TSB
General => Industry News/ Announcements/Press Releases/Product Promotion => Topic started by: Action1 on July 07, 2012, 09:49:14 AM
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Action Engineering is proud to once again present TSB members with the first view of our most recent development efforts. Roller Squeegees have many uses. We welcome your suggestions as to how these can be most useful. Please chime in one and all and discuss the various areas of benefit for roller squeegees.
Action Engineering
Product Development Team
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i thought about doing something like this with a lint roller.. so you could use on top of a blank shirt and pick up lint like a lint screen.. any thoughts>?
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Hello Action family,
I applaud your efforts to go outside the box. A turtle never gets anywhere unless he sticks his neck out and takes some risk. With that said, for screen printed apparel, I'm wondering how these are going to be effective.
Maybe I'm totally unaware of other ways to use these?
Having a round shape with no edge leaves me to think that you can only "smash" the ink in rather than cut it in.
Very soft squeegee's are often used for low mesh with special effect inks. When you use a soft squeegee on a regular print, you stand the chance if laying down too much ink. I can only assume that a round roller will do even more of this.
I would only guess that this is designed for special effect inks tht need driven into the garment. I am not saying that we do not need this type of new squeegee. Just that I think it's uses might be very limited on apparel. Again, maybe I've not been introduced to a new technique where this would be a good fit.
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I could see these used in a sticky lint pickup screen, eliminating the need to keep the screen "lubricated"
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I could see these used in a sticky lint pickup screen, eliminating the need to keep the screen "lubricated"
my thoughts exactly!
I am sure we'll think of some other use for them too.
pierre
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You could use pallet tape vs emulsion on the bottom of that screen as well... saving another buck.
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...I often hear of folks using a screen directly after the flash, while the ink is still hot, to "mat" the ink down. I would imagine this would work, but let's take that a step further. Imagine the different special effect possible if there were patterns embossed, or debossed, into that cylinder? FUUUUUUUNN!!!
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or a textured sheet like we use for heat seal or used by vinyl upholstery repair people
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You can make one--burn an image, resolve it, and scoop coat it again from the inside, dry print side down--post expose it, and you have your embossing screen.
You wouldn't want to use a good sharp squeegee on it though... (not that I know from experience... ::) )
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This could make a cool effect with embossing.
We use a smoothing screen all the time on the auto. It makes your print a lot smoother by pushing remaining fibers back into the soft gelled ink. It makes a big difference in the final print. This roller might work for that as well if it's soft enough.
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...I often hear of folks using a screen directly after the flash, while the ink is still hot, to "mat" the ink down. I would imagine this would work, but let's take that a step further. Imagine the different special effect possible if there were patterns embossed, or debossed, into that cylinder? FUUUUUUUNN!!!
We sometimes have to do that with certain clients and their designs on certain hoody substrates. Like terry cloth. This roller squeegee would be cool to try out. Just realized we have to do a few hundred of those I just mentioned late next week. Damn, would be cool to try.
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I don't see why this would not work for printing. I have seen belt printers that print with rods that roll back and forth to print. They don't use a flood bar. The movement back and forth does all the printing. I don't think it would be good for high detail and would also be hard to control laydown but it would work.
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This would be perfect for a lint screen on larger orders. Blank screen with a little tack on the substrate side. runnin 70 dozen+/ hour with out stopping to clean the back of the screens, SWEAT.
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I am confused....can't be for ink, the roller is way too close to the frame ink would transfer and be a real mess.
Also the open ends suggest cleaning would be a nightmare.
the relatively small shaft or axel suggest not much pressure will be applied or tolerated.
Rather sophisticated upper bracket element suggests a fussy fit into a machine . Do you guys recognize the upper as something that would fit into an auto?
The only thing i can think of is it is used as some sort of post process treatment , flattening something like flock or better yet FOIL onto a tee shirt.
Other than that I would guess Action picked the wrong blog to post .
Ok Action guys GIVE IT UP......WASSUP
mooseman
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I'm rather curious as well, as to what Action is intending this to be used for.
Several interesting theories already posted.
