squeegee product guide - trelleborg ab applied technology/unitex... · the best non-vulkollan...

ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

SQUEEGEE PRODUCT GUIDE

UNITEX MARATHON®

Unitex MarathonThe best non-Vulkollan squeegee with superb performance, highconsistency and excellent resistance to UV, solvent and waterbased inks and monomers.

Formulated by the Technical Experts of Unitex to optimiseperformance, both in demanding UV and Solvent based inkapplications. We are pleased to have launched the exciting newUNITEX MARATHON Squeegee.

Designed to supplement the existing range of ULON squeegees,while giving greater resistance to degradation by most of theaggressive chemicals used in today’s demanding printingapplications.

Unitex Marathon range is available in Shore A hardness(Durometer) 60° to 90°. Plain, Angled, Dual and Triple rangesavailable.

ALL GRADES OF ULON HP AND UNITEX MARATHON SQUEEGEESARE SUPPLIED IN A RANGE OF SIZES TO SUIT MANUAL, SEMIAND FULLY AUTOMATIC MACHINES. BESPOKE SQUEEGEES CANBE MANUFACTURED FOR SPECIALIST APPLICATIONS.

UNITEX The finest squeegee product in the world

Unitex Part of the Global Trelleborg Group. Unitex has been manufacturing ULON squeegees and high grade polyurethane products since the 1950’s.Screen Printers who recognise Unitex quality and performance use our squeegees in over 50 countries worldwide. Unitex is equipped withsophisticated production and process machinery, backed by the most up to date inspection and quality control procedures.

Our colour coding system, for Shore A Hardness (Durometer), enables you to make instant and positive selection of the right squeegees –saves time – saves mistakes.

All grades of ULON HP and Unitex MARATHON squeegees are supplied in a range of sizes to suit manual, semi and fully automaticmachines. With specific Squeegees developed for bespoke applications.

Members of:

SPA (Screen Printing Association, UK)

SGIA (Speciality Graphic Imaging Association, USA)

CSGIA (China Speciality Graphic Imaging Association)

ULON Squeegee Range

ULON HP®

VulkollanUnitex has been manufacturing Vulkollan® (ULON HP) squeegeesfor over 50 years. Vulkollan® is a superior grade of polyurethaneformulated without adding fillers and plasticizers, (unlike somesqueegees) a factor that contributes to its exceptional chemicaland abrasion resistance.

PerformanceSqueegees can be subjected to considerable wear and tear. Thehigh shear modulus of Vulkollan® and its low permanentdeformation are key-factors when it comes to ensuring consistentprint results.

The ULON HP squeegee range is available in Shore A hardness(Durometer) 55° to 95°. Our squeegees are available in Plain,Angled, Composite, Dual and Triple confugurations. Widelyrecognised as the best squeegee in solvent based inks, Plastisolinks and water based inks. Ulon HP offers excellent wear and tearresistance.

RoHSUlon HP squeegees are fully RoHS Compliant.Vulkollan® is a registered Trademark of Bayer MaterialScience

UNITEX is accredited to ISO 9001/2000 and ISO 14001.

Typical Squeegee Applications

Printed Circuit Boards

The Screen Printed Electronics Industry demands a squeegee

that must be able to exhibit high levels of friction, wear,

deformation and chemical resistance. ULON HP is the

squeegee of choice for numerous manufacturers worldwide.

Unitex squeegees have excellent resistance to solvent attack

and chemical degradation, while maintaining high operating

speed, accuracy and precision.

Bottle

The printing of bottles or cylindrical containers usually requires a

sharp edge definition on a range of substrates. The Unitex ULON

HP and MARATHON S-Cut (SKE45 and SKE62) and D-Cut (DKE 45

and DKE 62) both plain and composite squeegees, play an

important role in meeting the increasing demands on the bottle

printer. The profiles provide the benefits of a sharper edge for

excellent ink deposition, in addition to maximum definition.

Graphics

Graphics are an important and complex sector of the screen-

printing market because of the diversity of the sector it is not a

case of 'one application one product'. For this reason

squeegees are supplied in various configurations and grades of

hardness. The technical excellence of Unitex squeegees has

been developed to compliment the screen printing process

within the Graphics Industry. Squeegee must have the right

amount of flexing to transfer ink correctly through the screen;

have good solvent resistance and (especially for high quality

graphics) must be free from surface imperfections and

irregularities.

CD

Demanding needs of the compact disc industry require

squeegees with high durability, close tolerances, a wide range of

sizes and no surface defects. The print quality must be high with

maximum definition and machine set-up

times kept to a minimum.

Available in ULON HP and

Unitex MARATHON.

Sizes range from;

length 100mm to

160mm and width

20mm to 35mm.

