Novatec Sa

Francis Bourrières

Clément Kaiser

Richard Andre Piatek

Mark Alfred Whitmore

Andrew Dean Ure

A support system and method for supporting a printing screen unit in a screen printing machine. The support system includes a support assembly comprising a support unit for supporting a printing screen unit comprising a printing screen including printing apertures through which printing medium is printed onto a workpiece; and a tensioning mechanism for tensioning the printing screen in a screen printing operation, wherein the tensioning mechanism is configured to tension the printing screen to a first tension in a printing phase in printing printing medium onto a workpiece and a second tension, which is lower than the first tension, in a separation phase in separating the printing screen unit and the workpiece. Other aspects also are disclosed.

Support system and method for a screen printing unit

A support system for and method of supporting a printing screen unit in a screen printing machine. In one aspect the support system includes a support assembly comprising: a support unit far supporting a printing screen unit () comprising a printing screen () including printing apertures () through which printing medium is printed onto a workpiece; and a tensioning mechanism () for tensioning the printing screen in a screen printing operation, wherein the tensioning mechanism is configured to tension the printing screen to a first tension in a printing phase in printing printing medium onto a workpiece and a second tension, which is lower than the first tension, in a separation phase in separating the printing screen unit and the workpiece. In another aspect the support system includes a support assembly comprising: a support unit for supporting a printing screen unit, the printing screen unit comprising a printing screen including printing apertures through which printing medium is printed onto a workpiece; and a clamping mechanism () for clamping the printing screen in a printing phase in printing printing medium onto a workpiece so as to fix the lateral, in-plane position of the printing screen.

A filling device for and a method of filling balls in an array of apertures in a ball-receiving element, the filling device comprising: a housing including an opening at a lower surface thereof and defining in part a chamber for containing a supply of balls, the housing being in use movably disposed over a ball-receiving element including an array of apertures; and distribution means disposed within the housing for distributing balls contained in the chamber such as to maintain a limited number of layers of the balls over at least a region of the opening in the housing.

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Montauban, France

Francis Bourrières