TSB
screen printing => Screen Making => Topic started by: TCT on December 27, 2013, 07:47:29 AM
-
In this coming year I hope to put a few new "systems" into play. My systems may only rival the systems I imagine Alan has in place to make his morning coffee :D but we need more standardizing.
So how often is the tension on the screens in your shop checked? Every reclaim? Every other Tuesday? After they rip?
Looking for some feedback!
-
I am a small home based guy but I check mine once a month usually at the last reclaim of the month, I was doing it more but once they settle nothing changes
Roger
RT screen designs
Www.rtscreendesigns. Com
-
We check for flat and tension after every run, before reclaim. (That alone should be controversial)
-
Yup, after the screen is reclaimed so after every run. If not what is the point of using rollers?
-
If not what is the point of using rollers?
Fitting in with the crowd.... ;D
-
Hahaha that's a good one!
-
I check a screen after every run until it's work hardened. I put a little inconspicuous mark on the corner where I can see it if it's work hardened. I retension in bunches so I just need to make 25 minutes to knock out 10-15 or so screens on the roller master. Right now there's only 10 screens out of the bunch that need to be checked and if they drop from 26 to 25 I don't mess with them. We run mostly S thread so they don't need the attention that a lot of the other mesh we used to use that would drop 20-30% after one or two production runs. This S thread drops around 5% so you can go two runs through production without retensioning them.
-
If it's got some ghosting, it's work hardened, if it looks too clean, it probably needs to be checked and re-tensioned. ;)
-
If it's got some ghosting, it's work hardened, if it looks too clean, it probably needs to be checked and re-tensioned. ;)
Thats a good point.
-
we are a one man operation use mostly 3 primary mesh(s) 230 195 and 155 maybe 2 or 3 110's
Every time we grab the scoop coater we take out the tension meter too.
At this point I can almost tell by poking my calibrated finger into the screen if it has become a little soft.
we tried to keep track of the "seasoned" screens vs the "green screens" so to speak but it just so much easier to drop the meter on the darn thing before coating.
the process seems to be working as we seem to need to re-tension only 1 or 2 screens in each group of 8 or 10.
Or target tensions are 230 at 30 min 195 at 38 minimum 155 at 43 minimum 110's at 48 min.
Another interesting discovery, we find when we re-tension it is only necessary to work the side rollers to get the tensions back up to snuff. We hardly ever have to touch the top roller.
mooseman
-
Question.
After the initial stretch, I put down that yellow (not real cheap) tape to protect the screen in the grooves (print-side).
How do you retension without retaping? And if retaping every time to retension, how do you build in that cost of business? Or do you guys use a cheap tape to protect the grooves that I need to know about?
-
I've started using blue painters tape to cover the rollers along the edge against which anything will rest. Up until now I never covered the rollers, but I'll occasionally find a small hole. Oddly, these are almost always on the short roller opposite the square one. Go figure, since this roller never touches anything in the normal course of using the frame.
It's surprising how well the painters tape holds up. I've been using it for years on the square ends to write the mesh count so I could see what I was pulling down from my screen rack.
It's not the cheapest tape but works good enough so far. I doubt it'd hold up in a dip tank, but I've never lost any to regular reclaim. If it tears, just slap another piece on.
-
we use Gorilla Tape to protect the mesh from damage. When re-tensioning we simply ignore the tape and just retention.
the tape doesn't seem to be an issue.
One advantage of the tape is it is thick as a brick and if the mesh tears or pulls from under the tape the mesh will ooze out from under leaving a tell tale adhesive track marking the defect.
mooseman
-
We use that polykunk-whatever tape and usually it doesn't present a issue with retensioning either.
Thanks for the other replies guys, I kind figured after every use makes the most sense. I'll just have to add that to my checklist for screen prep.
Anyone have advice or something that works to keep a permanent number on a screen?
I'm thinking this may be extreme, but would probably seem routine after a few months. I had thought of individually numbering every screen, and then keeping info about that exact screen on a database that would be on a computer in the screen room. It would be nice to know EXACTLY how long or how many prints that particular mesh on any given screen lasts and such. Like I said initially it seems like overkill, but it would be nice info to have.
Thoughts?
-
Never... My screen inventory is in horrible shape right now.
-
Ok, let me be clearer, lol.
My tape is on the bottom, the side that would be up when retensioning. My tape is in the way of the bolts. So how do u guys cover for protection and still have access to the bolts?
Unless........in my case, I have been fully covering the bottom including the corners. Am I overworking the protection????
-
Perhaps the best way would be if people showed pictures of their screens?
-
Fair enough.
Note where the wrenches are sitting on the bottom picture.
That's where the bolts would be grabbed but are covered up with tape.
-
I'm not at my office but that's a lot more than we do. I typically tape to where it's just dipping down into the area where newman's large wrench that has an m3 side and an mzx side would fit in/where the newman table pneumatic clamps grab. However, last time I was tensioning two weeks ago which was the first time in a while - just can't keep up with things - I tore the tape back to just before that dip (and will tape screens like this in the future) to where I won't have to even touch the tape to re-tension on the table. Just have to make sure, obviously, that the corners are still soft enough for 3-7 more newtons, which is what I was trying to add a couple of weeks ago.
-
Yeah that screen is ready for outer space~
We tape with white Polyken up to where corner softening starts.
Really only needed where screen is tensioned, otherwise
softened mesh won't rip, no pull there. It will also not stick very good on loose mesh
when power washed.
Enough corner softening will leave room for successive rolling without loosening tape.
-
Well..................
So much for taking the tips from Bill..............U know who.....lol.
Thanks guys.
-
Hey Wayne, that screen looks great! Don't let them tell you different. ;)
Bullet proof but great. Lol
-
I think I need more tape
Roger
RT screen designs
Www.rtscreendesigns. Com
-
So as I was checking off our screens today I realized I should have given more info about my post. When I say after every job yes, that is how it happens at my shop anyway. (It works for me, not every shop I realize that) The reason why besides the technical issues is it builds into people the constant reinforcement of making sure everything is done the same way and standardizing everything.
A. Screens need to be flat
B. While the screen does not have to 100% exact dead on tension every single time it needs to be in our expected ballpark. I have heard former employees and other printers tell me things like "it's good enough" or "let me bounce a quarter off it" or other stupid crap and then they wonder why things are being triple and quadruple stroked. Or running at 110 PSI.
I have nothing against shops that use statics as they yield amazing prints as well. But I know they stretch and glue their own. Maybe it has been a long time for me and in another city but I could not get the tension or the mesh counts I wanted so I gave up and after being able to control these variables I never looked back.
And I swear the more I make people do these sorts of things they understand the reasons for standardizing instead of just hoping it works. Drives me crazy!
-
Hey Wayne, that screen looks great! Don't let them tell you different. ;)
Bullet proof but great. Lol
LOL, like I said, so much for following tips from that Bill guy (at least not for taping).
From now on, I'll skip taping the corners so I can re-tension if needed.