New Press(es) Time

[ebscreen]

Ugh.

Should be an exciting time right? New toys?

I went and looked at an MHM 3000 16/18 last week. To be completely honest
it was a bit of a meh. Didn't have the electric-reg, which I haven't heard great things about anyways.
But aside from a few other options, it wasn't too different from my S-Types.
The indexing is awesome, giant belt drive basically, that the S-Roques mimicked. The pallet
arms are giant as well, and I didn't see any deflection on the printing I was watching, but it wasn't
waterbase either. I guess I was expecting the thing to serve beer while it did everything for you.

The pallets won't interchange with my current presses, so that leaves only screens
and squeegee's/floods/flashes, which is nice, but interchanging pallets are key in my mind. Thoughts anyone?

So if I don't go MHM then that means two new presses of a different variety. Problem is anything less
than servo/ac and lifting heads is like stepping backwards. Ugh.


What do other multiple press shops think? One brand in house only? I've seen lots of mixed shops.\

[alan802]

I'm not a multiple auto shop but I have thought about what we would do with a second auto.  Mixing brands does seem counter-productive in many scenarios but when you really break it down, it shouldn't be that big of a hassle if your guys aren't brain dead.  Having your guys bounce back and forth from one press to the other will slow their production short term but long term it might be nice to have them both able to run either machine at full speed.  In a perfect world obviously having the same brand machinery will be less headache but at what cost?  Running an MHM with an Sroque, no big deal, but if you're running an MHM and then get a Freedom or Javelin in there it will be a bit more difficult to manage. 

I spoke to 3 shops while looking for a new auto that ran an RPM and another brand of equipment.  The pallets and squeegees/flood bars interchanged but the two machines were completely different.  If we would have kept the centurian and got the RPM I think we'd manage just fine, no more pain in the neck than anything else back there.  But I think it's going to matter only if the difference between presses is drastic, like having the S-type then a Brown Electraprint beside it.  If developing your screens is going to be different like using a triloc for one press and the MHM FPU on the other then I can see some issues and better planning will be a must.

So in a nutshell, I really didn't give any useful information or advice whatsoever...oh well, that's great that you're press shopping.  That's one of the best things we get to do in this business, I love it.

[TCT]

Stick to one brand for sure! Especially if you are using the MHM reg system. Kinda what we are dealing with, not having one press that jives with the other well.
Won't MHM just customize the press so it will work with your current one? That in my opinion would work best for you.

[ebscreen]

The 3000/4000 pallets are much larger than the S-Types, nothing can be done there as far as I know.
If we go MHM again we'll be keeping one press. If we go with a different brand we'd be re-doing the whole
shop essentially.

Alan I know what you mean. Having completely compatible equipment seems like a necessity at first,
but when it comes down to it, as long as things like image location etc are the same then it really doesn't
seem that bad after all. As I mentioned, I've seen quite a few mixed shops, most of them really successful
5+ auto outfits.

I do like the process and seeing what each has to offer, I guess it's just the schmoozing and whatnot that bothers me.
I'm not a talker by any means, so straightforward pricing and info works best for me.


What would your ideal 2 auto shop be?

[TCT]

So would you still be able to use the same screens/reg system and squeegee/flood bars as your current set up and the only thing that would not be interchangable be the pallets?

Really, I can't see the added benefit of switching ing to have two different press manufacturers on your floor unless there is something wrong with the actual company making the original machine(like in my case). Probably wouldn't be so bad if you were going from a M&R/anatol/RPM to another one of the similar as so much is similar. But you going from a MHM/S.Roque style to a M&R/anatol/RPM style is just plain weird. I am not calling you weird, it is what we have here, and going from one to another is just plain weird!

If I were you I would see how much of your current press would be interchangeable with the newer MHM you were looking at. Then ask MHM if they can customize what won't switch over for you. Then your presses are all familiar and you don't have to think out a head of time which press you are going to burn screens for...

[ericheartsu]

we run a M&R gauntlet 6/8, an M&M/AWT Xpress 10/12, and an Antec 8/8.

Having three different pallet systems is a HUGE pain. It really doesn't lend it's self to accidents in the schedule.

