i-Image in the house!

[screenprintguy]

Ganging images with iimage is a snap, we do it with LC and smaller high back or chest prints. No issues with regging as it's locked in just right each time.

[GraphicDisorder]

If anything ganging would be easier with a i-image I would say. 

[ericheartsu]

now that a couple of people have these, what is the correct way to tape up roller frames in order to use this? I thought we had it all set, but the way we currently have it taped, means un-tapeing the whole screen just to re-tension the mesh!

[DannyGruninger]

We gang tons of jobs/print locations with our ste dts. There's been times with certain jobs we have 4 different print locations which fall into different screen locations so when we make screens on dts each screen gets imaged with each location without the screen ever being touched. Then on press we just tri loc one time and screens are then setup in registeation for all the print llocations.  We make about 50 screens a day here with our dts and most are ganged I don't track that but I would guess we put min 2 locations on 75% of our screens because it is really simple/efficient with our dts. Where dts benfitted my shop was on setup time on press. We can pre load ink on screens before going to press then setup 8 color jobs in 3-6 minutes.  Before I had dts we manually lined up jobs with registration marks so it was never a good system but it took my shop from slow(er) setups to really quick setups which has benefited us the most. We make screens so fast now if I'm not happy with how something looks I can go make an art change reburn a screen and have on press in under 10 min. When you print 15-50 sim process jobs a week like us and you want good prints your bound to have to make adjustments to certain jobs. Thats another example how our dts has helped us get more done. For shops with really great pre reg setup or massive film library it might not be the best roi but we've seen so much more production because our dts it's crazy.  As for backup we still have out film setup for emergency but with proper maintenance and operation I feel our dts is extemely solid and reliable. If for whatever reason I had to screen print without a dts again I would honestly get out of screen printing lol....all my guys in my shop would say the same thing too it's made quality of life great around here

[DannyGruninger]

now that a couple of people have these, what is the correct way to tape up roller frames in order to use this? I thought we had it all set, but the way we currently have it taped, means un-tapeing the whole screen just to re-tension the mesh!

Ill post some pics tomorrow of our rollers when I get a chance.  I have around 250 in production that we retension regularly and never have to touch the tape. We use the screens on our ste daily with zero issues.

[Lizard]

Danny,

When you are ganging screens do you print one complete job/seps (Like the back) then reload each screen and print the next job/seps (Like the front), etc   Or can you go back and forth between jobs and complete one screen?  Also what locks the screen into the machine at the tri-loc points?  Why can't you make the opposite corner similar so both sides register accurately?

Just to make a fair comparison, we have always used tri-loc but have never used a single carrier sheet.  Nothing on our glass and we can tape films accurately in seconds.

[DannyGruninger]

Danny,

When you are ganging screens do you print one complete job/seps (Like the back) then reload each screen and print the next job/seps (Like the front), etc   Or can you go back and forth between jobs and complete one screen?  Also what locks the screen into the machine at the tri-loc points?  Why can't you make the opposite corner similar so both sides register accurately?

Just to make a fair comparison, we have always used tri-loc but have never used a single carrier sheet.  Nothing on our glass and we can tape films accurately in seconds.

On jobs like an 8 color sim process with full back and left chest design we go back and forth. Meaning we image the full back underbase white without exposing(push of button) then flip the screen and make the underbase white left chest. Then the screen is exposed on its way out of the machine. Repeat for each color and it's a quick process. Sometimes we have designs where the screen does not need to be rotated in between ganging images. Also sometimes we put entirely separate jobs on opposite ends of the screen because ink color will be the same when it gets to press. This does not cause any slow down when imaging screens for us. I'll try to do a quick video showing this. The pusher frame that is the aluminum box within the table is what essentially locks the screen into the machine. There is some resistance keeping the screen clamped in while the mesh is being supported which imo is a nice feature no other dts that I know of uses.

[Gilligan]

The purpose of the trilock is to get "perfect" registration right out the box.

But a trilock is based on a three point system because three points are always stable and it the minimum you can use to achieve what you are after in this application.

The thing is a frame is not perfect, so when you flip it around and use the opposite ends of the frame to lock it in, there is very little chance that it will be the perfect mirror of what you had.  So if you are lining up butt registered multicolor jobs you lose the whole point of the trilock system if you just drop it in where it "should" line up if you flipped it.  If you are doing stuff that "close enough" is all you need then it would probably be fine to just digitally place it where it "should" be when you flip it.

Can't lock it into 6 points because the frames aren't perfect, it would mean that it either won't hit all points or if you forced them it would torque the frame and screw up everything.

Only way to get it 100% lined up for a trilock system is to flip it and place your other image.

