Impressions - September 2015 - 60

Screen Printing Production

This is an inkjet screen
exposure calculator for CTS
printed with black liquid toner.

This type of ink also allows the screen to
be printed in a vertical format so the unit
only needs a small footprint to operate.
The ink is water soluble and removes easily
during the washout process. The upgraded
Spyder II now has easier-to-use software
and uses bi-directional printing for twice
the speed, according to the manufacturer.
KIWO reports that its I-Jet 2 CTS unit
will accept screen sizes up to 30" x 38"
(for model 2536). For larger frame sizes,
the I-Jet Model XL accommodates up
to 48" x 60" frames. KIWO's technology
consists of a piezo 256-nozzle wax toner
system that images 1 square foot per minute and accepts Newman roller and static
aluminum frames, with image definition
up to 700 dpi.
CTS systems also eliminate the need to
store film positives, thus freeing up space.
With a CTS system, simply store the art
in digital folders that readily are available
when the customer re-orders. No more
cleaning films and repairing bent, scratched
or damaged films that cause pinholes and
exposure issues.
60

Impressions | September 2015

Substantial labor dollars also are saved from
not paying a person to output and handle the films,
remove tape and archive
them after the job has
been printed.
Ricoh printhead technology allows screens to
be imaged with halftones
up to an 85-line dot count
with excellent resolution
and ink-deposit control.
Black dye, with special UV
inhibitors, ensures a dark, crisp image is
printed onto the screen surface.

SCREEN-EXPOSURE BENEFITS
The original motive with CTS systems
was to remove the step of creating film
positives and eliminate the time required
to handle the films. The next issue in using
film positives is determining the correct exposure time. CTS systems eliminate these
issues since there are no film positives or
glass in the exposure process.
Another bonus is getting rid of the costs
associated with replacing vacuum pumps
and rubber blankets after they wear out.
Since a vacuum blanket isn't needed when
exposing CTS-imaged screens, it's now
possible to expose multiple screens simultaneously by positioning them on a rack
that holds them over the light source.
M&R's i-Image STE is an all-in-one
CTS imaging and UV LED exposure
system (patents pending), according to
the company. On the inward pass, the
system uses specially formulated waterbased, UV-blocking ink and advanced

high-resolution CTS inkjet printer technology to generate opaque images on
emulsion-coated screens.
On the outward pass, the built-in, highoutput scanning UV LED light source exposes the emulsion. M&R's i-Image STE II
has all the imaging and exposure features
of i-Image STE, but adds a secondary UV
LED light source after the inward pass for
ultra-fast exposures (patents pending), according to the company.

SHEDDING NEW LIGHT
One of the most recent breakthroughs
in CTS screen-imaging systems is the
elimination of toner - wax, inkjet or
other - on the screen surface.
With CTS digital light imaging, no
toner is used. Instead, a digital mirror
device (DMD) modulates an ultra highpowered UV light source (with digital
image data) using up to 2 million micro
mirrors. The DMD moves over the screen,
exposing the image as it travel. Each mirror represents a pixel of information,
allowing resolution of up to 2,500 dpi.
DMD is considered a top-of-the-line
light modulator for direct screen imaging
and is manufactured by Texas Instruments.
The downside of the CTS light imaging
systems is the cost, which is in the low- to
mid-six-figure dollar range.
Although CTS systems have been on
the market for decades, there has been a
recent surge in our industry to embrace
the technology. The systems now are used
in medium- to large-sized screen-printing
shops across the country. This shift is a
combination of several factors, including
labor and supply savings, increased speed,
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Impressions - September 2015

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