Author Topic: Discharging with Electric Dryer?  (Read 3430 times)

Offline Grape Ape

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Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« on: March 29, 2013, 10:05:40 AM »
Has anyone been able to do this with good results?


Offline dirkdiggler

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2013, 10:09:28 AM »
it will work, but slow
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Offline IntegrityShirts

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2013, 10:14:53 AM »
It works, but I don't think anyone with an electric dryer has ever cured discharge and said, "Wow, that was fast".  ;D

Offline Grape Ape

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2013, 11:07:54 AM »
it will work, but slow

What Time and Temp are you at. Have you had to run them back through any?

Thanks

Offline Inkworks

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2013, 11:44:38 AM »
We keep it simple ~325F for 2-2.5 minutes. Works like a charm and haven't had any issues after wash tests, and that's an old Hix with no air movement, but good ventilation. I probably wouldn't want to do it with 4-6' of heat as your belt speed would have to be way too slow. We have 9' of heat so it isn't too bad, but yes, it is the bottleneck for the auto. We make do by folding the shirt to just larger than print area for now. We'll also experiment with higher heats, but for now I like 325 as it's almost impossible to scorch a shirt.
Wishin' I was Fishin'

Offline blue moon

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2013, 12:15:37 PM »
we used to do it. . .  had the shirts coming out at 400+ and could only do about 125/hour (compared to 700 of plastisol for a similar sized print). No air movement eihter.

pierre
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Offline Inkworks

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2013, 12:29:13 PM »
I don't have full on production figures yet, but with Plastisol on my poor old 24"-14' Hix we hit ~480/hour. I'd imagine WB/DC will max out at around 250-350/hr. I wouldn't think we'd be losing more than 25% because that's all we slow the belt down by. It still requires the puller to fold down the shirts, but I've got a guy who's an automaton at that.

We've still got a trick up our sleeve for when we need it, and that's parking an IR flash cure over the belt at the tunnel intake which effectively adds 20% of "tunnel" allowing us to speed up the belt by that much. We've done that with large runs of wineglasses and the padprinter before with good results.

Necessity is the mother of invention, at least it is until a 48/16 gas oven falls into my lap  ;D
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Offline tonypep

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2013, 01:11:57 PM »
Reminds me how we used to squeeze one extra color on the Ovals by rigging a manual screen at the end of the load side......Genius (not my idea)

Offline Inkworks

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2013, 01:19:11 PM »
Lol, that sound like innovation to me!

Someone else here also suggested a good long flash on the auto for WB/DC before the shirt is pulled to help get things started for those of us who are "under-ovened".
Wishin' I was Fishin'

Offline kingscreen

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2013, 01:22:30 PM »
We do it everyday with no problems. Speed is slower than plastisol but still we're able to run about 350+pcs./hr. depending on the print size. 48" belt. 6' of heat.
Scott Garnett
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Offline Grape Ape

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2013, 01:27:50 PM »
We do it everyday with no problems. Speed is slower than plastisol but still we're able to run about 350+pcs./hr. depending on the print size. 48" belt. 6' of heat.

What temp and belt speed (FPM)?

Thanks

Offline Inkworks

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2013, 01:34:50 PM »
The smell test at the end of the dryer is quite accurate, if it doesn't smell like discharge anymore, you should be good to go. Of course you will want to wash-test a lot at first until you are positive, but "follow your nose" works pretty well.
Wishin' I was Fishin'

Offline IntegrityShirts

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2013, 01:38:01 PM »
Reminds me how we used to squeeze one extra color on the Ovals by rigging a manual screen at the end of the load side......Genius (not my idea)

As if running an oval weren't bad enough (I used to own one), adding a manual screen on the load side???









Actually, it was probably the best and most registered color right?  ;D

Offline kingscreen

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2013, 01:41:06 PM »
What temp and belt speed (FPM)?
Thanks

410F @ 8.5FPM. Belt to element height = 6".
Scott Garnett
King Screen

Offline brandon

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Re: Discharging with Electric Dryer?
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2013, 01:54:09 PM »
Yeah, before we went to all gas years ago we were electric. A fan at both ends (one pushing in air, one pulling it out) helped with the cure for discharge inks tremendously. Give it a shot