How does net washing water effectively remove stubborn UV ink residue from screen printing stencils?
Publish Time: 2026-01-06
In the screen printing industry, UV (ultraviolet curing) inks are widely used in high-end printing fields such as labels, electronic components, glass, and plastic products due to their fast drying, high adhesion, and excellent weather resistance. However, their advantages of "rapid curing and strong adhesion" also bring cleaning challenges—once residue remains on the screen, squeegee, or frame, UV inks easily form a hard, cross-linked polymer film, which traditional water-based or weak solvent cleaners often cannot remove. Net washing water, a high-performance cleaning fluid specifically designed for precision printing cleaning, achieves efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly removal of stubborn UV ink residues thanks to its unique formulation system and mechanism of action, becoming an indispensable "screen protector" in modern screen printing workshops.1. Targeted Dissolution: Breaking the Cross-linked Network of UV InkAfter curing, UV inks form a three-dimensional network polymer structure with extremely strong chemical stability. The core of net washing water lies in its composite active solvent system, containing a specific ratio of polar aprotic solvents, surfactants, and co-solvents. These components can penetrate into the micropores of the ink film, selectively weakening the van der Waals forces between the C=C double bond crosslinking points and the acrylate backbone, causing the cured ink to undergo a three-step reaction of "swelling-depolymerization-peeling". Unlike highly corrosive solvents that damage the screen printing wires or photosensitive emulsion, net washing water effectively softens the ink while causing almost no corrosion to the polyester mesh, stainless steel wire mesh, and photosensitive emulsion layer, ensuring a significant increase in the number of times the screen can be reused.2. Low Surface Tension + Strong Wetting: Deeply Penetrating Micron-Level Mesh OpeningsThe mesh diameter of screen printing stencils is typically only 20–100 micrometers, and dried ink often clogs deep within the pores. Net washing water, by adding fluorocarbon or siloxane surfactants, allows it to spread rapidly and capillarily penetrate into the interior of the mesh. Even without heating, it can wet the entire contaminated area within 30–60 seconds, "prying" the ink out of the fiber gaps, avoiding screen deformation or emulsion peeling caused by high-pressure washing.3. Quick-drying and Low-residue: Ensuring printing precision for the next printing runThe drying speed and residue control after cleaning directly affect printing quality. Net washing water uses a highly volatile, balanced formula that evaporates naturally within 5–10 minutes at room temperature, leaving no oil spots or watermarks. More importantly, its composition is free of silicone, wax, or ionic impurities, completely eliminating printing defects such as "ghosting," "pinholes," or reduced ink adhesion caused by cleaning agent residue, ensuring that the screen can be immediately used for the next round of high-precision work after cleaning.4. Safe and Environmentally Friendly: Meeting modern green production requirementsCompared to traditional chlorinated or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, net washing water has no flash point, low VOC, and some models even pass the OECD 301B biodegradability test, allowing it to decompose naturally in wastewater treatment systems, significantly reducing environmental compliance risks for enterprises. Operators do not need to wear heavy protective equipment, significantly improving the workshop working environment.Net washing water is not simply "water," but a smart solution that integrates materials science, interface chemistry, and industrial cleaning needs. With precise molecular design, it overcomes the stubborn barriers of UV inks, achieving a perfect balance between efficient cleaning, screen protection, ensuring print quality, and practicing green manufacturing. In the modern printing industry, which pursues high efficiency, high yield, and sustainable development, net washing water is becoming one of the key details for enhancing competitiveness.
