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February/March 2011
Applications Abound For New UV Inks p. 26
An In-Depth Look at Press Maintenance p. 14 Environmentally Aware Screen Cleaning p. 20
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F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 011 Volume 101 / Number 1
CONTENTS COLUMNS About the Cover
Continued innovation in UV inks opens the door to more markets each day. On page 26, discover the products that await these emerging UV formulations. Cover design by Keri Harper.
EXPERT APPAREL
8 Screen Printing on a Variety of Fabrics
Thomas Trimingham
Find out how to work with different garment materials and match artwork and separations to meet the style the fabrics require.
DIGITAL DIMENSION
12 How to Get More from Your Floor
Rick Mandel
Shop-floor efficiency can move your business toward increased profitability.
FEATURES
14 A Review of Press Maintenance Procedures
Rick Fuqua
This article tells you how to set up and carry out a press-maintenance plan using precise details to simplify what might at first seem to be an insurmountable task.
20 The Screen-Cleaning Boxing Ring
Jason Davenport
This comparison of conventional and green cleaners makes it easier to choose safe, effective, and economical solutions for cleaning screens.
26 Developments in UV Inks
Mike Plier
Plier looks at the latest UV digital inks and their relationship to UV screen inks as he delves into how ink systems must be formulated to overcome limitations in conventional UV digital performance.
DEPARTMENTS SCREENPRINTING Online Communities
4 NEWSWORTHY 6 NEW PRODUCTS 34 SHOP TALK 35 INDUSTRY UPDATE
36 US & CANADIAN DIRECTORY 38 OPPORTUNITY EXCHANGE 39 ADVERTISING INDEX 40 EDITORIAL INSIGHTS
SCREEN PRINTING (ISSN 0036-0594) is published bi-monthly by ST Media Group International Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1812. Telephone: (513) 421-2050, Fax: (513) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to non-qualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $42 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions in Canada: $70 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $92 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by ST Media Group International Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Cincinnati, OH and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Screen Printing, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to Screen Printing, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Debbie Reed at (513) 421-9356 or Debbie.Reed@ STMediaGroup.com. Subscription Services: SPTG@halldata.com, Fax: (847) 763-9030, Phone: (847) 763-4938, New Subscriptions: www.screenweb.com/subscribe.
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NEWSWORTHY www.screenweb.com
ASPT ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF TOM FRECSKA STUDENT PRINTING COMPETITION The Academy of Screen Printing Technology (ASPT) recently recognized young printing talent in its annual competition for students by awarding cash prizes, plaques, and more to those whose work represented the best of its class. Last year, the ASPT renamed its annual printing competition for students in honor of the late Tom O. Frecska, who served as editor of Screen Printing magazine for many years and championed screen-printing education. The competition is judged in 24 categories by industry experts. The names of the Best of Show winners follow. For more information about the ASPT, or to view a complet list of award winners, visit www.sgia.org/aspt.
Steve Duccilli Group Publisher steve.duccilli@stmediagroup.com Gregory Sharpless Associate Publisher gregory.sharpless@stmediagroup.com Gail Flower Editor gail.flower@stmediagroup.com Ben P. Rosenfield Managing Editor ben.rosenfield@stmediagroup.com Keri Harper Art Director keri.harper@stmediagroup.com
Dragons 2 by Cassandra Montenegro
BEST OF SHOW Secondary Schools Cassandra Montenegro (Dragons 2) Special Effects Subgroup: Single/Multicolor Paramount High School Munich River by Yeole and Chhipa Post-Secondary Schools Shailesh R. Yeole and Firoz Chhipa (Munich River with Photo Frame) Unique Applications Subgroup: Four-Color Process Dhirubhai Mistry Institute for Print Education Research & Training
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BREADTH OF SERVICE 10%
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BRIPD-11010 • Feb/March Screen Printing Leasing Ad • 4C • Full Page: 8”x10.875” • Bleed 8.25”x11.125” • EGC Group 516-935-4944
new products Media for Solvent Printers
Automatic Garment Press
M&R
M&R (www.mrprint.com) says its new Diamondback XL sets a new standard in affordable, large-format, entry-level automatic garment printing. It features a 20 x 21-in. (508 x 533-mm) print area, prints up to nine colors, accepts screens up to 26 x 36 in. (660 x 914-mm), and features pneumatic printheads and a servo-driven indexing system. It comes standard with M&R’s Revolver Print program, which is designed to automatically operate individual printheads in programmed sequence and allow multiple flashing without losing a printing position. Diamondback XL is available in either base or enhanced configuration. Both models feature a touchscreen control panel, side screen holders with microregistration, calibrated squeegee- and floodbar-pressure adjustment, M&R’s three-point platen-leveling bracket with quick release, calibrated rear stroke length adjustment, and 16 x 22-in. (406 x 559-mm) platens. Enhanced Diamondback XL models add pneumatic screen-frame locks, pneumatic squeegee/floodbar locks with tool-free angle adjustment, and pneumatic squeegee-pressure regulators.
Kapco Graphic Products (www.kapco.com) now offers three new media for solvent printers. Satin White Vinyl is designed for indoor and outdoor signage printed with OEM and mildsolvent Inks. Its adhesive is formulated to bond to hard-tostick, low-energy, plastic and textured surfaces in cold temperatures. It’s available in a 54-in. x 150-ft (1372-mm x 45.8-m) roll. Kapco says Scrim Banner offers blockout technology, supports high-quality print resolution with OEM solvent inks, and is printable on both sides. The company notes that the substrate’s sew and grommet, fire-resistant coating passes the NFPA 701 Test 2 fire-resistant-certification test. It is available in 38-, 54-, and 62-in. x 150-ft (965-, 1372-, and 1575-mm x 45.8-m) rolls. Kapco describes its 8 oz. Mesh Banner as great media for display graphics, backdrops, outdoor advertising, and banner applications because it allows for close-distance viewing with a 15% open area. It is compatible with OEM and mild-solvent inks, and Kapco says Mesh Banner passes the NFPA 701 fire-resistant-certification test. It is available in a 54-in. x 150-ft roll.
Automatic Garment Press Hirsch Int’l
Heat-Applied Material Stahls’ ID Direct (www. stahls.com) recently introduced CAD-CUT Glow. It’s designed for use with a heat press and vinyl cutter. According to Stahls’, CAD-CUT Glow appears white during the day or in bright lighting and features a lime-green appearance when activated by a black light or UV light. Stahls’ says CAD-CUT Glow cuts and weeds easily and features a smooth, matte finish once applied. It arrives on a pressure-sensitive, frosted carrier and is available by the roll in 1-, 5-, 10-, and 25-yd (0.9-, 4.6-, and 23-m) lengths by 20 in. (508 mm) width. It can be heat-applied to cotton, polyester, and poly/cotton blends. Stahls’ ID Direct
screenprinting
Hirsch Int’l (hirschinternational.com) now offers the MHM Synchroprint S-Type in 14 colors. The press features a diameter of 19 ft (5.8 m) and is designed to print up to 1100 pieces/hr. The press operates on single-phase, 220-v power, and it features a touchscreen display that controls main operator functions, control keypads on every station, built-in USB port for online support and upgrades, adjustable screen holders for front or side screen loading, single-lever angle adjustment in 5° increments (0-30° range), and more. Synchroprint S-Type is engineered with multidirectional, servo-driven indexing with double index and freewheel capability, as well as AC-drive printheads with linear guidance.
Computer-to-Screen System Richmond Graphic Products recently introduced the newest addition to its line of computer-to-screen solutions. The company bills its DirectJet Pro as a robust, industrial computer-to-screen system that will appeal to the small to mediumsized screen-printing operation. According to Richmond, the DirectJet Pro produces images at high resolution, at impressive speeds, and with a high degree of precision from screen
to screen and color to color. The unit uses water-based, highdensity ink and a closed-loop cartridge system.
desired. Astro Clear can be printed directly on 100% cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics.
