i-Image in the house!

[jvanick]

any of you guys care to measure the slant model i-image and let me know the dimensions and how big I need to make the door opening to get it in?

Also, is anybody running these things on a UPS?  We have a big 5kw UPS that used to be for a small datacenter that we run all the office computers and network stuff off of.  I'm considering putting a separate drop into the screen room for it.

[Doug S]

I can measure Monday.  I know we had to tear out part of the wall to get it in our dark room.  All worth it though.

[Sbrem]

Reading the rest of the posts since my last, I think maybe we can control ourselves and not go there just yet. We run an MHM and an older Gauntlet, and don't need the carrier sheets, so I would be more interested in a DTS that would allow imaging more independently than having a particular manufacturer in mind. An LED source would also come first I think. A big question for me still is backup; what if it breaks down? Do you still have the ability to produce film, and still have the vacuum frame? I think Dave said he has 2 units, which makes sense if you have the dough... thanks again guys.

Steve

[Doug S]

any of you guys care to measure the slant model i-image and let me know the dimensions and how big I need to make the door opening to get it in?

Also, is anybody running these things on a UPS?  We have a big 5kw UPS that used to be for a small datacenter that we run all the office computers and network stuff off of.  I'm considering putting a separate drop into the screen room for it.

I found the pdf of the one I bought and here are the dimensions "Overall Size (H x W x L) (66” x 63” x 80”)"  it will do 23x31 up to 25x36.  I had to buy the second pusher frame for the 25x36 frames. 

Also, I'm running mine on a UPS. 

[Gilligan]

A big question for me still is backup; what if it breaks down? Do you still have the ability to produce film, and still have the vacuum frame?

This would be a concern of mine... if you are big enough to afford DTS, then you are big enough that you can't afford to have it go down either!

[GraphicDisorder]

For back up we will still have our 4880, film on the shelf, and a tri loc jig on our old MH unit.  Keep our LED Starlight unit for our i-Image.  So we should be good in the event of any problems, plus it's M&R, any issue would be resolved super fast im sure.

[dirkdiggler]

For back up we will still have our 4880, film on the shelf, and a tri loc jig on our old MH unit.  Keep our LED Starlight unit for our i-Image.  So we should be good in the event of any problems, plus it's M&R, any issue would be resolved super fast im sure.

Same here.

[Dottonedan]

A big question for me still is backup; what if it breaks down? Do you still have the ability to produce film, and still have the vacuum frame?

This would be a concern of mine... if you are big enough to afford DTS, then you are big enough that you can't afford to have it go down either!

I can't remember a shop (where I've done the installs) that did not keep their old system in place as a backup.  Not that they've ever needed one, but you have to have the mindset that anything could happen. One never knows. Lightning might strike it er something or you might mistake a bottle of pancake syrup for the bottle of ink.


Also, the exposure systems for those who get the STE's.  They always keep he old ones as backup. It's just the smart thing to do, just incase something crazy were to happen.

[Lizard]

I'm still torn between the benefits of cts vs. true time savings. I can see advantages in some areas and more time spent in others. Having to print every screen twice to gang images seems like a huge waste of time. When they figure out that issue I may jump in.

But adding another press is money I can calculate in my small mind. So we chose that option at this time.

With that said, I'm coming to see you when you get this thing dialed in Brandt.

[Gilligan]

Lizard, I don't think printing ganged images will happen, at least not with the three point tri-lock system.  But, it isn't that MUCH longer... just the time of pulling the film in to the next print area (ok, minimal) or loading another film vs flipping the screen and hitting print.  I mean, it's a minute TOPS difference to gang.

[Lizard]

You say minimal but don't you have to print a whole job of screens then go back through the screens again and print the other side?  Rich, are you reading this?  I assume some mechanism locks it in the tri-loc position?  Well, why not have the same mechanism on the opposite side to print the other side all in one step?  I haven't seen one up close but that would sell me.

[Gilligan]

I am assuming you could queue it up to print back and then left chest for each screen, so you don't have to go through the whole set.

Problem is that a screen is rigid.  For the tri-lock to line up on press it has to hit the 3 stops at the exact same points on both FPU/DTS and the press.  If you tried to do this on both sides then either you would torque the frame (if possible) or either one side or the other has to not be in register.  This is why it has to be flipped.  Even if you are using an FPU or original carrier sheet system, you have to flip the frame around to line up the the stops on the other side for them to be in register.

This is the biggest issue with all DIY FPU's... making sure those stops are the exact same on both FPU and pallet Jig.

[244]

You say minimal but don't you have to print a whole job of screens then go back through the screens again and print the other side?  Rich, are you reading this?  I assume some mechanism locks it in the tri-loc position?  Well, why not have the same mechanism on the opposite side to print the other side all in one step?  I haven't seen one up close but that would sell me.

You can gang images but if you want to use the Tri loc on both images you must flip the screen. Not a big deal as the whole process will take around one minute or less per image including the flipping time.

[jvanick]

I just tried to find the post where someone mentioned that they have a magic template for Illustrator... Whoever it was, can you please send me a copy?

Thanks!

[dirkdiggler]

I have one, don't know if its magic, but its set up for everything I-Image.  PM me and I will send it to you Monday.