Who here has switched from ALL rollers to All Statics?

[ericheartsu]

After a very brief discussion with Brandon via Text, I'm wondering how many of you have switched from all rollers to all Static Smesh?

Give me the pros and cons!

[Homer]

we had a bastard assortment of rollers and panel frames, crappy statics from that company with an X...cough cough.... Over the past year we have ditched every single one of them in place of S mesh statics from River City. I tried stretching my own but the math didn't make sense -at all- between grinding and the glue, it would take me 3 years to recover the cost of the stretcher alone.... once they rip, off to the scrap yard...

odd man out here but one glorious day was when we shelved our rollers.

[dirkdiggler]

Same here, 14 years all rollers, last 5 years static S mesh.  Doubt I would ever go back.

[Admiral]

What's the reason you guys didn't throw S mesh on the rollers?  You already had that equipment just not the mesh.

[Colin]

Questions to those who are statics:

What percentage of your work is plastisol?

What percentage of your work is waterbase type inks?

For those who do plastisol:

Do you do primarily discharge bases or plastisol?

And to bump Admirals question:

Why not stretch your retens with S mesh?

[ericheartsu]

What's the reason you guys didn't throw S mesh on the rollers?  You already had that equipment just not the mesh.

This is what we do now, but we don't have a dedicated person to restretching screens, and i feel like we are losing the value of the rollers because of it.

[Homer]

roughly 60/40 waterbase / plastisol.

for me and my systems, Rollers were a pain to handle and clean in our series of cleaning tanks. Those channels would take forever to dry on rollers too. One other reason we started to hate the panelframes. When we popped mesh and had to replace, I noticed we were spending way too much time cleaning/prepping the frame for new mesh. Our screens would last a while so the gunk would build up. We had to tape rollers too, and I hate tape. It's a waste of time and money. With our statics, we can use the wider scoop coater and we use emulsion for blockout when needed. this makes reclaim a breeze . . Coating rollers was always a mess with the softened corners. We could never get the hang of it. 100% on us and our lack of knowledge how to use them properly, I know that. But instead of chasing our tail, go with what works and for us, it turns out to be these S mesh statics.

[3Deep]

90 percent statics here, I found out that I'm not that good at remeshing cuzI didn't always get the mesh square to the frame and it was causing moire and bad looking halftones, so I just buy from the guys that do this every day and know what they are doing.  S mesh is really good mesh especially for white base ink prints and if you need a nice full coverage in one stroke of any other ink color.

[tonypep]

All statics, 85% WB. Rollers won't work on our presses. Scott and Brannon handle the re-stretch. Two pallets on their way to ATL today

[ericheartsu]

Side question

for those of you using s mesh, what dyed mesh are you using for under 150s? we are having exposing issues with white mesh and our I-Image, so i need some yellows in my life.

[farmboygraphics]

Used a mix of rollers and static until we got the auto a few years ago. All static s mesh now. Learning to love the 150 and yes...135's for laying down the white. Low pressure, straight up and down blade and fast stroke. Still got some playing to do :-)

[ZooCity]

roughly 60/40 waterbase / plastisol.

for me and my systems, Rollers were a pain to handle and clean in our series of cleaning tanks. Those channels would take forever to dry on rollers too. One other reason we started to hate the panelframes. When we popped mesh and had to replace, I noticed we were spending way too much time cleaning/prepping the frame for new mesh. Our screens would last a while so the gunk would build up. We had to tape rollers too, and I hate tape. It's a waste of time and money. With our statics, we can use the wider scoop coater and we use emulsion for blockout when needed. this makes reclaim a breeze . . Coating rollers was always a mess with the softened corners. We could never get the hang of it. 100% on us and our lack of knowledge how to use them properly, I know that. But instead of chasing our tail, go with what works and for us, it turns out to be these S mesh statics.

Have you been able to eliminate tape for the wb/dc jobs as well by using statics?

[Homer]

roughly 60/40 waterbase / plastisol.

for me and my systems, Rollers were a pain to handle and clean in our series of cleaning tanks. Those channels would take forever to dry on rollers too. One other reason we started to hate the panelframes. When we popped mesh and had to replace, I noticed we were spending way too much time cleaning/prepping the frame for new mesh. Our screens would last a while so the gunk would build up. We had to tape rollers too, and I hate tape. It's a waste of time and money. With our statics, we can use the wider scoop coater and we use emulsion for blockout when needed. this makes reclaim a breeze . . Coating rollers was always a mess with the softened corners. We could never get the hang of it. 100% on us and our lack of knowledge how to use them properly, I know that. But instead of chasing our tail, go with what works and for us, it turns out to be these S mesh statics.

Have you been able to eliminate tape for the wb/dc jobs as well by using statics?

yup. If we have a longer run, we bust out a gallon of HXT and use it as block out. but that's rare. I want smooth and seamless reclaim. It's the one area I worked at the old shop and hated. straight off the press into tank 1, rinse, into tank 2, powerwash, compressed air and done.

with the rollers, the softened corners would always leak if we didn't tape them. I'm just against tape and the waste it brings.

[mimosatexas]

Homer, what are you using in your ink tank again (and emulsion tank as well I guess)?  I'm curious about trying out an ink tank and separate emulsion tank vs the supra and 701 process I'm currently using.  Same amount of steps I think, but no scrubbing sounds awesome!

[Homer]

CCI IW 07 or 08, can't recall. it's cheap and works great, add a little air hose for agitation and grab a beer. They'll be done in a few minutes. gem-zyme in tank 2....