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Telephone: + 44 (0)1226 249590
Email: info@pdsconsulting.co.uk		  
PAD PRINTING EVALUATION


Please do not make a blind guess or randomly select the answers to these questions, as it is a measure of what you know, and not how lucky you are.

 

 

1) What is the key factor in the operation of the pad printing process?
Choice 1 a) The pressure of the pad.
 Choice 2 b) The change in viscosity of the ink during the print run.
 Choice 3 c) The evaporation of solvents from the ink.
 Choice 4 d) The separation of the pigment from the ink mixture.
2) What is the likely outcome of increasing the pressure on the pad?
Choice 1 a) Increase the printed ink film thickness.
 Choice 2 b) Reduce the printed ink film thickness.
 Choice 3 c) Distort the image.
 Choice 4 d) Improve image quality.
3) What is the depth of a screened etch plate?
Choice 1 a) 23 - 25 microns.
 Choice 2 b) 30 - 32 microns.
 Choice 3 c) 62 - 64 Thousands of an inch.
 Choice 4 d) 62 - 64 Tensile.
4) What is the hardness of a thick steel plate?
Choice 1 a) 62 - 64 Rockwell A.
 Choice 2 b) 62 - 64 Shore A.
 Choice 3 c) 62 - 64 Rockwell C.
 Choice 4 d) 62 - 64 Vickers.
5) After washing out a photopolymer plate what you should do next?
Choice 1 a) Dry the plate in an oven, and then post expose it.
 Choice 2 b) Post expose the plate, and then dry it in an oven.
 Choice 3 c) Dry it with a hairdryer, and then check the image is OK.
 Choice 4 d) Check the image is OK, and then put the plate in the machine.
6) What is the approximate ink film thickness when printed and dried?
Choice 1 a) 4 - 6 microns.
 Choice 2 b) 10 microns.
 Choice 3 c) 0.1 mm.
 Choice 4 d) Width of a human hair.
7) Which statement has three possible causes of poor adhesion?
Choice 1 a) The wrong ink for the substrate type is used; The substrate is dirty; The ink is not cured.
 Choice 2 b) Catalyst has not been added to a two part ink; There is not enough pad pressure; The wrong thinner has been used.
 Choice 3 c) The substrate should be pre-treated; Too much retarder has been added to the ink; The machine is running too slowly.
 Choice 4 d) The substrate has not been flamed correctly; Ink is being scooped out of the etch by the doctor blade/cup; The screened etch has been used.
8) What is the unit of measurement for pad hardness?
Choice 1 a) Rz.
 Choice 2 b) Rockwell.
 Choice 3 c) Newtons.
 Choice 4 d) Shore.
9) Which substrate generally requires pre-treatment?
Choice 1 a) Polypropylene.
 Choice 2 b) Polycarbonate.
 Choice 3 c) Polystyrene.
 Choice 4 d) Polyester.
10) Which statement gives two methods of indicating surface tension?
Choice 1 a) See if the ink scratches off after printing; Use a surface tension test kit/pen.
 Choice 2 b) Rub the component with thinner; Rub oil on the component.
 Choice 3 c) Use a surface tension test kit/pen; Dip the component in water.
 Choice 4 d) Use a surface tension test kit/pen; Draw a cross on the component with a red felt tip.
11) What is the unit of measurement of surface tension?
Choice 1 a) Amp.
 Choice 2 b) Newton/cm.
 Choice 3 c) Rz.
 Choice 4 d) Dynes/cm.
12) Which statement provides two possible causes of feathering/static?
Choice 1 a) The etch is too deep; The ink is too thick.
 Choice 2 b) The machine is running too fast; The pad is damaged.
 Choice 3 c) Components are charged with static electricity; The ink is too thin.
 Choice 4 d) The machine is running too slowly; The pad is too soft.
13) Which of the following has the greatest effect on print quality?
Choice 1 a) Pad colour.
 Choice 2 b) Doctor blade hardness.
 Choice 3 c) Ambient temperature.
 Choice 4 d) Ambient humidity.
14) How do you improve print quality when printing onto a textured surface?
Choice 1 a) Use a softer pad.
 Choice 2 b) Increase etch depth to conform to the depth of the texture.
 Choice 3 c) Use a harder pad.
 Choice 4 d) Speed up machine.
15) Which ink system would you use to print on to steel?
Choice 1 a) Anodising ink.
 Choice 2 b) Reactive catalytic ink.
 Choice 3 c) Sublimation ink.
 Choice 4 d) Single component ink.
16) What liquid should you use to clean a pad during production?
Choice 1 a) Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).
 Choice 2 b) Thinner.
 Choice 3 c) Retarder.
 Choice 4 d) Toluene.
17) Which of the following is a type of silicone rubber?
Choice 1 a) STV.
 Choice 2 b) SRC.
 Choice 3 c) RTV.
 Choice 4 d) NTV.
18) How do you measure the mix of ink?
Choice 1 a) By volume.
 Choice 2 b) By weight.
 Choice 3 c) By viscosity.
 Choice 4 d) By density.
19) If the ink is drying on the pad what should you do?
Choice 1 a) Use a faster drying thinner.
 Choice 2 b) Slow the machine down very slightly.
 Choice 3 c) Carefully reduce the pressure of the pad.
 Choice 4 d) Add a measured amount of retarder to the ink mix.
20) What action(s) should the pad have when contacting and leaving the plate/component?
Choice 1 a) It should slowly descend into contact with the plate/component and then snap away when leaving the plate/component.
 Choice 2 b) It should have a rolling action when coming into contact with the plate/component and have the same rolling action when lifting from the plate/component.
 Choice 3 c) It should compress to at least half its height when pressed onto the plate/component, then return to normal size when lifting from the plate/component.
 Choice 4 d) When both making contact with, and leaving, either the plate, or the component, it should descend and lift as quickly as possible.

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