Garment Inks
Films for Floor and Window Graphics
Dow Corning says its 9601 Silicone Textile Printing Ink is fast curing, easily pigmented, and provides competitive advantages for high-performance apparel. The ink contains no organotin, phthalate, formaldehyde, PVC, or solvents. The ink is formulated for high elongation on elastic fabrics, soft hand, non-blocking performance, and a non-tacky, semi-gloss finish. According to Dow Corning, 9601 is suitable for most natural and synthetic fabrics, including elastic materials, for apparel applications such as jerseys, gloves, sleepwear, undergarments, shirts, uniforms, bathing suits, and more.
FLEXcon (www.flexcon.com) designed WINDOWdeco and FLEXmark floor art to be greener alternatives for at-retail applications for windows, counter mats, and floors. WINDOWdeco 6270 (white), 6274 (primed white), 6272 (clear) and 6276 (primed clear) polyolefins are engineered to offer performance and printability similar to vinyl. FLEXcon says these products are an environmentally friendly option for low-tack window graphics and signage. According to FLEXcon, the FLEXmark floor art films support the same performance and applications as traditional vinyl options and meet the industry standard for slip resistance based on ASTM D 2047. FLEXcon says WINDOWdeco and FLEXmark floor art are phthalate free and produced with less solvent, thereby providing a smaller carbon footprint.
Metallic Inkjet System Color-Logic’s (www.color-logic.com) Process Metallic Printing System is now available for inkjet printers. The company says the system enables licensed inkjet printers to produce striking metallic effects once possible only on offset-lithographic presses. Color-Logic explains that it has tested the system extensively and reports that the system produces outstanding results on wide-format printers manufactured by Epson, Roland, and Mimaki, as well as flatbed printers manufactured by EFI VUTEk, AGFA, and Fujifilm. The Process Metallic Printing System is designed to deliver as many as 250 metallic hues, in addition to other special effects, and ColorLogic notes that the system is particularly effective when used on machines capable of printing on metallic substrate and running white inks.
Perforated Window Media MACtac Graphic Products (www.mactac.com) bills its new IMAGin Perforated Window Media WP129 as a one-way visibility film designed to transform indoor or outdoor window surfaces into graphical canvases on one side, without sacrificing significant visibility on the other. WP129 can be used for shorter-term indoor and outdoor window applications, including buildings, some vehicles, retail and P-O-P, architectural graphics, and more. It is a 6.0-mil white vinyl film coated with a black, semi-permanent adhesive. It features 41/59% perforation with a hole diameter of 0.06 in. (1.6 mm) and a distance between holes of 0.09 in. (2.4 mm) and an 86-lb white kraft liner. The film is designed for use with wide-format eco-solvent and solvent-based inkjet printing.
Blacklight-Illuminated Garment Ink International Coatings Company (www.iccink.com) recently introduces 3826 Astro Clear, a special-effects ink formulated to be nearly invisible ink under normal lighting conditions and illuminate when exposed to UV blacklight. The ink allows printers to outline or highlight letters and designs, create hidden motifs that only become visible under a blacklight, and overprint other colors where blacklight illumination is
Garment Press The Mini Max screen press from TAS Int’l is available in six to eight colors and supports a maximum print area of 32 x 20 in. (813 x 508 mm). TAS says the machine, which is 19 ft (5.75 m) in diameter, is designed as a space-saving alternative for garment jobs that involve sleeves or all-over printing. According to TAS, platen changeover takes just minutes. A load-assist unit is available as an option.
Gloss Overlaminate Avery Dennison (www.averygraphics.com) has expanded its line of digital overlaminates with the addition of DOL 1460 Gloss, a product that the company Avery calls the ultimate choice in conformability for 3D projects and extreme curves and corrugations. DOL1460 is a 1.3-mil overlaminate with a gloss finish. it can be used for car wraps, fleet and bus graphics, marine, and indoor and outdoor architectural applications. It is engineered for primer-free installation, improved release, and easier handling with reduced mottle formation. Avery says pairing DOL 1460 Gloss overlaminate with MPI 1005 Supercast films yields up to four years of durability.
Send us your new PRODUCTS! Please send your news releases and photos announcing new products to ben.rosenfield@stmediagroup.com
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011
EXPERT APPAREL SCREEN PRINTING ON A VARIETY OF GARMENT FABRICS Thomas Trimingham
This month, Trimingham provides tips that you can use to bring an end to your fabric frustrations.
E
ven the most experienced screen printers cringe when clients decide to throw different garment types into an existing order. The situation brings up all kinds of questions: Will the ink adhere to each fabric? Can we use the same artwork and separations? Do we need to change press settings? All of these questions are appropriate to ask, because printers often to push through these types of challenges without a lot of extra client interaction in hopes of avoiding the impression that they are difficult to deal with or that they can’t handle a complex job. Still, it is crucial that printers address the variables inherent to working with different types of garments before running the job The best way to avoid any issues is to first be aware of garment-fabric qualities and print limitations, then review the artwork to determine whether it will present any challenges when printed on particular fabrics. Finally, it is wise to look at the production workflow and check for problems with printing methods, inks, or press settings. In the best case scenario, the job will run smoothly all the way and the extra garment style will just flow right through with the rest of the order. But there are times when real challenges come with adding a different fabric into the equation. Experienced printers can often shoot from the hip and know what trouble they may encounter with different garment types, but it still pays to do a quick checklist and walk through each question that this scenario brings up.
T-shirts If the garment addition is another type of T-shirt, the odds are high that it will be OK and the print will run well as long as the fabric type of the T-shirt is the same as the one in the original order. If the original shirt order is 100% cotton, the additions are a dark color, and they are 50% polyester, then it is possible that an art issue may be involved or the garment dye may sublimate into the screen-printing ink (Figure 1). In this case, the artwork should be reviewed and the inks potentially changed to a different formula (non-bleed). 8
SCREENPRINTING
Thomas Trimingham has worked in the screenprinting industry for more than 15 years as an artist, art director, industry consultant, and head of R&D for some of the nation’s largest screen printers. He is an award-winning illustrator, designer, and author of more than 45 articles on graphics for screen printing. He can be reached at ttrimingham@yahoo.com.
Hoodies In the majority of cases, the art and print that works on a T-shirt will also print effectively on a sweatshirt or hoodie. Exceptions to this are similar to those related to the T-shirt with colors and cotton content. An additional concern with adding a hooded sweatshirt is often a smaller printing area on the front with the pocket and the hood itself potentially covering over the print on the back of the garment. A final concern with printing the same art on a hoodie that is part of a T-shirt run is that the hoodie can push up into the screen due to the increased thickness of the fabric and cause the print to smear and bleed more. This issue is typically dealt with by increasing the off-contact on press but complex artwork with a lot of halftone dots sometimes requires a lower resolution, a change in ink volume, more squeegee pressure, or a different squeegee angle to adjust for thicker fabric.
Polo shirts The majority of printing issues are related to pique polos with a coarse weave in the fabric. Some printers like to print these garments; many simply won’t print them at all. The client can usually be steered away from attempting a complex print on a pique fabric. If they do insist on it, they should be warned that it will probably look very rough and that small details will be lost. Other concerns with jersey-style polo fabrics are similar to the T-shirt issues. A specific concern with polo shirts is the placket and buttons on the front of the garment. Occasionally, clients will want to print across seams and print onto these areas. Custom platens are often required to do this type of work, and printers should inform their clients that it is rare for this type of print to work in the same run as a regular T-shirt (Figure 2).
Performance fabrics Performance fabrics include a wide variety materials that are lumped together under this heading for convenience. The important issue is whether they are polyester and are
expert apparel
heat sensitive. Dry-wicking mesh garments that are mostly polyester weave with some lycra in them are common in this category. These garments can be very printable, but printers must exercise caution in regard to heat, particularly when the print is a complex one, either in detail or number of colors. All poly garments present a challenge when it comes to holding shape over a multicolor print, and they can also be difficult to work with when flashing is needed because the fabric likes to expand and contract. A loose mesh garment, like pique polo, isn’t the best choice for highly detailed prints, and a garment engineered with a lot of Lycra may not be able to go through the dryer without melting (some compression garments are better heat pressed than printed). A good rule is to acquire a sample prior to guaranteeing a quality print, test for heat sensitivity, and review the fabric’s surface for print and art concerns.
