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screen printing => Screen Making => Topic started by: Mr Tees!! on September 29, 2012, 04:03:27 PM

Title: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Mr Tees!! on September 29, 2012, 04:03:27 PM
...Heres a thought I had: most of the statics we buy are manufactured in such a way, that they dont have the time to let them relax and get them to high tensions we all want. At the same time, roller frames are easily 2-3x the cost, and a pain to maintain.

...what I am think about doing is investing in a stretching table to restretch my own statics, but allowing the time to relax/retension the mesh. See, at my shop, we have a screen rip/separate roughly every two weeks or so (I have about 130 on hand) With a stretching table, I could stretch the mesh over the frame, let it relax for a day or so, tension it again, and so on. At the end of a week or so, just glue it on and go.

...Now I know that there is no possibility of work hardening in this method, and you lose that ultimate control. The super-duper high tensions just arent gonna happen, but I still think you could get much better results with this idea than you would with off-the-shelf-statics. Plus, your restretch cost would be much lower than having them sent out for restretch, with better results too. I dont see why you couldnt get one to settle in high 20's-low30's using this method, especially in the lower mesh counts.

...I have priced some pneumatic screen stretchers, and they are only a little higher than a Roller Table would be. But the difference seems minor compared to the expense of a comparable collection of rollerframes.

...one thing I have wondered about: would the screen glues be able to hold the mesh itself to the frames at higher tension? I havent done any research on glues yet.

...I guess I could find an old rollerframe that was larger than a static, stretch it nice and tight over a week or so, then glue one up and see what happens.

...anyone care to discuss/debate? anyone ever tried it?    8)
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: ericheartsu on September 29, 2012, 04:27:44 PM
we have a large static stretching machine here for of graphics stuff. it's ok, but here is the key point of all of this.

once you put the mesh on the static frames, thats it. no tightening, no nothing. so if the mesh gets worn down from a big job, or heavy use...it stays that way
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: JBLUE on September 29, 2012, 04:34:24 PM
I think that would be a waste of money on your part in my opinion. Higher tension screens are more delicate. Now you want to take a weeks time and make a delicate screen that will bust like a tight Newman? The money would be better spent on a Newman frame that you can have in production the next day after tearing it. No glue to sand off. No holding up the table waiting for the mesh to relax. No having to mix up adhesive and hope that it holds during a production run. Your weakest point is going to be that adhesive being able to hold the tension for any decent amount of time.

Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Homer on September 29, 2012, 04:41:48 PM
even though I am not sticking with roller frames, I believe you would be WAY farther ahead buying rollers, panels and a roller table.

by the way, Pocono screen stretches their screens exactly like you want to do, stage stretching.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Mr Tees!! on September 29, 2012, 05:00:42 PM
I think that would be a waste of money on your part in my opinion. Higher tension screens are more delicate. Now you want to take a weeks time and make a delicate screen that will bust like a tight Newman? The money would be better spent on a Newman frame that you can have in production the next day after tearing it. No glue to sand off. No holding up the table waiting for the mesh to relax. No having to mix up adhesive and hope that it holds during a production run. Your weakest point is going to be that adhesive being able to hold the tension for any decent amount of time.

...how is this any more cost effective? Now I have a $90 frame that wont stay in production.

...if a screen fails only once a week here anyway, where is the time loss? All i do is take a few seconds or so each day to add a bit more tension with the air regulators.

..now as for the mesh glue, yeah I agree that may be an issue. I just dont know if the glues have ever been tested in this way.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: ZooCity on September 29, 2012, 05:26:48 PM
I believe that making your own stretch and glues is a false economy for most shops and certainly far more work than using one of the retensionable or at least "re-meshable" frame varieties out there.   And the floor space involved- sand blasting cab, stretcher and ventilation for that nasty glue...if we ever did this I would also sell frames as a side business to area shops otherwise I could never justify the space it would take up v. a roller master.  Do some math and revisit the concept of newmans, I'd rather learn to use roller frames in a shop than to re-stretch my own statics.  Could be different for you, but, if you can handle the concept of making a little screen shop inside your shop I know you can handle using roller frames and eliminate the problems you've had in the past. 

