Off-Press-Pallet Paper Changing System

[mooseman]

Action  has found the nearly perfect venue for test marketing and honing product ideas. If you look at the demographics of the membership here it ranges from Bluemoon at the tip of the mountain to bottom feeders like me. In addition to the broad band of printing experience here many of us here have had several other careers further seasoning  the experience in any review.
 Action is to be applauded  for their brilliant approach in marketing test product balloons and the sheer luck in finding a group like this to float them in.
I do not visit any other of the tee shirt groups out there but I would bet those who do most likely do not see Action posting the same product visions there........they have found Nirvana in the membership here and for that we all get to take a bow.
mooseman

[mimosatexas]

I love that every time action introduces a new product someone has to post that they could make their own for less money.
...
So I think we need to lay off action. They make some great crap and take care of their customers.

I think there is definitely a market for many of their products. But for something like this I just don't really see the point of spending $600 for something that could be "built" quickly with a single dowel and a pair of clamps or even done by hand without much difference in the speed and quality of the process.

I have participated in a few of his concept posts and on the manual roller thread even posted drawings of different schematic ideas etc. Not every idea gets crap on by the forum at large. There are definitely things action makes that cannot be built quickly and cheaply and produce the same results, but this just isn't one of those in my opinion.

I also think moose is right that he is posting here specifically because we have a varied community full of people care a lot about this industry and give unfiltered feedback from an informed context. If he posted on some of the other forums I doubt he would get much usable feedback at all, positive or negative.

When I get back in town I will post a diy version of this in an effort to support my opinion and further the discussion. Any critiques of mine will be welcome and expected, which I'm sure is exactly the way Erik feels as well.

[tpitman]

Might make more sense to have a simpler holder for the roll to use on rear-clamp presses where you chuck the holder into the clamp, but unless you're constantly changing paper and have extra pallets laying around, I'm not sure the bang for the buck is there. Just have one of your flunkies hold the roll up while you squeegie it down. If your press is that busy, surely there's someone with a ponytail standing around texting his mom who can hold that roll of paper.
I cobbled up a roll holder out of 2x4s and a couple of plastic bearing ends for pvc pipe I got from McMaster-Carr years ago that I clamp to the end of a table that I used for sign vinyl paper. I'll post a pic later if I get off my ass today and venture over to my storage unit. It works pretty well and set me back probably less than ten bucks.

[Colin]

Beanie 357 see's the potential

The unit Action has made has a market for larger shops with 3- 4 plus automatics.... with many many sets of different pallet sizes.

There is always going to be some pallet changing going on.  If a shop could minimize down time on press by always putting on clean pallets, I see that as a win.

Obviously it will not happen all the time.  Some presses will have the same set of pallets on for weeks.... but overall.... I can see it working.

But in my 2 auto shop, I cant justify it with our current work load.

[blue moon]

great idea! We change paper every other day, so that's 20 min of press time per week we can save.  I'd be interested in testing the MHM version!

pierre

[Action1]

I love that every time action introduces a new product someone has to post that they could make their own for less money.
How would you feel if you were offering screen printing services and some one said they could buy some crap from ryonet and print the shirts themselves for less money. It's true, but it's pretty lame.
I could build a car for less than I pay Honda but that's not the point.

So I think we need to lay off action. They make some great crap and take care of their customers.
I for one don't have the time or energy to build this stuff. So I'm glad the team at action is putting the thought and engineering to make products to make my business successful.
Erik deserves a million kisses from me for making winged floodbars alone!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Drinks are on me at our next meeting Jamie. Thank you sincerely for your very kind words and encouragement!

[Action1]

Action  has found the nearly perfect venue for test marketing and honing product ideas. If you look at the demographics of the membership here it ranges from Bluemoon at the tip of the mountain to bottom feeders like me. In addition to the broad band of printing experience here many of us here have had several other careers further seasoning  the experience in any review.
 Action is to be applauded  for their brilliant approach in marketing test product balloons and the sheer luck in finding a group like this to float them in.
I do not visit any other of the tee shirt groups out there but I would bet those who do most likely do not see Action posting the same product visions there........they have found Nirvana in the membership here and for that we all get to take a bow.
mooseman

I couldn't have said it better. What you said is absolutely true - it doesn't get better than this. Having this forum with you members to 'bounce ideas off' of is just fantastic.
The feedback that we just received on our new product vision is priceless. There’s no better way to really hear someone’s true thoughts. At a trade show – everybody is just smiley and happy. With direct mailers or magazines – no one’s ever going to call and say nah- but this – this is perfect. I can’t thank you guys enough for taking the time to critique us. The negative’s are just as important as the positive feedback. Without it – we wouldn’t know that we’re hearing the truth.

