LETS SQUEEZE SOME MORE BLOOD OUT OF THIS TURNUP

[downtowntshirts]

Just switched to I Image with tri loc. Pretty big upgrade. Looking for other ways to save time around the shop. Like getting a larger washout booth that could take 2 screens at a time. Figured maybe being able to wash out 2 at once might save some time. Anybody else make this change and did it work. For that matter, what equipment upgrades have you guys made that bought you back some time in the shop.
Thanks,
Tom

[domineight]

A good size washout bay is handy regardless. The one I use currently is 4 meters long!

A parts washer with recirculating washup liquid to take excess ink off screens and wash squeegee's or ink components in is a good system. It will save a fraction of time, but over a period should see genuine saving in the consumables used for washing up. Someone here may have done a more accurate study of it. But I like the system anyway, cart all your mess away from the press and washup in one contained area.

I can't have this because I've simply run out of room, but I might revisit it down the track.

[Prince Art]

Reorganizing the placement of equipment to streamline tasks & reduce wasted motions has been a big help. Getting rid of unused items & clutter has also been part of that. This helps in the obvious sense of efficiency, but don't underestimate the psychological benefits of well-organized space where it feels like things make sense & you have enough room to breath!

[Maxie]

I changed my system of reclaiming screens and saved a lot of time and made the process much easier.
I use the Saati system with air pumps for the chemicals.    Ink remover, emulsion remover and degreaser.
I had a stainless steel sink custom built with a drain at the back, high sides so I can stand the screens and half the top is covered to stop splashing.
Yesterday I added a corner piece to the sink, made the work area much bigger.
We card excess ink out after the press, from ink removal to degreasing we do 24 screens an hour.
For us this is much faster and easier than what we used to do.     I have not worked out the cost per screen but I don’t reaaly care, it’s just so much easier and our screens are cleaner.
I had a dip tank but stopped using it, we kept forgetting screens in the tank.
This way we are using fresh chemicals all the time.
In the corner piece I added to the sink we put in a drain hole, I’m going to put in a recirculating system for cleaning squeegees and flood bars.

[alan802]

Get you a post-exposure dip tank (preferably one that holds at least 4 screens) and double your washout booth size and you'll almost double your stencil making throughput.  It's not quite a 100% increase over a single/double post-expo tank and single washout but it's pretty close.  Our current setup is a 2-screen post tank and a single washout, and our bottleneck is two-fold, only being able to soak 2 screens at a time and then the washout.  In the summer I'll wash out 2 screens at at time with one being on the floor and the spray not being contained but it dries within 15 minutes and the wet floor is not in a place where people walk.  When I do that my bottleneck is at the post expo tank and if I at least doubled it's size then the bottleneck would likely be the expo unit.  At least that's how it all plays out in my mind.  I'm sure a new issue would pop up as an unintended consequence. 

[ebscreen]

Get you a post-exposure dip tank

Came here to post just that.

We also (finally) recently installed a filtered air gun in the screen room for post cleaning/exposure.
Seems to be speeding up drying times.

[tonypep]

Drying time is a constraint (usually) We have a couple of turbo fans and tricked out air guns to minimize this a great deal. The fans are $500 and worth every penny

[Maxie]

I also thought of this after I posted, I think Kitson calls it a soak tank.      Makes wash out much easier and faster, ours holds 2 screens and we expose 2 at a time so it's ok.
We have a vacuum in the room and when we are in a hurry we vacuum the water off to speed up drying otherwise we let it drip dry.    I just rebuilt of drying rack, I made it with the screens standing up and it didn't hold enough screens, I recently visited Danny and saw he dries screen on their side.     I built a new one so now have 3 rows of screens on their side instead of 2 rows standing.
All the shops I've seen use the square fans.     You have to have a clean shop for this to work.
Another time saver is tapeless screens, I've going to try this but I'm not sure it will work in our place, all our screens are 23x31 and I think we will have a lot of ink to clean on the sides.    I assume you need bit screens for this to work.