Pallet arm Flex

[cclaud3]

For automatic printers:

How much do your pallet arms flex during printing?
To rule out scenarios such as top colors that need less pressure, let's assume a white, single stroke, pfp on black.
Mine looks like about .25" - .50". I'm measuring from the outermost part of the pallet. Seems like a lot. It's basically going uphill as resistance increases.

How about you all:
• hardly any if at all
• maybe a few milimeters
• .25"?

This is causing more resistance at the bottom of the print as the arm is more rigid closer to the mounting point. If I back off the pressure then the top of the print doesn't always clear. Tried different speeds & squeegees angles.

[alan802]

A couple millimeters on higher mesh screens that require 35-50psi on the printhead, but most of the time there is no real noticeable deflection of the pallet, maybe a mm.  On some cases, when we are printing with 18-20 psi there is zero deflection.

[prozyan]

Mine looks like about .25" - .50". I'm measuring from the outermost part of the pallet.

A quarter to a half inch of deflection seems to me to mean something is seriously out of whack with your press.

[alan802]

I would agree, a 1/4" is more than I've ever seen, and it's one of the things I always look at when I go into another shop.  I always look at squeegee pressure and how far the pallets deflect because of that excessive pressure that I usually notice while watching.

[cclaud3]

Thanks for the input.

[Homer]

are you on an old gauntlet? . .we get a bit more deflection that I would like. it's a constant battle with squeegie pressure.

[cclaud3]

No it's an electraprint. Less than 1 year old.

[Shawn (EIP)]

Brown fails at everything.

[cclaud3]

Ha. Did you have one?

[alan802]

Brown fails at everything.

So...how do you feel about Brown's equipment? 

[Printficient]

No it's an electraprint. Less than 1 year old.

Have a customer in Atlanta.  Motivated is the name of their shop.  Spent a Saturday leveling and plumbing the press.  Put double bevels on and he is happy.  Name is DJ Fiese.  770-329-4183.  Give him a call.

[Frog]

Brown fails at everything.

Let's put this in perspective, and perhaps take that comment with a grain of salt.
If I remember correctly, Shawn, your experience with Brown was soon after starting out, one of your first pieces of real equipment was an old, used, Brown (or maybe Harco) dryer that you had problems with old wire connections burning out due to age and corrosion and the resulting added resistance.
Hardly, experience with or background information an Electroprint Printers.

[cclaud3]

A double bevel squeegee--I'll check it out. The rolling/bending of the 70 duros that came with the press sure doen't seem to help as flexible as the press is.  I bought some triple duros that I'm going to try out. I'll call him, thanks.

The techs have been in several times since I bought it. They need to start hiring me to do installs and leveling--can do it in my sleep now.

[Homer]

A double bevel squeegee--I'll check it out. The rolling/bending of the 70 duros that came with the press sure doen't seem to help as flexible as the press is.  I bought some triple duros that I'm going to try out. I'll call him, thanks.

The techs have been in several times since I bought it. They need to start hiring me to do installs and leveling--can do it in my sleep now.

and what do the techs say about it? a common occurrence with these machines?

I agree with Shawn. sorry.

[cclaud3]

Everything is "acceptable". I was just curious is all autos flex some or generally they are very rigid. I can flex the pallet by pushing down with my hand, standing away from it- not over it using my 230 lbs.

I have to use a fairly quick stroke speed otherwise it will nearly stop.

I've been living with this, but I was printing a little longer print the other day and it was really smashing the bottom of the print. Top was nice and smooth.