Stainless steel wire cloth is used for screen printing on glass, ceramics, and PCBs. It is also used to create the electrically charged layer of liquid in LCDs. Mesh size varies depending on the fluid being used, and choosing the correct size is important to prevent wasted materials.
Stainless steel wire cloth is mainly used in screen printing processes, including inking on glass and ceramics. An alternative use for this durable mesh fabric is the creation of printed circuit boards (PCBs); the tiny printed test dots and component markings on the PCB surface cannot be achieved manually. Other electronic devices, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), also use a stainless steel wire mesh to build the internal electrically charged layer of liquid.
Many glass and ceramic objects, from bottles to tiles, have ink-stamped patterns along the outside. To achieve this effect, production lines force ink through a stainless steel wire mesh onto glass or ceramic. After drying, the ink will have a specific pattern as indicated by the designer. One of the main advantages of this fabric is its durability thanks to its stainless steel structure; can be reused for other print projects.
PCBs are found inside many different devices, from coffee makers to computers. Stainless steel wire cloth is used similar to inking on glass or ceramics; the resulting printed numbers and letters on the PCB can indicate technician test points to verify functionality or designate component orientation locations by printing small squares along the surface. As technology improves, PCBs get smaller and smaller. The use of wire mesh is imperative as the printed parts cannot be obtained by manual impressions by the workers.
LCDs also use stainless steel wire mesh to place liquid crystals between the outer layers of the component. Workers force the liquid crystal mixture through the mesh and trap the material between the polarized glass panels of the LCD; this placement allows the liquid to be electrically charged while using the device to create numbers or letters on the surface. LCDs can be found in a variety of different devices, such as ovens to stoves and car dashboards.
Wire mesh can vary in mesh size, depending on the liquid or ink that needs to pass through it. Manufacturers will purchase larger mesh sizes for denser fluids, while thinner liquids will require a narrower mesh size. Stainless steel wire mesh is effective at producing a fine, clear image making it desirable for tight tolerances, such as printing on an extremely small PCB area.
Manufacturers must be careful while choosing a woven jersey. An incorrectly sized mesh can cause large globules of ink to form on a surface; ceramics, glass, and even PCBs can be substantially wasted with excessive amounts of ink applied to their surfaces. Conversely, meshes that are too narrow in spacing can actually prevent fluids from moving to the substrate.
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