Press pressure setting and Squeegee pressure settings?

[Dottonedan]

So, I've come to understand that there are two different areas of pressure settings.


THe one, Lets call it the Press's overall pressure setting. THis, you've heard me mention is set at 50lb on our press.  I've heard this is pretty common, but some have found their sweet spot to be a little lower, like 35 and 40 for example. You apparently find this sweet spot once all other variables are honed in on, and your prints are where you like them.

THIS, main pressure setting, I didn't know about. In all my years, (not being a press operator), I've never paid attention enough to know about a "main setting", since when ever I needed to adjust pressure, I'd tell them to provide less or more, and they would adjust (at top) on the squeegee pressure adjustment knobs that read up to 1.5" as if on a ruler (speaking of M&R presses) only.


So, I've seen people use these time and time again, but after now looking into it bit, I am told that the overall press pressure "should be set to one setting and left alone...(and I would understand and agree with) to keep all things consistent in how you run. You would want things streamlined as much as can be...but), that's not what I see people doing.

I see, read and hear many people tweaking pressure using those top knobs. adjusting, lowering or raising pressure on squeegee...to tweak a print.  This is how I imagined it would work.  NO? Is it a sin? But I'm told that you should not need to adjust those top nobs and if you feel you need to, then something else is out of whack on press.  NO?  Is one setting on press a "set it and forget it" kind of thing?  I think not.


How do you tweak squeegee pressure in the real world?

[Colin]

Only on the automatics that do NOT have a pressure regulator on the front of the arm - will I ever touch the depth settings on the squeegee.

If your press has a pressure regulator - keep the squeegee depth set at maximum and do ALL pressure adjustments with that front knob.

That way EVERYTHING will read the same and there will never be confusion when re-setting up a job as to what pressure was used.

When I, and many others, talk about pressure settings - it is always from the pressure dial on the front of the arm.

Hope this helps

[Dottonedan]

Only on the automatics that do NOT have a pressure regulator on the front of the arm - will I ever touch the depth settings on the squeegee.

If your press has a pressure regulator - keep the squeegee depth set at maximum and do ALL pressure adjustments with that front knob.

That way EVERYTHING will read the same and there will never be confusion when re-setting up a job as to what pressure was used.

When I, and many others, talk about pressure settings - it is always from the pressure dial on the front of the arm.

Hope this helps

Well, I'll be darned. My source was right based on your statements. THANKS!!!!
Ya see, that's why I never think or claim I know all. I'm learning so much now about the other side. I like this job.

[Dottonedan]

  After thinking about this for a little bit if the Squeegee pressure is the same, then why is it that over the years we would need to adjust  various colors individually. Is that a case-by-case basis or are you saying that you would never need to adjust Squeegee pressure if you have the main pressure on the front not I'm talking individually.

[ScreenFoo]

The adjustments on the choppers are DEPTH adjustments. 
Unless you're a sucker like me running an older press.  Then they're both.

If you push those depth adjustments down, they will add pressure, but is not an ideal way of doing it if you have regs.

[Colin]

We will never change the depth of the squeegee blade.

We will change the pressure according to the mesh/ink type/type of print (halftones vs. spot)/etc..

I will go up to 40-50 pounds for sim process work.

I will go up to 50-60 pounds for "vintage" thin ink deposits.

I will be at 20-30 pounds for some top colors.  But sometimes I need to go up to 40... it depends on how the ink is behaving...

We are all a part of a craft industry.  There is no  Absolute right or wrong way to make things work.  But only sticking to one way of doing things will lead to failure.

Go with the flow and be in the moment. Ink is zen

[ZooCity]

colin and screenfoo nailed it.

I'll toss in that pressure as defined here is a poor metric to compare with other shops.  It can be different on the same model press.  Also, the cyls used for this on all the presses I've used aren't very accurate, you know the ones, the smcs that you pull the knob up, adjust, press knob back, print and it's way off the dial reading you just saw.  No idea why mfg's use this type of cyl for this adjustment.  Squeegee angle is major factor that will change everything related to depth and pressure.  Last off, many presses have significant deflection which may drive the use of what looks like weird amounts of pressure.

Don't focus on others' pressures, focus on getting your crew to use the minimum pressure to reliably clear that screen.

[Colin]

I will second everything Chris just said.

The longer arms on my 14 color sportsman require more pressure to get the results that I want - than if I was on my modified 12 color (10 color arm size = shorter arms).  I can print at 20 pounds, sometimes lower on the 12c - and I need almost double that on the 14c.

My understanding is that the ROQ presses have extremely little variation on press sizes.

[brandon]

We are all a part of a craft industry.  There is no  Absolute right or wrong way to make things work.  But only sticking to one way of doing things will lead to failure.

Go with the flow and be in the moment. Ink is zen

Exactly. And just when you got it all figured out your substrate changes.

[Colin]

We are all a part of a craft industry.  There is no  Absolute right or wrong way to make things work.  But only sticking to one way of doing things will lead to failure.

Go with the flow and be in the moment. Ink is zen

Exactly. And just when you got it all figured out your substrate changes.

Truth

[Underbase37]

We are all a part of a craft industry.  There is no  Absolute right or wrong way to make things work.  But only sticking to one way of doing things will lead to failure.

Go with the flow and be in the moment. Ink is zen

Exactly. And just when you got it all figured out your substrate changes.

This^^

[Dottonedan]

So to make sure I'm getting this the knobs on the front that are the main pressure adjust, does it control every head all at one time or just that individual head?

[DannyGruninger]

So to make sure I'm getting this the knobs on the front that are the main pressure adjust, does it control every head all at one time or just that individual head?

Only that head, all pressure adjustments are individual heads

[ScreenFoo]

We are all a part of a craft industry.  There is no  Absolute right or wrong way to make things work.  But only sticking to one way of doing things will lead to failure.

Go with the flow and be in the moment. Ink is zen

Ink, screens, stencils, squeegees, presses, dryers, and occasionally the press op too.   

The analogy is very good, and in that respect I'd just mention that sticking to doing random things will lead to failure as well.
Do pseudo random things, see what works, repeat that for variables involved and develop some instinct.

[tonypep]

We will never change the depth of the squeegee blade.

We will change the pressure according to the mesh/ink type/type of print (halftones vs. spot)/etc..

I will go up to 40-50 pounds for sim process work.

I will go up to 50-60 pounds for "vintage" thin ink deposits.

I will be at 20-30 pounds for some top colors.  But sometimes I need to go up to 40... it depends on how the ink is behaving...

We are all a part of a craft industry.  There is no  Absolute right or wrong way to make things work.  But only sticking to one way of doing things will lead to failure.

Go with the flow and be in the moment. Ink is zen

What? there is no absolute one best way to do everything? Blasphemy I say