[Lizard]

Gilligan,

I understand all that, but can't it be made where a mechanism locks the screen in to print one side of the screen then it locks in the other direction to print the opposite side of the screen? I haven't seen one up close but seems pretty doable. Some electronic solinoids could push the screen in one direction against one set of stops, print, another set pushes against another set of stops, print, expose.

[244]

Gilligan,

I understand all that, but can't it be made where a mechanism locks the screen in to print one side of the screen then it locks in the other direction to print the opposite side of the screen? I haven't seen one up close but seems pretty doable. Some electronic solinoids could push the screen in one direction against one set of stops, print, another set pushes against another set of stops, print, expose.

Could it be done I suppose by why? It takes almost no time and the cost would not justify the results compared to just flipping the screen. Anyone who has one would agree.

[screenprintguy]

If you have a chance Gil, visit someone with one, you will see how much of a non-issue it is to gang images. I do it all the time on small sized graphics. Now, I've actually been thinking of getting the larger pusher frame and add some 25x36 frames to the mix and be able to gang larger images as well for smaller run jobs. Helps cut down on the amount of screens throughout the week. It's just as accurate on a ganged image screen as a single image screen. If your frame is in the stop blocks right, the frame is already regg'd. Even if the frame is not completely perfect, as long as your 3 points are touching in the I-Image when printing, and those 3 points are touching the blocks in the tri lock pallet on press, you are reg'd. If you don't make sure you are touching all three at print, or on press, then you can be off, but other than that, it's not like donkey kong. I just saw the STE2 at the ISS Orlando, I almost pissed myself when I saw how fast that one printed a huge image, then exposed it. If we were a 100 or more screen a day shop right now, I'd be all over the STE2, but right now, we aren't there yet so the Rocket Launcher works awesome. I've said it a 100 times, there is no real way to totally grasp how great it is for you, your system, and your shop unless you had one in place working. It's just too bad that you can't rent one for a month to try it out, because trust me, the first couple days with it, you'll be signing a deal to keep it. I'm about as cheap as they get and make excuses at why I can use this or that, or hold off on upgrading to something better ect, but this was probably just as life changing to our shop as going from manual to automatic printing.  Great to see Alex Mammoser and Tim Foreman Saturday at the show, great guys and I love when we see them that we can talk shop and not be treated like a car shopper lol. Those guys have some serious knowledge and experience to pass on to folks.

[Gilligan]

If you have a chance Gil, visit someone with one, you will see how much of a non-issue it is to gang images. I do it all the time on small sized graphics....

By flipping or by just laying them out flipped on your template and hitting print once per screen?  If the former then,  have already said it shouldn't take but a min , which is what Rich also said... That's neglibable to me.

[Gilligan]

Gilligan,

I understand all that, but can't it be made where a mechanism locks the screen in to print one side of the screen then it locks in the other direction to print the opposite side of the screen? I haven't seen one up close but seems pretty doable. Some electronic solinoids could push the screen in one direction against one set of stops, print, another set pushes against another set of stops, print, expose.

Could it be done I suppose by why? It takes almost no time and the cost would not justify the results compared to just flipping the screen. Anyone who has one would agree.

That is a good idea Lizard!


Now Rich, this thing has an ROI equal to love or some other intangible emotion... This mod would save a minute per screen for ganged screens... How can it not be worth it when saving 30 mins a day at Pierre's shop should be worth 70k in feel good (quality of life) ROI... If you gang at least 30 screens a day then you are getting that same time and the warm fuzzy feeling? Well, who can put a price on that?

[screenprintguy]

I'm talking about flipping the screen so that I am assured that my top 2 corners are in the stop blocks proper along with the bottom side. It's still more efficient than using another screen frame throughout the day and by flipping the frame, I know for sure I am pre-reg'd perfect. I guess you could work it up to print it all at once, but for me, the flip doesn't really kill much time and as fast as they print, boom boom it's done. I now will give the print at once a try and see the accuracy on press, maybe it's just as accurate, just really haven't tried it yet since the flip method works and is fast.

[244]

I'm talking about flipping the screen so that I am assured that my top 2 corners are in the stop blocks proper along with the bottom side. It's still more efficient than using another screen frame throughout the day and by flipping the frame, I know for sure I am pre-reg'd perfect. I guess you could work it up to print it all at once, but for me, the flip doesn't really kill much time and as fast as they print, boom boom it's done. I now will give the print at once a try and see the accuracy on press, maybe it's just as accurate, just really haven't tried it yet since the flip method works and is fast.

If you do not flip the screen you will be out. This whole issue is a waste of time. It takes no time to do it the way it works now and it works great!