eighty screens in eighty minutes (DTS cons and pros)

[mk162]

I saw at least 3.  I am sure there were more. 

[GKitson]

Here is another video of how we use CTS in our work flow,

Mind's Eye Graphics CTS Screen Exposure & Washout Workflow- May 2013 60 + per hour

60 plus screens per hour, this video starts in the middle of the workflow process after full multi-tasking efficiency is reached.  Notice the lack of rush by the operator, it is a slow steady sustainable pace.

This demonstration is using an I-Jet to CTS image screens in advance & stage,  KIWO One Coat emulsion at 70 light units, Olite 5K with AL131 integrator photocell located in center of light field, 48" from photocell to glass on front of exposure unit.

3 gal per min 900PSI Pressure washer, 37 Gal water only pre-soak tank with heater, spray head spraying a constant rinse on the back side of the screens in washout sink except when moving, and drying in hardware store wire racks with box fans blowing down across wet image.  With complete exposure, no problem with p/w washout or scumming during dry time.  Shot to a 6 on a 21 step scale, hard rinse.


Comments and questions appreciated.

~Kitson

[bimmridder]

Looks like you do a variety of mesh counts and mesh color at the same exposure units. Might that be another benefit of CTS not talked about much? I know I do a lot of that myself. I hope I'm not putting words in your mouth.

[GKitson]

Looks like you do a variety of mesh counts and mesh color at the same exposure units. Might that be another benefit of CTS not talked about much? I know I do a lot of that myself. I hope I'm not putting words in your mouth.

All the screens in this sample were either 110 or 140.   The guys do 110, 140 and 180 with SBQ at the same exposure.  We 'overcook' a bit to insure durability, wash ability, and long run press life.  The only white mesh we have is over 10 years old and 110. 

230, 255 & 305 with dual cure at a much longer different exposure, but same washout out parameters.

[ScreenFoo]

You'll forgive my ignorance on this, but you say you put the photocell in the center of the light field--are you talking about centered on the other side of the screen, or centered on an edge of the whatever-you-call-it-instead-of-a-vacuum-frame?

[screenprintguy]

Cool video Greg!!! I can honestly say this, I wish I would have done the deal on our I-Image CTS 2 years ago instead of waiting. It has made life so much better for us here. Our quality of printing because of the accuracy of the CTS coupled with a "zero trapping" sep now has seriously increased, along with speed and efficiency. I love the thing. We cured one bottle neck this month, we were going to go your route with a free standing lamp, maybe still in the future, but we came across an INSANE sick deal on a Tri-Light that was already altered for CTS, so now shooting 2 screens at a time in half the exposure time we had before and the I-IMage knocking out screen imaging, the rest of the work is me trying to keep up with it, which I can't. Next step is to install a new rinse booth specifically for the exposed screens instead of hauling them 200 feet to the reclaim area. If we can narrow that to 2-5 foot steps like you have, I think we will be set for a while in our imaging. The CTS is by far the way to go, even for a small shop like us!

Mike

[GKitson]

You'll forgive my ignorance on this, but you say you put the photocell in the center of the light field--are you talking about centered on the other side of the screen, or centered on an edge of the whatever-you-call-it-instead-of-a-vacuum-frame?

Picture below is of our hi-tech "whatever-you-call-it-instead-of-a-vacuum-frame" exposure apparatus, a sheet of plywood painted flat black with chunks of scrap 2x4 bolted to the board to hang screens on.  Photocell is "almost" in the center.  We could expose faster if we were closer but this distance allows the loading of 2 top before removing 2 bottom etc. works best in our work flow.

~Kitson

[bimmridder]

Frightening similar to us. I did find that after doing however many thousand screens, the not so gentle placing of screens on the wall vibrated enough that the "windows" on the photo cell had moved. After a new bulb and recalibration last time, I put a piece of tape on each screw to prevent this. I guess that just for those of us with this system. Some day I'll do some video and we can compare notes.

[ZooCity]

Nice.  Two big questions:

• All that ambient light from the expo- no issues with high detail screens?
• How is light scatter not an issue behind the screens, the black backer soaks it up?

We do the same thing here, down to the same expo unit and washout tank + press wash resolving, but not CTS- pin lock and big vac frame -and light safe area.  What your doing looks incredibly efficient for throughput, I like it.

[screenprintguy]

I think it all comes down to the fact that the image is directly on the emulsion, there is no where for the light to go, to get around, same thing as us using an exposure unit no glass, light can't get around the image being that the image is right on, and in our case soaks it'self in the surface of the emulsion. Even an over exposure still produces a perfect edge, it's pretty amazing stuff

[bimmridder]

The wall is black for that reason.

[Gilligan]

Here is another video of how we use CTS in our work flow,

Mind's Eye Graphics CTS Screen Exposure & Washout Workflow- May 2013 60 + per hour

60 plus screens per hour, this video starts in the middle of the workflow process after full multi-tasking efficiency is reached.  Notice the lack of rush by the operator, it is a slow steady sustainable pace.

This demonstration is using an I-Jet to CTS image screens in advance & stage,  KIWO One Coat emulsion at 70 light units, Olite 5K with AL131 integrator photocell located in center of light field, 48" from photocell to glass on front of exposure unit.

3 gal per min 900PSI Pressure washer, 37 Gal water only pre-soak tank with heater, spray head spraying a constant rinse on the back side of the screens in washout sink except when moving, and drying in hardware store wire racks with box fans blowing down across wet image.  With complete exposure, no problem with p/w washout or scumming during dry time.  Shot to a 6 on a 21 step scale, hard rinse.


Comments and questions appreciated.

~Kitson

I certainly won't argue with success and you guys seem to be killing it!  But man that seems like a lot of exposure going on randomly standing with unexposed screens waiting for the light to turn off... all the light that slips in on those unexposed screens in the "dark room".  That just seems "wrong" by all "text book" standards, but like I said, I won't argue with success!

I do really like that soak tank and the sprayers behind the screens (care to share any details on those guys?)  Also the rack with fans seem pretty efficient as well!

[Inkworks]

Funny my first thought was all that unshielded UV your screen guy was getting exposed to. UV burns on the eyes feel like sand in your eyes. One shop I consulted at had a UV graphic dryer with improper shielding and was a real retina roaster, the kicker is you don't feel it until about 12 hours after exposure. I know an exposure light isn't near the UV output of a UV oven, but I'd have to think that's gotta be hard on the eyes after a while.

Other than that, great job on a well oiled machine of screen shooting and washing out! Very little wasted movement and everything looks well thought out and most important -> simple!

[Admiral]

I certainly won't argue with success and you guys seem to be killing it!  But man that seems like a lot of exposure going on randomly standing with unexposed screens waiting for the light to turn off... all the light that slips in on those unexposed screens in the "dark room".  That just seems "wrong" by all "text book" standards, but like I said, I won't argue with success!

I do really like that soak tank and the sprayers behind the screens (care to share any details on those guys?) Also the rack with fans seem pretty efficient as well!

It's almost exactly what I designed and we have been using for over a year, wooden rack custom made, ours just holds 8 screens and has 2 fans on it.  Most screens we do in a day is about 60 so 8 works fine for us.

[Screened Gear]

If your worried about light bouncing back on the screen you should angle the backing on the screens. That way the light that hits the backing is not coming back at the screen but up or down at the floor. You would have to add more space from the screen and the backing to do that but then you would have next to no chance of light bounce effecting the screens. If you want to make it real good use black cloth or a soft fluffy material. Light reflects off hard surfaces alot easier then a surface like cloth. (Light is much like sound in that way)