Skip shirt buttons / no shirt detectors / go/no go pedals - yea or nay?

[ZooCity]

I like the idea of "just keep moving" when I'm operating.  My printer thinks you should never be sending empty platens around.  I agree on both sides I suppose but wonder if others find this feature key to fast production and perhaps something is being overlooked by us here. 

We're actually going to sell our no shirt detector, we don't use the feature, so this came up in my mind.

[Parker 1]

Operator uses the skip button for misloads.

[cbjamel]

You can use that if your machine has it my 97 Gauntlet doesn't so I use the optic shirt detector. Doesn't print board when no shirt on.

Shane

[Ryan]

If I had one on my press I'm sure I would use it, especially if you are running at some sort of pace. If you are going slow enough no need. I do use my foot pedal to "pause" when I need to, but nothing that actually will allow me to skip the pallet as we go

[ScreenPrinter123]

If in auto mode and it looks like the shirt won't be loaded in time we hit the footpedal to stop indexing, load the shirt and then resume auto mode

[TCT]

I don't think we would use a sensor of any kind. I have never used one, and I can't see why one would be necessary(good chance that is my ignorance shining through) seems like it would only benefit a lazy loader. We do however use our foot pedal 100% of the time. Our pedal is set up as a "break" so if your dwell is 1 second but the shirt gets hung up on a corner, as long as you are standing on that pedal it won't advance, step off the pedal and it picks up where you left off. At first I hated that, I was used to using a pedal as a next or advance trigger. Now if you tried to change it, we would have words. When someone is learning to load I just make sure that the one foot that is not the "pivot" foot always uses the pedal when loading. After loading and you turn to pick up the next shirt your for comes off it when you turn(hope that makes sense). This way it is second nature to step on the pedal, even if you have a say 10 second delay and it is not needed.

Suppose that is a bit different but that is how we roll at our place!

@Ryan email S.Roque and ask for a modified program. I just installed mine and I have "cancel pallet" on the main screen now...


Now a "no ink" sensor for the far side of the press would be a hot idea!!!

[dirkdiggler]

no pedals or detectors needed here, if your experienced you don't need it.  I do have the detector on my CH3D ONLY because it comes standard with the machine.  I could take it or leave it.

[244]

no pedals or detectors needed here, if your experienced you don't need it.  I do have the detector on my CH3D ONLY because it comes standard with the machine.  I could take it or leave it.

there are multiple reasons for a shirt detector. Ask shops that run at high speeds. Also when training a new employee you can skip every other pallet until they get used to the machine. Teach them on a press that is indexing faster and they will run faster once trained. You can also walk away from the machine while it is still indexing after you put the last shirt on and do something else productive while the unloader is finishing removing the shirts. The machine will count the empty pallets and stop when the last shirt is removed. The operator can also follow the first empty pallet around the press to half way checking ink in the screens as they flood. When the unloader starts to see empty pallets they can follow the first shirt around and watch the floods until the first shirt reaches the unload station. Or they can take the pallets that show up empty from the operator when they were able to walk away and move up a new stack of shirts and tack them. There are many more but typist is not one of my better traits.

[TCT]

Also when training a new employee you can skip every other pallet until they get used to the machine. Teach them on a press that is indexing faster and they will run faster once trained.

I have to disagree with that. Rarely do we bring in a new employee to load that has not been unloading for a while first. That way they kind of know what speeds are expected. In the case a new employee would come in and start loading, I would have them unload for me for at least 1 day.
If you throw a new guy on loading while the machine is indexing at 60dz/hr, shirt detector or not you are going to have a BUNCH of crooked/not centered reject shirts! From purely a financial point I would rather have slower indexing, hitting cancel pallet, or stopping the machine the first whole week for proper placement as opposed to 72 misprints....

I don't doubt that the detector has it's advantages, but I could also see it being a issue if you relay on it and all your presses don't have it. Wither you have 1 or 10 presses, as a press operator if you get used to using it on one press you look for it or assume that another press will have it. I know this happens for us with the pedal feature I mentioned.

[StuJohnston]

Are these devices super expensive or something?

[jsheridan]

Teach them on a press that is indexing faster and they will run faster once trained. You can also walk away from the machine while it is still indexing after you put the last shirt on and do something else productive while the unloader is finishing removing the shirts. The machine will count the empty pallets and stop when the last shirt is removed. The operator can also follow the first empty pallet around the press to half way checking ink in the screens as they flood. When the unloader starts to see empty pallets they can follow the first shirt around and watch the floods until the first shirt reaches the unload station. Or they can take the pallets that show up empty from the operator when they were able to walk away and move up a new stack of shirts and tack them. There are many more but typist is not one of my better traits.

Bingo!
The sensor is a tool and when used as such enables you to do more with the job you're working on.

[244]

Are these devices super expensive or something?

not for what they accomplish. Roughly 2,000. Go back to my post showing the women running CH3 presses at over 1200. Per hour and watch how they use the unit. The press never stops during getting shirts and tacking. Some people think they are just buying a switch and stand. What you are paying for is actually the license to use the software.

[dirkdiggler]

no pedals or detectors needed here, if your experienced you don't need it.  I do have the detector on my CH3D ONLY because it comes standard with the machine.  I could take it or leave it.

there are multiple reasons for a shirt detector. Ask shops that run at high speeds. Also when training a new employee you can skip every other pallet until they get used to the machine. Teach them on a press that is indexing faster and they will run faster once trained. You can also walk away from the machine while it is still indexing after you put the last shirt on and do something else productive while the unloader is finishing removing the shirts. The machine will count the empty pallets and stop when the last shirt is removed. The operator can also follow the first empty pallet around the press to half way checking ink in the screens as they flood. When the unloader starts to see empty pallets they can follow the first shirt around and watch the floods until the first shirt reaches the unload station. Or they can take the pallets that show up empty from the operator when they were able to walk away and move up a new stack of shirts and tack them. There are many more but typist is not one of my better traits.

The Print Finish button, does almost everything you just mentioned without the detector.  That's how its done on my diamondback, the detector is good for newbies no doubt.  What I don't like about the detector is that head 1 will still flood forward even if you are finished with the job, if you use Print Finish, it doesn't.  Honestly, I could argue both sides, I just choose one method over the other.  They both work great.

[Baron265]

Operator uses the skip button for misloads.

The skip feature will help if there's "no shirt" or if the shirt is crooked/ wrinkled. That will save you from printing a pallet and misprinting a shirt. It can be activated by a button or a foot switch.

[Nick Bane]

after having them for so long, it certainly is annoying using a press without them, they just make things so simple.  why stop the press when you can just keep rolling without thinking about it or breaking your pace? i guess that would be the difference in smaller shops and large high volume production shops, so the choice is up to you, but as an operator my preference would always be to have them if possible.