3000 squeegee cleanup/day - what's used ??

[Ron Pierson]

Hope this is in the right forum...

I needed a title that would capture attention. We do 800 frames a day on average. that means we have 3 times the squeegee, floodbar, and spatula to clean...
this is about 2400 tools to clean on a daily basis. We use CCI exclusively - happy with the chems. The chems work OK I guess but the cost is a double edge sword.
I have to pay to get it AND pay to haul it off legally. The manpower and chem cost involved in handling the cleaning process, saving the used up stuff, and hauling it away is mind boggling.
not to mention the mess involved...

My question is...does anyone have a better ides for all this process?
Does safety clean make sense?
Is there automation that actually works? (I mean ACTUALLY works - in practice - on a shop floor - tested - at this volume - not theory)
Instead of having a central station, shall stations be by each press? (we have 7 autos with 2 on the way)
I saw Ozzy juice - not convinced - not tested here either

I'm not sure  -"that's the way we always have done it" - is the correct approach.
Our workload is increasing exponentially - I think I need a solution now, before we get any busier.

Thanks for your comments in advance...
I appreciate this board and all members for comment and advice.
Ron

[T Shirt Farmer]

Ron

have you looked at M$R's solution for cleaning all the above you mentioned?

[jvanick]

I thought M&R just suggests ozzy clean for plastisol -- at least that's what I saw in their booth at ISS... looked like it actually worked pretty well too.

I'm wondering if an ozzy clean system with the shurloc squeegee clean setup half submerged in the tank might work???

my solution is to use as much waterbase stuff as possible   just rinse the squeegees and floodbars in the sink and continue on.

[mk162]

OzzyJuice makes a low foam version that is good for use in automatic cleaning systems.  They might have one they can recommend or that you can test out.

[ZooCity]

After using an ozzy/smartwasher to clean a blade (thanks Danny) I would suggest looking into it for your needs.  Not sure how it comps to traditional chems on overall cost but disposal would be seriously lower I imagine and the ozzy juice is very effective.   If they have a version for auto systems (and an auto reclaim that worked well with it) that could be the end all.

Has anyone tried the ozzy juice with a mix of plastisol, dc, etc?  I feel like that's an important need for most any shop these days.

[ericheartsu]

After using an ozzy/smartwasher to clean a blade (thanks Danny) I would suggest looking into it for your needs.  Not sure how it comps to traditional chems on overall cost but disposal would be seriously lower I imagine and the ozzy juice is very effective.   If they have a version for auto systems (and an auto reclaim that worked well with it) that could be the end all.

Has anyone tried the ozzy juice with a mix of plastisol, dc, etc?  I feel like that's an important need for most any shop these days.

we were told not to use it with DC, but have had really good luck with HSA. It's also pretty expensive, and evaporates quickly.

[ZooCity]

Darn.  I had a hunch that activated DC would mess with it. 

[screenprintguy]

Ron, talk to your CCI rep about their Clearwater treatment devices. We added one back in December. No need to pay anyone to haul anything. We exhaust crystal clear water now. All inks, chems and emulsion are treated with the bentonite clay used in their system. The clay once removed hardens like cement and is landfill safe. Pretty awesome actually. We use the CCI CG-2 in our Shurlok Squeegee cleaner. When it gets gunked up. the sludge gets mixed with some of the clay, hardens, toss in the dumpster. All the rest of wash out goes into a big settling tank, as the tank reaches a certain level, someone goes back and does some of the treatment process to clean the water to crystal clear which is basically adding a cup of the clay to the mixer. We have the manual system, but they make a really nice automatic treatment system I'd like to get into within the next couple of years.

