Nuances, Sweetspots, and Shortcomings

[tonypep]

Dave (Bim) and I exchanged brief PMs yesterday and we discovered that both of us were running presses. I had an entire crew out and it was a big push day. Some of our larger resort customers have to ship complete with all designs in tow due to shipping and customs constraints and several of them were coming to a head all at once. I know all our presses like a race car driver knows his cars. They all have foibles and personalities that only a daily operator or someone like myself can understand. Most here know that they are far from new and cannot be compared to new technology. That said they hold perfect registration, go up down and around, and index as fast as humans can keep up. When I operate a press my brain goes into internal mode. No music. I must focus at the task at hand. A little dangerous for an Ops Manager but that's my nature I suppose. In this Zen-like mode the Chi has to be just right. I must have every piece of the puzzle at my fingertips; often able to grab a squeegee or whatever without even having to turn around and look for it. Same with machine controls. I don't have to look at what I am pushing or turning; I know exactly where the controls are. Micro by feel not necessarily by eye. I know exactly what physical inertia is required to move a 14 color table from head one to head three vs the same movement on a six/eight. It is a  smooth, non hurried, methodical process where several things are being achieved at the same time. When it all comes together in a predictably timed manner one achieves the sweet spot.
Same with screen coating for instance. Sure an auto coater is sexy but we don't have one and most likely never will. When I coat (and train employees in this task) once again, everything has to be just so. Our semi auto coater requires a few simple human tasks that; when done in a certain manner, efficiency and consistency can be achieved all at once. How you pick up and manipulate a screen in this process goes a long way. In fact, this applies to the entire screen printing process.
Often I know why something is (or performs/reacts) but sometimes I accept the "is of is". One can say that 30lbs of squeegee pressure is standard but perhaps its more important to know how to read the screen to determine ink transference before even looking at the print. I don't measure ink viscosity or rheological properties however I know that marine is a short bodied ink and yellows are long bodied (plastisols). I don't necessarily know why we sequence a print one way and another quite differently; I just know over time it has proved true. I get how Chaos Theory can wriggle its way into the interdependent variables, causing many of us to scratch our heads and post questions here on this very forum.
I have no idea what all this rambling means. Perhaps nothing. None of this makes me smart it just proves that I'm older now and have made a lot of mistakes. It's just over the last 48 hours I have gained new respect for the craft that I and you here on these boards (as well as others) have chosen to make our lifes work. I'm sure to come under fire for those who must measure and document everything as well as those who are pushing the technical envelope in all areas. Of course I encourage and applaud all that strive to do so.
Me? I'm just a screenprinter

[Sbrem]

Feels good to get it off your chest doesn't it? I'm a screenprinter too, been one since '72. Not terribly rich at it, or wildly successful, but I just really like it. I chose this over playing music for a living. I love to play, and play/practice every day, but doing it for a living is not what I want. Printing, even though I very rarely touch a squeegee, is just something I really enjoy. I do the the advanced sepping here, and really have to manage instead of physically laboring, but I think when I retire someday, that I might still mess with it.

Steve

[tonypep]

Yes Steve, that felt good.

[jsheridan]

There is a special satisfaction a pro feels when doing the tasks they enjoy so much.

[alan802]

It's funny how different we are but how alike we are.  I feel the exact same way about most everything you said although I use a press with a lot of bells and whistles.  I get in the same state of mind and operate the press so much more efficiently and the other two production guys always comment on that when our printer is out.  I show them little things that I do that makes a difference but I made it a point to not micro-manage as much and let guys figure things out on their own.  But what happens when they don't figure it out and it just ends up costing the company money.  I shouldn't have to tell my printer that there needs to be a roll of tape on at least every other print head so you don't have to walk around the press looking for tape.  I shouldn't have to tell my guy that need two buckets of white ink instead of trying to use one for head 1 and head 10 but I have to do that because they just can't or won't do it on their own.

I do things a little different here but for the most part I think you'd be surprised how much we do things the same. 

[ebscreen]

Hear hear!

It's funny I can go out on the floor and someone will show me a problem they're having and a tiny adjustment
here, a flick of the wrist really, almost invisible, problem solved.

