Pad Printing Quiz

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.

There are a total of 20 questions.

Good Luck!

 

1) What is the key factor in the operation of the pad printing process?

a) The pressure of the pad.
b) The change in viscosity of the ink during the print run.
c) The evaporation of solvents from the ink.
d) The separation of the pigment from the ink mixture.

 

 

2) What is the likely outcome of increasing the pressure on the pad?

a) Increase the printed ink film thickness.
b) Reduce the printed ink film thickness.
c) Distort the image.
d) Improve image quality.

 

 

3) What is the depth of a screened etch plate?

a) 23 - 25 microns.
b) 30 - 32 microns.
c) 62 - 64 Thousands of an inch.
d) 62 - 64 Tensile.

 

 

4) What is the hardness of a thick steel plate?

a) 62 - 64 Rockwell A.
b) 62 - 64 Shore A.
c) 62 - 64 Rockwell C.
d) 62 - 64 Vickers.

 

 

5) After washing out a photopolymer plate what you should do next?

a) Dry the plate in an oven, and then post expose it.
b) Post expose the plate, and then dry it in an oven.
c) Dry it with a hairdryer, and then check the image is OK.
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?

a) 4 - 6 microns.
b) 10 microns.
c) 0.1 mm.
d) Width of a human hair.

 

 

7) Which statement has three possible causes of poor adhesion?

a) The wrong ink for the substrate type is used; The substrate is dirty; The ink is not cured.
b) Catalyst has not been added to a two part ink; There is not enough pad pressure; The wrong thinner has been used.
c) The substrate should be pre-treated; Too much retarder has been added to the ink; The machine is running too slowly.
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?

a) Rz.
b) Rockwell.
c) Newtons.
d) Shore.

 

 

9) Which substrate generally requires pre-treatment?

a) Polypropylene.
b) Polycarbonate.
c) Polystyrene.
d) Polyester.

 

 

10) Which statement gives two methods of indicating surface tension?

a) See if the ink scratches off after printing; Use a surface tension test kit/pen.
b) Rub the component with thinner; Rub oil on the component.
c) Use a surface tension test kit/pen; Dip the component in water.
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?

a) Amp.
b) Newton/cm.
c) Rz.
d) Dynes/cm.

 

 

12) Which statement provides two possible causes of feathering/static?

a) The etch is too deep; The ink is too thick.
b) The machine is running too fast; The pad is damaged.
c) Components are charged with static electricity; The ink is too thin.
d) The machine is running too slowly; The pad is too soft.

 

 

13) Which of the following has the greatest effect on print quality?

a) Pad colour.
b) Doctor blade hardness.
c) Ambient temperature.
d) Ambient humidity.

 

 

14) How do you improve print quality when printing onto a textured surface?

a) Use a softer pad.
b) Increase etch depth to conform to the depth of the texture.
c) Use a harder pad.
d) Speed up machine.

 

 

15) Which ink system would you use to print on to steel?

a) Anodising ink.
b) Reactive catalytic ink.
c) Sublimation ink.
d) Single component ink.

 

 

16) What liquid should you use to clean a pad during production?

a) Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).
b) Thinner.
c) Retarder.
d) Toluene.

 

 

17) Which of the following is a type of silicone rubber?

a) STV.
b) SRC.
c) RTV.
d) NTV.

 

 

18) How do you measure the mix of ink?

a) By volume.
b) By weight.
c) By viscosity.
d) By density.

 

 

19) If the ink is drying on the pad what should you do?

a) Use a faster drying thinner.
b) Slow the machine down very slightly.
c) Carefully reduce the pressure of the pad.
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?

a) It should slowly descend into contact with the plate/component and then snap away when leaving the plate/component.
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.
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.
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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