Screen print on 100% cotton
Same print on 50% cotton can sublimate
Miscellaneous garments I have seen more than a few printers get hung up when printing a shirt order and then trying to run the same design on just a few draw-string bags, only to find out that the bags are made of purple nylon. Nylon is very tricky to print and requires a hold-down frame to prevent it from peeling off of the platen. In addition, a special resin has to be added to the ink to produce a durable, washfast print. Nylon fabric is an extra challenge, regardless of which type of apparel is made of the material. The best bet on just a few items is to really simplify the art and produce a separate print (Figure 3). Other garments worth mentioning are a tricot style warm-up jacket and some of the eco-friendly fabrics, such as hemp or bamboo. These all can print very well, but printers must take extra caution and acquire and test samples to guarantee they will remain washfast and not melt, shrink, or burn. Additional concerns to consider whenever an item is not a T-shirt is fitting
Figure 1 (ABOVE) Sublimation can make a screenprinted graphic that looks fine on a dark, 100%-cotton garment look terrible on a dark cotton/poly blend.
Screen print over placket
Figure 2 (RIGHT) Plackets and buttons on the front of polo shirts pose a challenge that sometimes can only be met by using custom platens.
february/march 2011
Suppliers of Inks for Garment Screen Printing
Nylon draw-string bag
Chemical Consultants Inc. www. ccidom.com Fujifilm Sericol www.fujifilmsericol.com International Coatings Co Inc. www.iccink.com Lancer Group Int’l www.lancergroup.com Lawson Screen & Digital Products Inc. www.lawsonsp.com Nazdar www.nazdar.com QCM Co. Inc. www. qcminks.com Rutland Plastic Technologies Inc. www.rutlandinc.com Triangle Ink Co. Inc. www.triangleink.com TW Graphics www.twgraphics.com Union Ink Co. Inc. www.unionink.com Wilflex Inks/PolyOne Corp. www.polyone.com
Figure 3 Nylon fabric can be especially problematic. One solution is to remove complex elements from the art and print the nylon items separately.
it onto the press and working around straps, zippers, seams, or other areas that can cause a problem.
Will the same artwork and separations work on different fabrics? As many times as this question is asked, the answer ends up sounding similar: It depends on the art and the fabric. The common sense approach is a good place to start. If the fabric is rough, the artwork should be rough or less critical in location, style, or composition. This also applies when the artwork is printed over a seam or off of the edge of the garment. Fabric that is all polyester tends to print satisfacto10
screenprinting
rily, but it may bleed upon exposure to excess heat. Printers should consider simplifying the artwork in number of colors so flashing is not required. Separations should work with similar fabrics as long as the garments have the same background value (separations that are made for a dark background may not work on a light one) and as long as the cotton content doesn’t vary too much (this may require a stronger underbase depending on the sublimation of the shirt dye through the top colors). The biggest concern for a separator when different fabrics are thrown into the equation is what type of effect—if any—different surfaces will
expert apparel
have on the color combinations on press. A pleasant surprise is possible from time to time, but it is always better to know beforehand. Get a sample, and test it before agreeing to print. Knowing in advance that artwork will be printed on a variety of fabrics gives printers a chance to look at each type of fabric and try to find a middle ground that will work on everything or bite the bullet, call the client, and offer some workaround to do a separate process. It is far smarter to force the issue beforehand and persuade the client to accept a different print type or process than to attempt it and fail with expensive items on press. Garments such as performance fabrics, specialty bags, and golf shirts end up a clear question of value vs. liability. What this means is that a printer always has to consider the value of the item—and its potential replacement should the print fail—in relation to the amount they earn in the printing process. It is not a good to put a $1.50 print on a $150.00 Nike jacket. There is just too much liability in it vs. the gain the printer gets out of it. One of the reasons that heat pressing and embroidery are better options is that there is less likelihood of scrap.
must inform their clients that supplied garment might not be receptive to printing and that no guarantee can be given on customer-supplied. Printing on a wide variety of fabrics is more popular than ever, and it is likely that customers will con-
tinue to complicate there orders for the foreseeable future. To stay ahead of the curve, a printer needs to be proactive with sampling and testing and keep clear records of what worked and what didn’t to prepare for the next time a couple of bags are thrown in to an otherwise simple garment job.
Price drops confuse print shops The practice of clients going on last-minute shopping trips and then trying to add the items they pick up to their order is becoming increasingly common. Many retailers often slash prices to the point that the garments a client can sometimes get are priced far lower than the blanks the printer provides. Then the discussion becomes one that’s focused on how no one knows whether the garment will print as expected and how the printed graphics or garment fabrics may change as they travel through the dryer. The growing number of strange garments that are brought in to be decorated means printers february/march 2011
11
THE DIGITAL DIMENSION HOW TO GET MORE FROM YOUR FLOOR Rick Mandel
Find out how shop-floor efficiency can carry your business toward increased profitability.
T
he ways in which work flows through your plant influences efficiency. If the flow through the shop creates natural interactions between staff in prepress, printing, finishing, and shipping, success is inevitable. But before you completely rearrange your plant, decide how you would like your teams to interact and how the flow of communications will mold the final product. Our world of custom, large-format, digital printing allows and requires a number of planners to throw ideas out on the best way to produce a project. The materials and print methodology is not so cut and dried. Quotes are expected in hours, not days, and projects are turned same day. The natural progression is that certain people develop an expertise in one area and others get good at different elements of the business. The work environment becomes the conduit for interaction. Digital print production has evolved within the skill sets of our people—sales expectations, production coordination or customer service, prepress people, the printing department, and finishing. Solid knowledge is expected in prepress, while prepress people are also doing the printing. The critical part of the digital cutting process also relies on that original file. Wouldn’t it be great if communication were effortless within the prepress, printing, and finishing environments? All three are intertwined and depend on the original digital files. Even the sales group deals with files. My company arms sales with the capability to grab files from the FTP server, view them for an initial evaluation, and then place them on our production server. Our clients expect the sales group to be consultative not only in printing and materials for the final product, but also with digital imagery within the file. Experts agree that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for designing the ideal workplace. However, they fall into two divided camps when it comes to a fundamental aspect of apportioning space. One group looks to a return to private offices; the other promotes completely open offices. Interestingly, these groups are united in their disdain for what some might consider a compromise position—cubicles, the office environment most commonly used by employers. Currently, an estimated 70% of workers spend their time in cubicles. They provide pseudo-privacy at best and are terrible for spontaneous communication. Cubicles are acoustic sieves that intrude on your thoughts and conversations. Usually, you can’t see the person in the cube next to you unless you stand up; therefore, you can hear as if the walls were not there but have a tendency to want to see what you hear. The dilemma is the ability to do distraction12
SCREENPRINTING
Rick Mandel is the owner and president of the Mandel Company in Milwaukee, WI. He also serves as CEO of the company’s Screentech Division, a 115-year-old graphics firm that specializes in large-format color separations for commercial printing companies, as well as digital production of large-format graphics. Mandel is a member of the SGIA and the Association of Screen Printing Sciences.
