TSB
screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: inkbrigade on February 23, 2012, 06:59:34 PM
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Meaning, do a strike off for a customer on the Chameleon. Get an OK from the customer and then move the job to the auto?
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that is what it was built for. To sample for colors or what not before going to the auto for a production run.
you don't want to print 300 of anything on that press. Fill a 14 color cham with M3's and the rotating mass is crazy.
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Jen seems to think it wouldn't work as a press check as the print would look different from the manual to the auto.
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We used one at Disney and that is what we sampled everything on before going to the auto. So yes, Like John said. It's what it was designed for. You can get sim process very close to the auto version.
In fact, what you do, is not try to match the Auto print quality on a manual, but rather match the manual print quality (on your auto).
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I am bringing in one exactly for this purpose. Yes there can be differences between the Man vs Auto but in skilled hands it should be minimal.
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thats why I replaced my HIX manual for a chameleon after I got my auto. It was a pain setting up a sample on the auto. With the chameleon I can do a sample tear it down and let it sit until the ok because the screens can be shot the same.
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fwiw, the Cham is the only manual out there that is really engineered for this. M&R built it to handle roller frames in auto sizes and integrate with pre-reg systems. It's a sampling press, too heavy at the higher colors for most production runs and overbuilt overall.
I've been through a handful of presses over my career and none, despite what they might claim, are built to handle auto screens effectively. Other press brands can be used but require modification in my experience.
If you are going to get one, I recommend getting the highest color press you need right away to match your color capacity on the auto, minus the flash station of course. The duo-deck for the upper tier to make your 6 color a 10 or you 8 color a 14 is conceptually something you can upgrade later but the cost is actually prohibitive for that top tier in my opinion.
I'm still waiting for M&R to put an indexer on the Chameleon. Then it would be a serious sampling and production machine.
The only thing I really dislike about that press, aside from the weight is the micros but if you are already o.k. with that style from using your auto than that's a non-issue. I also do not care for the adjustable off-contact, it tends to cause more issues than it solves in the end but is also kinda handy at certain times as well.