WTB M&R Tri-loc Registration Pallet 23X31

[ZooCity]

Homer, you're idea is what I'm trying to do now, but I'm not using the grid on the exposure unit, I'm lining up the film on a separate FPU.  I couldn't find a pallet jig for a reasonable price so I'm having a piece of aluminum cut and I'm going to put the pallet extrusion on it, then place my stop blocks in the right locations exactly like the FPU and I'll be done.  I would have thought my aluminum would have been done by now, but I'm paying $250 for it.  I'm having a local waterjet guy cut it out for me and I had the piece of aluminum drop shipped there last week.

Excited to see how it works out!  After ruling out the pin lock until we have an auto, we decided to do pretty much exactly what you are trying.  Haven't had time to do it as we're way too busy right now. I'd like to still build in an option for carrier sheets for our pre print and heavy repeat orders with pins and then mhm style for the rest of it. How are you going to address off contact?

[alan802]

$250 wow! Alan wouldnt it be cheaper to buy a large palette from M&R or somewhere and work with that?

Getting the aluminum cut the way I want it, so it will be lightweight and the shape/size I need is costing me $100.  I got the aluminum and pallet extrusion for $150.  I guess I could have bought a jumbo pallet but I still would have had to get it cut to miss the screen holders and to make it lighter so it wouldn't be so heavy.  It's been a while since I've priced jumbo pallets but I thought they were $200+ for something the size I needed. 

[ZooCity]

Again, stoked to see how this works.  I've got a good system concept roughed out just wasn't sure if going custom fab would wind up costing just as much and not working out or something. 

[Homer]

I spoke to Dave -Bimmridder- yesterday for about 45 minutes about this. He gave me some seriously sound advice regarding my reg marks on the glass unit and positives, make one a negative and one a positive... I order an M&R pallet bracket and will give'r a go when I get it in. One benefit of being a sign shop -we have many different substrates to pick from to make the jig out of. My main concern is the quality of my panel frames. I have a real nice corner to use with the bump stops, but they have to be within tolerance or the reg will be off. . .I won't know how well the frames are made until I make my reg unit. I'd like to see what you come up with Alan.

[DraginInk]

TAS has the EZ reg (or some similar name... I'm to lazy right now to go upstairs to look) but it needs "stupid pin locks" on your frames. Works pretty dern good though. But those "stupid pin locks" ain't free either!

I was wondering about the TAS system.  Do you run it?

Yes I do and have for years. It's not perfect (leaves room for operator error) but like most of the options it is a time saver on press set up. AND I swindled it out of 'em for free Actually I made the powers that had been at the time make good on a promise made by the powers that had been at another time.... long story with a happy ending for me

The pin blocks for my Newmans weren't free though.... ouch! I did 36 or so frames and I like to flip screens when image size allows... so 4 corners x36 x$$$

[Shanarchy]

The pin blocks for my Newmans weren't free though.... ouch! I did 36 or so frames and I like to flip screens when image size allows... so 4 corners x36 x$$$
[/quote]

Dragin,

You use the Neman Pin regi sysytem? What is your overall opinion of it? How accurate and user friendly is it?

[ZooCity]

Yes I do and have for years. It's not perfect (leaves room for operator error) but like most of the options it is a time saver on press set up. AND I swindled it out of 'em for free Actually I made the powers that had been at the time make good on a promise made by the powers that had been at another time.... long story with a happy ending for me

Cool.  I liked the little I saw from the video on the TAS site.  It looks like a simplified take on the newman pins.  More presses should have built-in reg systems, I think it's ridiculous that most don't.  It's such a key part of the process. 

Shane, I looked hard at the Pin-Lock system earlier this year and I think it's the best on the market for a number of reasons. Very well thought out on a lot of levels.  But, I think it's a pretty big systemic commitment to use it successfully and it's spendy so I'm holding off until we have a press that can do it justice.

[blue moon]

Yes I do and have for years. It's not perfect (leaves room for operator error) but like most of the options it is a time saver on press set up. AND I swindled it out of 'em for free Actually I made the powers that had been at the time make good on a promise made by the powers that had been at another time.... long story with a happy ending for me

Cool.  I liked the little I saw from the video on the TAS site.  It looks like a simplified take on the newman pins.  More presses should have built-in reg systems, I think it's ridiculous that most don't.  It's such a key part of the process. 

Shane, I looked hard at the Pin-Lock system earlier this year and I think it's the best on the market for a number of reasons. Very well thought out on a lot of levels.  But, I think it's a pretty big systemic commitment to use it successfully and it's spendy so I'm holding off until we have a press that can do it justice.

