All heads down printing on a manual press (Vastex)

[Raw Paw]

Hello TSB family,

We are looking into purchasing another manual press.  All heads down printing is a priority.  We have been debating the idea of an auto for some time now, and at the moment it isn't the best move for us, in terms of how we want to grow as a shop.

Since we took our business full time in 2013 we've printed everything on our 8 station Vastex V-2000.  Great press.  If you are looking to start a screen printing business, I wouldn't recommend anything else.  It does a great job of holding registration while printing one head at a time, for massive runs, registering screens is easy enough, the press has held up to constant hard usage much better than any other manual I've used...  There are tons of pallet accessories, it's a pretty versatile and reliable press.

However, it is advertised as working all heads down, and that has never been our experience.  When printing large multi color jobs, with multiple printers on press, we can always tell if two of the heads are down at once, because one of the colors being printed will be out of reg a drastic amount, like 1/4."  Sometimes multiple heads go down smooth, sometimes they have to be gently forced down, depending on which arm of the press is being printed on, and which heads are being printed on.

We'd love to get another Vastex, preferably a 10/10, so we could continue using the same pallets and what not.  However, we want to get this new press to increase efficiency - essentially, to have large multi color jobs running on it all day, which will be MASSIVELY sped up by all heads down.  In reading about this topic on this board, I have seen people claim the only "true" all heads down manual press is the Antec Legend.

Any Vastex printers out there with any experience utilizing all heads down?  We'd love to have a tech come in and dial it in for us, but if it is really a question at all of it being dialed in, then I am skeptical of retaining perfect, all heads down registration throughout the lifespan of the press.  This is a feature that really should come working properly from the jump.

Thank you and may the print lords shine down ever so brightly upon you all

[Sbrem]

So, if all heads down is what you're looking for, doesn't one need a printer on each head? Way, way back, in my first shop, we would have 1 to 3 operators on a manual press; for multi-color, 2, as one would load and unload while the other prints, and 3 for one color work, a loader, an unloader, and the printer. 300 plus an hour easily. I'd be thinking an auto though, which is less expensive than labor in my book. We bought our first auto, used, for $15K. Not to mention finding said labor nowadays...

Steve

[mooseman]

sent you a PM call me I have a V2000 and some ideas for you.
mooseman

[siestasol]

Sorry to said this , Why do You "want to have large multi color jobs running on it all day" in a manual press with the time consuming, and the labor this will implicate..., You can do a couple large multi colors jobs in a used auto 8/10 (Since its almost the same space to run a 10/10 manual with different people)?
Any auto will free You time, and make your life more pleasant.
My 2 cents.

[3Deep]

Sorry to said this , Why do You "want to have large multi color jobs running on it all day" in a manual press with the time consuming, and the labor this will implicate..., You can do a couple large multi colors jobs in a used auto 8/10 (Since its almost the same space to run a 10/10 manual with different people)?
Any auto will free You time, and make your life more pleasant.
My 2 cents.

Although what you say I agree with, but every shop know what they need to run and stay afloat, adding an auto comes with added expense, which they may not be ready for right now.

[scrubz]

Antec Legend,  I ran an 8 color for years, sometimes with 5 of us pulling away, not once out of reg, ever.  The heads register themselves at each station. 

[BrazosDesigns]

Antec Legend is the best all-heads-down manual I have used.  When I have to, I get 2-3 people on the Legend 6/6 and whip out the prints.  I actually have 2 flash units and can do a base, flash, 2-3 more colors, flash, and highlight white, with each person doing 2 screens (rotate between 2 screens at the same station) and we can go pretty dang fast.  On a 2-3 color job we can rival the auto.

I've owned a Sidewinder 6/6 air and a Workhorse 6/6 Mach all-heads down.  The Workhorse was so much better than the Sidewinder - and lighter.

Go with an Antec Legend..

[Rockers]

So, if all heads down is what you're looking for, doesn't one need a printer on each head? Way, way back, in my first shop, we would have 1 to 3 operators on a manual press; for multi-color, 2, as one would load and unload while the other prints, and 3 for one color work, a loader, an unloader, and the printer. 300 plus an hour easily. I'd be thinking an auto though, which is less expensive than labor in my book. We bought our first auto, used, for $15K. Not to mention finding said labor nowadays...

Steve

Doormats come to mind. Thousands of doormats every month. Pallets full of doormats. Animal motives , dogs, cats hedgehogs. 6-8 colors.