SPGPrints invests in squeegee blade production

SPGPrints is strengthening its commitment to optimizing quality in rotary screen printing by investing in new squeegee blade production facilities at its Boxmeer plant in the Netherlands.

The investment features an automated gluing unit that applies the polyurethane strip to the steel blade

The 450,000 EUR (493,500 USD) investment features an automated gluing unit that applies the polyurethane strip to the steel blade with repeatable precision and minimal manual intervention. This enables blade production to exacting quality standards, so that printers are assured identical printing results when exchanging blades, without the need for calibration.

The new facilities will be responsible for the production of SPGPrints’ new XTR blades, designed for RotaMesh and RotaPlate screens used in the graphics and security printing. The squeegees’ combination of a stainless steel blade with a polyurethane strip brings improved durability, stability and consistent print results. Available in a choice of Shore hardness values and thicknesses, the XTR range ensures clean print transfers and the optimum combination of rigidity, flexibility whatever the desired printing effect. They also offer strong chemical resistance, making them suitable for all ink sets. Furthermore, to eliminate errors in mounting and to facilitate reordering, the blades are color coded according to the application type.

Hank Guitjens, commercial manager for label printing at SPGPrints, commented: ‘Squeegee technology is at the heart of rotary screen printing. The quality of squeegee blades has a direct impact on the print image. By investing in the latest technologies, we are ideally placed to offer customers the best and most consistent quality.’