Brown Firefly

[sqslabs]

A bit surprised there hasn't been more talk of this dryer on here.  I haven't even seen it in person and already want one.

To those who were at ISS LB, what's the scoop?  Good, bad, too expensive, not blue enough, too brown?  This thing looks nuts.

[JBLUE]

Its quartz. Thats enough right there as fare as I am concerned. Its a cool concept but I think it needs more refinement to be practical. It was pretty wide too when we walked by.

[TCT]

It's a REGULAR electric dryer with fancy sensors, some computer monitors, and unnecessary exterior panels to make it look smooth.

I was lucky enough to get in to the show a day early when everyone was still setting up. It is literally 3 separate Brown dryers joined together and then covered with exterior panels to make it look special. Throw a 24" (may have been a bit larger) computer monitor on top, a temp probe inside, barcode scanner at the entry, tie that into a computer about as powerful as a Raspberry Pi 2(sorry if I lost you there)  and here is the key- DON'T paint it brown and partner with a big name like Kornit. All of a sudden a dryer made by a company that many would not consider to begin with is getting a ridiculous buzz.

Sorry I didn't mean to be a dick, but I was amazed at what a little smoke and mirrors was capable of.

 It's a regular electric quartz dryer with some sensors.

[sqslabs]

/insert Smokey from Friday saying DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN 

Well okay then. It does have three separate temp zones though right?  I'm wondering if that just wasn't possible with gas or if Brown just didn't want to go that route.  I have a split belt dryer and wish it had separate temp zones.  Belt speed adjustment is nice and all, but with silicone and other low temp inks gaining traction, the difference in curing temp between certain inks will make it tough to run them at the same time even on a split belt.

In any case, it sure does look cool but I won't be buying one.  Especially now that Alex hurt my feelings. 

[alan802]

I just looked at their website and as much info as I could on this dryer and I'm not sure what to think.  Is there anyone here that would be able to use all that jazz?  I know we need a dryer with some ability to change temp and belt speed but we're running 2 textile plastisol jobs down the belt at most so I need one wide belt.  It's got scanners and temp probes and 3 belts?  Temp probes on our International are cool but I can't remember the last time I used them.

[sweetts]

I wonder if this press was made by a different manufacturer would the initial thoughts be similar?

[TCT]

/insert Smokey from Friday saying DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN 

In any case, it sure does look cool but I won't be buying one.  Especially now that Alex hurt my feelings. 

After I posted, I thought to myself, damn, hope I didn't come off the wrong way to Brett! 
Dude it was just such a "buzz" at SGIA, SPSI went and got exclusive rights to distribute it here locally when they would never touch another piece of Brown equipment in a million years. People were talking about how it was going to change things, and it was all I could do to not puke on the floor. I have nothing against Brown whatsoever, they have their market they do well in. I even have a Brown flash. I do think part of the WOW factor is that these "new" ideas and use of technology came from a company you didn't expect it to come from. Although to be fair, they were forward thinking and the first when they integrated the Ipod dock into their Electraprint...

Other dryers have temp sensors in them. Other dryers have digital displays, smaller ones, but they are touch screen...

I just think you could essentially just buy 3 separate 24" belt brown dryers line them up next to each other, and set them at different temps/belt speeds and save your self 40% or so for the SAME THING.

Make me a split belt GAS dryer that can have different temps for each belt, and make those belts each a MINIMUM of 36" and we will talk. Well, maybe not, I wouldn't have the room, but I would day dream with you.   

Bret you know you are my boy, we have just been re modeling a lot here these last 2 weeks and I'm wound pretty tight! Plus, when has ANYONE ever known me to not be extreme? 

[blue moon]

my understanding is that the dryer actually tracks the temp of the garment and the ink. If the garment is heating up and the ink is not, it stops, lets it cool down and applies heat again. You can limit the max garment temp and it will stay under it. again, as I was explained, it does that for each individual shirt. you can run a 275, 330, 300 one after another and by virtue of the barcode it will know what the required temps are.

How useful it is in the long run, I don't know, but certainly measuring the ink and garment temp of each individual piece seems like a good idea.

pierre

[ebscreen]

Are the elements running lengthwise? That would be slick to be able to turn down one side of the belt heat for poly or whatever.
Kind of like a split belt but without dealing with two belts and their associated drive mechanisms, and still having one large
belt if need be. Not sure how well it would work what with the whole oven temp but that would be cool if it worked.

[blue moon]

Are the elements running lengthwise? That would be slick to be able to turn down one side of the belt heat for poly or whatever.
Kind of like a split belt but without dealing with two belts and their associated drive mechanisms, and still having one large
belt if need be. Not sure how well it would work what with the whole oven temp but that would be cool if it worked.

each tunnel has independent element(s?) that is an instant on/off. you can mix the shirts any way you want even on the same belt as long as you scan the barcode so it knows how to cook that individual shirt and ink.
There are actually three belts. . .

pierre

[Action1]

I spent some time looking at it in Vegas and then LB. It's really impressive in my opinion. The major advantage is that you can run many different types of material through it and not have to alter dryer settings for each different part.

This is accomplished by preprogramming material profiles and librarying the parameters for each. They have bar codes printed and mounted next to the infeed. You place the material on the belt and then quickly scan the appropriate bar code. The bar code tells the dryer what kind of material you just put on it. It will then adjust bulb intensity and belt speed as it goes through the tunnel to accomplish the perfect cure. It really is amazing.

I think it is very desirable for the online merchandisers who offer 2000 different product s– one at a time.
Seriously folks – I know some very smart – very experienced guys that are really impressed with it. It could possibly start a new wave of drying technology. It definitely is not or everyone – but wow – way to think ‘outside the box’ – no pun intended.

[3Deep]

Just took a quick look at the dryer and I'm going hmmm, three 24" belt's so my question is how would you place press.  Most of us place our press on the side of the dryer and load from the side, this dryer looks like you would have to be in front or reach over to toss a shirt on if your using the middle belt.  From what I see and in my mine cool machine, but looks to be very cumbersome in full production mode I would think

darryl

[GKitson]

This dryer technology thought process is making a lot of people take notice. 

I think you will find that as the tech evolves you will see acceptance similar to CTS and LED stuff.

Established companies start saying you can't do it that way but the stranger members of our industry will kind of embrace the square peg fits in a round hole "outside of the screen thinking" the FireFly represents.

Keep in mind that I have both CTS and LED on my shop floor, that puts me squarely in the you never know until you try it camp on this subject.

~Kitson

[Orion]

Brown Mfg. blog gives a little more insight:

www.brownmfg.blogspot.com

[Printficient]

The dryer at the Kornit corporate office is like this.  Quartz that turns on when the shirt enters the dryer and off when there is no garment.