A pad printing ink cup (hermetic inkcups) is a crucial component of the pad printing machine; it serves as a container that holds the ink, floods the etch on a plate (cliché), and cleans away excess ink.
Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc., designs, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of cups for pad printing machines featuring an ink-resistant coating. Our cups are compatible with all pad printing equipment. Additionally, we can produce custom cups if needed. For more information about the price of our ink cups now, please reach out to us today.
A pad printing ink cup is a container used in a sealed-cup pad printing system to hold ink and transfer it across the surface of the printing plate.
The bottom of the ink cup typically contains a precision doctor ring or ceramic ring. As the cup moves across the engraved printing plate, the ring removes excess ink from the plate surface while leaving ink inside the recessed image area.
The silicone pad then picks up the ink from the engraved image and transfers it to the part being printed.
A sealed ink cup system is a pad printing configuration in which a sealed ink cup travels across an engraved printing plate, also known as a cliché.
The sealed cup performs two primary functions: it supplies ink to the recessed image on the plate and removes excess ink from the non-image areas. This allows the pad printing machine to deliver a controlled amount of ink to the silicone pad for transfer to the substrate.
Sealed ink cup systems are widely used for automated and industrial pad printing because they can provide consistent ink delivery and help reduce ink exposure to the surrounding environment.
The ink cup is the complete component that holds and carries the printing ink. The doctor ring is the precision ring attached to the bottom of the cup that contacts the printing plate.
The two components work together as part of a sealed ink cup system. The ink cup contains the ink, while the doctor ring helps seal the cup and wipe excess ink from the cliché.
Pad printing ink cups are available in different sizes, configurations, and materials to accommodate different pad printing machines and applications.
Common options include:
The correct ink cup depends on the pad printing machine, plate dimensions, image size, ink requirements, and production application.
Selecting the right ink cup requires matching the cup to your pad printing machine and application.
Important considerations include:
Using the correct ink cup helps ensure proper contact with the printing plate and consistent ink delivery.
Ink cup leaks can have several causes, including:
Inspect the entire ink cup and doctor ring assembly when troubleshooting leaks.
Excess ink remaining on the surface of the printing plate may indicate a problem with the doctoring process.
Possible causes include:
The ink cup and doctor ring should maintain consistent contact with the cliché to properly remove excess surface ink.
Streaks may occur when the doctor ring does not wipe the printing plate evenly.
Potential causes include:
Inspect the ring and plate for damage and contamination before adjusting other printing parameters.
Some sealed ink cups use magnets to help maintain contact between the ink cup and the printing plate.
Magnetic systems can help create consistent pressure between the doctor ring and cliché during the printing cycle. The exact design and function depend on the pad printing machine and ink cup configuration.