Advantages of using the UNITEX Squeegee Range• Sharper printing • Longer life

• Consistency • Quality

• Kinder to screens • Extra durability

• Low absorption • Wide range of cut to size products available

Unitex TechnicalBefore use• Squeegees must not be stored in sunlight or bright light –

UV Light will darken the squeegee colour, although this willnot have a negative affect on the quality of itsperformance.

• Try to store squeegees between 15°C – 25°C in dryconditions and away from inks – in high humiditysqueegees will absorb moisture and solvents from the air.

• Store squeegees flat, do not leave rolled up.

• When using a roll, leave flat for 24 hours so the squeegeehas time to relax.

In use• Squeegees should be cleaned immediately after use to

prevent the accumulation of dried-up ink.

• Remove all remaining ink deposits from the holder and thesqueegee. Any remaining ink can cause marks from thesqueegee during subsequent printing operations.

• Print quality may deteriorate during a long run as the sharpedge is lost; therefore plan to swap the squeegee early.Rounded edges use and deposit more ink.

• When storing a squeegee still mounted in the holder, donot rest it on the squeegee or allow the squeegee to touchanything during storage.

• Squeegees or their holders must not be left in solvents tosoak. Soaking will cause swelling and loss of resilience.

• When cleaning the squeegee use a soft cloth and alwayswipe away from the edge.

• To prolong the life of a squeegee, ‘rest’ it for 12 hoursafter cleaning and before the next printing operationstarts.

Grinding/sharpening• You should not be required to sharpen a squeegee prior

to use.• Only sharpen a squeegee that is clean, dry and has not

been used for printing for at least 12 hours.

General• Squeegees hardens with time – test old squeegee

regularly. Do not use old squeegee that is 5 to 10degrees more than its original hardness.

• The shelf life of the new unused squeegee isapproximately two years if stored correctly.

• Do not use a squeegee without ink. It will quickly destroythe printing edge after very few passes.

PackagingYour squeegee packaging is optimised to ensure it arriveswith you in the best condition possible.• We use secure, moisture proof containers for sea

freight.• Light weight packaging for air freight.• Priority freight if required for fast delivery to the rest of

the world.• Customer specified carriers when required.

Squeegee markingUnless specified at time of ordering all Unitex squeegees aremarked with:• Unitex• HP or Marathon• Squeegee Grade• Batch Number

Technical Data for UNITEX MARATHONDimensions PLAIN Section Tolerance

Length Up to 3350mm +/- 10mm

Width Up to 610mm +/- 5mm

Thickness Up to 12.5mm +/- 0.4mm

Dimensions SKE/DKE Section Tolerance



Thickness Up to 10mm +/- 0.4mm

Dimensions TRIPLE Section Tolerance




Type Hardness Tolerance

Marathon 60º-90º Sh A in 5º Increments +/- 3º Shore A

Technical Data - UNITEX MARATHON GREEN 75º Shore A (Durometer)PROPERTIES VALUES UNITS BRITISH STANDARD

Shore A hardness @ 20ºC 75.0 ºSh A BS ISO 7619-1:2004

Tensile modulus at 100% elongation 4.060 Mpa BS ISO 37:2005



Tensile strength (Maximum) 47.47 Mpa BS ISO 37:2005

Tensile strain at break 498.3 % BS ISO 37:2005

Tear resistance (initiated tear) 38.01 KN/m BS ISO 34-1:2004

Specific gravity 1.18 g/cm3 BS 903:A1:1996

Swelling in solvent (I.P.A. 24 Hrs) 4.76 % BS ISO 1817:2005

Abrasion weight loss (mg) 13.4 (mg) BS 903 :A9:1988

Technical Data for ULON HP Dimensions PLAIN Section Tolerance



Thickness Up to 12.5mm +/- 0.4mm

Dimensions SKE/DKE Section Tolerance




Dimensions TRIPLE Section Tolerance




Type Hardness Tolerance

ULON HP 55º-95º Sh A in 5º Increments +/-2.5º Shore A

Technical Data - ULON HP 500/4 70-75º Shore A (Durometer)PROPERTIES VALUES UNITS BRITISH STANDARD

Shore A hardness @ 20ºC 72.5 ºSh A BS ISO 7619-1:2004




Tensile strength (Maximum) 39.73 Mpa BS ISO 37:2005

Tensile strain at break 666.4 % BS ISO 37:2005

Tear resistance (initiated tear) 38.14 KN/m BS ISO 34-1:2004

Specific gravity 1.23 g/cm3 BS 903:A1:1996

Swelling in solvent (I.P.A. 24 Hrs) 10.03 % BS ISO 1817:2005

Abrasion weight loss (mg) 13.2 (mg) BS 903 :A9:1988

PU 500/1 55-60° Plain Medium Low Large Medium Low Good High Fair

PU 500/3 60-65° DKE Medium Low Large Medium Low Good High Fair

Marathon 65° SKE Medium Low Large Medium Low Good High Fair

Marathon 70° SWL/DWL Medium Low Large Medium Low Good High Fair

PU 500/3-4 65-70° Plain High Variable Variable Variable High Moderate Moderate Good

