Special Purpose Machinery

This project involved the design and development of a prototype screen printing module for producing specialist filter media. Based on standard industrial screen printing principles but incorporating several innovative features, the machine required significant adaptation and new engineering solutions. SPM Mechanical Engineering supported the project from early research and specification through to prototype development and production-ready refinement.

SPM Mechanical Engineering were contracted by a third party client to design and develop a prototype screen printing module intended to be used to print specialist filter mediums. The concept was to be largely based on the design of standard screen printing machinery but with a handful of key design changes such as a retractable print surface, a new novel method for print medium transfer and pre and post print ultraviolet light curing. All of this added together would make this a very interesting and challenging project.

This project would begin with a two week visit to Germany for a crash course in the design, functions and operation of standard industrial screen printing machines from one of the worlds leading manufacturers. During this visit SPM Mechanical Engineering were able to meet with all stakeholders within the project and ultimately come away with a detailed product design specification for the new prototype machine. On the return to the UK, initial design work began to adapt the standard machinery to make it fit for purpose for the project. Work also began from blank sheets of paper to design and develop the new additional functionality that this machine would need.

SPM Mechanical Engineering would hold regular progress meetings and produce periodical progress reports to present to all stakeholders within the project. Upon agreement from all stakeholders that the design of the prototype machine was fit for purpose, SPM Mechanical Engineering went on to produce all manufacturing and assembly information. The BOMs provided for this project also included supplier details and costings for the more exotic components required. All information was transferred to the client via a secure FTP.

Upon successful build and commissioning of the prototype machine, SPM Mechanical Engineering would go on to design several further iterations of the prototype to refine the process even further. Ultimately this would result in a production ready machine. Details of the final design cannot be discussed due to confidentiality. SPM Mechanical Engineering have designed many different types of special purpose machine and devices. A further selection of these can be seen below.