Who has the best bang for the buck in autos?

[Prosperi-Tees]

Brandt brings up a very good point. I dont know about MHM, RPM, or TAS' support systems. I know M&R, Anatol, and Workhorse all have more than enough people in the states to service the equipment although M&R probably has without a doubt the best service support.

[Gabe]

we only needed support from the manufacturer once
not bad for 3 years

[GraphicDisorder]

we only needed support from the manufacturer once
not bad for 3 years

That's a great thing.  If your like me though, you plan for the worst, hope for the best.  Worst case, I want fast support. Best case, wont need any. 

[alan802]

If any of us bought a machine and it needed a tech out the next day, there is only one company that could consistently handle that and that is M&R.  I'd be willing to bet that they could get a tech to any shop within the US the next day and do it 99.9% of the time.  Anatol, probably a lot less, TUF/Progressive, more than Anatol but far less than M&R, RPM probably less than those guys but better than MHM or TAS, but I"m purely guessing on that last one. 

A couple months after we had our machine, we were having intermintent error messages coming from the servo.  Rick was flying in the next day with some parts that would fix whatever the problem would have been but I found the culprit before he had to do so.  At first I had looked at all the wires to make sure it wasn't something simple so the next step was to change out the servo amplifier and servo motor and Rick was going to make the trip and do that.  I was confident that I had checked everything he told me to really well so he was going to book the trip, but I went over the press much more thoroughly and I'm glad I did.  I found a cable that was wasn't plugged all the way in to the back of the main electrical component box underneath the machine and I plugged it back in all the way, ran the press for a thousand indexes and no faults so that turned out to be the problem.  I was happy to know that Rick was going to be out the next day to take care of the problem.  I just wonder with him being a one man show, how he would have handled that if he was at another install across the country from us.  He has told me that if that were to happen, he does have more than one person that could help do any technical service and his partner was one of those guys.  After running the machine and learning everything I could about it I feel confident that I could do just about anything to our machine except for a few of the most technical things.  It's really about as plug-n-play as it gets as far as a machine it's size and complexity could be.  It's a very simple machine.  The old centurian we had was a nightmare, and crawling around it with a multi-meter in hand was necessary to troubleshoot the issues you were having.  I don't miss that at all, I like being able to understand most everything about our press and how it works.

Gerry, as far as I can tell and from what I have talked to Rick about, it is business as usual with him and RPM is still doing what they do.  And I feel confident that it will remain that way, it's just that he's got a little more competition now .  Which can't be too bad of a thing.  Competition is good.

Machines break down, all of them, but some of them less than others, and some of them way less than others.  Service after the sale is as important as most any other reason to buy.  I know Rick is behind the barrel on that issue and the more presses he has in the field, the more important it will be that he sets up a network or staff to help fix those issues.  He's gotten by fine so far, and I feel that if our machine went down tomorrow, he or someone he trusts would be there on Tuesday to fix the press, but I obviously can't say that for sure like I could about M&R.  They are the standard for service and support after the sale, and hell, before the sale as well.  If any manufacturer wants to make sure they take care of their customers as well as the competition, then they need to model themselves after M&R, at least as much as they can without financially strangling themselves.

[Prosperi-Tees]

As always good advice Alan. I know you made your own reg system for your press but I am not as handy as you so I would like a ready to go one. Will the Newman or Tri-Loc work with the RPM? Which one would be better? That is assuming that I would go the roller frame route. If I did not go with rollers would I just be limited to the Tri-Loc?

[alan802]

As always good advice Alan. I know you made your own reg system for your press but I am not as handy as you so I would like a ready to go one. Will the Newman or Tri-Loc work with the RPM? Which one would be better? That is assuming that I would go the roller frame route. If I did not go with rollers would I just be limited to the Tri-Loc?

Both systems will fit seamlessly onto the RPM.  You will be limited to the triloc if you don't have the rollers though.  I think both systems are only as good as the person putting the film on the screens.  They will both work great with very little micro work needed if your guy or girl is good at what they do.

