Quartz Flash 101

[Ryan]

Does anyone here actually check the temp of the pallets or do you just go by feel. I'm pretty sure I'm fighting the flash issue and getting it dialed in. The more I read, the more I learn what i'm possibly doing wrong. I have honeycomb pallets and they heat up fast and cool down quick. I also have "smart" flashes that have a probe to read temp, but i'm thinking i need to get everything going first and then swith over to the probe setting.

[inkman996]

Always preheat the platens at start up, if its first print of the day a couple revolutions works, if its a later job and the palettes are still some what warm then a single revolution is usually fine. Thats where we start off from, then start lowering the flash time till about 2 seconds. I am sure those honey combs make it much more difficult I feel for you.

[Ryan]

I've been spinning them until get to about 130 degrees. have no idea if thats too hot, not hot enough, just right. What sucks with these is I print by my self so even when I think I get them right, for me to walk around the press and start turning things down, everything starts to cool down (ugh) and then i'm almost back to square one. Need to hire someone to walk around and change temps/time on flashes.

[Binkspot]

Like everyone has said preheat before printing. Don't stop unless you absolutely have to.
If your press will do it set it in heating mode before you walk over to make adjustments and dry cycle the press while walking over to make adjustments with it flashing. The other option would be to make a remote temp/ time control that could be attached to the main control panel to make adjustments on the fly. I would just pull the control out of the flash, add some wire and mount that controler to the main panel. Just my 2 cents.

[alan802]

I always just turned the press on print mode with just the flashes on and ran it for a minute or two while I got things ready to go.  Then when I was ready to lower flash times, I just pressed the "print finish" button and walked to the flashes and turned them down while the press is still running and flashes are still going on and off so there is no cool down happening.  Then when I get back to the load station I simply press the "print finish" button off and continue loading shirts and then the print heads start printing again when a shirt is there and the flash units never turn off or have a chance to cool down.  I measure our pallet temps from time to time and I try to stay below 150 when we are running so we don't get any issues with ink drying/gelling in the screen and warped pallets.  I'd say if your pallets are at 130, you're good to go but keep and eye on them.  I've been in shops where the pallets were too hot to touch with your hand and ink is gelling in the screen and bad things are happening all over the place.  If you let the press sit for 30 seconds and don't have the flashes cycling then yeah, we have to print slow for the next few indexes til they warm back up but it's just 2-3 indexes.

[Du Manchu]

Thanks for the multitude of feedback.  I'm glad to know its a common struggle.  FYI, the flash made by 2M. 230v, 26 amps.  Building running  208v 3 phase.  I may be checking into the 208v bulbs.  That my help, if the expense isn't too much of a shocker.

Thanks to all.

[islandtees]

You can also use buck/boost transformers. For 3 phase you need 2 transformers as long as you dont need a neutral line. 2 units on line cost under $300.00  Cheaper than buying all new bulbs.