[ebscreen]

Ron, talk to your CCI rep about their Clearwater treatment devices. We added one back in December. No need to pay anyone to haul anything. We exhaust crystal clear water now. All inks, chems and emulsion are treated with the bentonite clay used in their system. The clay once removed hardens like cement and is landfill safe. Pretty awesome actually. We use the CCI CG-2 in our Shurlok Squeegee cleaner. When it gets gunked up. the sludge gets mixed with some of the clay, hardens, toss in the dumpster. All the rest of wash out goes into a big settling tank, as the tank reaches a certain level, someone goes back and does some of the treatment process to clean the water to crystal clear which is basically adding a cup of the clay to the mixer. We have the manual system, but they make a really nice automatic treatment system I'd like to get into within the next couple of years.

Sounds ideal. Okay with waterbased inks?

[screenprintguy]

Any and everything that is in your water becomes encapsulated in the clay. It's pretty cool how it works. From what I was told, they developed it going off of the concept used in local water treatment facilities. The clay is goes in the dirty water, their is a mixer that whips it up in timed intervals. Then when it stops, the clay has drawn in all of the contaminants that are in the water, it then floats to the top of the tank, looks like oatmeal on top. You then hit the drain and it falls through 1 micron filter bags which hold all of the clay and separate the crystal clean water. We actually use a chef's skimmer, and skim the separated crap off the top so the bags don't clog up as soon. We have a 40 mesh screen frame over the top of the big dirty water tank that the wet clay gets dumped on, the water drains itself through that screen, then another one on a plastic bin where eventually it all gets shoveled on to dry. My screen guy has actually been taking the clay home, mixing a little portland cement in with it and makes pavers out of it. The system was really designed for the printers using solvent based inks ect, but plastisol and waterbased ink, any emulsion and any chems, heavy metals or contaminants that could be in your over all system are pulled out by the clay.

[Binkspot]

Assuming you have an auto screen cleaner, make some racks out of a old frame and send them through it.

[LuckyFlyinROUSH]

Another thing to check out would be a custom build squeegee tank.

The coolest and most efficient one I have ever seen was a barrel that had a semi large rotating brush in it that recirculated a cleaning solution. While the wheel is spinning you pushed your squeegee across it...flip it and it was clean....I unfortunately do not have any pictures of it though.

[DannyGruninger]

My first question is how are you doing it now? Meaning how many people, what machines(if any), etc. Knowing the volume @ 2400 pcs a day leads me to believe you need an inline solution. Having racks to load squeegees, floodbars, scoops, etc then pass through multiple chambers of ink degradent/pressure wash until finally coming to a drying module would sure make your life easier. I know systems like what kor Khem put together with inpro which utilizes separate modules and auto cleaning/refill it would be give you steady streams of tools with one labor running it. With your volume @ 800 screens a day if I was there which at times we are only 1/4-1/3 of that a day no doubt would I be inline/automated in this department. Congrats on that throughput I could not imagine that right now lol 800 screens a day is impressive wow ?

[Ron Pierson]

thanks for all comments...

I wish I could find an inline - conveyor belt system. CCI has a "dish washer" style unit but it is like putting pots and pans in a dishwasher. The "rinse cycle" is not there and I think we would wind up wiping them all off anyway when we pull them out - whats the point. we are strictly plastisol so there is a residue factor. the chem we use is petroleum based. we are testing the water-based stuff now - ink degradent stuff. I would like to see an inline system as mentioned by Danny. We currently have staff doing this all day - two shifts. The volume is great but not all at once - as is obvious - we clean em when they arrive at the cleaning station. We have a big booth with ventilation and chemical pump pushing chem out to a parts washer style brush. Love to see a one man, one shift situation. Happy to buy extra squeegees, floodbars, and spatulas for this to happen.

AS screenprinters - we all do the same thing. We print stuff and we clean up our mess. We only get paid to print. I don't know of  anyone who gets paid to clean up their mess. Any time I can automate the cleanup process, the monetary savings are huge in every aspect. Employees, chemicals (BIG ONE), machinery, busted screens (everyone has this), space on your floor not creating revenue....Is there more I haven't thought of.....

Thanks again
Ron

[JBLUE]

Quick clamp if your using M&R and CCI Microwash make it so simple. Its so fast its not even funny. Its more than paid for itself in less than 2 months for us.