～PC and screen printing～
I think that most of you who are looking at this homepage are looking at it while operating a personal computer.
In fact, the personal computer has a lot to do with screen printing. What do you think that is?
It's the computer keyboard you're operating right now, under your fingers.
Look at the keyboard in front of you.There are many key buttons made of resin.Underneath this key button is a thin switch made of film. It is called a "membrane switch" in the sense of a switch in the form of a film.
Long ago, when computers were first developed, there was a row of independent switches for each key button. However, in this case, it is necessary to attach each switch to the board one by one, which takes manufacturing time and increases the cost. It also makes for a heavy keyboard.
Therefore, a method was developed to make a switch by printing a circuit on a thin plastic film. This made it possible to manufacture low-cost, thin and light keyboards. Screen printing contributed to this.
It is now possible to mass produce switches by screen printing using conductive inks containing silver powder.
This technology was later applied to mobile phone switches, making mobile phones smaller and lighter. Furthermore, it is also applied to the manufacturing of touch panels, and many game machines and personal computers equipped with touch panels are spreading.
The keyboard in front of you, with screen printing in it too.
