Diamondback - How many prints per hour

[pwalsh]

So, I was running the press this morning as fast as I could and got it to 20dz/hour. This was one color, two strokes. I then tried to go faster and set it up to one stroke only which increased speed to 34dz/hour.

It is definitely faster and in this job there was no difference in printing quality so I will definitely try that again.

QUESTION: Will giving it one stroke only get me in trouble with washing? I'm scared there might not be enough ink and being black (no underbase), fibers might pop out easier on wash.

There's a bunch of different options that you could follow in this example, and choosing the best option might come down to the number of garments that you are printing:

Option (1)  Maintain the status quo and double stroke each shirt to ensure good opacity, and print durability.
Pro's of this option are a great looking print that will wear well, and the Con is a slow production speed.

Option (2) Cut back to a single stroke, after making sure to use the most suitable mesh count and press setup for best print results.
Pro's of this option are increased productivity, and the Con is concerns with print durability due to reduced ink coverage, and potential defects in the image from lint and other contaminants blocking the screen.

The thing about a one color print is that usually the customer is looking for the printed image to be bright, bold, and durable. For this reason I don't think that I'd recommend Option (2).  Here's where the question on the quantity of shirts comes into play.  If you had less than 48 garments to print I'd recommend that you suck up the slower production speed and double stroke each print to ensure best quality. 

If you have a greater number of garments to print I'd recommend doubling up the screens, and dropping back to single stroke on both.  Hope this makes some sense and that it helps out some.     
   

[jvieira]

I rather work slower and keep my customers happy than the opposite. I only tried one stroke on this job because I was printing t-shirts for a festival (for staff to wear) so they probably won't be washed at all. Also only tried on a few shirts, not the whole order.

I might start doing two screens for speed purpose but we'll also lose valuable time with tests and alignment. I believe that will work for 250+ shirts, never under that quantity.

Will probably focus on shirt loading speed for now and will take it from there

[pwalsh]

I rather work slower and keep my customers happy than the opposite. I only tried one stroke on this job because I was printing t-shirts for a festival (for staff to wear) so they probably won't be washed at all. Also only tried on a few shirts, not the whole order.

I might start doing two screens for speed purpose but we'll also lose valuable time with tests and alignment. I believe that will work for 250+ shirts, never under that quantity.

Will probably focus on shirt loading speed for now and will take it from there

I agree with the approach of focusing on quality over quantity as the best strategy to build your business.  I really hope that you try the two screens / same image to speed up production while maintaining quality on some of your longer run projects. With that said, I'm a little surprised that you would make 250 garments the minimum quantity to utilize this approach. There shouldn't be much time loss in doubling up a second screen of the same design on press. If there is, then I'd say that you've just identified another opportunity to improve your set-up process, and increase your daily production capacity. 

Based on your concerns that you will; "lose valuable time with tests and alignment" I'm going to assume that you're not using the M&R Tri-Loc or some other screen pre-registration system on your Diamondback press. I don't know about your business and the number of different press set-ups that you do each day, but you don't need to be doing many to justify the cost of a screen pre-registration system.  Anything that reduces set-up time, and get's you into production faster is a guaranteed money maker, especially if you have the work to feed your press.  If it's not the right time to make this investment then you can always go "old school" and use a modest choke or trap on the 1st and 2nd screen to make setting up easier.

Good luck, best wishes for success, and it sounds like you are on the right path.   

[jvieira]

You are probably right. I will talk this over with my printer on monday and we'll make a test run on the next job and see how we can improve. It might be a good solution for us as part of a wider approach to the speed issue.

We do have a tri-loc system and it works great so we would probably not take long to set it up, your right. I don't spend my days on the press (i focus on sales) so I don't really know much. I can set up small jobs and that's about it for now

[pwalsh]

I don't spend my days on the press (i focus on sales) so I don't really know much.

I can set up small jobs and that's about it for now

Well that still places you ahead of me!

Take care and good luck in growing your business

[starchild]

The first place to address for higher production numbers is your flash dwell times. Your stroke speeds will not be much better if your running low temps and high times on your flash. Oh and if you're flashing right before it goes in the dryer, remember to also increase your belt speed. Stroke speed addresses matt down and increase share- but this depends on the ink and the mesh-threads flatness angle. So if you're doing production as usual and ink and mesh calibration is the same, then look to the flash for your gains.