One thing I never see in this seemingly endless debate is the life cycle cost of statics.  Anyone compared costs with the shipping involved in remeshing statics?

Being in a state with no suppliers at all, I prefer a screen that I can restretch easily with mesh that I keep on hand.

I think statics are just fine, dandy in fact!  They are light, low-maintenance in production, no soft corners to pool up emulsion, they allow you to use "permanent tape" or nothing at all if you are savvy, they are durable and easy to recycle. But, I don't like where they settle in on tension and I don't like having to ship them all back and forth. 

Many shops make excellent, even award winning, prints with both types.  Different strokes.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VXl1RwDZ9VQ/SwglwE79FNI/AAAAAAAAAHs/7qLMg0Ypvlg/s1600/diffrent-strokes-photograph-c10101742.jpg)
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: ScreenFoo on September 29, 2012, 05:43:49 PM
I have some 86/100 I'm doing very long term testing on, but it'll be another year or two before I can report anything.   :)

I've mentioned this before, but I've stage tensioned Saati Hitech 125/70 mesh up to 40+ newtons onto statics--the glue doesn't come delaminated, but the frame bows, the mesh elongates, and the tension is down just over thirty within the first couple cycles, and seems to stabilize in the 25 range.

IMHO It makes for a superior static, but it's still pretty crappy compared to the easy 25-35 newtons I maintain for many cycles on an MZX roller, as well as being able to tweak it up a hair when it drops--not to mention being able to match any set of screens to the same tension for easy multicolor reg. 

I can't do it properly across threads but from the other thread Mr. Tees mentioned:

"First, removing the protective tape off the frames is a hassle, then geting the locking strips out cleanly amost never happened. Then, clean the frame, check and usually remove burrs from the channels. Finally you get to remesh the frame, and reapply the protective tape. There was just a lot of little hidden time/cost."

If you need to remove burrs from the channels, you just found out why those rollers were such a hassle--they're being mishandled.  If you hit a roller hard enough to put a burr in the channel, the mesh has no possibility of surviving that.  Also, if they are messy and it takes forever to clean the rollers and channels when it comes time to restretch, the reclaim personnel are not likely rinsing the chemicals, inks, and emulsion fully from the frame.  All of that stuff will get stuck under the mesh, and make the rollers bumpy, leading to more premature mesh failure. 

I do agree there's a lot of time/cost that gets glossed over with rollers, but at the same time I agree with Zoo on this: how much fun is pulling mesh, blasting/sanding, and dealing with glue?  Not picking sides, I do both--but I see the economy to either side...
Title: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: cclaud3 on September 29, 2012, 05:56:23 PM
I've been on the fence for a while regarding roller frames. But there is a local supply shop that has a trade in program. They bring the frames to me and I give them the "cores" back. No waiting on re-meshing.

It's just me so the big sell is NO reclaiming. I do keep the chemicals ready in case of a rare exposure mishap.I don't tape the ink side of the screens anymore.

I was efficient in reclaiming but who enjoys it? After doing the math for the number of screens I process it's worth the cost for my sanity and frees up 1 day a week for me to do anything else. I can double the cost of the screens and I'm still less on setup costs compared to some of the other shops in town.

Again, no reclaim, fresh mesh for each job, less chemicals, less tape. I would check and see if your local supply place does trade-ins.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: inkman996 on September 29, 2012, 05:58:25 PM
A way to pseudo work harden a static after you stage tension up to the max tension you want you then add a crap load of weight evenly across the mesh come back after a bit remove weight retention and glue.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Mr Tees!! on September 29, 2012, 06:09:55 PM
I have some 86/100 I'm doing very long term testing on, but it'll be another year or two before I can report anything.   :)

I've mentioned this before, but I've stage tensioned Saati Hitech 125/70 mesh up to 40+ newtons onto statics--the glue doesn't come delaminated, but the frame bows, the mesh elongates, and the tension is down just over thirty within the first couple cycles, and seems to stabilize in the 25 range.

