Matan Digital Printers, a manufacturer of specialty digital printers, has announced new and exciting application – durable, digital printing of Matan Digital Printers, a manufacturer of specialty digital printers, has announced new and exciting application – durable, digital printing of Membrane-Switch-Overlays with the Matan SprinG³. The SprinG³ is a 12'' wide (300mm) thermal transfer digital printer excelling in applications such as industrial markings, labels & decals, doming platforms, product identification labels, nameplates, window decorations
and much more.

Matan has identified that the Membrane-Switch application benefits from the unique advantages of the SprinG³ with its durable, full color, opaque white-backed printing on a range of polyesters and polycarbonates.

The SprinG³ will be exhibited at Labelexpo-Europe in Brussels, Belgium on September 26-29, 2007. "Thanks to the SprinG³'s robust and versatile platform, new media is constantly being tested in order to expand user's choice of applications," said Keren Leshem, Matan's vice president of sales for the Thermal-Transfer product line.

"We've analyzed the short-run Membrane-Switch-Overlay market and realized these customers could benefit from the unique features of the SprinG³. Matan joined forces with world-leading polyester & polycarbonate manufacturers to create a digital solution for this market and both the test results as well as initial customer reaction are very promising.”

Four main parameters were examined in the SprinG³ tests: (a) Ink layer's thickness, (b) ink adhesion to media, (c) switch life testing and (d) durability (through a die-cutting process). The SprinG³ provides excellent ink adhesion and resistance to switch life testing as compared to traditional screen printing. The
testing assured that the ink layer's thickness was less than 2µm and the switch life testing showed no ink loss after 2.5 million actuations, whereas in traditional screen-printing ink loss is common at 1 million.