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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: Frog on May 29, 2012, 11:33:37 AM

Title: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Frog on May 29, 2012, 11:33:37 AM
Should be self explanatory, though I'm sure that if there is a question for clarification, I'll hear it (or more accurately, see it)

Please don't count your old worn out frames waiting to be re-stretched (or used as kindling), or your stripped out re-tensionables waiting for a fix.


In case you add some or toss some, you can change your vote.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: ZooCity on May 29, 2012, 11:51:29 AM
{32}  25x30 M3

no where near enough
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Zelko-4-EVA on May 29, 2012, 11:53:55 AM
the majority of our frames are 23x31 MZX

the rest are 25x33, 25x36 and 36x42 M3
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Denis Kolar on May 29, 2012, 12:00:30 PM
I had about 40 of the static ones, but most of them had my retail work on them that I was not going to reclaim anytime soon.
I just added 23 of MZX 18x20. Going the retensionable way :) (I hope)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: inkman996 on May 29, 2012, 01:43:21 PM
50 Panel frames.
Roughly 100 23x31 aluminum statics
roughly 50 20x23 aluminum statics
15 23x31 M3 newmans not in production
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: balloonguy on May 29, 2012, 02:54:30 PM
I have about 50-60 roller frames. I would like to at least double/tripple it. I just don't have the room. We are bursting at the seems. I am storing 2500 shirts at a bay in my building until I can get the ones I am printing out tomorrow.
Matt
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: alan802 on May 29, 2012, 03:00:16 PM
111 good frames with mid to high tension, 20 statics that we use for simple one color stuff on lights and a crap load of empty frames that need to have mesh put in them.  I need at least 150 good screens and I'd like to have 200 by the end of the year.  With ganging images on probably 95% of our jobs, we are running through 20+ screens per day.  Some of our more popular screens are being cycled through multiple times per week, and it's taken a toll on them.

23x31's with mesh:
20-static alums
54-shurloc ez frames
57-M3 newman rollers

Blank frames with no mesh:
7-shurloc ez
100-M3 newman roller
6-MZX newman rollers
20-18x20 mzx (old composite corners)
2-panel frames
20 18x20 mzx
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: tpitman on May 29, 2012, 06:22:13 PM
50+ retensionables, most 18x20 MZX, a handful of 23x26 MZX, and 3 large statics I used to use for yard signs.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: blue moon on May 29, 2012, 06:54:47 PM
'had to go and count . . . 102 total. 2 are down need new mesh. About 30 EZ frames, rest are statics. Some of the statics are actually in decent shape, small number is pretty loose and at the end of their life.
We go through about 30 screens per day. Somewhat slow now and an only doing about 15-20, but have gone through as many as 50.
Hiring a full time screen tech now, between reclaiming, exposing, coating and re-stretching it will be pretty close to full day's worth of work. I am taking into account that just starting ppl are slow and get faster with time, so yes it will be only about 30 screens per day right now. If he's done early, he can help on the press!

pierre
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: inkstain on May 29, 2012, 07:00:32 PM
I think I have about 8 M3 Roller frames that I just reuse constantly.  Its a pain cleaning/reclaiming them a bunch but just yesterday I ordered 10 more M3's along with newman panels, so I'm excited about that!  Yeah!
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on May 29, 2012, 07:05:11 PM
About 45 20x24 and about 40 23x31 statics
Still doesnt seem like enough sometimes

Oh and 8 EZ frames in a box and 1 23x28 Newman roller with busted mesh and 1 ez frame with busted mesh
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: alan802 on May 29, 2012, 07:18:17 PM
Hey Gerry, would you be interested in the rest of the EZ frame package, like the stretcher and additional frames or are you dead set on going static alums?
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on May 29, 2012, 07:19:30 PM
Hey Gerry, would you be interested in the rest of the EZ frame package, like the stretcher and additional frames or are you dead set on going static alums?
I would be interested Alan. I know it is something I need to do but do I have the space for it? I would have to do some manuevering around! lol.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: JBLUE on May 29, 2012, 07:41:06 PM
50 Panel frames.
Roughly 100 23x31 aluminum statics
roughly 50 20x23 aluminum statics
15 23x31 M3 newmans not in production