IMHO It makes for a superior static, but it's still pretty crappy compared to the easy 25-35 newtons I maintain for many cycles on an MZX roller, as well as being able to tweak it up a hair when it drops--not to mention being able to match any set of screens to the same tension for easy multicolor reg. 

If you need to remove burrs from the channels, you just found out why those rollers were such a hassle--they're being mishandled.  If you hit a roller hard enough to put a burr in the channel, the mesh has no possibility of surviving that.  Also, if they are messy and it takes forever to clean the rollers and channels when it comes time to restretch, the reclaim personnel are not likely rinsing the chemicals, inks, and emulsion fully from the frame.  All of that stuff will get stuck under the mesh, and make the rollers bumpy, leading to more premature mesh failure. 

I do agree there's a lot of time/cost that gets glossed over with rollers, but at the same time I agree with Zoo on this: how much fun is pulling mesh, blasting/sanding, and dealing with glue?  Not picking sides, I do both--but I see the economy to either side...

...thanks for the unbiased response, Foo. I agree there is a downside to both. I had just never heard much about anyone trying this, or what the results might be. Your numbers provided here are helpful.

..concerning the burrs on the frames: The place I was managing at the time gave me no input on hiring, and there was a lot of turnover, if you know what I mean. By the time I got folks trained to handle screens carefully, they bailed and I had to start over. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but it really was a continual issue that probably soured me on these things to some extent.

...can I ask how exactly you stage tensioned the statics? Like over what period of time, how many retensions, etc?
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: alan802 on September 29, 2012, 06:55:01 PM
I've thought about doing the same thing tees is talking about.  Offering a high quality static to those shops that want higher tension but can't justify the very high initial cost of rollers or shurlocs.  If a manufacturer could simply make a truly low-no elongation mesh then it would certainly be a lot easier.  I think you can do this, and it wouldn't take a week or really a day to get some great screens to work harden in the 25-30 range in my opinion. 

Right now I'm stretching Murakami smartmesh, Saati Hi-tech, newman roller mesh, accumesh, Sefar E, dynamesh and whatever manufacturer that Sonny sells (I don't think he's ever mentioned for some reason :)).  As I'm stretching, I'm stretching them past the manufacturer's recommended highest level and then locking them down.  I then measure the tension over the course of the next 24 hours or so and as many times as I remember.  I've got numbers on how much each mesh count and manufacturer's mesh is elongating after the initial stretch.  I'm doing all of this before it ever goes into production just to see which manu has the lowest elongation after first tension.  I understand that things could change drastically after the first run through production and the performance of one mesh may be much better after production where it was not good after first stretch, but I don't think that's going to happen.  I think the mesh that doesn't elongate in the beginning will also be the top performer after production runs.  I have been writing all this down and so far I've done about 5 different mesh counts and 3 different manus.  When I get back to the shop and do a few more screens then I'll post that info in a new thread.

I think the smartmesh s threads will be the best mesh for what mrtees is trying to do.  There lower tension levels will help tremendously and from the testing I've done recently, the higher tension mesh loses a higher percentage of it's tension after the first stretching.  I've taken newman roller mesh up to 60 and it's down to 45 within 2 hours.  I take 150/48 S thread smartmesh up to 32 and it is still at 29-30 in 2 hours.  I have also noticed the s threads don't lose as much tension after the first print run and I think it's due to several factors, low elongation obviously but then I think the lower amount of pressure needed to print with them helps out a lot.

As far as the delicate nature of the higher tension screens and thinner threads, I think if a screen can make it through a production run once, why not 100 times?  If you take care of it and handle them correctly, they simply will not spontaneously combust.  Out of the 50 or so screens we lost last year, I bet 95% of them were human related.  A few busted from a flood bar coming down too hard or crooked, and maybe a few were over-tensioned (guilty as charged), and there was a few that a foreign object was in the ink and wore a hole in the screen and causing it to split.  I've got 30+- newmans that have shurloc panels in them from 2010 still going strong yet I've had at least a dozen screens bust that were stretched in April and May.  I finally had a newman roller mesh screen bust last week.  It was the first one out of about 20 that I stretched in March and April.  It was definitely Rigo related.  He's the damn gorilla working for us that handles the screens like an animal.  I'm just waiting for someone else to come along to hire and move him back to the embroidery side so him mama can watch over him instead of me.  Sorry, that another problem for another day, and a thread of it's own perhaps.