free work for teams and individuals versus the ability to have easy, frequent, informal interactions. The answer relates to the personalities of the team. There’s isn’t one answer for every shop, though I believe that our printing business is assisted by the open concept. Create a physical workflow that mirrors the changes in day-to-day activities that locate critical people within earshot and eyeshot. Classic horizontal layout of admin to sales to customer service to prepress to print to finishing to shipping (Figure 1) leaves gaps in collaboration. Prepress and digital cutting will not interact effectively when the job comes to the shop to figure the best way to layout the finishing system. If the location is close, the operators will not have to make a significant effort to evaluate the methodology. We call it putting two eyes on the file. The linear structure of the horizontal workflow can morph into a shape that emulates the business units of modern manufacturers. The unit consists of production, sales, and customer service in one location to serve specific clients or business types. The business has multiple teams to manage the workflow that is unique to their talents. And this is our goal, which is to manage the workflow of large-format digital printing. The challenge is to position each person to promote interaction while allowing plenty of space for the large imagery we all produce. Figure 2 incorporates the thought process of locating sales/customer service in the vicinity of the prepress people and the front end (electronics/work station) of digital cutting facing the prepress group. Digital printing equipment is in viewing distance of the prep department to allow continuous monitoring, as well as multitasking with files during printing. Finishing is also within viewing distance to encourage the second pair of eyes on what comes off the press. Try to get away from the straight lines of multiple computers and cubicles; instead, create a semi-curved, circular space that may share large tables or even a coffee machine. It is amazing how we save the world with a coffee cup in our hand. What we are really doing is knocking down the walls of conventional manufacturing—figuratively and literally. Walls and cubicles prevent collaboration in our environment. But can we introduce too much interaction? Depending on the personalities of the operators, some amount of personalized space is important. What we are talking about is cubicles versus open spaces for the work environment.
the digital dimension
The sales group tends to be on the phone quite a bit; therefore, this area can get a bit loud. Prepress/creative people like to focus and not to be interrupted. Interior-design techniques aid in sound deadening, and translucent office barriers can give the illusion of privacy while encouraging interaction. To add to these interesting architectural effects is that we may be able to print them in house. Is there a better way to present to our clients creative graphics than to show wonderful imagery within our facility? Show areas are great, but innovative uses for our products are great sales techniques. Generational tendencies may require personalization of the space. Baby Boomers (born between 1945-1963) have been characterized as individuals who believe that hard work and sacrifice are the price to pay for success. They also like teamwork, collaboration, and group decision-making. Generation X, defined as consisting of individuals born between 1968-1982, aspire more than previous generations to achieve a balance between work and home life and are more independent, autonomous, and self-reliant than previous generations. They value continuous learning and skill development. They have strong technical skills and are results focused. Although they are individualistic, they may also like teamwork, more so than Boomers. Generation Y or Millennial is birthdays in 1983-2002. One of the most frequently reported characteristics of this generation is their comfort with technology. In general, Generation Y shares many of the characteristics of Xers. They are purported to value teamwork and collective action and are adaptable to change, though less process focused. Xers use technology, and the Yers assume technology. The Boomers like to be face to face, use the phone, and have adapted to e-mail. Xers tend to use technology, but the Yers will text or e-mail you, even if you are sitting right next door. Faceto-face communication skills are not their best attribute. Generation X likes a
Reception and Admin Reception and Admin Sales Prepress Prepress Printing
Cutter Workstation
Finishing and Cutting
Packing and Shipping
Cutter
Finishing
Printing
Packing and Shipping
Figure 1
Figure 2
An example of a classic horizontal shop layout.
An example of a shop layout that puts each critical department in viewing area of each other and opens the floor to collaboration.
casual and friendly work environment, while the Y Generation prefers support and structure. X and Y tend to be more individualistic (hide behind the computer screen) where the Boomers can be easily drawn out for collaboration. This takes us back to cube or open spaces. Researching the general thoughts of architects and developers, I found the following perceptions:
that allows for multiple conference rooms may be the solution for private conversations and quiet, personal phone calls, and just a place to get away from the buzz. A flexible environment that can be modified easily is a must. The overriding focus is to keep everyone close and engaged in each project. The experts on workplace efficiency and environment agree to disagree. The topic of open space or offices will continue with the different flavors of lean manufacturing and changes in technology. The human element and personalities need to be addressed, as well as the culture of each individual company. Generational characteristics of the operators are part of the fabric of the company culture. Does your company produce similar parts and pieces every day, or are you a custom-graphics provider that requires constant interaction? The floor plan will take shape once you identify who you are and what you want to be. If you do choose an open concept, allow for locations where employees can get away, think, and create in silence.
On the negative side of cubicles: • They stifle creativity. • They are bland and uninspiring. • They are demeaning to humans. • They don’t promote interaction. For the promoters of cubicles or personal space: • They provide individual space. • More space for shelves and manuals • Wall space for posting diagrams and other documentation • Easier to concentrate • Less distraction Other comments elaborate on lack of a private conversation area and the need for personal space. A layout design
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A REVIEW OF PRESSMAINTENANCE PROCEDURES Rick Fuqua Real Performance Machinery, LLC
Find out how simple preventative maintenance can keep your presses running at peak levels and head off costly downtime and quality issues.
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aintenance-free operation does not exist—no matter how much you spend on your press. The reality check is costly when you assume that a problem can wait until you get around to it. The correct way to think of taking care of your machinery is to believe that friction and wear do exist and the mission is to slow down this process by implementing a maintenance plan. Taking care of your press is like taking care of your car. Good maintenance results in longer life, less downtime, less costly repairs, and top performance. The more expensive the car, the more attention people tend to give it. Ironically, printing machines costing the same or more money are often ignored. No time is spent understanding how the machine actually works, so parts and potential wear points are often not identified or understood. Many neglect to even consider reading the manual and buying the supplies needed to service the machine. SHOP VARIABLES INFLUENCE MAINTENANCE Figuring out how much downtime costs you is helpful. This stress test of how much downtime your shop can afford can help you determine how serious your action plan of maintenance should be. Do your demands require production with critical deadlines every day? Do you have additional production capacity, such as a second machine or a subcontract relationship, if a problem occurs? Do you run more than one shift occasionally or regularly? Do the characteristics of your shop conditions or operation put stress on your need to maintain 100% capacity of 100% of your machinery all the time? The more stress, the greater the need for a proactive plan that entails trained manpower and a plan. Extra capacity, such as a second machine, may relieve some of this stress—but a second shift does not. Instead, second and third shifts add to this stress for multiple reasons. Aside from the obvious effect of double or triple losses 14
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during a single 24-hour downtime period is the less tangible effect of neglect and abuse that can occur when multiple operators run a machine. Feeling less individually responsible for a machine can tempt some operators to misuse the machine knowing blame can be difficult to assign. Also, when a problem does arrive or builds to a point of failure, there may be a reluctance to identify the problem for fear of being blamed for its existence or perhaps the task of correcting it. Thus, the unidentified problem may fester into a larger problem that becomes more costly to fix with greater downtime. IDEAL PROGRAMS A small or a big shop that relies on quick turns while at the same time working at near capacity is ripe for a maintenance program. The more stress or demands placed on productivity, the more comprehensive the program should be. An ideal program should have the following components: Record keeping This involves tracking when service was last done last and when it is due again. Tracking ensures that service was completed, who did it, and when, as well as assigning responsibility. These records will also help in the resale of the machine should you decide to replace it with something newer, larger, or with more capabilities. Potential buyers always feel better when proof of maintenance is available. Maintenance can be tracked with charts, checklists, or software. Software is helpful in ensuring better tracking when alarm functions are used, letting you know that an interval is coming up or has passed, as well as for better communication in the correct location of inspection areas, procedures, and materials needed. Part identification This involves an understanding of where the wear points are and how to check them, as well as knowing the cleaning, oiling, greasing, and tightening points and how to perform the maintenance procedures. These
