Pad Printing:"I like Pad Printing and the people I work with. I like the challenge." - Anna

Pad printing is an ideal decorating technology for handling uneven, curved, or textured surfaces. By using silcon pads to transfer an image from an engraved plate onto a part, pad printing is able to conform to many demanding applications. It remains a proven solution for high-precision marking on a large variety of parts.

Strategic’s pad print department includes nine pad-print machines, each configured for different applications. High-efficiency Swiss Microprint machines provide fast, stable single-color marking. Our larger Combi pad printers support large pads and print diameters up to 4 inches, and our open-well Imtran presses can print even larger designs. The Transtech Carousel finishes out the array, allowing up to four colors to be printed without separate setups.

Like our screen inks, Strategic can source pad print inks in custom pantone colors, as well as metallic and special-effect tones. These can either be factory-mixed for precision, or formulated in-house for reduced lead times.

Various plastics require specific pre-treatments prior to processing. Even in common materials such as ABS, specific formulations or additives, such as fire-retardants, can require adhesion promoters. Soft substrates like Sanoprene demand more specialized workflows. Strategic can help determine the right pre-treatments to ensure a lasting, high-quality mark.

We work closely with our supply partners to tackle complex prints, such as those involving compound-curves or hard-to-reach locations. Unique applications can require custom-molded pads, or specially designed tooling. Through our relationship with Decotech we are able to source high-quality custom-formed pads, and our in-house tooling department can accomodate nearly any fixturing needs.

Almost any material can be pad printed, from glass, metal, and plastics to coated materials and ceramics.