I've also been trying a little different technique on the roller master that may or may not do anything but I'm doing it cause I can and it's easy.  But I'm taking the mesh up to high tension, then I'm flipping the air cylinders on and off 20-30 times allowing the rollers to roll down and the mesh to go to zero newtons then I'm flipping the switch back on and the rollers tighten the mesh back up to the high tension.  Sort of pulling a rubber band and letting it relax over and over.  Like I said, this may or may not do a damn thing, but it feels/seems like it would help to work the mesh a little bit and at the very least, not hurt anything by doing it.

I'm all in favor of someone trying to produce a high quality, mid/high tension static.  I think it's possible and depending on how you can do it, it could certainly be worth the time as long as you weren't taking a week to produce one screen. 
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: ScreenFoo on September 29, 2012, 07:21:52 PM
Alan:  I'll be interested in that thread.  I think you're on track with the S thread keeping tension the best, in a way, but from what I've seen it's much easier to retain low tension than high.  The other odd variable is trying to correlate the smaller thread diameter with diameters much larger and how they hold the same tensions--i.e. the 150/48 has a cross section of about 1800 microns squared, a 157/64's is about 3200 microns squared.  I know that when I stretch a 157 to 20-25 newtons, and retension it a couple times, it stays there.  When I push it to 30-40, I have to double or triple the number of retensions to get it stablize.  It would be interesting to put a thick and thin thread screen side by side with the same tension and see how they compare over a number of cycles, in tension loss and print characteristics as well.


Mr. Tees:
I don't take that as a cop-out at all--it's a reality.  I've had many screens pop in years before, but little screen breakage over the last year, attributed to relentless harassment of co-workers, and doing the reclaiming myself.  I realize if I were in the position many here are in, I would not have time to do all that work myself. 

Couldn't tell you exactly how I did it, but I pretty much tried to emulate a pneumatic setup--I'd guess I was somewhere around ten tensionings, and made it a 'when I have a minute' kind of thing over the course of a few weeks.  For a little reference, I've done the same thing with a few 157/64 screens, but it's Hitex (cheaper) and they are ending up a little lower, expected with the smaller threads.   I thought they would lose more tension, but perhaps it's not just marketing when they say the cheaper stuff is still good low elongation mesh.                                   

I have the first 125/70 frame I did that to on press right now--spot checking the tension it was at 26N, and I would guess it's been cycled around fifty times since I glued it.  I'd guess the 157's have only been cycled a couple dozen times at most, they'll probably settle down to 18-19--still a very useful tension, IMHO.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Mr Tees!! on September 29, 2012, 07:42:05 PM
...this is all useful info, thanks guys! I feel a little more encouraged to give this a shot, but maybe just using an oversized roller instead of springing for the pneumatic table just yet.

...actually, Foo, did you have a full-on screen stretcher that you did this on?

...also want to mention, that when I said i could do this over the course of a week, that was really just a realistic time-frame I could allow the mesh tension to get nice and high. Given, I may be able to get somewhere in less than a day too, but if I only need to stretch one a week, why not retension for the whole week, yknow?
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: JBLUE on September 29, 2012, 10:07:25 PM
I think that would be a waste of money on your part in my opinion. Higher tension screens are more delicate. Now you want to take a weeks time and make a delicate screen that will bust like a tight Newman? The money would be better spent on a Newman frame that you can have in production the next day after tearing it. No glue to sand off. No holding up the table waiting for the mesh to relax. No having to mix up adhesive and hope that it holds during a production run. Your weakest point is going to be that adhesive being able to hold the tension for any decent amount of time.

...how is this any more cost effective? Now I have a $90 frame that wont stay in production.


...if a screen fails only once a week here anyway, where is the time loss? All i do is take a few seconds or so each day to add a bit more tension with the air regulators.

