Standard vs Winged , Special Squeegies...

Printwizard

Hi, looking at options with buying a new auto, and from Action Engineering I like the look of and theory of winged flood bars keeping the ink in the print channel and off the edges of the screen, more running and less maintaining levels, and ability to run with mixing less ink of Pantone shades etc.
They also don't seem that much more expensive. But on YouTube I don't notice any or many auto printers using these. Alan, didn't see them on your RPM yet you tweak, measure and optimize so many other things???

Likewise the only auto operator referencing any special squeegee is Alan with the Smiling Jack I think it was. There are now a few squeegee options out there now, and would be interesting to see anybodies preferences with say white, colour, tone and process, water base, plastisol, silicone, solvent inks and etc with what you find are the best combinations for clean prints, opacity, lifespan, ease of use etc. I think these are the small tweaks where one size definitely does not fit all. Sure it works, but are there better options for better results. Love to hear from action, ryonet, printers etc on this one.

tonypep

Most people use them as designated for underbases and sometimes black. Some printers gripe about cleaning them. Not really necessary for short runs.
tp

srimonogramming

I've got two winged floodbars and I like them, but find them unnecessary for most inks. They are really for your short bodied inks that love to go to the sides of the screens automatically like white and your really opaque spot colors. If you have the standard plastisol inks that have plenty of slump and aren't super short bodied then you don't really need them for everyday printing. If you do large runs all the time then they'll help to keep you from loading ink as often but with the right inks, we can go hundreds of shirts without adding or scooping ink back into the well with regular floodbars.

Binkspot

We have had much success with the M&R Ink Traps. With these you can adjust the flood and or the squeegee angle and still clear the screen. They attach to the squeegee instead of being a fixed part of the flood bar. I keep two sets, one for black and one for white. Always use them with those two colors no mater how long the run. Looking to get at least one more set to keep for other inks when we do long runs. The only down fall is they are a bit pricey.

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Owner/Operator of Middletownink

Sulp

We have 1 winged floodbar we use on our 10c TAS and it's great. We use it for mostly whites and it works exactly as advertised.

arttex

For plastisol inks - so,so... But if you are planning to work with water based inks, they (or something like M&R's "ink traps") are must. The main reason (despite obvious lower viscosity) is that water based inks are air dry and when they are left on the sides (outside of the print area) for some time, most of it can't (and shouldn't) be scooped back. Solid particles of dried (or semi dried) ink will clog the mesh and in that case cleaning the stencil with water is what is needed. This is especially true when printing with opaque water based inks. One of the main rules when printing with air dry inks is that you must keep all the ink in the printing area, having it involved in print-flood movements. Ink traps and winged floodbars helping a lot with that.

Like Binkspot said, with M&R's "ink traps" you can change the angle of the floodbar without fear of tearing the mesh apart. That's because they have spring inside and moving part which doesn't allow too much pressure on the mesh even if you raise your floodbar pressure. Another plus is that you just mount them on the sides of regular floodbar when it's needed. On the other hand they are a bit harder to clean than one piece winged floodbar and they are pricey for such a small piece of "equipment". But if you gen get your hand on one and take it to some metal shop as a sample, I'm sure they will make you dozen for the fraction of M&R's price. I did just that.

islandtees

M&R now makes a winged flood bar. Im getting them with my new machine. I like there design better because they are not as hard to clean. Pricing about the same as other winged flood bars.

244

We have made them for about 15 years. Just a fyi.

islandtees

I didnt know you made the same style as Action Engineering for that long. I thought it was just the spring loaded wings you put on the end of a regular flood bar. Learn something everyday.

244

They have been made with two different degrees of angles as well for the graphic presses as well. The degree of angle is not as important on textiles as the wings are.