Presses-heads that come down vs tables that go up

[ericheartsu]

As we are press shopping, and about to pull the trigger, it suddenly dawned on me that i don't know if there is a benifit to either of these styles!

Our main press is an American Style press, and the heads come down. our second auto is an older gauntlet, where the tables come up.

We've always been fond of the press where the heads come down. But is it any faster? or effecient?

For those of you that are running Challenger 3s, I assume you had upgraded from a sportsman, or a challenger II. How do you feel about the difference?

[jsheridan]

I've run both types of machines and It's not a factor that I would consider when making a purchase.

[Binkspot]

Not to disagree but a press that has screens that go up and down are considerably faster. Not that you are going to run at 1500 pph but the fact you do not have the pallets going up and down and an indexer that has to reset each time, just moving fast from station to station and the dwell time once at each station gives the loader and unloader more time to do there job and still maintain high production speeds.

[alan802]

I've run both types of machines and It's not a factor that I would consider when making a purchase.

My experience and thoughts exactly.

[TCT]

For what it is worth, and it looks like I may be a loner here I would never get a press where the table lifts up again.....

[Ryan]

I shouldn't be considered any reliable source, but I'm in the heads down camp. Either will run faster than you can handle, but when I looked for a press I was sold on the heads down. I also wasn't really in tune to what everything did amongst all the presses, but I personally thing there was a general consensus that all things being "equal" that MHM was the press to have and their best presses where all heads down presses, thus I wanted a heads down press if I was going to buy a press. There are only like 7 presses that are heads down presses? or something close to that, 3 MHMs, 3 SRoques, 1 M&R right now. most of these seem to be the premium presses right now and are all heads down. Dodn't know if thats a real good answer but its the one I got

[screenprintguy]

Up and down screens would be a big shopping factor for us as well. We want our next press to have lift lower screens vs the conventional table up and down. Personal preference, but for us, we see where we could benefit from this technology over a lift lower table press like we have now. Not that it's no good, we just see where we could benefit more from the independent screen lift lowering and direct drive index. Keep in mind though, this option is typically a higher dollar machine. More moving parts, and service factors than just a lift lower carousel.

[Admiral]

To me it seems to mostly be a speed thing.  We went from a Diamondback to CH3 and the speed increase is insane.  One feature I like about the MHM/Sroque heads moving down though is that they tilt up a decent amount too to easily clean screens during a run.

I do like the off contact adjustment on the CH3.  Very quick and easy.  I assume just about all table moving presses only have central OC.

[inkman996]

People need to consider the speed as a real feature not because it can print 1500pcs an hour but because it can speed up the longer stroke jobs. Think about it if you need to wait for a long stroke to complete then you want to gain speed some where else and if its in the indexing then thats a win win. I know I cannot stand it when I got to print a large image and have to wait on the servo to index then reset as well.

[dirkdiggler]

heads going down is WAY faster and easier on the loader.  I have both and I wouldn't go backwards now that I have experienced it.  Good news though, If you are a blue shop, its coming on more than just the CH3, so the price points will be better.  I think 2 or 3 of them may have already shipped.  Its the Gauntlet 3 and it will debut in Vegas, so I am told.

[244]

heads going down is WAY faster and easier on the loader.  I have both and I wouldn't go backwards now that I have experienced it.  Good news though, If you are a blue shop, its coming on more than just the CH3, so the price points will be better.  I think 2 or 3 of them may have already shipped.  Its the Gauntlet 3 and it will debut in Vegas, so I am told.

You are correct in a few have already shipped and the official debut to the industry will be SGAI Vegas. Both type of machines have their place in the market. I have customers who have both styles in their factory and still order them both ways. There are reasons for both!

[ericheartsu]

we are hopefully gonna be buying a guantlet 3 early next week!

[Parker 1]

we are hopefully gonna be buying a guantlet 3 early next week!

Anyone have any pictures or vids?  MRSP compared to CHIII?  print area?  Anything?

[ericheartsu]

we are hopefully gonna be buying a guantlet 3 early next week!

Anyone have any pictures or vids?  MRSP compared to CHIII?  print area?  Anything?

i don't want to speak out of turn, but if you wanna PM i'll tell you what info was told to me!

[DannyGruninger]

For me personally, I will never buy another press where the table goes up and down. I haven't been able to go through and read everyone's post today on this yet but for me it would be heads dropping to pallets. Considering what your looking for I would suggest the new gauntlet 3 as that press will run fast, you can setup multiple jobs on press at once, etc. Right now in my shop I have 1 press that drops heads and 1 that raises the table and I will tell you my press that drops heads out produces my other press by more then 50%. It's not comparing apples to apples but if both presses were identical the press with heads dropping will be faster and able to produce more. I think both versions of presses have their places but for me personally we will never look at another press that doesn't drop heads. Our next press will be a ch3D or possibly the GT3 depending on how things are moving here but my vote goes to heads dropping.