A targeted investment that improves print quality while keeping operators and customized small-to-medium production runs at the heart of the process.
Those who follow us know how important screen printing is within our production process. It is not an ancillary service but a core expertise. We previously explored this topic in depth in our article dedicated to the screen printing department, tracing its history since 1989 and the know-how developed over the years.
Today, we return to the subject for a practical reason: we have introduced a new screen printing machine designed to increase precision and process control, further enhancing the quality of the final product.
A clarification is important. This investment is not aimed at large-scale mass production. We continue to focus on the small and medium production runs that have always characterized our business, following a more tailored and customer-oriented approach where customization and attention to detail are just as important as productivity.
What the New Machine Does
The new machine introduces three automated features that improve the most critical stages of the printing process.
Automatic Sheet Cleaning
Before printing, the substrate is automatically cleaned. This reduces the presence of dust and surface contaminants, resulting in:
- Higher surface quality of the printed product;
- Greater process consistency from batch to batch.
Automatic Registration Mark Detection
The machine automatically detects registration marks, ensuring significantly more accurate print positioning. This is particularly beneficial in two situations:
- Hybrid processes where screen printing and digital printing are combined on the same product;
- Multi-pass printing applications, where precise alignment between successive colors (screen printing on screen printing, or screen printing combined with digital printing) is essential to achieving the desired final result.
Automatic Post-Printing Pick-Up
Once printing is completed, the printed piece is automatically removed. Material handling becomes more controlled, and transfer to the UV curing oven is more orderly and repeatable.
The benefit is clear: reduced manual handling means a lower risk of defects caused during the movement of parts.
The Operator Remains at the Center
It is worth emphasizing that the machine is not fully automated and does not replace the operator. Skilled technicians continue to play a key role in monitoring, managing, and loading materials.
This was a deliberate choice. We could have opted for a fully automated system, but instead selected a solution that aligns with our flexible and customized production model. Here, automation serves quality and repeatability rather than replacing human expertise.
Why We Continue to Invest in Screen Printing
Some manufacturers of membrane keyboards and printed components choose to rely exclusively on digital printing for graphics production. Our philosophy is different, and we have explained it before: screen printing and digital printing are not competing technologies—they are complementary. Each technology offers unique advantages and specific strengths, which is why we continue to invest in both.
In practical terms, screen printing still provides technical advantages in areas where digital printing cannot offer the same performance:
- Sharper, more defined, and more uniform solid colors, with superior color accuracy;
- Metallic inks, which cannot be reproduced digitally;
- Screen-printed coatings for display windows, delivering a quality level that digital printing still cannot truly match;
- Conductive inks, essential for the flexible circuits used in membrane keyboards;
- Significantly higher productivity than digital printing when production volumes increase;
- The ability to select the most suitable ink for each substrate, whereas digital printing relies on a single chemistry designed to adhere to a wide range of materials but without the possibility of targeted optimization.
Benefits for Our Customers
All these improvements translate into tangible advantages for customers who rely on us for their screen printing projects:
- More precise and consistent printing results over time, with enhanced surface quality;
- Improved registration accuracy in multi-process graphics combining screen printing and digital printing;
- Reduced risk of defects caused by handling, resulting in greater reliability for every production order;
- All while maintaining the flexibility and customization that characterize our small-to-medium production runs.
The introduction of this new resource has also been positively received by our production team, who immediately appreciated its ergonomics, ease of use, and the overall improvement in process quality.
Even when discussing technology, the true value of an investment is measured first and foremost by the people who use it every day.
Text by MCS Marketing Department
