Use a suitable diluent such as crude benzene or pure toluene.
Color paste or gold and silver powder: used for color adjustment.
Curing agent (if applicable): Two-component silicone requires a mixture of materials A and B, of which component B may be a curing agent.
Prepare tools:
Screen: Choose a screen with a suitable mesh, usually around 80~120.
Squeegee: used to scrape silicone.
Plastic cup: used to adjust the glue.
Electronic scale: used to accurately weigh silicone and curing agent (if applicable).
Stirring equipment: such as chopsticks or wooden sticks, used to stir silicone and diluent.
2. Glue adjustment steps
Glue adjustment and dilution:
Mix the silicone and diluent in a certain ratio (such as 1:1 to 1:1.5) and stir evenly until it becomes a bright liquid colloid.
Adjust the ratio of silicone and diluent according to the thickness of the lines and the thickness of the printing.
Color adjustment:
Add an appropriate amount of color paste (5%~8%) to the diluted silicone, stir well to obtain the silicone of the required color.
You can also squeeze out a certain amount of silicone first, add diluent and stir, and then add an appropriate amount of color paste or gold and silver powder.
3. Printing steps
Screen treatment:
Use thick plate photosensitive glue to scrape 45 times (such as Murakami XL thick plate paste), and ensure that the thickness of the photosensitive glue is between 0.1mm0.3mm.
Wash the screen with diluent every 3~4 hours to prevent clogging.
Scrape printing:
Pour the adjusted silicone on the screen and gently push the screen with a squeegee.
When scraping, adjust the angle and strength of the scraper according to the pattern requirements.
Drying: After printing, dry naturally at room temperature (such as 6-10 minutes), or bake as needed (such as 120-160 degrees Celsius).
4. Subsequent processing
Finishing:
Pour out the unprinted silicone on the screen, and gently wipe the screen with a thinner to prevent clogging of the mesh.
Put the screen in a ventilated place and dry it naturally for next use.
Quality inspection:
Check whether the pattern of the printed product is clear and the color is uniform.
If there is a problem, adjust the printing parameters or re-adjust the glue in time.
5. Precautions
Safety:
Pay attention to personal protection during operation, such as wearing a mask and gloves.
Avoid silicone from contacting the skin and eyes. If accidentally contacted, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical attention.
Environmental protection:
The containers and mixing equipment used must be environmentally friendly to avoid pollution to the environment.
Discarded materials such as silicone and thinners should be handled in accordance with relevant regulations.
Operation skills:
When operating, beginners can first conduct small-scale experiments to familiarize themselves with the operation steps and techniques.
If conditions permit, you can participate in relevant training courses or consult experienced operators.
In summary, although the operation of textile silk screen printing silicone requires certain skills and knowledge, beginners can also operate it as long as they follow the correct steps and pay attention to safety and environmental protection requirements. Through continuous practice and learning, the operation skills and quality level can be gradually improved.