include details as simple as how to take a cover off to get access to a maintenance point, such as a grease fitting, to knowing the right type of grease to use along with the right type of grease gun and how much to add. Manuals, drawings/schematics, and videos. Support parts and supplies Having critical spare parts and supplies on hand when they are needed rounds out a good maintenance program but requires knowledge of your machine and what parts wear or fail the most. Additionally, this ties back to record keeping and pinpointing the last time you checked or replaced these items, how many were used, and the number of press cycles that have passed since replacement. The overall age and condition of your machine impacts the need for spare parts. Supplies are also important, as they are needed to carry out maintenance. Included in this list are things like lubricants and tools. Buy and label a grease gun for each type of grease you have in your shop. This way, the high-temperature dryer grease is not used by mistake on the printing press. Additionally, the amount of pressure delivered by the grease gun is determined by the size and type of the grease gun. Large-handled guns can inject grease at much higher levels of force than small ones. This may be good in some applications and bad in others. You can over grease or pump too much pressure into a bushing or bearing. Really cranking a high-pressure gun can cause damage. Normally, watching for some grease movement signifies it is filled. Other considerations Other factors include the type of environment in which your machine is required to perform. Are your conditions extremely hot or cold, damp or dry? Does the air in your region have contaminates such as salt, sand, or dust? How do these environmental issues affect the parts on your machine, and what can be done to protect your machine from these contaminants? Lastly, how many ship days are you from receiving parts? Because the job of maintenance is multifaceted and ongoing with a va-
riety of procedures, it is handled more easily if it is divided into segments/ categories that make the job easier to comprehend and simpler to carry out and track. Air The type of machine you have and the amount of air your machine consumes influences the importance of your airdelivery system to overall machine performance. If your machine consumes more that a few CFM, then the water and air filtration or pretreatment of air going into your machine is critical. Trapping and filtering contaminants is made more difficult when your air compressor and storage tanks change air out rapidly. In these scenarios the airborne contaminants do not have a chance to settle out and instead are passed through the system more easily into areas that cause performance problems. Machine manufacturers most always provide an FRL (filter, regulator, and lubricator) on the machine to filter some of these contaminants out of the air supply and introduce a small amount of clean oil into the air/machine. However, the FRL is not designed to handle large amounts of moisture or contaminants. Other air pretreatments should be part of your system—mainly an aftercooler and refrigerated dryer, as well as additional filters. The aftercooler is the part of the compressor (optional when purchasing the compressor) that is responsible for cooling the air (heated by compression) so that the air exiting the compressor is lowered to a temperature within the working range of the refrigerated dryer. Aftercoolers are usually no more than metal or aluminum fin strips that help to radiate heat away from the pipes that the air flows through. The refrigerated dryer uses actual electricity to power a refrigeration system. All refrigerated dryers specify the max inlet temperature of incoming air and warn that the unit will not perform if recommended limits are exceeded. Therefore, an aftercooler
is required when a refrigerated dryer is used. More recently, however, some companies have made combination aftercooler/refrigerated dryers that are contained in one cabinet. These units look like a slightly larger refrigerated dryer but with a fan to provide the function of the aftercooler. Purchasing this unit eliminates the need for the aftercooler. I like the idea of both for areas that experience high humidity. These units need to be monitored periodically to make certain that they are performing correctly and stop the transfer of any significant amounts of water or oil through to the FRL. A regular maintenance procedure includes draining these supply lines to make note of how much water is making its way through the air-line routing. Drops that allow you to shut off, as well as open up, and drain the lines prior to air coming into your press are essential. Other issues are poorly mapped air systems where the compressor is located outside, sucking in 100% relative humidity when it is raining, as well as all airborne contaminants. Long runs of pipe or hose that allow for water to condense in the pipe without a drop or loop in the line to drain this accumulation before entering the press are also problematic. A local air-service rep can help spot and correct these issues and stop by on occasion to keep your system operating correctly. Compressors are so important to the health of your press that a quarterly check up by an expert in your area is necessary. Operators should check the FRL every morning when the machine is turned on to verify that the pressure is correct, the water trap is not full of water, and the oiler has oil in it. The pressure regulator is used to control and set the optimum pressure for the machine. Regulating it at the machine allows for a higher pressure to run to the press, which helps to maintain adequate air volume. Check this pressure, often set to around 90 psi, to make sure it is maintained. Drops in pressure indicate a compressor or demand issue that can impact proper press operation. Insufficient air supply starves components of air and can result in lack of february/march 2011
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Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
The performance of the oiler/lubricator should be checked.
Check all electrical and safety connections.
The grease points are particular to each machine.
pressure or speed of devices furthest from the air supply. Larger garment presses with several printheads are susceptible to this problem, especially when the original manufacturer doesn’t equip the machine with effective airdistribution systems. Even a slight drop in air supply can create a loss of print pressure. A coalescing filter is used to physically extract water vapor from the incoming air when the air is regulated at the press. This is accomplished by forcing the air to pass through a filter similar to what is used in fish tanks to make air bubbles. In our application, it is designed to rake the water droplets from the air. This system works for smaller quantities of moisture, but your refrigerated dryer does the bulk of the moisture extraction upstream by cooling the air and forcing the moisture to condense and fall out of the air before entering the FRL at the machine. The water trapped or physically extracted from the coalescing filter is expected to collect in a clear plastic bowl until either the machine operator pushes a button to drain it out or a internal float is pushed up by the accumulating water (similar to a toilet float) and the water is pushed out. The float then resets itself and air no longer passes out of the bottom. The filter will leak air continuously when a contaminant prevents the floats from reseating themselves. You’ll likely have to cut the air supply and drain any air trapped in the lines before removing the filter. Once the filter is removed, you may only have to tap on the bowl to dislodge 16
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the dirt or particle that may be in the way of the float reseating itself. The oiler follows the filter and regulator (Figure 1). The oiler is designed to add a drop of lightweight oil into the air so that the inside of pneumatic parts, such as valves and air cylinders, move freely. This oil addition can be a problem when too much oil is let in. It is always better to have too little than too much. Manufacturers suggest a drop after so many indexes. This is a bit of a guess and should be checked occasionally or metered up or down based on the setting’s effects on your press. The most important and often missed maintenance step is filling the bowl with the right type of oil when it runs out. Air that exits the FRL is distributed to parts on the press. In some cases, an incoming air line feeds a large manifold that serves as a reservoir and a distribution center for several airlines that feed multiple points on the machine. If this manifold has a drain, it is good to drain it once or twice a year. Doing so tells you whether a lot of oil and/or water are getting into the press. Check the air system past the manifold for leaks and kinks in the air lines. Kinks in air lines can cut off air supply, which results in a slow or non-working component. For example, a squeegee may not be pushing down on the substrate at the regulated pressure until midstroke when a restricted air line prevents proper pressure buildup. This can lead to problems with ink deposit at the beginning of the stroke, and you’ll notice that print quality improves as the squeegee travels further and further back.
