| US 7,509,909 B2 | ||
| Support system and method for a screen printing unit | ||
| Francis Bourrières, Montauban (France); Clément Kaiser, Montauban (France); Richard Andre Piatek, Dorset (United Kingdom); Andrew Dean Ure, Dorset (United Kingdom); and Mark Alfred Whitmore, Dorset (United Kingdom) | ||
| Assigned to Novatec SA, Montauban (France) | ||
| Appl. No. 10/517,550 PCT Filed Jun. 13, 2003, PCT No. PCT/GB03/02561 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Aug. 04, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO03/106175, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 24, 2003. |
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| Claims priority of application No. 02 07241 (FR), filed on Jun. 13, 2002; and application No. 02 09354 (FR), filed on Jul. 24, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0090657 A1, May 04, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B05C 17/06 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 101—127.1 [101/129] | 41 Claims |
| 1. A support system for supporting a printing screen unit in a screen printing machine, the support system including:
a support assembly comprising a support unit for supporting a printing screen unit comprising a printing screen including
printing apertures through which printing medium is printed onto a workpiece, and a tensioning mechanism for tensioning the
printing screen in a screen printing operation; and
a control unit for controlling operation of the support assembly, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the tensioning
mechanism to tension the printing screen to a first tension in a printing phase in printing printing medium onto a workpiece
and a second tension, which is lower than the first tension, in a separation phase in separating the printing screen unit
and the workpiece.
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