The two-color Class 106 machine decorates a flat bottle with two different colors, one on each side.

2 color printing can be done on many different materials and items. Click here for more details.

The Class 406 machine decorates a mug using thermoplastic (hot color) paints.  The thermoplastic pants are solid at room temperature.  They are placed on a heated screen, where they become liquid.

The thermoplastic paint dries as soon as it is printed on the item and the next color can be applied right away.  Once all the colors are printed, the paint has to be cured in a high-temperature lerh or kiln.

Thermoplastic paints can only be used to decorate glass and ceramic items.
 

An oval item is printed on both sides in the same color.  The screen shifts positions to print the second artwork.

This attachment can also be used to decorate a single side of an oval container.  The decorated containers can be glass, ceramic and plastic.

 

The foam beverage holder has been printed with the white color.  A laser registration system is used to detect the first color and position it before the second color is printed.

The laser registration system works on glass, plastics, ceramics and other types of material.  It is used when the printed item does not have a physical reference point to which it could be registered (a handle, spout, ramp or lug).
 

The video shows a Class 406 machine set up with the laser registration system.  This system can also be used on the two color Class 106 machine.

Two and four color machines use thermoplastic paints and can be used to decorate glass and ceramic containers.
 

This machine was built to decorate laboratory glass.  The containers are registered by using the spout as a reference point, so the print is always done in the same place on the glass.


 

The tapered glass is printed using a thermoplastic paint (other types of paint can also be used).  Because the artwork is very tall (5 3/4" or 146 mm, the top of the glass travels much faster than the bottom.  To prevent any distortion of the artwork, the screen makes a radial motion.

The custom screen was designed and manufactured by Elk Machines Inc.
 

On this project, the second color is also printed using thermoplastic paint (other types of paint can also be used).  The printed glass is aligned with the artwork on the screen using the laser registration system.

Click here for more information on the laser registration system.
 

Our machines can be supplied with a specific setup.  This Class 106 machine has been configured to print the round body and the tapered neck of a beverage bottle.

The printing is done on both parts at the same time, which eliminates a lot of handling and saves money.

All our machines can be configured to suit your needs.
 

The machines are very fast and reliable.  This video shows the Class 106 machine described above in production.

The ultraviolet dryer is used to cure UV paints.  Round items are rotated by the spin unit to cure the entire circumference.

Flat and oval items are not rotated.

Mechanical registration is used when printing multiple colors on items that have a ramp or a lug on their bottom.  In this case, a plastic bottle is registered and then printed between the seams.

Additional colors would be printed after curing the bottle in a UV dryer.
 

The mechanical registration system can also be used on our two color Class 106 machine and on the four color Class 406 machine.

Two and four color machines use thermoplastic paints and can be used to decorate glass and ceramic containers.