I don't use any of your products, as I'm not the purchasing guy,
but you folks do come up with some interesting stuff.
Clue us in.
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Assuming proper platen deflection or lack thereove.............foil
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My main concern would be the dot gain caused by the hydrolic action of the ink being forced through the mesh as it rolls. I would also like to see if there is any texturing caused by ink as the roller passes since it is not going to shear the ink in the same manner as a sharp edged object that does not rotate.
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I've learned over the years to never doubt a printing method or new tool to print with but I don't think this blade is going to work for plastisol on t-shirts. I don't understand the ink deposit methods and dynamics like some of the gurus do, like Joe Clarke, so I could be way wrong about it.
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I still have one that we used on our MHM's five years ago.
Hundreds of these were floating around So Cal when inline foiling was popular.
They do work, kind of, but still rely on an operator who thinks more than most!
As far as printing with "round bars", they are used today, all over the world, on
magnetic tables, or fully automated belt type printers that cost a quarter of a milion
and up,up,up! Cool to watch! I first saw one at the ISS tampa show in 1982, a guy
named Brenton Bruns of Bruns Sportswear was building his own line of presses call
the "excaleber". He was one smart dude! He was the "king of four color process" on
nylon jackets using these round bars. I don't know what happened to him. He did beautifull
work.
winston
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Eric,
I thought our conversation on this was on the down low ;) ;). You know where I stand. As some have said it would take thinking "out of the box" but that is where all good advancements come from.
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Hey, I want to get on Eric for posting this first thing on Saturday motning, teasing us, asking for ideas, and then bailing out for the weekend, hanging out at a beach or by a lake while we do a bunch of r&d for him!
One of these days I'm gonna need something buddy and it will be time to pay this piper! ;D
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Actually this reminds me of a Venture Bros. episode where Dr. Venture makes a 'Walking Eye" and then asks his kids and bodyguard what it would be good for--and starts taking notes. ;D
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Hey, when I get called by opinion polls, I read them my rates!
You know the old bumper sticker :" Cash, gas, grass, or ass...Nobody rides for free!"
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as for the lint screen idea.. I was thinking on the lines of the actual rollers on the squeegee would be lint rollers like you get at a store, that would chop down like a squeegee and run across the shirt. eliminating the SCREEN from it all, and you would probably have less issues with shirts coming up etc. just an idea cause i thought of making one myself.
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Hey, I want to get on Eric for posting this first thing on Saturday motning, teasing us, asking for ideas, and then bailing out for the weekend, hanging out at a beach or by a lake while we do a bunch of r&d for him!
One of these days I'm gonna need something buddy and it will be time to pay this piper! ;D
I appreciate your curiosity Frog. I assure you that I was not lounging around bemused by the whirlwind of activity on this thread. Well maybe I was slightly bemused, but I wasn't lounging around. I have some attention required here for the next few hours + and will follow up as soon as I can.
Thank you everyone for the interest. It's obvious that this concept has numerous applications. I think we are only scratching the surface for now.
Action Engineering
Product Development Team
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Gentlemen:
Thank you sincerely for taking the time over the weekend to offer your creative application ideas. I'm sorry that I was away from my desk from Saturday morning till Monday morning and therefore unable to participate in the very lively discussion and brainstorming that I see.
Here’s a summary of all of the brainstorming that was done
Patfinn – a Lint Roller
Frog and Blue Moon – Lint Pickup screen- Eliminating the need to keep the screen lubricated
Mr. Tees – Using the roller squeegee after the flash to matt the print down reduce fibrillation
Mr. Tees – embossed rollers for specialty effects
Screen Foo – embossing possibilities
JBlue – embossing Possibilities
Brandon – Matting the ink down after the flash
Screened Gear – for use as a regular printing squeegee to as seen on belt printers – limited to non-high end
Parker1 – De-Linting Screen on Large Orders
Mooseman – best use for post process treatment like flattening and or foil
Tonypep – Foil
Californiadreamin – Foil and others
Our first development of roller squeegees was around the time that Winston mentioned foil printing in Cali. In-Line Foil printing was actually quite popular in many of the larger shops. The roller squeegee acted in a capacity to flatten the foil and eliminate the air bubbles under the foil. We also employed a special pallet surface which was foil friendly.