PU 500/4 70-75° DKE High Variable Variable Variable High Moderate Moderate Good

Marathon 75° SKE High Variable Variable Variable High Moderate Moderate Good

Marathon 75° SWL/DWL High Variable Variable Variable High Moderate Moderate Good

PU 500/8 75-80° Plain Maximum High Variable Low High Minimal Low Good

PU 500/9 80-85° Plain Maximum High Variable Low High Minimal Low Good

PU101/9 85-90° DKE Maximum High Variable Low High Good Low Good

PU 500/15 90-95° SKE Maximum High Variable Low High Good Low Good

Marathon 80° SWL/DWL Maximum High Variable Low High Good Low Good

Marathon 85° SWL/DWL Maximum High Variable Low High Good Low Good

Guide to selecting the right squeegee

Hardness or Durometer

The hardness of squeegees is measured in Shore A° (Durometer)

usually covering a range of grades from 55° to 95° as a means

of identification for the industry. Unitex uniquely offers strict 5°

hardness bands, and guarantees the printer a more repeatable

performance. Although hardness plays a dominant role in a

blade's deformation and wear, the elastic modulus of the

squeegee controls the stiffness or amount of flexing or bending.

Choosing the hardnessThere are generally three broad categories of hardness, which

includes soft, medium or hard. Ranging from 55° to 95° Shore A, in

5° increments.

Soft GradesULON HP 500/1 500/3

UNITEX MARATHON 60° 65°

Generally used for medium squeegee pressure with large mesh opening

and low viscosity inks. They are ideal for irregular substrates and uneven

beds. They will deposit a high amount of ink with medium detail control.

In general, softer squeegees increase ink deposit. Ideal for use with

large coloured surfaces and glazes, in addition to glass and ceramics.

The chart recommendations are for standard pressures, medium stroke of printing speeds and standard squeegee angles. No account is made for squeegees, which are swollen or damaged through misuse or wear, in addition to squeegees outside themanufacturer's dimensional specification.

Medium Grades

ULON HP 500/3-4 500/4

UNITEX MARATHON 70° 75°

For higher squeegee pressure with a wide range of mesh

count and inks. Will give good ink deposit and fine detail

control and are used for nearly all applications.

Hard GradesULON HP 500/8 500/9 101/9 500/15

UNITEX MARATHON 80° 85° 90°

For maximum squeegee pressure and high viscosity inks.

Gives lower ink deposit and good, fine detailed control.

Used mainly for fine-meshed screens and thin ink layers.

Differing squeegee manufacturers may produce blades with the

same hardness, but the elastic modulus can differ from one

producer's squeegee to another. This can have a marked effect on

performance. Unitex squeegees are manufactured to tight

specifications thus minimising print variables. The hardness value

influences the way the squeegee aligns to the surface and

determines the level of printing force required to achieve the transfer

of ink through the screen. The softer the grade the more adaptable

the squeegee to the surface and less printing force is required.

HARDNESS INK OFF-CONTACT SCREEN SUBSTRATE INK IMAGEGRADE SHORE A° PROFILE PRESSURE VISCOSITY MESH SIZE DISTANCE TENSION ADAPTABILITY DEPOSIT DEFINITION

SOFT

MEDIUM

HARD

ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

UNITEXTrelleborg Applied Technology Halfpenny Lane, Knaresborough,North Yorkshire, HG5 0PP, United Kingdom.Telephone +44 (0)1423 862677Fax +44 (0)1423 868340 www.unitex.co.ukTrelleborg Industries UK Limited.Registration No 2461518Registered office address: Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. GL20 8JS

c Unitex January 2007

PlainMost commonly used profile for general graphics and textiles.

Can be used on a variety of substrates with a wide range of

inks. Provides medium adaptability and maximum force.

Pushes the smallest amount of ink through the screen.

Ideal for sharp line and half-tone dot production.

The less ink deposited the sharper the printed image.

D-CutGives excellent control when printing on glass or plastic

cylindrical objects and the Land version gives good control

of printing angle. Also used for fine printing on textile cloth.

S-CutUsed extensively in container printing. Good adaptation

to irregular surfaces and excellent ink deposit control.

BullnoseUsed for a variety of applications from textile printing

to adhesive printing. Will give maximum ink deposit.

ULON Diamond SectionThis blade profile is specifically designed for the use

on PCB machines, the squeegee is held close to the

holder giving greater control whilst printing. It enables

very close control of the squeegee angle and shows

very little squeegee bending under pressure.

The most

commonly used

squeegee in

flat-bed printing

D and S Cut are available in 45 and 62 degrees

Choosing the right profile

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