An Introduction to Purchasing an Automatic Screen Printing Machine

It’s a major choice to go from a manual to an automation screen printing press. Here are some things to think about!

Upgrading to an automatic press will help you take on larger tasks and avoid having to reject away orders that are either too big for your manual press or cannot be accommodated while you have all hands on deck to complete a large press run, even if it is an expense. An employee who has been dragging the squeegee for several hours may find it difficult to maintain a high-quality print for hours on end, but a decent automated screen printing press does just that.

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In the end, an automatic press lets you expand your company. You may take on larger assignments and complete them more quickly. You can concentrate on promoting your company and drawing in new customers if you spend less time operating the press.

There may be too many possibilities for you to choose from when you’re ready to buy an automated screen printing machine. There are a few key factors to think about when you start your shopping and reduce your options.

Click Configuration.

You must first decide which press setup you like. How many stations are required, and how many colors would you like to print in a particular run? Your present printing capabilities and consumer demand probably give you a decent sense of the configuration you want. When thinking about color capacities and stations, remember that on some tasks, a white underbase screen or a flash cure unit may occupy a station, which would lower your color capacity. The cost difference may be little, but a slightly bigger press configuration will allow your store to expand into your press over time, so if you can, you might want to purchase one step higher from the configuration you believe you need. Within a few years, a smaller press may make you feel as though your store has exceeded its capacity.

Dimensions

Of course, size is another factor that directly affects how you set up your press. Your press must fit inside your shop’s layout, leaving space for your staff to move about and run the press. In order to account for operation and maintenance, measure the press’s footprint and add two to three feet around it. When you update your press, be sure to account for the requirement for any additional equipment you may require, such as a chiller and air compressor, as well as any support equipment.

All-Electric or Pneumatic?

Compressed air has long been used to power automatic screen printing machines, although the most recent models are entirely electric. You must decide if your shop is better off with an all-electric press or a pneumatic press. Because an all-electric press eliminates the need for an air compressor and chiller, it might help you squeeze a bigger press configuration into a smaller work area. Because you don’t have to worry about issues with the compressor or air lines interfering with operation, electric presses also require less maintenance.

Qualities

The unique characteristics of each automated press type are primarily what distinguish them from one another. You must decide if you like the accuracy of sophisticated computerized controls or an automatic with simple controls. As you shop, you’ll need to evaluate and take into account features like screen clamps, off-contact controls, squeegee setup, step-back capabilities, safety features, pallet leveling systems, and lubrication systems, among others.

Assistance Tools

You may be concentrating on adding an automated press to your shop, but in order to make sure the rest of your business is prepared for the demands of an automatic press, you may need to improve other pieces of equipment. Does your exposure unit fit the bigger screens that are used by the majority of automated presses? Is your dryer system big enough to handle the higher volume of output? If your dryer cannot keep up, you will not be able to take use of the manufacturing possibilities of an automated press.

Establishment of the Shop

You must ensure that your store can meet the requirements of an automatic press while you browse. That might include switching to a three-phase electric system from the one-phase that most residences and businesses currently have. You will want space to run air lines and electric hookups for your compressor if you decide to use a pneumatic press. Asking what connectors your business needs to power the press is a good idea once you have reduced your press selections to a few finalists.

Funding

Many screen printers get sticker shock when they go shopping for their first automated press. Automatic screen printing machines come at a variety of pricing points, and a big press may be costly. Thankfully, the majority of companies can get financing—whether in the form of a loan or lease—for their presses. Calculate how much you can afford by calculating the monthly lease or loan payments as well as the output and per-item profit required to make that worthwhile. In general, an automatic press’s larger volume capabilities make it simple to generate the profit required to purchase the equipment.

Selecting the best automated screen printing press for your store will need some investigation and comparison shopping. Increased manufacturing capacity will repay your investment and efforts, enabling you to expand your company.