Aspects of Manufacture, Selection and Use of Stainless Steel Woven Mesh in Fine Line, High Density, Precision Screen Printing

Abstract

Increasingly stringent quality and cost requirements have brought about a revival in the use of stainless steel cloth as a production tool for screen printing. Process factors are examined to support the choice of stainless steel for its stability and potential for high registrational accuracy printing. Screen making is of vital importance to the end result, and the achievement and maintenance of uniform tension are as critical for stainless steel as for other screen media. Full specification of printing screen requirements is essential, as is incoming goods inspection of cloth and finished screens. The entire weaving process contributes to the overall quality of stainless steel cloth and, although post‐production correction procedures are available, they are undesirable and can be avoided by a carefully controlled weaving process.