Pad printing is an indirect gravure printing process. The copy or image is etched into a steel plate called a cliche. The cliche is inked and then cleaned with a doctor blade. This leaves the ink in the etched areas only. A flexible silicone pad picks up the image from the cliche and then transfers the image to the product.THIS SYSTEM is adaptable to a variety of shapes and contours on parts with a variation in the surface, yet fine detail and precise copy can be achieved. Two color process is obtained with exact registration. Pad Printing is ideal for decorating toys, plastic housewares, and injected mold components.
This technology also lends itself to marking electronic components such as resistors, canisters, and connectors. Any part, plastic, ceramic, or metal can be production marked by this process. The equipment can be semi or fully automated, yet remains a low capital expenditure.