[Frog]

oh well, that's great that you're press shopping.  That's one of the best things we get to do in this business, I love it.

I've known Sean since he was just starting out and tell you this...
He has always been and will always be press shopping!

[ebscreen]

So would you still be able to use the same screens/reg system and squeegee/flood bars as your current set up and the only thing that would not be interchangable be the pallets?

Correct. We'd be keeping an 8 color machine and adding a 16 color. Already with two machines and only one set each of adult and women/youth pallets, I try
and purpose designate each press to avoid changing pallets all day.

Really, I can't see the added benefit of switching ing to have two different press manufacturers on your floor unless there is something wrong with the actual company making the original machine(like in my case). Probably wouldn't be so bad if you were going from a M&R/anatol/RPM to another one of the similar as so much is similar. But you going from a MHM/S.Roque style to a M&R/anatol/RPM style is just plain weird. I am not calling you weird, it is what we have here, and going from one to another is just plain weird!

Oh I am weird, make no mistake. Whether or not there is something wrong with MHM is debatable, the service is certainly nowhere near the other Blue.
That said, I really prefer to be self-reliant, and have never actually needed it. I've called, and then figured out the problem myself. Haven't been down
more than an hour or so in three years. the metric/standard difference is certainly an issue though. Metric sized air parts can be a bear to find. Haven't
needed anything except for a valve though either.

Nothing can be done in terms of the pallet situation, a bit of an oversight on MHM's part IMO. That said, I do often wish we had
two sets of adult and youth pallets, so that might make sense.

[ebscreen]

I have a fascination with giant printing machines. What can I say...

[Printficient]

My gut response would be that the cost of a new set of platens would be in the percent of pennies per shirt in a years time.  Since you are looking at a 3000, the cost difference from a 4000 should pay for the platens twice over.

[alan802]

If I had two autos of different brands I'd just go with an M&R Challenger 3 to work beside the RPM.  There is nothing that wouldn't switch over except flash units.  The RPM flashes wouldn't work on the M&R but the M&R would work on the RPM with the right settings/pallet detector.  Something I didn't think about earlier is the flash units for the MHM.  If you're going with a 16 color then 3 flash units will be handy, but it would also be nice to be able to move the flash units from one press to the next if you needed to.  What if you have a giant print with 4-5 colors that just won't print wow at all, 10K piece job goes on the 16 color and you flash after each color and you've got a job that you never have to stop for anything.  And if you have a flash that goes down, just take one from the other press for a bit till you get it back up.  The more I think about this the more I'm leaning towards both the same brand press .

I wonder when we will need two autos, seems like the busier we get the more we are able to do.  I thought a few years ago that we'd for sure need the second auto if we ever reached the numbers we are doing this year.  Now I've got another number in mind to hit until I think we'll need another piece of equipment (CTS) then another big number until we need the second auto.  I know all shops are different, and a shop that does as many little jobs as we do won't need the equipment that a shop that does 10K runs weekly along with the little stuff.  I think our average job is just like Bimmridder's, 72-144, multicolored designs on mostly darks.  10-20 setups per day, per press and nothing taking more than a few hours to be completely finished.

[ebscreen]

16/18 has four flashes and we have two more that would work with it. What I'm looking at/for is a press you can basically
throw anything at without even really thinking about it.

You're right Sonny, a set of pallets wouldn't add much in the scheme of things. And luckily the 3000already has adult youth, so I'd just
need a set of 16's for my S-Type.

Looking better, but I'm still gonna check around...

[alan802]

What year is the 3000 you're looking at?

[ebscreen]

2007 or so.

It was a sample press (for real) at a major textile co. that went out, was given to a local High School (for real)
but they couldn't fit it in the building, sold to current owner and been lightly used ever since. Super clean.

[GaryG]

2007 or so.

It was a sample press (for real) at a major textile co. that went out, was given to a local High School (for real)
but they couldn't fit it in the building, sold to current owner and been lightly used ever since. Super clean.

Sounds like a dream coming true...
Similar machines would be a plus, but wouldn't worry about pallets and things on a
catch like that.