Replacing mufflers on valves isn’t a widely recognized maintenance issue. These bronze mufflers help to quiet the noise of air escaping from the air valve when the valve is actuated. When these mufflers expel air, the contaminants block or restrict the air flow over time, which in turn slows the speed at which the parts operate. These mufflers cost only a few dollars. The closer the valves are to the base of the machine, the more likely they will clog sooner. Replace them every few years. Evaluate valves that are slow to react or make a humming noise when they attempt to switch. Humming indicates that the electromagnet is having difficulty overcoming the friction in the valve when it tries to pull in the spool. This added friction might be sludge in the valve (oil and water mixture) that is overworking the electrical solenoid. Be prepared to replace the solenoid and/or valve if you don’t attend to this problem. A cleaning of the valve may solve the problem, but some valves are not designed to be serviced. If you take the valve apart, you should use new seals when putting it back together. Repair kits are available for many valves. Air cylinders on a machine also affect performance. Cylinders that leak do not fill with air as quickly and do not pressurize to their full capability. If air is leaking past the seals, then full pressure is impossible. For example, if a cylinder used for squeegee pressure were leaking, it would not press down as hard as normal—and cranking down the squeegee location would not correct the problem. Cylinders may leak
because the rubber O-rings have dried out and cracked, thereby allowing air to pass. They can also move in the cylinder, causing intermittent leaks. Electric Proper grounding and surge protection is important. Its purpose is to guard your machine from acting unpredictably or losing its programming. Electrical storms and power surges have been known to cause machines to cycle on their own or to lose the memory stored in the PLC. Proper grounding and surge protection are important. Safety is the most important reason to inspect your electrical systems (Figure 2). Most people assume that electrical service never changes and therefore should never need inspecting. They are wrong. Check to make sure that your equipment is fed power through the appropriate wire type and gauge and that the machine is properly grounded. Inspect all power-feed connections for a solid connection, especially in flash applications where wires heat up and cool down a lot. Tighten these connections on occasion. Strain reliefs that hold the electrical cords as they enter electrical boxes should be inspected to make sure they have not come loose from moving a flash around. The stress these reliefs encounter can cause them to loosen. Check wires for heat when the machines have been on for a while to see if excess heat is accumulating. The wire type and size you use must conform to local codes, but on occasion a machine is taken out and another is put in using the same cords. Checking loads with an amp meter when all machines are on at the same time is a good safety precaution. Your electrician should be brought in on occasion to check the load conditions and make sure circuit breakers are appropriate for the machines you have. Oversized breakers will not show up as a problem until the time comes when they should trip to protect your equipment and don’t. Undersized breakers are a nuisance, but do not be tempted to replace them with
oversized breakers. Check your fuses regularly, and be prepared to replace any that may be damaged in a short. Keeping properly rated extras on hand keeps downtime to a few minutes and cuts down the temptation of using the wrong size just to keep production going. You may not remember to replace these quick fixes later. Presses often take fuses that aren’t available from the local hardware store. Other power-related service issues that top the list include batteries used to backup computer memory. If your press’s PLC uses a battery for memory, then waiting until that battery fails before you replace it will require you to reinstall its software. Imagine the productivity you’ll lose when you send the PLC back to the manufacturer. Safety systems often fail because they’re exposed to a lot of abuse. Jumping safety systems for any reason other than troubleshooting is a bad idea. When your safety system fails, you should immediately find and fix the problem. Depending on the system and machine used, the diagnostics for finding a short can be frustrating but well worth the effort. Switches are often the culprit of machine failure. Switches may fail at any time, leaving you down one printhead or an entire machine. Having one or two switches on hand that are common to your machine is a good idea. Like many electrical parts, a physical inspection does not reveal any signs of looming failure. One day they are working; the next they may not. One exception is the leads that run to the switch. Wear and tear can lead to a short that will often ruin the switch entirely. Some proximity switches have short-circuit protection, but when this feature is lacking, one wire touching the other leads to complete failure. Proximity switches used on printheads often fail due to mechanical issues such as the leads getting tangled with a moving part. Normally this causes the squeegee-floodbar carriage to stop at one end or the other and refuse to cycle back. The switch may fail open or closed. Machines using motors with brushes should be monitored. It’s a
great idea to inspect these brushes every six months and write on the motor the last date it was checked. When these brushes wear out, they will ruin the motor quickly by allowing arcing to occur on the armature of the motor. Most motors cost more than a few hundred dollars, so check these brushes regularly. Housekeeping is important, especially for control cabinets or motors that rely on a certain amount of cooling for their performance. Heat can cause failure, and if cooling weren’t so important, the manufacturer would not have installed a fan. Keeping fans clean and working on motor enclosures and control cabinets is essential. Louvers are sometimes used in addition to fans to allow for passive air flow should the fan stop working. Dirt and atomized spray glue have an easier time working their way into these open designs. Clean the components and enclosures periodically. Hydraulic Fewer machines use hydraulics these days, save for shock absorbers or linear decelerators. These devices use the flow of oil within the unit itself to create a resistant force that can be used to slow down or dampen the speed of the part that comes in contact with the shock. Oil flows through or out of multiple orifices in these devices as the plunger is pushed in. As the plunger is forced in, the number of escape holes is reduced, which causes a buildup of backpressure. The effect of backpressure goes unnoticed when the plunger is pushed in slowly because, in this instance, the oil has plenty of time to escape; however, when the plunger is depressed quickly, you should notice the resistance quickly and that it builds as the plunger goes in. Some of these devices are equipped with an adjustment to increase or decrease the port size of the holes within the unit, thereby changing the overall force/ speed effect. Checking the performance of these devices is crucial to the performance of the machine movements they are used to control. Aside from making february/march 2011
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Figure 4 Grease points are present in places of abundant friction.
Figure 5 A timing belt adjustment requires careful skill.
Figure 6 Wear on this gearbox is indicated by bronze gear particles in the oil.
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adjustments to shocks for changes in temperature and changing force ratings, the unit may need to be replaced after awhile due to failure. If the shock is not providing the required impact reduction, then excess wear will occur. Mechanical A press’s mechanical functions are often unique to each manufacturer and, perhaps, to each model they make (Figure 3). Understanding how the basic functions work is key to understanding where to find wear and how to service the machine. If, for example, your machine uses a cam, it is likely that it will need grease. If a gearbox is used in conjunction with the cam, it will likely need oil. Knowing all of these grease and oil points is critical so they can be mapped out and assigned numbers. Numbering ensures that none is overlooked or missed. Grease points are present in places of abundant friction (Figure 4). Reducing friction prolongs the life of the press. What is important to understand is that lubricants are often needed in areas where close tolerances are maintained. If a close tolerance is needed to ensure accuracy—registration, for example—then there may not 18
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be a lot of room to hold the needed grease. An example is the central bushings on a garment press. The tight fit of the indexer’s bronze bushings mated to the steel center shaft is critical to print registration. However, the design challenge is getting grease into this area and, more importantly, keep it in play for as long as possible. In tight-fit scenarios, the grease always gets pushed out of the area where you need it. Operators see an abundance of grease that has been pushed out, and the sight gives them a false sense of security. What they are seeing instead is grease that is no longer useful. It has been pushed out of play. In the example of the center shaft, a grease gun is required to shoot the grease into the groove cut in the bushing. When this cavity runs out of grease and it all ends up out of play, then the machine endures more wear than necessary until the cavity is filled again. Greasing these bushings properly is important. Check with your manufacturer, but normally I recommend rotating the indexer to 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock as grease is pumped into the bushings. This helps to distribute the grease.
Be careful not to use a high pressure grease gun (large pump handle) and then pump with an extreme amount of force as this can sometimes create enough pressure as to distort a bushing to where the machine may not raise and lower freely without removing the grease fittings and relieving the excess pressure. Other linkages, such and chains and belts, are often responsible for power transfer on presses. Most designers now use timing belts (Figure 5) more often than chains, but chains are still preferable in some instances. Chain wear is described as stretch. The chain becomes longer over time, and it is thought to be from the metal stretching. This does not really happen; instead, each of the holes in the length of the chain where the pins go through grow larger in diameter from wear, thereby lengthening the chain. If you can adjust chain tension, tighten it up. If not, make the necessary replacement. Belts, on the other hand, seem to hold their shape very well and tend to fail mainly from over tightening or from wear due to another mechanical problem. A worn gearbox (Figure 6) may prevent optimum machine performance. In indexing applications, play in the gear-box may make smooth indexing or movement difficult—if not impossible. In applications where the printhead is lifted and lowered, the wear in the box may allow over or
under travel, causing the machine to run roughly or inconsistently. In some cases, the gearbox may be too complex (planetary gears) to rebuild yourself; in other cases, simple boxes with a worm gear may use shims that can be removed to reduce the gap/play that takes place with the wear of the worm gear. Getting fixed up A monthly inspection of all knobs, handles, and broken parts is also worthwhile. The extra time spent working around these inconveniences is always more costly than the time, money, and effort needed to replace them. Because today’s machines use a lot of these, they are sometimes easy to overlook until you are setting a job up. If maintenance is performed by a non-operator, he may never notice these broken or missing items. Marking them with a fluorescent sticker or tape may be helpful in remembering what needs attention. Everything that moves is subject to inspection. Even microadjustments are thought to be bad sometimes when only a lock nut is loose. Operators performing set ups for weeks without the use of a microadjustment may lose a lot of time that could be saved by spending two minutes with a wrench. This article highlights many of the most common issues that simple maintenance can minimize or prevent. You should consult your equipment rep/tech or your press’s manual should a very specific problem arise. You goal is to keep your press operators in that role and not make them into part-time service techs. Learning even a small amount about your press and how to care for it will allow you to take care of the things affordably.
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Rick Fuqua is the owner of Real Performance Machinery, LLC. He has more than 14 years of experience in graphic arts and 14 years of experience working for screen-press manufacturers. Fuqua holds a teaching degree in graphic communications, a master’s degree in technology education, and 14 screen-printing-machinery patents ranging from complete machine designs of both oval and round presses to flash-cure units, pin registrations systems, and all-over-print platens.
