Static S-mesh screen acceptable tension

[jvanick]

we got a batch of 160S static screens back from the re-stretcher...  after a few cycles, they're at 13N ...

re-stretching company says that's ok as 'smesh prints fine at low tension'  ... 

I think that it's crazy low and that I should be complaining... thoughts?

unfortunately we put them into production without checking the initial tension as our tension meter was getting recalibrated.... (now we have 2 meters so that issue never happens again, but that's a story for another day) ...

[Gilligan]

Sure that's 160?

13 is unacceptable!

[sqslabs]

Completely unacceptable.  I'd consider an acceptable static tension on a 150S (which is what I'm guessing you're talking about) to be 20N when settled.  Rollers a bit higher than that.

[brandon]

But those low tension statics do have some very good uses. We mostly do water base, discharge, HSA all that so over the zipper, over pockets, on the side of the thick hoods on thick hoodies, totes, rough cardboard boxes with your company logo, and a zillion other things.

Then we have uses for our "middle of the road statics" and then of course our rollers are king in my book. Statics can be and are awesome and the same for rollers. The fact that I don't use that smelly ass glue in my shop to stretch statics works for me. I would rather just bring a roller back up to tension.

But those low tension statics can be handy. Just my two cents.

[ScreenFoo]

Completely unacceptable.  I'd consider an acceptable static tension on a 150S (which is what I'm guessing you're talking about) to be 20N when settled.  Rollers a bit higher than that.

Sounds like a pretty high standard of 'acceptable'.
Do you have a supplier that guarantees that level of work hardened tension on their re-meshes?

[jvanick]

We are switching over to rollers for all of our quality work, but the statics are nice for repeat and quick one color work.  I love printing on mid 20's smesh on the roller frames.

And yes Gilligan, definitely 160S.   

At least now I know that I'm not being unreasonable....

New add on question.. what's reasonable for new smesh 160s?   Same as the high end of the recommended tension?

[Frog]

We are switching over to rollers for all of our quality work, but the statics are nice for repeat and quick one color work.  I love printing on mid 20's smesh on the roller frames.

And yes Gilligan, definitely 160S.   

At least now I know that I'm not being unreasonable....

New add on question.. what's reasonable for new smesh 160s?   Same as the high end of the recommended tension?

What does Alan B say? Straight from the Murakami Horse's mouth as it were.

[sqslabs]

Sounds like a pretty high standard of 'acceptable'.
Do you have a supplier that guarantees that level of work hardened tension on their re-meshes?

I haven't had statics remeshed with s-mesh and only have experience with new, but I don't see why there should be any difference.  The ones I got were purchased through River City Graphic Supply, but I believe they were stretched at Murakami.  They all settled at 20N on the dot.  I now use all rollers as I personally like to keep my s-mesh screens in the 22-23N range.

Considering that smart mesh holds initial tension much better than standard mesh, the statics in question couldn't have been stretched very high to begin with if they settled at 13N.  The recommended tension for a 160S is 18-29N, so 20N is actually on the low side of the spectrum.

[3Deep]

I've got some on static screens 6 plus years old  I use for 1 and 2 color simple jobs and they are at 13 to 15n so heck yeah that's low for newly stretched, I'd at least want them around 17 to 19n when settling....I would box them back up mark them and send them back.   I send a box of warped screens back once and they send me the same screens back lucky I had made a small mark on them.


darryl

[Sbrem]

13 is fairly low, but I printed an awful lot of shirts with stapled mesh in the old days, and they would not even register on a tension meter, but it's no secret that tighter mesh is better. However, if you're printing a one color navy ink design on ash t's, the job will get done and the customer wouldn't have a clue, or care either. I also might talk to some other re-stretchers, as we re-stretch our own here, and they don't drop that low...

Steve

[blue moon]

13 is fairly low, but I printed an awful lot of shirts with stapled mesh in the old days, and they would not even register on a tension meter, but it's no secret that tighter mesh is better. However, if you're printing a one color navy ink design on ash t's, the job will get done and the customer wouldn't have a clue, or care either. I also might talk to some other re-stretchers, as we re-stretch our own here, and they don't drop that low...

Steve

While that makes the screens usable, it also increases the number of screens one needs in the shop. The low tension makes these specialty screens not suitable for daily production. Normal production will now be that many screens short in rotation!

Pierre

[Rockers]

Our S-mesh statics have been stretched by Murakami to 29N and are now after a few uses at around 25N.
We keep the the mesh on our roller frames at around 25N-28N.

[KevWilso]

Sounds like a pretty high standard of 'acceptable'.
Do you have a supplier that guarantees that level of work hardened tension on their re-meshes?

I haven't had statics remeshed with s-mesh and only have experience with new, but I don't see why there should be any difference.  The ones I got were purchased through River City Graphic Supply, but I believe they were stretched at Murakami.  They all settled at 20N on the dot.  I now use all rollers as I personally like to keep my s-mesh screens in the 22-23N range.

Considering that smart mesh holds initial tension much better than standard mesh, the statics in question couldn't have been stretched very high to begin with if they settled at 13N.  The recommended tension for a 160S is 18-29N, so 20N is actually on the low side of the spectrum.

All of our S-mesh statics come straight from Murakami, and the panels from Shur Loc.  I have stretched 1000's of screens in my career using regular mesh, but after several attempts of trying to restretch the smesh, I was unable to get the tension to a level I was happy with without having my stretcher break it.  It may just be my stretcher; or the way I am doing it, but my hat goes off to whoever Murakami has stretching their screens there, they always come in at or above 22 newtons. 

[blue moon]

All of our S-mesh statics come straight from Murakami, and the panels from Shur Loc.  I have stretched 1000's of screens in my career using regular mesh, but after several attempts of trying to restretch the smesh, I was unable to get the tension to a level I was happy with without having my stretcher break it.  It may just be my stretcher; or the way I am doing it, but my hat goes off to whoever Murakami has stretching their screens there, they always come in at or above 22 newtons.

this, ladies and gentleman, is called PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST! Instead of providing a half a$$ product and making more money, they are providing the proper solution!

pierre

[ScreenFoo]

Well, hopefully they're making more money by doing it right and not dealing with rightfully POed customers.

M must be using a pretty sweet process if they start at the very top end of acceptable tension and only fall four newtons after 'a few uses'.

Of course, the tension drop on a quality screen could be higher or lower depending on preferred or pre-set level of OC... one of those things that makes direct comparisons shop to shop difficult.