Send me those newmans if you are not going to use them..... ;D
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Croft on May 29, 2012, 08:24:27 PM
100- 23x31 newman M3
100 - 23x31 static
150 -22x26
75 - 21x23

Just chucked the last of the wood ones really would like to drop everything but the 23x31's
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: sweetts on May 29, 2012, 11:51:33 PM
18 rollers but need more now that I have a constant flow of work as of late also have about 10 static for repeat prints
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Tagless Threads on May 31, 2012, 02:20:03 AM
Around 60 static frames and 46 Newmans
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: mjrprint on May 31, 2012, 07:11:01 AM
400- mesh counts of 61-230 and a few 300+
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Sbrem on June 04, 2012, 12:05:17 PM
400 or so, including statics and rollers...
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rocfrog on June 08, 2012, 05:34:44 PM
I had to go count....

We have 84 total aluminum frames (I guess what you guys are calling "static")

43 "manual" frames, 4 230mesh, 2 110 mesh, the rest 156-160 mesh
41 "auto" frame, 6 230mesh, 3 305mesh, the rest 156-160 mesh

This doesn't count the screens for the Ultimate Numbering System, which we have two sets of 8" numbers (in and out), a set of 6" numbers (in and out) and a set of 4" numbers (in and out). So that is another 80 screens there....

Nick
Title: How many screens do you have?
Post by: inkbrigade on June 20, 2012, 09:49:55 PM
About 150 Newman roller m3 23x33s. Got 25 more showing up next week!
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: screenxpress on June 20, 2012, 11:05:39 PM
20 MZX (21 x 23), about 20 aluminum and wood (20 x 24), and about 15 wood (18 x 20)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: brandon on June 21, 2012, 12:02:01 AM
About 150 Newman roller m3 23x33s. Got 25 more showing up next week!

About the same with 25x36's. Need more, way more!
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: beanie357 on August 15, 2012, 07:51:24 PM
These things are like cockroaches. Breed in dark.

Actually we go up in bunches, as I find deals or used. Just got a bunch of bigger ones for wings and all overs used.

Cheap am I.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Gilligan on August 15, 2012, 08:50:55 PM
55 mzx (18x20's) no mesh and just sold 5 bringing me down from 60.

10 mzx (23x31's) no mesh, someone sold them to me telling me they were M3's... no really pleased about that.

25 M3's (23x31's) some have mesh but aren't in rotation till we get in the new place.

I'm using a hand full of manual wood frames and auto aluminums until we move.

I hope to double my stable by adding another 35 M3's or so when I can find them at the right price.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Ksports on August 16, 2012, 06:38:32 AM
Gotta be more than a thousand, statics and rollers. We stretch our own statics two at a time. Acquired a lot from an acquisition.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: dave58 on August 30, 2012, 10:08:54 AM

32 static alum (20x24)
8 panel frames (20x24)
6 mzx (18x20)
8 hat screens
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Squeegie on October 26, 2012, 10:58:44 AM
6-M3 23x31 Newman rollers
43-MZX 23x31 Newman rollers
27-18x20 mzx Newman rollers
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Spreading Ink on February 03, 2013, 03:11:50 AM
Don't have an exact count, but I know this is pretty close...about 350 or so these days - combination of rollers and statics.
200+ 23x31
125-150 25x36
35 60 x 48

Mesh counts ranges from 60 to 335

Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on February 03, 2013, 04:39:44 AM
72 roller frames and around 150 static frames.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: mooseman on February 03, 2013, 08:26:19 AM
42 MZX 18 x20
mooseman
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Shanarchy on February 10, 2013, 02:37:09 PM
25 23x31 M3
25 21x26 MZX
50 18x20 MZX
appx 50 statics that collect dust.

We're a small shop, primarily the 25 21x26's stay in a constant rotation (our auto uses this frame size). Every Tuesday my part timer cleans screens and coats them, the drying cabinet holds 12, and I like to keep it full a all times. Our typical jobs use 1-4 screens.

As we grow I'll probably make one of my screen carts into a storage unit for coated screens and up the screens on hand that are "ready to go".
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on August 12, 2013, 01:29:14 AM
As from this summer I can say we don`t have nearly enough screens. 72 roller frames does not cut it. Further more I would say one screen drying cabinet does not do it anylonger either.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: beanie357 on August 12, 2013, 06:07:49 AM
We finally went on a screen binge. Still getting mesh in them all. Lack of just got too aggravating. Now working on storage. Never ends.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: abchung on August 12, 2013, 07:03:36 AM
We have:
96 MZX Newman.
50 Aluminium.
200+ Wood (yeap we still use wood here for our long tables). :-[. But the termites are sending me a message.

Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 07, 2013, 12:03:48 PM
we have around 2500 screens in use
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Frog on September 07, 2013, 12:18:46 PM
That statement certainly warrants a visit to our introduction section to tell the folks here about yourself and your operation!  :)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 07, 2013, 12:42:48 PM
done ;)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: DannyGruninger on September 16, 2013, 08:20:28 PM
done ;)

Volker, what type of screens/mesh do you guys use over there?
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 19, 2013, 07:31:18 PM
done ;)


Volker, what type of screens/mesh do you guys use over there?


we use hurtz frames.
http://www.hurtz.de (http://www.hurtz.de)

for seps 120 l/cm mesh, for line 90 or 55 l/cm and for glitter 18 l/cm mesh.
roller frames are rare because they are too expensive. germany is very small and you easily find a sceen service that collects and brings frames with broken mesh for less money than a mesh for a rollerframe.
average tension is 22 to 25 newton.

the snapshot shows our cts spitting out the exposed and washed screens ready to use.


Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: mimosatexas on September 19, 2013, 11:26:26 PM
The screens come out of the CTS washed?  Can you give more details?  That sounds awesome...
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 20, 2013, 05:33:52 PM
The screens come out of the CTS washed?  Can you give more details?  That sounds awesome...


this is a real cts. it is not just "pissing" ink on a screen (sorry for that bad word, i do not intend to offend someone using an inkjet system) it is an uv-light exposure device with an extremely precise result. it has better quality than our old imagesetter "herkules" from heidelberg. it has a max 1270 dpi resolution and needs less than four minutes for making one screen. in the next module it is washed and in the last module it is blown dry. it has a ten sreen magazine.
we produce about 150 screens a day and needed two persons for cleaning the screens after printing, two persons for putting the films on the screens, exposure and washing and two persons for coating, filmarchive and taping the screens. now all the work is done from two persons. (we did not fire the workers, they help printing now)
have a look at this clip:
Digital Screen Making ~ STM-TEX ~ perfect screen process (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9prR8itm6k#ws)
after the screen stretching, you see what we have in our shop. it was a perfect investment for us.

if you have more questions go ahead :)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: mimosatexas on September 20, 2013, 06:13:19 PM
okay that is crazy...

So it is printing with the uv?  i never even thought about that...
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Gilligan on September 20, 2013, 07:14:16 PM
I want to see a close up of it exposing those halftones... that's wicked!
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Mr Tees!! on September 20, 2013, 07:25:01 PM
...DAMMIT!! I thought about this concept once when seeing one of those laser light shows on TV. Seemed to me if you could get the laser in the correct spectrum, you could project exposure light in place of any blocking-style imaging system. I wonder if I can apply for a retroactive patent.  ::)

...I have always wondered why something like this hasn't been tried, but apparently it has. COOL!

...So the real question is...when can I get the $244 Nuarc model? (eh, see what I did there?).... 8)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: ebscreen on September 20, 2013, 08:19:15 PM
I think I speak for us all when I say OH MY GOD!!

What kind of presses do you guys use?
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on September 20, 2013, 09:18:10 PM
Vorsprung durch Technik
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: abchung on September 20, 2013, 10:47:43 PM
...DAMMIT!! I thought about this concept once when seeing one of those laser light shows on TV. Seemed to me if you could get the laser in the correct spectrum, you could project exposure light in place of any blocking-style imaging system. I wonder if I can apply for a retroactive patent.  ::)

...I have always wondered why something like this hasn't been tried, but apparently it has. COOL!

...So the real question is...when can I get the $244 Nuarc model? (eh, see what I did there?).... 8)


Laser CTS has been around for years, but very expensive.
At this year's show, the sales guy says they don't use laser anymore. They use some type of special light with mirrors. I ASSUME it would be LED with mirrors. They usually target fabric printing companies and not garment printers in this region.

