Study of Liquid Transfer Process for micro-Gravure-Offset Printing

마이크로 그라비아 옵셋 프린팅에서의 유체 전이 공정에 관한 연구

To increase the ink transfer rate in the micro-gravure-offset printing, the liquid transfer process between two separating plates is investigated. During the liquid transfer process, in which one plate is fixed and the other one moves vertically, a sessile droplet is separated into two droplets. The volume ratio of the two droplets depends on the contact angles of the two plates. In a numerical study of the ink transfer processes, liquid transfer between two parallel separating plates and between a trapezoidal cavity and an upward moving plate are simulated, as models of the printing of ink from the offset pad onto the substrate and the picking up of ink from the gravure plate by the offset pad, respectively. Also, in experimental study, to obtain various surface contact angles, chemical treatment, plasma treatment, and electrowetting- on-dielectric (EWOD) surface are considered. The transfer rate between two plates is calculated by analyzing the droplet images. From the results, the optimal surface contact angles of the units of the micro-gravure-offset printing can be characterized.