Schreiner ProTech is the world’s first company to have developed a custom-printable variant of a steam jet resistant pressure compensation seal (PCS). The new version of its PCS HighProtect is the result of a joint project with an automotive customer. The top film of the membrane is custom-printed using thermal transfer (TTR) printing. The resulting value-adding function for instance makes the PCS suitable for use as an information label or nameplate, allowing automotive OEMs and suppliers to eliminate a process step and to save material and maintenance costs.
A PCS is a watertight, breathable membrane element used to vent electronic housings, similar to a valve. The membrane ensures effective pressure compensation while preventing the intrusion of water or dirt into the housing. In spite of their minimal height, the robust PCS HighProtect products from Schreiner ProTech even resist steam jet cleaners.
Until now, PCS have not been printable. “When a customer specifically asked us whether printing might be possible, we developed a suitable solution within a few months and are now able to offer the innovative result to other customers as well,” says product manager Adrian Marggraf from Schreiner ProTech. Due to its customized design, the new PCS variant visually functions as a marking label. Although the round hole with the pressure compensation membrane does not show through the wear-resistant top film the PCS still effectively serves its original purpose.
Compared to standard PCS products, the venting solutions that are suitable for inline printing at the customer’s site offer a number of benefits. They save a process step and even reduce material and maintenance costs by eliminating the need for a separate nameplate and the related application process.
Adrian Marggraf sums up the advantages: “The modular concept of our printable PCS makes various combinations possible, depending on the customer’s needs. Be it round or angular shapes, color printing with the customer’s logo or a QR code, we will find the appropriate solution for any inquiry. Even a combination with our Color Laser Film is conceivable. Driven by our commitment to customer satisfaction, we continually pursue new approaches and make them reality. As a result, Schreiner ProTech creates innovations that represent progressive evolutions of previous solutions.”
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