Silicone Screen Printing and Silicone Dispensing for Seamless Underwear

In the production of seamless underwear, silicone screen printing and silicone dispensing are two commonly used silicone application processes. Their core function is to enhance the anti-slip performance, fixation and decorative effect of underwear. The advantages, disadvantages and applicable scenarios of the two processes are significantly different, and the detailed analysis is as follows:

I. Silicone Screen Printing

Process Principle: Silicone ink is evenly scraped and printed on the surface of underwear fabric by means of a screen plate to form a continuous or hollowed-out silicone layer, which is shaped after curing.

Advantages

Fine patterns and strong decorative effectIt can achieve complex patterns, logos and gradient effects with clear and neat edges, making it suitable for seamless underwear with high appearance requirements (such as lace patterns and brand logo printing).

Thin, uniform silicone layer with soft touchThe thickness of the formed silicone is usually 0.05–0.2mm, which has high adhesion to the fabric. It causes no obvious foreign body sensation when worn, fully meeting the core demand of seamless underwear for "invisibility and comfort".

High production efficiency and controllable costThe screen plate can be reused, making it suitable for large-scale standardized production. The silicone consumption per unit product is small, and the raw material cost is lower than that of the dispensing process.

Stable anti-slip performance (for flat-surface anti-slip applications)The continuous silicone printed layer can generate uniform friction, which is suitable for the large-area flat anti-slip needs of underwear shoulder straps, side panels and other parts.

Disadvantages

Adhesion depends on fabric pretreatmentIf the fabric is not pretreated by corona treatment or coating, the silicone layer is prone to peeling and cracking, especially in the parts where elastic fabrics are frequently stretched (such as the bottom band of underwear).

Limited tensile resistanceThe silicone layer is thin, and long-term repeated stretching (such as the deformation of underwear during wearing) is likely to cause silicone fracture, leading to the gradual decline of anti-slip effect.

Inability to achieve three-dimensional thick silicone effectThe thickness of a single screen printing is limited, so it is impossible to make raised three-dimensional anti-slip particles or thick silicone strips, and the upper limit of anti-slip performance is lower than that of the dispensing process.

II. Silicone Dispensing

Process Principle: Liquid silicone (usually liquid textile silicone suitable for seamless underwear) is accurately extruded and coated on the surface of fabric through the needle of a dispensing machine, and then forms a three-dimensional silicone structure in dot, strip or block shape after curing.

Advantages

Excellent anti-slip performance and strong gripIt can make raised silicone particles, stripes or grids, which generate greater friction with the skin/clothing. It is especially suitable for the parts that require strong anti-slip fixation, such as shoulder straps and cup edges of plus-size underwear and sports seamless underwear.

Good tensile and wear resistanceThe thickness of the silicone layer can be freely controlled (0.3–2mm). The three-dimensional structure has stronger deformation resistance. Even if the fabric is repeatedly stretched, the silicone is not easy to break and fall off, and the service life is longer.

Wide applicability and no pattern restrictionsThere is no need to make screen plates. The position, shape and density of silicone can be adjusted arbitrarily through programming, which is suitable for small-batch customization or personalized anti-slip needs.

Stronger adhesionAfter extrusion, liquid silicone can penetrate into the gaps of fabric fibers. After curing, it forms an "anchoring effect" with the fabric, making it more difficult to fall off compared with screen-printed silicone.

Disadvantages

Weak decorative effect and rough patternsThe silicone is in the form of raised dots or strips, with edges less neat than screen printing. It cannot achieve fine patterns, and the appearance is less attractive than that of screen printing.

Relatively hard touch and obvious foreign body sensationThe three-dimensional silicone structure is thick, which will cause obvious convex feeling when contacting the skin during wearing. If the silicone distribution is too dense, it may affect the "invisibility" experience of seamless underwear.

Low production efficiency and high costThe dispensing machine needs to apply glue point by point or line by line, and the production capacity of a single machine is lower than that of a screen printing machine; In addition, the silicone consumption per unit product is larger, resulting in higher raw material and time costs.

Precision depends on equipment debuggingFactors such as needle blockage and unstable silicone viscosity are likely to cause uneven glue dispensing, resulting in problems such as glue leakage and inconsistent glue point size, which affect the product consistency.

III. Process Comparison and Applicable Scenario Summary