Metal Mask Screens

Eliminated Distortion:  Every intersecting wire is welded together with nickel to prevent shifting of threads, called “thread roll”, and drag out sometimes referred to as “stretch.”

Constant Thickness:  The foil thickness, equivalent to emulsion thickness over the highest intersecting wires, is established during the manufacturing process and remains constant throughout the printing operation.  Conventional emulsion type screens soften as printing proceeds.  The hard wire presses on the emulsion and forces what emulsion was above the threads down in between the threads.  This changes the print thickness of conventional screens.

Solvent Resistance:  Metal Mask Screens are totally resistant to the most aggressive solvents and are ideal for printing epoxies that require aggressive solvent cleaning

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Constant Edge Definition:  The nickel printing edge holds during the entire run. Emulsion screens tend to wear at the edges where they are not supported by the mesh. They also tend to develop a gradual rounding of the edge, changing the nature of the print, whereas the straight side wall formed by the metal foil assures an accurate, sharp printing edge.

Longer Screen Life:  The overall life of a Metal Mask Screen is dramatically longer than that of an emulsion screen under normal operating conditions.  Since the stainless steel wires are welded together with nickel plating, the image pattern does not distort during the printing operation as is common with emulsion screens.

Thickness Control:  The nickel foil thickness (equivalent to emulsion thickness) is precisely controlled at the beginning of the process.

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