They also told me this company burns screens 24/7 and never stops, the light is still good after half a year of use.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 21, 2013, 04:35:43 AM
ok here i am back again - i just woke up. it is 9:45 in the mornig here ;)

@ gilligan: i will try to get a mesh from a srceen that has a broken mesh and scan in on my flatbed scanner. you will see the result is better than from a heidelberg imagesetter who has a laser with ca 5000 dpi resolution. you loose too much quality when exposing in the vacuum. some people do not wash the screen properly what again makes lower quality.


@ abchung: they use uv light lamp with a very wicked mirror/fiberglass head system. that's too complicated for me to translate. have a look here: http://www.signtronic.com/ (http://www.signtronic.com/)
below you see the printed results from two systems compared which work like this. the right company uses led, what is not properly working already as you can easily see.
and yes this system is not cheap!
in germany we say: a porsche for 100000 euro is expensive. it costs money. a machine for 100000 is not expensive. it earns money
and believe me - it really does ;D
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 21, 2013, 04:43:29 AM
don't you folks think, this should be the the in a new thread. called "cts like it shoulbe" or something?
this seems to be a interesting theme for some people.
and is there an easy way to copy the relevant posts to a threat like this. i am not sure if i can do that.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on September 21, 2013, 04:46:50 AM
I forgot already all these great expression we have back in Germany. The one about the Porsche is for sure a winner.
Anyway just to get you back on the ground, Jürgen Klopp did not have a great day on wednesday or better a great night. Let`s see what`s happening when both our teams play each other on the 22nd of Oct.
Anyway, your equipment seems to be top notch.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on September 21, 2013, 04:49:09 AM
don't you folks think, this should be the the in a new thread. called "cts like it shoulbe" or something?
this seems to be a interesting theme for some people.
and is there an easy way to copy the relevant posts to a threat like this. i am not sure if i can do that.
When ever you feel like it , start a new thread. I`m sure many folks here will jump on it. I would really appreciate to see more work from back home and hear about your experiences.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: noiseloops on September 21, 2013, 04:51:01 AM
dang, gotta find some rich billionaire somewhere to start dropping some of the riches to me. so writes a decent proposal here. ;)

those machines are sooper nice though.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 21, 2013, 05:03:24 AM
I forgot already all these great expression we have back in Germany. The one about the Porsche is for sure a winner.
Anyway just to get you back on the ground, Jürgen Klopp did not have a great day on wednesday or better a great night. Let`s see what`s happening when both our teams play each other on the 22nd of Oct.
Anyway, your equipment seems to be top notch.


aaaaaarrgh..... stop torturing me
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 21, 2013, 05:09:38 AM
I forgot already all these great expression we have back in Germany. The one about the Porsche is for sure a winner.
Anyway just to get you back on the ground, Jürgen Klopp did not have a great day on wednesday or better a great night. Let`s see what`s happening when both our teams play each other on the 22nd of Oct.
Anyway, your equipment seems to be top notch.

the one with the porsche is not for winners, its for everybody. it just says that all things you buy that are just luxury, are expensive. this could be an old used car as long as you do not need it.
a machine is always a win as long as its producing.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on September 21, 2013, 05:19:44 AM
I know, all I meant was it`s a great expression and very true.

Matthias
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 21, 2013, 05:24:46 AM
I know, all I meant was it`s a great expression and very true.

Matthias

germans should not communicate in english  ;D
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Rockers on September 21, 2013, 05:32:23 AM
I know but this is such an American place we are at;)
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: StuJohnston on September 21, 2013, 02:10:21 PM
posts to a threat like this. i am not sure if i can do that.

I think you might be interested to know that 'threat', at least according to google translate, is the same meaning as Bedrohung in German. I only posted this because I have seen you use it a couple of times.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: volker on September 21, 2013, 03:06:29 PM
posts to a threat like this. i am not sure if i can do that.

I think you might be interested to know that 'threat', at least according to google translate, is the same meaning as Bedrohung in German. I only posted this because I have seen you use it a couple of times.
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: vwyob on August 05, 2014, 11:55:50 AM
327 (80 more on order).
 Not as mind-blowing as 2500  :)   Thats some number of screens buddy. 
Title: Re: How many screens do you have?
Post by: Printwizard on March 03, 2018, 05:21:12 AM
2000ish. Way too many but we keep up a lot of repeating work. 
I charge customers to keep their jobs on screen as opposed to single use screenmaking.  Extra $15 per screen.