Sent using Tapatalk

[jvanick]

also, the amount of pressure you use during your flood stroke will vary the amount of ink you're laying down too... if you flood harder, you are pushing more ink into the openings in the screen, so you'll end up with more ink on the shirt.

It took us a real long time to realize how much difference a harder flood can make.

[jvieira]

Stroke speed addresses matt down and increase share- but this depends on the ink and the mesh-threads flatness angle.

Could you please elaborate on this? English is not my first language and I couldn't figure out what "matt down and increase share" means.

Flash is probably not an issue here. We actually had to lower the temperature ever so slightly as it was scorching a few t-shirts here and there, so we know it's at a high enough temperature.

also, the amount of pressure you use during your flood stroke will vary the amount of ink you're laying down too... if you flood harder, you are pushing more ink into the openings in the screen, so you'll end up with more ink on the shirt.

I have noticed this. We do not flood hard enough. When I watch videos I see a flat surface covered in ink. Ours is not, there's a lot of ink left behind and not enough on the print area

One stroke + heavier pressure on flood might do the trick

[jvanick]

Stroke speed addresses matt down and increase share- but this depends on the ink and the mesh-threads flatness angle.

Could you please elaborate on this? English is not my first language and I couldn't figure out what "matt down and increase share" means.

He meant to say Shear.  Not share.

Matt down is where you're pushing down the fibers into the ink so they don't stand up straight.
Shear means "shearing" the ink off the screen VS. pushing the ink through the screen.

squeegee speed helps with both these...

you want to print as fast as you can, while still clearing the screen.

[starchild]

"But resist we much"
http://youtu.be/ggHWRpsMEmk

Hmm.. Let's see if I can explain this- Matt-down in this trade means the ink fully covers the shirt fibers so that they don't pop out the ink. Matt-down logically is most effective by the amount of ink that covers any given image area.

Now matt-down is actually related to opacity- the thinner the overall coverage, the less opaque your coverage.

Now just narrow the focus on this phenom and increase blade speed- The ink has a set of task to accomplish during it's life cycle, from sitting in the bucket staying fresh to cure out the dryer. At one point in the cycle the ink goes past room temperature and it changes from sitting in the bucket (jus chill'n) to the carrier (platicizer) moving around, circulating the resign like hungry piranhas-the ink is in it's most liquid state(it's relative viscosity) the exact temperature depends on the ink and it's manufacturing. OK now that the ink is liquid putting a downward force (the arching of the blade when pressure is applied) plus speed- "THIS IS SHARE" causes the ink to thin (the piranhas stop bunching up and scatter) and pressure builds through momentum which causes the ink to move towards and fill the mesh opening. But because the mesh threads are circles and not squares, the pressure on the ink drops (pressure drop) as the ink flows into the mesh opening because dead center of the mesh opening tunnel is narrower than it's entrance on the squeegee side and exit on the shirt side. Therefore  because of this pressure drop the ink stops thining and does not apply a flat and even coverage on the shirt fibers (more like a hill) so smoothness and opacity is not realized. (The ink drip drip drips onto the substrate in a pile thinner at the perimeter and thicker in the center. Think of a dart board, the rings are contour lines of an overhead view of an ink deposit- the bulls eye has the most ink deposit) So thinner ink through the mesh opening (but the ink must be able to recover and hold the shape)  will decrease the value of pressure drop, (decrease the dartboard contour rings from 6 to 2) create a smoother more opaque print. Better matt-down.

Sent using Tapatalk

[Rockers]

We got a Diamondback S which  I operate on my own. On a good day I can run it at 34 doz/hr but on average it`s more like 29doz/hr.

[Rockers]

Actually today I did 37 dz/hr. Job was done within 90 minutes with a few stops for adding new ink to the screens. Would not want to load and unload at that speed  for the whole day though.

[jvieira]

Did a 3 color job (2 flashes) on whites at 20dz/h on my own last evening. Simply cannot see how to physically go any faster.

[Rockers]

Let me say it this way, to have the right music on while printing is very important.
When you say two flashes yo uare on revolver mode,right?
Or do you actually have the luxury of owning 2 flash units?

[jvieira]

We are full of luxuries in this company. 2 quartz flashes, 10/12 hour days (for me and my production manager), worn out exposure unit