Screen printing is widely used in PCB, FPC, electronics manufacturing, and precision printing equipment. During production, aluminum work plates, printing fixtures, and vacuum chucks may come into prolonged contact with solder mask ink and other printing materials.

When ink adheres to equipment surfaces or penetrates the microscopic pores of hard-anodized aluminum and the suction holes of vacuum chucks, cleaning becomes more difficult. Incomplete removal of residual ink may also increase the risk of contamination in subsequent manufacturing processes.

To address these challenges, Power Micro applies micro-particle surface modification and anti-stick treatment to aluminum components. By modifying the surface characteristics and reducing material adhesion, the treatment aims to minimize ink residue and reduce cleaning burdens.

◆ Application Case: Aluminum Work Plates for Screen Printing

An anonymized screen printing equipment manufacturer experienced ink adhesion and residue on aluminum work plates after prolonged exposure to printing ink. As ink dried or accumulated through repeated printing cycles, removing the residue became increasingly difficult.

The main challenges included:

• Ink adhesion to aluminum surfaces.

• Increased cleaning time due to dried ink residue.

• Potential contamination caused by residual ink.

• Increased equipment maintenance requirements due to frequent wiping and cleaning.

Power Micro's Solution

Power Micro applies micro-particle surface modification and anti-stick treatment to aluminum work plates to reduce the tendency of printing ink to adhere to the metal surface.

Rather than relying solely on subsequent cleaning, this approach addresses the surface characteristics that contribute to material adhesion, helping make ink residue less difficult to remove.

Key Improvement Areas

Reduced Ink Adhesion

Surface functionalization helps modify the interaction between printing ink and the aluminum surface, reducing the tendency of ink to adhere.

Improved Cleaning Efficiency

By reducing persistent ink adhesion, the treatment can facilitate subsequent cleaning and help maintain equipment surface cleanliness.

Reduced Maintenance Burden

Once validated under actual printing and cleaning conditions, the treatment can be evaluated as a potential means of reducing cleaning frequency and maintenance-related downtime.

◆ Application Case: Aluminum Vacuum Chucks and Micro-Pore Fixtures for PCB Screen Printing

An anonymized PCB manufacturer uses aluminum vacuum chucks and micro-pore fixtures to hold and position boards during production. Hard anodizing may be applied to these components to improve surface hardness and wear resistance.

However, hard-anodized surfaces contain microscopic pores, while vacuum chucks incorporate suction holes and other micro-pore structures. During contact with solder mask ink and other printing materials, ink may adhere to the surface or penetrate these pores and suction channels, creating difficult-to-remove residue.

The main challenges include:

1. Ink Retention in Micro-Pores

Printing ink may enter the microscopic pores of the hard-anodized layer and the suction holes of the vacuum chuck. Conventional surface wiping may not completely remove the residue.

2. Risk of Secondary Contamination

Residual ink trapped in the pores may detach during subsequent operation or cleaning, potentially contaminating downstream processes and increasing cleanliness management requirements.

3. Cleaning and Maintenance Burden

To prevent contamination, more frequent cleaning may be required. In some cases, premature maintenance or replacement of fixtures may also be necessary, affecting equipment maintenance efficiency.

Power Micro's Solution

For hard-anodized aluminum vacuum chucks and micro-pore fixtures, Power Micro evaluates suitable micro-particle surface modification and anti-stick treatments based on the substrate, anodized surface condition, pore dimensions, and actual contaminants.

The objective is not simply to reduce ink adhesion on flat surfaces. The treatment must also take into account the integrity of the micro-pore structure and the original functions of the equipment.

Preservation of Micro-Pore Integrity

The pore dimensions, suction holes, and vacuum channels must be evaluated before and after treatment to help prevent interference with the original suction function.

Reduced Ink Adhesion

The treatment aims to reduce ink adhesion to anodized surfaces and within accessible micro-pore areas, helping minimize residue accumulation.

Cleaning Durability

Anti-stick performance should be validated according to the actual cleaning solvents, wiping methods, and frequency of use.

Dimensional Accuracy

For precision fixtures and vacuum chucks, dimensional tolerances, surface roughness, and vacuum performance must be considered together during treatment evaluation.

To move beyond visual inspection alone, surface performance can be evaluated using water contact angle measurements, dyne pen testing, and comparative ink-drop tests.

1. Water Contact Angle Testing

The water contact angle is an indicator used to observe the wetting behavior of a liquid droplet on a solid surface.

There is an inverse relationship between surface tension and the water contact angle: when the contact angle is small, the liquid's surface tension is relatively high, causing the droplet to spread well across the surface. Conversely, when the contact angle is large, the surface tension is lower, and the droplet is more likely to form a spherical shape on the surface.

2. Reference Table: Water Contact Angle and Surface-Tension Values

◆ The following table reproduces the reference values provided for surface-property analysis.

3. Dyne Pen Testing Principles

Dyne pens are composed of approximately 73.5% ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (formamide) and 26.5% amide. The testing principle involves applying the ink to the surface of a material; if the ink remains spread out (exhibiting hydrophilicity) and does not retract within a few seconds, it indicates that the material's surface tension is greater than the value specified for that particular Dyne pen. Conversely, if the ink retracts into droplets (exhibiting hydrophobicity), it indicates that the material has failed to meet the required standard.

4. Potential Applications

In addition to screen printing work plates and PCB vacuum chucks, anti-stick surface treatment for aluminum components may be evaluated for the following applications:

• PCB/FPC printing and lamination fixtures

• Semiconductor vacuum chucks and precision fixtures

• Wafer handling and positioning fixtures

• Display and optical glass vacuum fixtures

• Precision automation equipment components

• Aluminum components requiring reduced adhesion of ink, adhesives, or other process materials

Suitability must be evaluated according to component design, substrate surface condition, contaminant type, and actual manufacturing requirements.

In screen printing and PCB manufacturing, aluminum work plates and hard-anodized vacuum chucks must maintain dimensional accuracy and equipment functionality while potentially facing challenges involving ink residue, micro-pore contamination, and difficult cleaning.

Power Micro provides micro-particle surface modification and anti-stick treatment to address adhesion-related issues on both flat aluminum surfaces and components with micro-pore structures.

By combining water contact angle measurements, dyne pen testing, actual ink-drop comparisons, and cleaning-durability evaluations, manufacturers can establish a more quantitative basis for assessing surface performance and improving contamination control and fixture maintenance.

Power Micro International Company  provides metal surface engineering and anti-stick solutions tailored to component materials, structures, dimensional tolerances, and actual operating conditions.

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