If we're super slammed or short handed and I'm running machines I almost go into a trance like state and have
to shake myself out of it from time to time. Floating from job to job, machine to machine.

There's something soothing about production humming along nicely.

[tonypep]

That's the shortcoming part of the OP subject. The press ops here are so set in their ways and its literally impossible to teach these old dogs. Plus they usually lack the passion. Just a job. However when I come across a green one that exhibits  passion and inquisitiveness well then, that's where training is just plain fun. Simple things like how to ink a screen so the squeegee doesn't hit the screen dry (where the ink serves a dual purpose as a lube, thus minimizing image shift). How to tear down a press at one minute per screen and setup in five per. How to raise the platens a few times dry to check reg before inking; minimizing the endless test print cycle (goal is avg 3) The best way to change pallets and paper. Understanding squeegee variables and how they affect both each other and the resulting image.
Its endless but you get the idea. Like Alan, I can tear down and set up presses faster than ops that have been here 17 ys plus. Only at 53 with a back that acts up sometimes, can't load as fast and accurate. But lets face it that's just plain boring.

[alan802]

Training the new ones...it's fun with the few that are eager to learn but like pulling teeth with the old dogs that think they already know it all.  I've got no problem with people who know it all and like to tell everyone who will listen that they do know it all but if you do act like that you better damn well know it all.  Teaching my old printer anything at all is not happening.  I could bring him a squeegee blade that would guarantee 100% opacity on darks with one stroke and he'd let it sit on the shelf even after me telling him that Jesus himself endorses the blade and they are manufactured in Heaven.

[GKitson]

Dave (Bim) and I exchanged brief PMs yesterday and we discovered that both of us were running presses. I had an entire crew out and it was a big push day. Some of our larger resort customers have to ship complete with all designs in tow due to shipping and customs constraints and several of them were coming to a head all at once. I know all our presses like a race car driver knows his cars. They all have foibles and personalities that only a daily operator or someone like myself can understand...
...Me? I'm just a screenprinter

Tony & Dave, I agree with the satisfaction of hitting a press and getting product out the door.

For me, the greatest satisfaction comes in the screen room.  I can reclaim, coat and not be bothered while my mind works on 'other'.

The reality of this scenerio is that as managers we should never allow ourselves the 'luxury' of production time and spend our time being managers.  Sign over my desk says my job is provide my staff with the tools and resources to do their job and then get the hell out of the way!  Good advice that I almost always follow!

Me, I'm just a T-shirt guy!

~Kitson

[Sbrem]

Dave (Bim) and I exchanged brief PMs yesterday and we discovered that both of us were running presses. I had an entire crew out and it was a big push day. Some of our larger resort customers have to ship complete with all designs in tow due to shipping and customs constraints and several of them were coming to a head all at once. I know all our presses like a race car driver knows his cars. They all have foibles and personalities that only a daily operator or someone like myself can understand...
...Me? I'm just a screenprinter

Tony & Dave, I agree with the satisfaction of hitting a press and getting product out the door.

For me, the greatest satisfaction comes in the screen room.  I can reclaim, coat and not be bothered while my mind works on 'other'.

The reality of this scenerio is that as managers we should never allow ourselves the 'luxury' of production time and spend our time being managers.  Sign over my desk says my job is provide my staff with the tools and resources to do their job and then get the hell out of the way!  Good advice that I almost always follow!

Me, I'm just a T-shirt guy!

~Kitson

I like the "almost always follow" part. I have some ambiguous rules too.

Steve

[Inkworks]

I'm there for padprinting. The guys call me the padprinter Ninja. It is a little like playing a musical instrument where the little intangible nuances make all the difference. When in full swing I can unbox, print and load on the belt crystal wineglasses at a 24 pack every 90 seconds including switching out boxes, and if uninterrupted we'll blast through 6000 + in a day, including reboxing and pallet wrapping with just 2 people.

I get real satisfaction out of viewing someone who is so deft at their job that they not only make it look easy but get more done with less effort.

I love this business, and to this day thoroughly enjoy printing and production.