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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: ericheartsu on February 03, 2016, 06:03:11 PM

Title: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: ericheartsu on February 03, 2016, 06:03:11 PM

Ok! i just got a used Majestech TQM ETG EOM meter.

I figured out how it works, how to calibrate it, and i think how to read things correctly with it!

What i don't know, is what should i be reading in terms of thickness on my screens? And it should ideally all be pretty similar correct? or the goal should be to get it to be the same from screen to screen?

Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: Gilligan on February 03, 2016, 06:27:43 PM

Bare mesh is your baseline.  Then the difference between that and where your emulsion is is your EOM.

So for ease of math, if your mesh is 50 microns and your thickness where the emulsion is reads 60 then you have 10 microns over the 50... which would be 20% EOM.

Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: Dottonedan on February 03, 2016, 07:01:17 PM

Correct G.  And you will want to get feedback from your emulsion supplier as to what EOM target you are looking for.  High mesh and halfton work will have less., like 10-15%.  Low mesh, a little more such as 15-20 in general.

25 or much more for HD or special affect inks like getting a high puff.

Your supplier will give you a good guide.

Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: ericheartsu on February 04, 2016, 09:29:33 AM

is there an EOM guide floating around?

Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: blue moon on February 04, 2016, 11:25:27 AM

Quote from: ericheartsu on February 04, 2016, 09:29:33 AM

is there an EOM guide floating around?

I've searched for one a long time and could not find anything I liked. Emulsion manufacturers tend to favor lower numbers and the ink manufacturers tend to be higher.
My current thinking is 12% for high mesh (230 and up) counts and 20% for lower numbers. I've heard as low as 5% from emulsion maker and as high as 50% from ink manufacturer. I think this is where the emulsion durability and flexibility will come into play, as well as Rz values, ink opacity, ink viscosity and so on. Tall cylinder is hard to clear with ink that does not flow for example. . .

pierre

Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: jvanick on February 04, 2016, 12:03:58 PM

I agree with Pierre, and run the same target %s

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Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: ZooCity on February 05, 2016, 01:08:51 PM

Eric, how's that Saati gauge working out?  We found our ebay paint coating thickness gauge to be unable to hold readings and need to upgrade. 

Title: Re: EOM meter (please teach me!)
Post by: ericheartsu on February 05, 2016, 01:10:24 PM

Quote from: ZooCity on February 05, 2016, 01:08:51 PM

Eric, how's that Saati gauge working out?  We found our ebay paint coating thickness gauge to be unable to hold readings and need to upgrade.

so far so good, we bought it used on ebay for $150.