I think you should just get an MHM when you upgrade and not worry about registration!

[DraginInk]

The pin blocks for my Newmans weren't free though.... ouch! I did 36 or so frames and I like to flip screens when image size allows... so 4 corners x36 x$$$

Dragin,

You use the Neman Pin regi sysytem? What is your overall opinion of it? How accurate and user friendly is it?
[/quote]

Shane,
I just use the pin blocks on my Newman frames which allows them to work with the TAS "EZI-REG" system I use.

[DraginInk]

Yes I do and have for years. It's not perfect (leaves room for operator error) but like most of the options it is a time saver on press set up. AND I swindled it out of 'em for free Actually I made the powers that had been at the time make good on a promise made by the powers that had been at another time.... long story with a happy ending for me

Cool.  I liked the little I saw from the video on the TAS site.  It looks like a simplified take on the newman pins.  More presses should have built-in reg systems, I think it's ridiculous that most don't.  It's such a key part of the process. 

Shane, I looked hard at the Pin-Lock system earlier this year and I think it's the best on the market for a number of reasons. Very well thought out on a lot of levels.  But, I think it's a pretty big systemic commitment to use it successfully and it's spendy so I'm holding off until we have a press that can do it justice.

You are correct in saying simplified. It works when used right and doesn't when not.... pretty simple. 

Some systems I have looked at seem way over "thunk"

[ZooCity]

I think you should just get an MHM when you upgrade and not worry about registration!

Sounds great, you'll sell me yours right?  That way you can get a shiny new one.     But seriously, I'm into it.  The way things are going with MHM sounds better than when I checked on it last.  I wish so bad that they still sold and serviced that oval they had, that thing is just downright sexy. 

Another note, I believe Newman makes the Pin-Lock to work integrated with the MHM system.  That is, you could pick up the fpu from MHM for the non-repeat jobs and then use the Pin-Lock alignment setup for repeat setups.   That way you'd reg up the repeaters once on the carrier sheets and just pin 'em up and rock it later. 

I need to actually get some pricing from them, I'm just afraid of initiating that process during busy season.  I'm fresh meat in the auto world and I know how equipment sales can be. 

You are correct in saying simplified. It works when used right and doesn't when not.... pretty simple. 

Some systems I have looked at seem way over "thunk"

I like that, keep it simple.  Close to perfect is close enough, that's what the micros are for.  Respect to Newman though for making a system that, if you used it religiously and reverently and kept your gear in tune, would be spot on every time.  Wouldn't that be a trip to just lock screens in and go every single run?

Speaking of, back to work....

[blue moon]

Sounds great, you'll sell me yours right?  That way you can get a shiny new one.     But seriously, I'm into it.  The way things are going with MHM sounds better than when I checked on it last.  I wish so bad that they still sold and serviced that oval they had, that thing is just downright sexy. 

Another note, I believe Newman makes the Pin-Lock to work integrated with the MHM system.  That is, you could pick up the fpu from MHM for the non-repeat jobs and then use the Pin-Lock alignment setup for repeat setups.   That way you'd reg up the repeaters once on the carrier sheets and just pin 'em up and rock it later. 

I need to actually get some pricing from them, I'm just afraid of initiating that process during busy season.  I'm fresh meat in the auto world and I know how equipment sales can be. 

I am still another year or two from getting another press, and my guess is, I might keep this one. . . but you never know.

MHM does not make the oval any more,  but the mastermind behind the MHM is now on his own and has a better oval for sale. Hirsch does sell it. I have talked to them about it, but at $160k for a 6 color press it is out of my price range.

it has a drive in each platten and thus no chain. There are sensors that will stop it if somebody walks into the press (watch the video). The control unit can be moved around (I think it is wireless) and can be set up where ever you want to run the press from. Do some more searching, from what I am hearing, it is about 10 years ahead of anything out there.

Digotex IDO Overview.flv

[ZooCity]

Holy crap Pierre, thanks for the porn. 

The platen alignment business going on there is way ahead of anything I've seen. 

What's this thing called?

[blue moon]

just google digotex

here are some pix on TSF (with one that shall remain unnamed)
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/screen-printing-equipment/t148486.html

and some more from the manufacturer directly:
http://www.digotex.at/flyer/Digotex%20Flyer%20iD%20series.pdf

[ZooCity]

This press looks ingenious.  Independent drive?  Brilliant.  It has a lifetime registration guarantee. 

160k for 6 colors is ludicrously spendy though.  I wonder if they're willing to cut some deals for the first few that are coming into the states?  Presumably, there will be bugs to work out so I'd want a discount on running one of the initial builds.  That's assuming these aren't already in production all over the place.