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Byline
The Screen-Cleaning Boxing Ring Jason Davenport Franmar Chemical
Do green screen cleaners actually work? This article compares them to conventional cleaning products and describes how to use them effectively.
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an newer, safer, greener cleaning technology really knock out tried and true, older, petroleum- and caustic-based cleaners? Let’s envision this boxing match: Without further delay, ladies and gentlemen, in this corner the current champ, weighing in with an impressive record, holding the titles of Earth Pollutant and Ozone Puncher, is Petroleum Pete. And in this corner the contender, seeking to displace the champ, weighing in at an incredibly fast-growing rate, holding the titles of Renewable Resource and Green Earth, is EnviroFriendly Ernest. Even though this is a battle you are not likely to see on your TiVo, screen-printing shops across the globe are coming to this fight. They are faced with having to decide which, if any, green cleaning products can be cost effective, work, and, in the end, get the job done with the least amount of fuss possible. Let’s be honest. Of all the operations screen printers perform to keep their businesses strong and growing, most shops probably give the least thought to their cleaning operations. Cleaning areas are tucked back in a corner and generally look like World War III has begun. But cost effective, good screen cleaning means better printing performance, longer lasting screens, and more money in screen printers’ pockets! Now, on to the match! Ding ding!
Round 1: Ink cleaners and degraders There are hundreds of ink cleaners on the market to clean numerous types of inks used in screen printing today. They generally fall into three categories: petroleum, green, or a petro-green blend. Petroleum cleaners are usually highly volatile, potentially dangerous, not earth friendly, and made from the by-products of the refining process of crude oil. Green cleaners generally are not volatile, are designed to be earth friendly, and are made from renewable resources such as soybeans, corn, and oranges. Petro-green products are a blend of petroleum and green products that generally are less volatile and provide manufacturers of petroleum products with a method for making their products less dangerous to use. Being practical, screen printers just want a cleaner that is affordable and works well. But sometimes it’s not easy to select just the right cleaner to achieve this. As the previous undisputed champ, petroleum cleaners have been used for many years. They are viewed as effective, inexpensive, and readily available. But in today’s world we have learned that petroleum cleaners come with heavy baggage and possible problems that can cause you to pull your hair out. Have you ever had an emulsion that would not clean out of the screen, or that came out in pieces? If so, you are probably one of many screen printers using a petroleum or petro-green cleaner (sometimes referred to as hot solvents) in your shop. In their day, there is no question that hot solvents were the best cleaning option available. But that was before there were alternatives—other contenders. Petroleum and petro-
green cleaners can have devastating effects on certain types of emulsions, causing you headaches and adding the cost of new screens. In addition to possible production or cleaning problems, hot solvents also bring a variety of hazards that shop owners must be cautious about (Figure 1). High VOCs (volatile organic compounds), high flash points, worker health and safety issues, and environmental impact are on the top of the list. The bottom line is that, while petroleum and petro-green cleaners clean well and appear to be cost effective, they can also cause avoidable problems. Previously the under dog in the ring, green ink removers have been around for a couple of decades, but have gained more popularity in recent years. Earlier they were viewed as being more expensive and less effective; however, technological advances have made this presumption untrue in today’s world. When used properly, green ink cleaners can be hidden gems with a big pay-off. Green cleaners require a little different mindset when they’re used to clean screens and can’t be used exactly like their petroleum counterparts. Have you ever had a situation where you wanted to change colors but the tape wouldn’t stick after the ink was cleaned out? This is a common situation when a green cleaner is used. Where hot solvents have low flash points and quickly evaporate from the screen, green cleaners generally require a water-dampened wipe to remove the last of the solvent residue. So what about the cost? In many cases green ink cleaners are more expensive up front, but cheaper in the long run. In today’s market you can buy a gallon of mineral spirits or xylene for less than the cost of a gallon of a green cleaning product. However, a green cleaner may require 0.25 oz of product to clean a standard sized screen. If used correctly, that’s 512 screens/gal. How many gallons of mineral spirits would it take to do the same number of screens?
Round 2: Emulsion and stencil removers Even with today’s multitude of blue, pink, green, purple, single-part, diazo, and dual-cure emulsions, one thing remains the same—there are not a lot of new chemistries for reclaiming an emulsion. Back in the day, when of my grandfather walked to and from school, uphill both ways, in three feet of snow, screen printers used bleach to remove emulsions. Bleach worked, but its use had far too many disadvantages. If not careful, a worker could become disoriented—or worse— from the bleach vapors, and it took a long time for the emulsion to be removed. Even today, there are only two primary environmentally friendly chemistries on the market that will remove emulsions and stencils. They come as a liquid or in crystal or powder form. The trick is in how you use them. Every emulsion or stencil requires its own dilution rate of one of these two chemistries to remove a properly cured emulsion. Some manufacturers make a one-size-fits-all emulsion reclaimer, february/march 2011
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Byline
Figure 1
Figure 2
This is an example of what happens when a hot solvent is used to clean the ink from the screen. The emulsion will not properly clean out of the screen—even after using an emulsion remover— because the hot solvent has affected the emulsion.
When proper ink cleaners have been used and the correct emulsion remover is used to reclaim, the emulsion will cleans easily out of the screen after only 45 seconds.
while other manufacturers tailor their emulsion reclaimers to specific emulsions. Not all emulsion removers are the same (Figure 2). Even though most manufacturers use one of the two same chemistries, the trick is finding the one that removes your brand and type of emulsion effectively. A tip: If your emulsion remover does not remove your emulsion with minimal effort in less than a minute, you should look to replace your emulsion remover. You can decrease your eco-footprint even more with a special reclaiming process. For many years, the screen-printing world had asked for a product that could remove ink and emulsions in one step. Almost five years ago, the manufacturing world met that request. Interestingly enough, the chemistry used relies heavily on the same one used in current, environmentally friendly emulsion removers. The process works by placing your screen in a tank and soaking the screen for a short period of time. Then you use a low-pressure power washer to clean the screen out, thus combining two steps into one step. The tank traps and contains most of the emulsions and inks, keeping them from entering the water-discharge system. After reclaiming many screens, when it comes time to empty the tank and start with a fresh batch of reclaimer, shops use a filter system to remove much of the trapped emulsion and ink, further reducing their eco-footprint. Something to remember when using these systems is that they do not degrade the ink from the screen; they only soften the ink. Any type of chemistry that degrades ink can also remove the adhesives from around the frame edge. It’s not
fun to pull the screen out of the tank and find the mesh floating away from the frame. These systems simply use emulsion-removing chemistry with blends of degreasers. The emulsion remover does its job, and the degreasers loosen the ink, enabling it to fall off of the screen or be easily blown out of the screen.
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Round 3: Haze and ghost removers It’s unbelievable how many screen printers never remove the ghost/haze from their screens when reclaiming. It’s such an important step that takes very little time, makes your screens last years longer, and keeps you from having pinholes and other problems down the road. You will seldom stain a highquality mesh. Rather, a haze image is ink that is trapped in the knuckles of the mesh, creating a light visual image of the artwork that was printed. Most of the time, the reason given for not dehazing is that the caustic dehazing products on the market today are incredibly hazardous and would the screen if not watched like a puppy roaming around on new carpet. Thus, many screen printers choose to dehaze once or twice a year—or not at all. Caustic dehazers work extremely well to take a haze or ghost image out of a screen mesh, making the screen look new and pretty again. But they work primarily by eating away a small bit of the surface of the mesh, thus helping to release the trapped ink between the knuckles of the mesh. Continually eating away at the mesh eventually will weaken it, causing future print-registration problems. In the most severe cases, if you were to leave the dehazer on too long, you would find a major tear right across the mesh, caus-
Figure 3
Figure 4
This is an example of a caustic, acid-based haze remover that was left on slightly too long. After only 55 seconds, the screen mesh tore in the middle, making the screen unusable.
Even after leaving this green haze remover on for over 10 minutes, the mesh has no damage.
