All Heads Down

[Prosperi-Tees]

Does anyone here actually utilize an all heads down press for what all heads down is intended for?

[Inkworks]

We used to occasionally on an old 6/6 Chapperal, you might be surprised at just how fast you can go with enough people.

Even on a non-all-heads-down machine you can really fly through one colour jobs with one loading, one printing and one unloading and swinging platens. Yes, you can go faster than 3 times as fast as a single person, so it's a net gain.

[ZooCity]

Never had an all heads down press- the double gated workhorse and Antec are the only two btw.  Our Anatol was advertised as "all heads down" but wasn't even registered when it arrived....

Before the auto, when we had to run 1k pc 1co. orders I would print, someone would load, someone would pull/index.  350-450 pcs an hour easy with that setup. 

[Screened Gear]

2 color on  manual with 2 guys

guy 1 loads the shirt and rotates pallets
guys 2 prints that shirt with the first color
After first shirt that is printed comes around guy 1 prints second color then rotates the pallets to guy 1
guy 1 now unloads on to the dryer.
repeat

This is super fast and you don't move from your spots.

[ScreenFoo]

I don't know if I've ever seen more than two good manual printers in a room before.   
Ran an old Hopkins International that was all heads down proper years ago.  Wasn't calibrated when I first got to it, but it cleaned up great.
Has an aluminum ring that all the head supports rest on, the supports float left and right just a hair, so they can seat in the gates.

Of course, at the time, having an 8/10 Gauntlet as well made the AHD part of the press kinda worthless....

We do two colors without AHD here all the time.  Not sure if it's exactly how Jon is saying it, but usually I load a shirt opposite the unload station while the other person is putting the second color down, and then they are pulling the shirt when I'm printing so there's no 'dueling gates'. 

[Inkworks]

Never had an all heads down press- the double gated workhorse and Antec are the only two btw. 

That can't be right, I know our old Chapperal was, Vastex has it, M&R too.

[chubsetc]

My Jennings manual is all heads down, and will set up that way if done correctly.

[bimmridder]

We had four and six color all heads down Ch apparels. We ran With four people on the 6x6 very often.

[ZooCity]

I stand corrected!

[Inkworks]

Those Chapperals are a pretty good press, off contact adjustment is one of the best, but the micros suhhhHHHHhhhuck, I learned to set-up on-target the first time with them. Great storage for the platen glue in the cabinet base too.

[GKitson]

I've always looked at a press that is all heads down capable as being an indication of how well it is made. 

As for having 2,3 or 4 people spinning a manual, if you have room for 4 people on a manual press, you have room for an entry level automatic. 

Only takes a couple of jobs per month to make the payment and it never calls in sick.

Think about it!

~Kitson

[Socalfmf]

Greg..I was thinking the same thing...hell have 1 guy on the press and 1 guy catching getting shirts out whatever and you would be way ahead even with a payment on the machine. 

I think that people look at the BIG number a press cost vs. the hourly or daily rate of a press payment.  and what that press can produce.

sam

[Mike_0306]

Anatol Manual Screen Printing demonstration

[Mike_0306]

As for having 2,3 or 4 people spinning a manual, if you have room for 4 people on a manual press, you have room for an entry level automatic. 

Only takes a couple of jobs per month to make the payment and it never calls in sick.

Agreed 100% however, as someone else mentioned the large initial financial commitment is enough to make some think twice. A lack of desire to pay interest on financing is another issue for some, average color/quantity order, etc. Hiring a few extra hands for a week or two might be easier to justify than adding an automatic for some. Whatever the reason might be, at least all-heads down is a feature that gives screen printers the ability to print faster manually.

[ScreenFoo]

Good edit.   

You have to get those couple jobs a month all year round...plus a couple jobs to cover rent, a couple jobs to cover wages, etc...  I think that's what most well-researched realistic people are much more nervous about than the price tag.