Over the years, we have heard of many of the roller squeegees being used for things as you have mentioned here. Each of these possible uses are exciting and we’ll talk about each one.
Lint Pickup Screen – Linty t-shirts are everyone’s challenge. When the guy at the end of your 30 foot dryer tells you that you have a big piece of lint on the blue screen – you’re not happy. There are 20 shirts on the belt and you have to stop the machine and walk halfway around the machine and very carefully reach in and surgically remove the lint. Time impact – at least 3-4 minutes and you’ve got 25 imperfect shirts to stuff into the bottom of the order when you ship them. No one likes lint in the screen. De-Linting screens operate as the first station on your machine. They are very lightly sprayed with tac on the outside or can be coated with a lightly aggressive double sided tape. The surface possibilities are man. The use of the roller squeegee inside the screen will push the lightly tacky mesh in contact with the shirt and pick up any loose lint on the shirt.
Using the roller squeegee after the flash to Matt down the print – Using the roller squeegee in this capacity has many benefits, we typically print our under base and then flash it. Often – we are challenged with fibers sticking up though the under base and causing a generally undesirable effect to the remaining print quality.
Putting the roller squeegee and a high mesh count frame into the station following the flash will act to push the fibers down into the warm sticky print. The use of the heat press type Teflon paper on the mesh can also be helpful and enhance the print quality and even add some sheen. Using the rollers squeegee coupled with a high mesh count possibly coated with Teflon will produce a hand quality that is incredibly soft. It could also be used in a way where the last processes done are a flash followed by a roller squeegee and screen followed by cool down followed by unload. Adding the roller squeegee as your last process will add the benefit of increased smoothness. This does not apply to every job. Some prints that incorporate heavy ink lay may be degraded using this method.
Using the roller squeegee as an embossing effect – this is certainly interesting but quite tricky to accommodate many different patterns. We will continue to explore this idea further.
For now – I think that we have two very useful applications for The Roller Squeegee in day to day printing.
Use #1 – as a delinting tool coupled with a delinting screen.
Use #2 – to flatten out recently flashed under base as last process before unloading to accomplish an improved hand.
I welcome your additional thoughts on the subjects. Eagerly awaiting your additional input. Thank you sincerely everyone for taking the time to offer advice and critique our development efforts.
Action Engineering
Product Development Team
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Make the roller interchangeable and you've got all of the above, plus a tac applicator.
Hell, you could use painters rollers.
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and for embossing, you could potentially use emulsion to create the pattern and just run the roller dry. . .
pierre
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Using the roller squeegee after the flash to Matt down the print – Using the roller squeegee in this capacity has many benefits, we typically print our under base and then flash it. Often – we are challenged with fibers sticking up though the under base and causing a generally undesirable effect to the remaining print quality.
Putting the roller squeegee and a high mesh count frame into the station following the flash will act to push the fibers down into the warm sticky print. The use of the heat press type Teflon paper on the mesh can also be helpful and enhance the print quality and even add some sheen. Using the rollers squeegee coupled with a high mesh count possibly coated with Teflon will produce a hand quality that is incredibly soft. It could also be used in a way where the last processes done are a flash followed by a roller squeegee and screen followed by cool down followed by unload. Adding the roller squeegee as your last process will add the benefit of increased smoothness. This does not apply to every job. Some prints that incorporate heavy ink lay may be degraded using this method.
As the proud owner of a brand new roller, I'm looking to improve how we're using it. We still haven't had a job where we can see its full potential but so far I'm enjoying using it. I believe it'll be extremely useful in the winter with fleeces, we always had problem with those and had to resort to the heat press on more than a few occasions. Tomorrow morning we're doing a small print on hoodies and I think it'll be the best time to use it and see how it will improve our job.
How is everyone using the teflon? Do you warm the screen (with the teflon) before putting it on the press? I read that on a different thread (can't find it now) or are there any tips and tricks to using it?
Another question I have from what I read here. Why use a high mesh count? There's no ink or anything going through the screen, why does it make a difference?