Frog – yes – it positively helps us sharpen our game like no other tool could.

The TSB gang is by far the most experienced in our industry. I have spoken to people from some the largest shops around the world & found that they come here regularly without ever registering. While they don’t speak up, they still use this forum to further their expertise.

Re: Other tee shirt groups – There are none that even come close to this. Therefore – again you are correct Mooseman, you’ll not find us wasting our time elsewhere.

Now – with regard to The PCS: It’s definitely not for every shop. The intent was to address a need in shops that have more than three or four autos and routinely change pallets. It’s during the pallet changeovers that this should be employed.
Yes – it could be made cheaper. However, I’m of the opinion that many here are like myself in the fact that I only want nice things in my shop.

[Action1]

Might make more sense to have a simpler holder for the roll to use on rear-clamp presses where you chuck the holder into the clamp, but unless you're constantly changing paper and have extra pallets laying around, I'm not sure the bang for the buck is there. Just have one of your flunkies hold the roll up while you squeegie it down. If your press is that busy, surely there's someone with a ponytail standing around texting his mom who can hold that roll of paper.
I cobbled up a roll holder out of 2x4s and a couple of plastic bearing ends for pvc pipe I got from McMaster-Carr years ago that I clamp to the end of a table that I used for sign vinyl paper. I'll post a pic later if I get off my ass today and venture over to my storage unit. It works pretty well and set me back probably less than ten bucks.

surely there's someone with a ponytail standing around texting his mom who can hold that roll of paper.
- Oh that made me laugh! Thank you :-)

[farmboygraphics]

This thread got me thinking and I couldn't wait to get to the shop this morning. I now have a new use for an old piece of equipment. It's called a Big Squeegee and it's used for applying graphics. It's been sitting under a table unused for years, not anymore. I took a quick video on my second try using it. https://youtu.be/w8nuDk7iQ2g

[jvanick]

surely there's someone with a ponytail standing around texting his mom who can hold that roll of paper.

-- yeah, but now he'll be texting his mom complaining that you're making him work harder, and then she'll be calling you to complain that you're treating 'her little angel' poorly.

True story about that:  we fired a kid for being worthless and the mom called me to b!tch me out.

[mooseman]

This thread got me thinking and I couldn't wait to get to the shop this morning. I now have a new use for an old piece of equipment. It's called a Big Squeegee and it's used for applying graphics. It's been sitting under a table unused for years, not anymore. I took a quick video on my second try using it. https://youtu.be/w8nuDk7iQ2g

Nice Tom.
On your 3rd attempt we want to see a bracket on the Big Squeegee to hold the paper roll, kind of an auto paper starter / feeder like those white out things I use to fix mistakes on my computer screen.....great re-use of a sleeping tool.
mooseman

[mimosatexas]

O that would be cool, like a tape dispenser maybe 8 inches away from the squeegee at a right angle.  Not sure how to auto cut though...

[Binkspot]

Erik, take it up a notch. Put the pallet bracket on linear rails, have a spring loaded squeegee or alp actor tool. The pallet slides under the roll as the cover is applied.  When the pallet comes out the other side it is covered and ready to go.  You could even add adjustable blades on each side to trim the paper and a slid cutter to cut the end.

[mk162]

f*ck it, i'm just going to buy a robot to do it...
http://www.rethinkrobotics.com/baxter/

[Action1]

Erik, take it up a notch. Put the pallet bracket on linear rails, have a spring loaded squeegee or alp actor tool. The pallet slides under the roll as the cover is applied.  When the pallet comes out the other side it is covered and ready to go.  You could even add adjustable blades on each side to trim the paper and a slid cutter to cut the end.

!! I think you're onto something amigo. Thanks !! I'll work on it. I have numerous idea already.
Now for the real question - How much will the market be willing to bear??