By Ben Robinson
Nothing lasts forever, but the better you take care of your heat press, the longer you can avoid a breakdown. One of the most important tasks to do regularly is thoroughly clean the upper and the lower platens. They should be kept free of not only dust or dirt, but adhesive residue and ink.
Once something gets on a platen, with ongoing exposure to high heat, it won’t take long before it really bakes on there and can become very difficult to get off. Platens are best cleaned using a soft cloth (like an old T-shirt for instance) and a glass and surface cleaner. Light soapy water also can be used, but do not use anything with an abrasive grit in it. This will damage the platen’s surface.
A great way to keep platens free of unwanted contaminants as well as protect them from scratches caused by buckles and zippers is to use upper and lower heat platen protectors. These come in a variety of sizes to match your platen size and are treated with a nonstick surface coating.
This slippery surface makes it easy to slide garments around when positioning as well as resisting adhesive or ink from sticking to its surface. They are easier to wipe off than a bare platen. Also, if some type of mishap does happen, it’s only about $30 to replace a platen cover vs. $300 replace a platen.
With the increased use of heat presses for curing sublimation and digital direct-to-garment prints, heat platen covers have become a necessity. Both of these processes result in a lot of gassing and residue, and you don’t want that to get directly onto the machine.
Ben Robinson is general manager of Hotronix, Carmichaels, PA
