Screen Exposing/taping Time required

[Maxie]

Does any one keep or know statistics for the amount of time needed to expose, wash out, block out and tape up a screen.
Exposure time about 40 sec.     23x31 statics.     Graphics on film.    I'm interested to know how many we should be doing per hour/day?

[jvanick]

Our numbers:

Prep work:
"total" time of 3 minutes to 'load' the file and image the screen on the i-image (probably doesn't apply to you as you're using film, but you still do need to print the film) -- HOWEVER while this is happening our guy is doing something else (like rinsing or moving screens)

actual time: 1 minute (original i-image rip is slow and you have to verify/check the options per file)

exposure time + draw down time (in our case we don't use glass in the exposure unit, and there's no vacuum time) 10-22 seconds

rinse out: 10-15 seconds for vector work, 30 seconds for halftone work (checking with a loupe to make sure the fine details are rinsed out)

vacuum dry: 10 seconds

block out: we don't use it

tape: 30 seconds per screen (estimated)

misc handing (move screen from i-image to exposure unit, exposure unit to soak, soak to sink, sink to drying rack, drying rack to tape out area) - 1 minute per screen (estimated)  due to plumbing constraints our sink is halfway across the shop.

average of about 4 minutes per screen...  we rarely will do more than 20-25 screens in a single day, which takes an hour to an hour and a half if we're flying, 2 hours if we're taking it easy.

the I-image is actually the slowest part of the process for us, and becomes the bottleneck (usually we're waiting for the screen to come out)

[Maxie]

Questions.
How do you rinse out so fast.
Are you soaking the screens?
How do you manage without block out?
I tried coating up to the glue on the side of the screen but do not get a good even coat
So I have a strip of open screen on both sides of the image
I use block out on this and then tape on the inside of the screen.

[jvanick]

yes, we soak them in a tank with 'clear' water.

they are soaking for a complete 'cycle' of the i-image in the screen room.  new screen goes in, the one in the tank comes out and gets rinsed...

also... 1000psi 3gpm pressure washer makes it REALLY fast.. basically a few passes back and forth on each side and you're done.

no blockout or tape at all for 99% of our plastisol jobs due to winged floodbars.

on our 23x31 frames, we use an 18" scoop coater which gets us about 1" from the edges of the frame... when using tape, we have about half the width of the tape which easily covers the gap.

[Sbrem]

taping up a 23 x 31 in 30 seconds is impressive...

Steve

[jvanick]

taping up a 23 x 31 in 30 seconds is impressive...

Steve

do I need to shoot a video?

[Screened Gear]

taping up a 23 x 31 in 30 seconds is impressive...

Steve

I bet I can do one in less then 10 seconds. including finding all pinholes...we have very little, mostly none.

I tape only the bottom of the screen unless its for waterbase.

[Sbrem]

taping up a 23 x 31 in 30 seconds is impressive...

Steve

do I need to shoot a video?

No, I just think it's pretty fast, so, impressive. No reason to doubt you at all my friend, sorry if it came off that way.

Steve

[jvanick]

it's really not that bad if you're only doing 3 sides... and have everything ready to go right by you...

[Sbrem]

it's really not that bad if you're only doing 3 sides... and have everything ready to go right by you...

since i haven't regularly taped them up in a good 20 years, it was 4 on both sides, but like most, we only do the print side and stay in control of the ink. Our best girl never ever tapes the inside, and never gets ink in the cracks; I'm way too clumsy to stay that neat...

Steve

[jvanick]

since i haven't regularly taped them up in a good 20 years, it was 4 on both sides, but like most, we only do the print side and stay in control of the ink. Our best girl never ever tapes the inside, and never gets ink in the cracks; I'm way too clumsy to stay that neat...

we never tape plastisol screens that have the emulsion all the way to the edges... we may tape the top in the cases where we werent able to run the scoop coater all the way up, but that's it.

Auto or Manual, no tape for plastisol....

Waterbase work tho always gets taped as it 'runs around' more on the screens

[mimosatexas]

I tape bottom and top only, unless it is a long run and a wide image.  For some left chest and pocket screens, no tape.  19" monster max coater, so the tape is really just making the cleanup easier in the sink more than anything.  Taping takes like 10 seconds maybe, but I also have a manual dispenser that gives me the exact length I need.

Maxie: post expose dip tank with just water is something I would never go back to not having.  It is AMAZING.  makes rinsing out the image stupid quick.