PANELFrame system

inkbrigade · July 22nd, 2011, 09:33 PM

We use roller frames with roller mesh, work hardened at 45n. I couldn't imagine using anything else. Super low off contact, fast prints. Good coverage with not to much ink. Great registration. The example photos below have no choke, no trap. Just butt reg. With QCM plastisol.

Penny is the the photo for scale:

pwalsh · July 23rd, 2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonypep

Peter it was someone in Tech Service no need to point fingers but thanks for clearing that up.
tp

Tony: I'm just glad that it wasn't me that told you!

You know that they say; "A screen-printers memory is the second thing to go"

squeegee · July 26th, 2011, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inkbrigade

We use roller frames with roller mesh, work hardened at 45n. I couldn't imagine using anything else. Super low off contact, fast prints. Good coverage with not to much ink. Great registration. The example photos below have no choke, no trap. Just butt reg.

This was done using EZ frames with 150s mesh and 300t, 24-29N, so anyway it's not always necessary to have mega tension to make sharp, bright prints. Newman over emphasizes tension IMHO, it is like their propaganda.

Printwizard · July 26th, 2011, 06:45 AM

How much more expensive are these frames? We only use old school rectangular frames that need remeshing, can't re tension. We have about 5,000 frames and had been moving away from wood to Aluminium. We do a lot of repeats so keep a lot up. I would like to move more toward continual reclaiming and being able to retention though, but haven't seen any of these frames sold here so will be a case of importing them.

tonypep · July 26th, 2011, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squeegee

This was done using EZ frames with 150s mesh and 300t, 24-29N, so anyway it's not always necessary to have mega tension to make sharp, bright prints. Newman over emphasizes tension IMHO, it is like their propaganda.

I agree to a point but let's not get into a tension/frame type war. I can say that the "higher tension=less ink" is pretty much an urban legend. We tested this out at an eight press two shift shop over a period of six months and de-bunked it. Water based inks are less dependant on higher tension. That said I see the biggest advantage of the higher tensions above say 35n is for single hit underbases and high density prints. Large areas of high density ink coverage can "fall" towards the center of the graphic when printed through lower tensioned mesh.
tp

squeegee · July 26th, 2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonypep

I agree to a point but let's not get into a tension/frame type war. I can say that the "higher tension=less ink" is pretty much an urban legend. We tested this out at an eight press two shift shop over a period of six months and de-bunked it. Water based inks are less dependant on higher tension. That said I see the biggest advantage of the higher tensions above say 35n is for single hit underbases and high density prints. Large areas of high density ink coverage can "fall" towards the center of the graphic when printed through lower tensioned mesh.
tp

Not trying to start a frame war, just saying that there is a time and place for high tension as you said, just making a counter opinion to the idea that high tension=best, I think "proper tension" is the idea I was trying to get across, need more coffee.

HD printing is new to me, but I am actually doing a print today on mesh that's at about 45-50N and am hopeful the tension will lend to better results than previous attempts.

tonypep · July 26th, 2011, 09:38 AM

Agreed. I think it might be John or Alan that tries to ensure all frames are tensioned equally for each job. Admirable but I don't have the time and can't see the payoff. Our presses run wide open so I don't see a speed advantage. I apologize if I got your names wrong guys. Anyway.....time and a place. proper tension? Seems sensible to me.

srimonogramming · July 26th, 2011, 12:09 PM

I'm not the one who wants all the particular screens for the same job to be the same tension. I'm all about matching a particular mesh count's tension level to the manufacturers recommended level. I'm also backing off my previous thoughts of the higher the tension the better, but just a little bit. I still think printing plastisol through a 156 at 45 newtons is better than printing the same ink and image through a 156 at 25 newtons, but I'm more concerned with mesh opening, thread thickness, stencil thickness, theoretical ink volume along with the manufacturers recommended tension level. I'll never back off the idea that two screens and everything being the same that printing through the higher tension will yield better results across the board of parameters, up to a point. I don't think you'll benefit greatly from printing through an 80 newton screen versus a 50, but the differences between 20 newtons and 40 newtons will make all the difference. Whatever mesh specs that will help me print a very thin, opaque layer directly on top of the shirt instead of in it is the most important thing. If I can accomplish that with a 150/48 Murakami smartmesh s thread at 25 newtons better than I can with a 156/64 sefar at 48 newtons, then I'm gonna use the Murakami.

tonypep · July 26th, 2011, 12:44 PM

All good points Alan!

jmd · July 26th, 2011, 01:36 PM

Thanks, all helpful info