..now as for the mesh glue, yeah I agree that may be an issue. I just dont know if the glues have ever been tested in this way.

If you tension the screens higher you are going to have more breakage so you have to address why they are popping them anyways at lower tensions. Before you drop 3 plus grand on a new stretcher that you only plan on stretching one screen a week on I would address that.

Let's say you have 5 break that week? On your schedule it would take five weeks to recover those and bring them back into production. Add up all the time it takes for someone to strip them out of glue and leftover mesh. Thats loss right there. Now you also need sanding disc, sander, and an area off in a corner to make that mess and then clean up that mess. That's more loss.

In the same time you spend cleaning off that glue you could have stretched a dozen rollers without a table. In less than 48 hours all those screens are back in production. Retension them again to a level that your guys can use and keep going.

You can get used Newmans from 17-25 bucks used usually with locking strips. Have your supply reps ask around. Getting over stock from bigger shops is where I get a lot of mine. Someone always has some for sale somewhere.

There are adhesives that will hold the mesh. You just have to go to Aerospace products but now your talking good money to get those types of adhesives. They are not cheap and are not available at your local supply shop or Home Depot.

I would do what you were talking about and experiment with a large roller. It can't hurt. We did some testing on some manual frames and they bowed a bit around 45 newtons which relaxed them in the centers ofmthe square tubes. That took overnight for them to flex. I used some epoxy from a buddy that's in Aerospace and it was about 20.00 bucks worth for two screens. The glue held though. It was also a b!tch to sand off by the way. After that I did not attempt it on a 23x31. 




Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on September 30, 2012, 02:19:22 AM
I've been on the fence for a while regarding roller frames. But there is a local supply shop that has a trade in program. They bring the frames to me and I give them the "cores" back. No waiting on re-meshing.

It's just me so the big sell is NO reclaiming. I do keep the chemicals ready in case of a rare exposure mishap.I don't tape the ink side of the screens anymore.

I was efficient in reclaiming but who enjoys it? After doing the math for the number of screens I process it's worth the cost for my sanity and frees up 1 day a week for me to do anything else. I can double the cost of the screens and I'm still less on setup costs compared to some of the other shops in town.

Again, no reclaim, fresh mesh for each job, less chemicals, less tape. I would check and see if your local supply place does trade-ins.
I have been considering this as well but with the Panel Frames. I hate reclaim and as long as you charge for it you would never have to reclaim a thing. Figure 20 screens a week for a slow shop like us x $13 per mesh panel = $260 x 4 weeks = $1040 per month. Now is the 4 days of reclaiming per month plus cost of chemicals worth it? Maybe so if you can land more work to fill up the 4 days you saved from not reclaiming anymore.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Northland on September 30, 2012, 08:43:51 AM
I've been on the fence for a while regarding roller frames. But there is a local supply shop that has a trade in program. They bring the frames to me and I give them the "cores" back. No waiting on re-meshing.

It's just me so the big sell is NO reclaiming. I do keep the chemicals ready in case of a rare exposure mishap.I don't tape the ink side of the screens anymore.

I was efficient in reclaiming but who enjoys it? After doing the math for the number of screens I process it's worth the cost for my sanity and frees up 1 day a week for me to do anything else. I can double the cost of the screens and I'm still less on setup costs compared to some of the other shops in town.

Again, no reclaim, fresh mesh for each job, less chemicals, less tape. I would check and see if your local supply place does trade-ins.
I have been considering this as well but with the Panel Frames. I hate reclaim and as long as you charge for it you would never have to reclaim a thing. Figure 20 screens a week for a slow shop like us x $13 per mesh panel = $260 x 4 weeks = $1040 per month. Now is the 4 days of reclaiming per month plus cost of chemicals worth it? Maybe so if you can land more work to fill up the 4 days you saved from not reclaiming anymore.
??? reclaiming 20 screens is an hours work (with a dip tank).
Chemicals... less than $.25 a screen

Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Gilligan on September 30, 2012, 10:05:51 AM
Yeah, even my new guy did 14 screens in two hours tops and that is with inferior gear. :p
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: GraphicDisorder on September 30, 2012, 10:17:02 AM
Our employees do about 30-40 screens in less than a half day and they aren't like killing themselves to keep that pace. 
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Nation03 on September 30, 2012, 10:56:11 AM
Seems like a waste of mesh to just toss out after each job. Reclaiming isn't so bad and it is definitely cheaper than getting a new mesh panel for each job. Small operations are great because you can just go in on a saturday, reclaim a weeks worth of screens and get them coated, then you're good for the week. I try to always have 5-8 coated screens ready to go for the week.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Gilligan on September 30, 2012, 11:15:50 AM
Tell you what Gerry... if you go this route, I'll give my UPS account number and you can just pull the panels and ship them to me when you are done... I'll pop them in and reclaim them. ;)

On second thought, I REALLY think you should go this route. :p
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on September 30, 2012, 11:33:51 AM
Sheesh I was just showing it as a simple mathematical equation. Just replace the 20 screens with however many screens you do in one day. It works out the same as what the man says he does by trading in his static's after 1 use regardless of how many you do. Maybe even cheaper
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: cclaud3 on September 30, 2012, 11:36:07 AM
Yes, we're probably both a 1 person shop. In addition to the time you must consider your personal hourly rate that is factored into to the cost. Add that to your re-mesh cost. I'm at less than $10 per screen on trade-in.

For the other static shops how often are you cycling through re-meshing or new screens entirely? Using the static for months to a year at a time then, yes, reclaiming should be cheaper. If I had staff with some open time to fill during the week then absolutely reclaiming factors differently.

Why would I want to reclaim on a saturday? The work week is long enough :) There is still personal cost to that time right?
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Nation03 on September 30, 2012, 11:42:50 AM
I guess I just don't mind working on saturdays. I personally don't go through too many screens so to go in on a saturday, reclaim 10 screens and coat them is an easy day. I can get everything done before 11am and call it an early day.

I'm not bashing anyones system. If it works and the numbers work, definitely do what is easier for you. Hell, having a brand new screen for every job doesn't sound bad at all! lol. I've been using panel frames lately. Kinda iffy on them, but they get the job done for now.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: mooseman on September 30, 2012, 11:49:34 AM
On the topic of work hardening the screens before glue set to frames here is a thought or two....

Frog posted some data a bit ago about how how when mesh is heated it actually increases in tension quite opposite to the common thought heat offers expansion thus relaxation.
So to work harden a stretched mesh possibly a number  of heating / warming cycles causing the mesh to expand / contract much like a new  rubber band becomes "seasoned" with a few quick stretches and makes a much better rubberband. ;)
We have wanted to try some of this heat cycling on our roller re-mesh jobs but simply have noit had time to look at it.

the other thought is if you are trying this on wood frames forget it if you are not using metal frames you are wasting time and money and chasing aghost you will never catch.

mooseman
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: cclaud3 on September 30, 2012, 11:51:52 AM
I guess I just don't mind working on saturdays. I personally don't go through too many screens so to go in on a saturday, reclaim 10 screens and coat them is an easy day. I can get everything done before 11am and call it an early day.

I'm not bashing anyones system. If it works and the numbers work, definitely do what is easier for you. Hell, having a brand new screen for every job doesn't sound bad at all! lol. I've been using panel frames lately. Kinda iffy on them, but they get the job done for now.

Absolutely, I'm glad you didn't take that as an attack.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: JBLUE on September 30, 2012, 11:53:12 AM
I've been on the fence for a while regarding roller frames. But there is a local supply shop that has a trade in program. They bring the frames to me and I give them the "cores" back. No waiting on re-meshing.

It's just me so the big sell is NO reclaiming. I do keep the chemicals ready in case of a rare exposure mishap.I don't tape the ink side of the screens anymore.

I was efficient in reclaiming but who enjoys it? After doing the math for the number of screens I process it's worth the cost for my sanity and frees up 1 day a week for me to do anything else. I can double the cost of the screens and I'm still less on setup costs compared to some of the other shops in town.