[Sbrem]

We haven't had any support issues with our MHM, but we know independents who know their stuff inside out. Not to mention that we've almost never needed any.  As for the FPU, I've built many over the years, and liked the look of the tri-loc and Newman pinlock, but when I saw the MHM at the shop we where we were checking the press out, it was so blatantly obvious that there was no need for improvement on it. It's simply as easy as placing the film on the screen and taping it in place, then putting it into the vacuum frame. Voila! (not wala, sorry, I had to spell it correctly). In a busy shop, that can buy and hour or two per week I would guess.

Steve

[Shawn (EIP)]

Spider Machines!    just kidding...

[3Deep]

LOL Shawn you might joke, but the guy does know his stuff and would do whatever it is to get a press up and going.  I just read a few post and everytime this topic comes up it turns to M&R service yes M&R has people all over the world seems like and Rich is a very good guy.  Answer this question whats a great press without the service coming with it...I would love to never see a service guy in my shop, but that is crazy thinking, everything needs service if its mechanical.  I think a press that needs almost no service tech at your door is a good press to have, since I,ve had my Anatol I've had no service tech come by, but have had service on the phone to fix minor things, and I sure theres many other presses companies the same way.

Darryl

[Prosperi-Tees]

How much more is the MHM compared to a RPM or M&R? I know Anatol can beat everybody in price but what are we talking for MHM 20K more? 30K more?

[GraphicDisorder]

How much more is the MHM compared to a RPM or M&R? I know Anatol can beat everybody in price but what are we talking for MHM 20K more? 30K more?

I dunno what it is today, but when I priced them a few years back (tire kicking).  MHM was a good 20k more.   

[squeegee]

Brandt brings up a very good point. I dont know about MHM, RPM, or TAS' support systems. I know M&R, Anatol, and Workhorse all have more than enough people in the states to service the equipment although M&R probably has without a doubt the best service support.

Here's what I know about support in regards to MHM.

Hirsch, to get phone tech support you have to call in and leave your name in their queque.  Someone calls back normally within an hour.  Or I can call the lead machine tech directly.  Most of the time he'll answer but if he does not he calls back normally within a hour or so.  In the summer they are more busy and it can take longer to hear back.  I've never had a situation come up that caused me to lose time in production because no one got back to me, each and every time I've needed help, I got it.  I don't spend a lot of time with techs on the phone either, it's very infrequent and I think MHM should be credited for that.  Now that may not be what some here say or think, but that is honestly how it's gone down for us over the last 6 years.

Could I have a tech here tomorrow if needed?  Well I don't know, I have never asked.  In the 10 yrs I ran Javelins I never needed a tech to get here tomorrow.  I guess I'm not fearful of that because almost all problems can be easily fixed with a little phone support.  Now if I were fearful of turning a wrench or picking up a machine schematic, then it might be different. 

In regards to a press jig, here's my thought on time; one color job let's say since someone else brought it up previously.  On the MHM, you load the screen and you're ready to print.  If you have a pallet jig, you first remove a pallet, get the jig and fasten it, then move it to the head, table up, lock the screen.  Then you have to take off the jig and put the pallet back on.  Then you are ready to print.  What happens when a you have a bad screen?  MHM--take it out put another in place, print.  With a jig, in addition to the screen change, you take a pallet off again, put the jig on, move jig to head, table up, lock, remove jig, replace pallet.  In my mind the jig process takes at least a minute or 2, not merely seconds every time you use it.  Multipy that times thousands of changeovers in the lifespan of a machine, then you're talking real time.




 

[Homer]

can you use rollers on mhm? all the vids I've seen are static. . .I agree about the pallet jig style reg system. pita but better than nothing. That's why I couldn't justify 2500.00 for triloc, awesome product, but still time consuming and the hell with carrier sheets.

[Shanarchy]

can you use rollers on mhm? all the vids I've seen are static. . .I agree about the pallet jig style reg system. pita but better than nothing. That's why I couldn't justify 2500.00 for triloc, awesome product, but still time consuming and the hell with carrier sheets.

Newman makes pin locks for the MHM. Not sure the price but normal Newman pin locks are $12/pair


http://www.stretchdevices.com/pinlock-registration-system-textile-press
(bottom of page)

[squeegee]

Here's a vid with newmans

MHM E 型 圆盘印花机 MHM CAROUSEL E TYPE - 视频 - 优酷视频 - 在线观看