TSB

screen printing => General Screen Printing => Topic started by: Maxie on September 15, 2014, 09:52:49 AM

Title: Printing alone
Post by: Maxie on September 15, 2014, 09:52:49 AM
We have always run our shop with two printers, one loading and the other unloading plus someone behind the oven.
We average around 300 prints per hour mainly because on big prints our oven is too small.        We are using a MHM E Type.
I recently saw a post where printers mentioned that they can print 300 an hour on their own, this has got me thinking that maybe it's been to work with one person printing than two.
How do most printers work?
One or two  people printing?
How many hours can one printer work for at a reasonable speed?
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Croft on September 15, 2014, 10:16:13 AM
One printer on my sportsman regularly does 30-35 doz an hour average , loading and unloading herself.  This is for tees,  specialty fabrics or pants average  less. We don't use 2 until after 35 do an hour.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Maxie on September 15, 2014, 10:19:07 AM
Carry on with this post, how many of you have someone catching the shirts at the end of the oven?
How many  have boxes that the shirts fall into?
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: ericheartsu on September 15, 2014, 10:30:29 AM
we will always have someone pulling from the press, but there isn't always someone at the end of the dryer.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: IntegrityShirts on September 15, 2014, 10:32:24 AM
I print alone 95% of the time. I have two of these 20 bushel basket trucks at the end of my dryer, cheaper than 1 garment runner:

(http://hdsupplysolutions.com/wcsstore/ThdsMroUs/product/fm/large/16/160043_V_L.jpg)
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: tonypep on September 15, 2014, 10:36:48 AM
Always run all autos with 3 person teams. No other way for us. Everyone pitches in w/ teardown/setup. Its a pretty ridged procedure.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Maxie on September 15, 2014, 10:44:52 AM
How many shirts can you print on your own?
How many hours can you print a day?
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: kingscreen on September 15, 2014, 10:46:21 AM
A 3 person team is ideal. When that isn't possible, a catcher is still a necessity.
We do everything we can to avoid a giant pile at the end of the dryer.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: 3Deep on September 15, 2014, 10:51:02 AM
Us being a small shop we use two, me printing and unloading and my wife catching and stacking at the end of the dryer.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: jvanick on September 15, 2014, 10:53:52 AM
Agreed, sometimes it feels like pulling all the shirts out of the box or cart at the end of the dryer takes longer than printing the shirts in the first place.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: mimosatexas on September 15, 2014, 10:58:47 AM
I print alone almost all the time.  Built a canvas and wood catcher for about $50 that can hold around 200 shirts at a time.  I have seen some people use a rigid one or one like was already posted.  I like mine because I can grab the middle, lift and shake and any dust/lint/debris is gone in a few seconds.  I had a big plastic bin before and would constantly be wiping it down to get rid of that stuff.  The cloth is also attaches with buttons so if it needs to be washed or replaced it is simple.

If you have more than one person, the second person is much better used as a catch than an unloader in my opinion.  Keeps things rolling smoothly, no wrinkled shirts, everything is stacked and sorted for quick location changes, etc.  Even if you are slower, you will save down time.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Frog on September 15, 2014, 11:19:30 AM
Carry on with this post, how many of you have someone catching the shirts at the end of the oven?
How many  have boxes that the shirts fall into?

I have never seen a shop without some sort of container at the end of their dryer(s), whether designed to hold hundreds, or merely as a back-up for a catcher.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Sbrem on September 15, 2014, 11:44:24 AM
When you're small, you can do it all by yourself, but as the workload picks up, you need more help. As Tony said, 3 is ideal, loader (the most important of the 3) unloader and catcher at the end of the belt. The unloader and catcher are the QC people.

Steve
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: ebscreen on September 15, 2014, 11:57:10 AM
If you have more than one person, the second person is much better used as a catch than an unloader in my opinion.  Keeps things rolling smoothly, no wrinkled shirts, everything is stacked and sorted for quick location changes, etc.  Even if you are slower, you will save down time.

This is very true. Nothing worse than having to sort and fold a big pile of shirts at the end of a run.I'd argue that with discharge it's
almost necessary.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on September 15, 2014, 01:20:36 PM
If I am running by myself I print by size to make it easier at the end of the dryer, I dont like the end of the dryer job personally.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: mimosatexas on September 15, 2014, 01:24:30 PM
On "bigger" runs (maybe 50-75+) I also print by size and head back to the bin to lay em out and fold in 10s and bag, unless it is a waterbased/discharge run, in which case I just power through in and sort at the end, emptying the shirts only a large table when necessary.
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Orion on September 15, 2014, 03:16:50 PM
I print alone, yeah
With nobody else
I print alone, yeah
With nobody else
You know when I print alone
I prefer to be by myself... ;D
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: bimmridder on September 15, 2014, 03:54:45 PM
You're bad to the bone.....
Title: Re: Printing alone
Post by: Croft on September 15, 2014, 03:59:49 PM
Always have someone at the end of the dryer because the shirts wrinkle , poly blends are the worst and just doesn't look good when you box up