Again, no reclaim, fresh mesh for each job, less chemicals, less tape. I would check and see if your local supply place does trade-ins.
I have been considering this as well but with the Panel Frames. I hate reclaim and as long as you charge for it you would never have to reclaim a thing. Figure 20 screens a week for a slow shop like us x $13 per mesh panel = $260 x 4 weeks = $1040 per month. Now is the 4 days of reclaiming per month plus cost of chemicals worth it? Maybe so if you can land more work to fill up the 4 days you saved from not reclaiming anymore.

Gerry,
Use that 260.00 per week to pay a part timer to come in and clean those screens. They take two hours to clean those twenty screens and use them the rest of the week for your other needs. It will free you up to grow. You can't do everything yourself if you want to grow. At some point you have to have someone out there doing the grunt work.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on September 30, 2012, 11:56:29 AM
Great point J.. I struggle with hiring someone and haven't looked into all that goes into it as an employer and the requirements of one such as taxes, insurance, workers comp, workplace safety requirements etc etc..
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Gilligan on September 30, 2012, 11:59:02 AM
I've been on the fence for a while regarding roller frames. But there is a local supply shop that has a trade in program. They bring the frames to me and I give them the "cores" back. No waiting on re-meshing.

It's just me so the big sell is NO reclaiming. I do keep the chemicals ready in case of a rare exposure mishap.I don't tape the ink side of the screens anymore.

I was efficient in reclaiming but who enjoys it? After doing the math for the number of screens I process it's worth the cost for my sanity and frees up 1 day a week for me to do anything else. I can double the cost of the screens and I'm still less on setup costs compared to some of the other shops in town.

Again, no reclaim, fresh mesh for each job, less chemicals, less tape. I would check and see if your local supply place does trade-ins.
I have been considering this as well but with the Panel Frames. I hate reclaim and as long as you charge for it you would never have to reclaim a thing. Figure 20 screens a week for a slow shop like us x $13 per mesh panel = $260 x 4 weeks = $1040 per month. Now is the 4 days of reclaiming per month plus cost of chemicals worth it? Maybe so if you can land more work to fill up the 4 days you saved from not reclaiming anymore.

Gerry,
Use that 260.00 per week to pay a part timer to come in and clean those screens. They take two hours to clean those twenty screens and use them the rest of the week for your other needs. It will free you up to grow. You can't do everything yourself if you want to grow. At some point you have to have someone out there doing the grunt work.

Yo J... shut it man... I'm working on getting some free one time use panels. ;)
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: JBLUE on September 30, 2012, 12:01:12 PM
LOL..... Gerry you know my number. Don't be afraid to call Gerry.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on September 30, 2012, 12:10:14 PM
Thanks J, I'll take you up on it soon. Are you going to ISS in January?
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: JBLUE on September 30, 2012, 01:10:51 PM
Yes we will be there. Staying at the hotel that is next to the hall.  Easier to stumble back to from the bars.
Title: Re: Rollers vs Statics, an idea.
Post by: Socalfmf on October 01, 2012, 06:59:30 AM
ok I am going to try and sum this up as quick as i can..

#1. all screens loose mesh...however with roller frames anyone can control that lose of tension not so with statics.
#2. Roller frames are an asset...I know I can sell mine for at least what I bought them for vs. statics that are really not worth much except the scrap aluminum once used.
#3. if set up properly ( your system ) using roller frames are not hard to maintain...what I see a lot on here is peoples lack of system.  We have a system for everything...once you do that you can start nitpicking on all the small stuff in order to get your business making more and more money by not doing any more business and then allow your business to take on more business.
#4.  I have seen a lot of people double stroke, use revolver, flash between each color because they do not have proper screens...but like Jay said that also goes with proper speed and pressure so it is not only screens it is again the SYSTEM.
#5.  yeah you can print faster with tighter screens
#6.  Jay I am going to kick you in the balls...yes set ups are faster...example is me...dts, tri loc, no regi marks and we are setting up 1-3 jobs more per day now... we are able to take on more jobs and get them out faster which = more $$$$$$$$
#7.  roller frames last longer with proper care..again if your staff doesn't care why should you?

there you go...

sam