COVER STORY
Glass printing benefits from screen innovations Drinking glass manufacturer Durobor explains how screen printing is driving its
manufacturing and export business B
ased in the Belgian town of Soignies, Durobor is a supplier of glasses for the drink industry, with customers including brewers, distillers, water bottlers and soft drink manufacturers. All Durobor’s glasses, whether standard or exclusive models, are designed for communication. The company uses the screen printing process to apply eight colours with ‘dishwasher proof’ quality. To maintain its quality standards during large print runs, Durobor has chosen to use MacDermid Autotype Capillex films.
Designed to combine functionality, strength and an attractive look, Durobor offers a range of glass shapes and decoration options designed to suit customers in the retail, tourism or interior decoration sectors. Durobor Decoration’s technical development manager, Alain Thiébaut, explained that over the years, Durobor has gained a reputation for quality by being able to print up to eight colours on glass, with 20 to 150 micron thick enamel deposits during runs often reaching 30,000 units. Likewise the company is
Screen printing lies at the heart of Durobor’s manufacturing facility
continuing to develop its manufacturing technology to meet evolving customer requirements, while reducing lead times to remain competitive. The challenge confronting Durobor is maintaining quality while reducing the time required to design, manufacture and print.
Materials and equipment play an important role in helping the company find a balance between the constraints of constant quality and high output rates. A new oven for manufacturing toughened safety glass is being used to apply a specific treatment (rapidly heating and cooling the glass) to increase its shock resistance, making it ideal for intensive use in the catering and industrial sectors.
Glass decoration often requires screen printing up to eight colours
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Alain explained that almost 100 million stem glasses and tumblers are exported every year to 65 countries worldwide. International operations like this involve short production and delivery lead times, meaning numerous production challenges, constant quality and faultless printing. Reproducibility requirements are often also
SCREEN PROCESS AND DIGITAL IMAGING l August 2010
extremely high. Depending on needs and also on the success of a glass, the number of print runs may vary, being often repeated. Most glasses have several colours printed on them, driving a requirement for a large number of screens each month in 20 to 150/cm. Alain said there is no alternative to capillary films for printing work with exacting reproducibility requirements and where constant quality is indispensable: “The best films are those in the MacDermid Autotype Capillex range.” MacDermid Autotype Capillex films have been formulated for fine mesh counts and line printing. The controlled-profile technology is designed to guarantee a low stencil profile and optimised Rz, while reducing the area not covered by ink.
Alain concluded: “Our collections, that are always being renewed, are admired all over the world and do the Belgian glass tradition proud. Capillex means shortened preparation times and constant quality with the ultimate in reliability. We are therefore able to meet the requirements of the international market and deliver rapidly.”
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