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ing you to remake the screen (Figure 3). In addition to possible damage to the screen, there are environmental and health concerns associated with caustic dehazers. Be sure to follow all instructions very carefully when using a caustic dehazer, and use proper disposal methods to decrease the impact on the environment from your cleaning and disposal. Green dehazers work differently (Figure 4) and, therefore, must be used differently to effectively clean away the same haze image that a caustic haze remover eats away. If you were to pick up a green dehazer today and use it exactly like its caustic counterpart, you would find yourself wondering whether you should return the product. Used properly, a green dehazer will remove a ghost/haze image just as well as a caustic dehazer. The difference is green dehazers are formulated to work on the ink without harming the mesh or the individual who is cleaning the ghost image. To keep from being frustrated, follow some basic principles that apply to most green dehazers. First, remove your haze images every time you reclaim your screens. There are lots of variables in what can occur, but in most cases when haze images are left in the screen with the intent to clean them out maybe three or four reclaimings later, they become very difficult, if not impossible, to remove. Secondly, the drier the
T Y
screen, the more effectively the dehazer will work. Water that is left on the screen can dilute the dehazer, making it less effective. Lastly, green dehazers take a little longer. Be patient, and let the product you are using go to work. In some cases you may be looking at a minute to two minutes longer than a caustic dehazer.
Conclusion or concussion Although the fight still goes on, the champ is weakening and the contender is getting stronger. Clearly, petroleum, petrogreen, and green products all have their advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the shop owner to evaluate these and choose the best products that are cost effective, work well, and are safer to use. Choosing the wrong product can waste your money and leave you and your staff feeling frustrated, tired, and simply unhappy in doing your jobs. Environmentally friendly, green products have come on strong. Today might not be their title shot, but they are on the fight card to stay and have the potential to claim the Cleaning Championship with a knockout. Jason Davenport is the marketing manager for Bloomington, IL-based Franmar Chemical, Inc.
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Developments in UV Ink Mike Plier Polymeric Imaging Inc.
As demands for new and exciting applications grow, so too must the research and development into ink formulations that are up to the task. This article highlights what’s going on in UV.
A
s the digital industry continues to develop, can the presses and the inks really keep up with the demands—or with our imaginations? New ink systems and applications are plunging the digital industry into markets that, until now, were considered off limits. With continued technological advances in UV chemistries, digital inks are continuing to evolve at a staggering pace. These new UV systems are setting performance standards that once were considered almost impossible, providing improved color gamut, cure speeds, substrate versatility, and durability. Historically, research chemists had a limited selection of raw materials to work with when developing UV inkjet inks. Today, myriad raw materials contribute to the functionality of these ink systems in ways never before thought possible. Raw-material manufacturers and suppliers have committed all resources available to the continued development of this growing market, and ink-formulation chemists are the beneficiaries. The relationship between raw-material manufacturers and the formulation chemists is vital in the development of these high-performance digital ink systems. 26
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In this article, we look at the latest UV digital inks and their relationship to UV screen inks. We delve into how this newest generation of ink systems must be formulated to overcome limitations in conventional UV digital performance. Given the cutting-edge menu of monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators, additives, and pigment dispersions, there should be no limit to the application of these inks to new markets and materials.
Mission: nothing’s impossible The future of digital ink is limited only by our imagination. I anticipate we will see digitally printed dashboard clusters in vehicles, improved printing of architectural glass, jettable adhesives and metallics, in-mold decorations for blow molding and injection molding, digitally printed membrane switches and electronic circuitry, and more. Can we do it now? Not yet, or at least it’s not ready for prime time. But we’ll get there with the help of open-minded researchers and raw-materials suppliers. Constant communication between ink manufacturers and their suppliers creates the chemical building blocks for these ink systems.
s k
But the story was much different in the 1990s. Raw-materials manufacturers at the time, even the largest in the market, said they couldn’t supply certain components or that particular ideas, such as providing inks with enough elongation for the screen print vacuum-forming process, could never come to fruition. But we did it and today’s situation is much different. Let’s take a look at the building blocks of screen and digital inks and then examine the changes that have shaped the specialty formulations that were supposed to be impossible to create.
Ink foundations All screen inks begin with the same set of components: monomers, oligomers, resins, initiators, pigments, and additives. These also happen to be the same components needed for digital. So what’s different? Monomers This component makes up the majority of the ink system and is the basic building block of UV ink. It is a small molecule that may become chemically bonded to other monomers to form a polymer. Monomers have different levels of functionality that allow them to perform in different ways. Functionality describes the component’s adhesion range. Monofunctional adheres like a joystick—one gripping point. It promotes elongation (Figure 1). Di-, tri-, and multifunctional monomers have multiple gripping points, much like a hookand-loop fastener. They go on glass and metal—rigid materials. Monomers enhance cure speed, improve adhesion, and adjust viscosity. Oligomers This is a molecule or chemical compound of a complicated structure consisting of several monomeric units in chemical union. It is the base resin used in UV-ink formulations. Oligomers are the backbone of the screen-ink system. Oligomer selection is based on required adhesion, the need for flexibility or a harder surface, or level of lightfastness. They include urethane, polyester, epoxy, and acrylic. Oligomers tend to be of high viscos-
FIGURE 1 Two examples of printed products using UV inks with elongation capabilities.
ity, and need to be refined and their proportions limited in inkjet inks. Resins These are a category of thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers or co-polymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, esters of these acids, or acrylonitrile used to produce paints, synthetic rubbers, and lightweight plastics. Resins are generally inert components that help with adhesion
and surface characteristics. Typically, only small amounts of resins are used in digital inks because of their high molecular weight. Initiators Photoinitiators absorb UV energy from a light source, setting in motion a chemical reaction that quickly polymerizes and converts the liquid into a solid. Ultimately, initiators serve as spark plugs that cause FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011
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Figure 2 Creating test patterns with a Dimatix drop watcher.
crosslinking throughout the ink system. Ink manufacturers use a multitude of initiators, depending on the nanometer range at which they want the ink system to cure. Additive package An additive is any chemical added to an ink to change the characteristics of the ink, such as cure speed, adhesion, or chemical or water resistance, to name a few. Screen inks contain additive packages that can include thickening powders, flattening powders, or flow controls that promote a smooth flow without surface imperfections. Additives also can provide specialty finishes in screen inks that are not yet available in inkjet inks. The flow-control and wetting agents used in digital inks tend to be in liquid form with a sub-micron particle size. Pigments These are fine, solid particles used to give color, transparency, or opacity. They may be made of organic or inorganic materials, and they are grouped according to color using a color index and a grayscale rating of 1-8 (8 being the most lightfast or durable). They possess different properties of lightfastness, and they also can have similar properties to oligomers, including chemical resistance, heat and cold resistance, abrasion resistance, and more. Pigments tend to raise the viscosity of inkjet inks. For digital inks, manufacturers are now chemically treating pigments to help them break down before they go through the milling process. The pigment particulates are then milled down to a sub-micron size. 28
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Turning peanut butter into a fine wine Screen-printing ink can be compared to mayonnaise or even peanut butter in terms of thickness or viscosity. As a point of reference, screen-printing inks can range from 1,500- 19,000 centipoises. Digital inks, for the most part, are around 10-20 centipoises in viscosity. As a benchmark, water measures 0-2 centipoises—a huge difference in itself. Manufacturers have to reduce particle size to smaller than 1 μm to fire inks through inkjet printheads (Figure 2). This involves looking at raw materials that don’t have anything to do with the screen-printing industry but affect the physical characteristics of a fluid or ink system. The process also involves transferring the technology to digital—making a chocolate bar into chocolate milk. The process requires raw materials suppliers to become completely open minded about the new components needed to reduce viscosities and gain functionalities for new inkjet-ink systems. Ink formulators must address the shortcomings of early generations of digital inks by experimenting with newly upgraded components and by requesting or designing entirely new ones. They must look into newly created components, regardless of whether the suppliers think they need it at the moment What about taking some of the components of a digital ink and reverse engineering them to make screen-printing ink? Experimentation in this area
can result in an entirely new generation of screen functionalities and properties. Such discoveries would never have been made had manufacturers not been forced to reduce the viscosity of screen ink to create digital ink. While the advances in digital printing have broken the barriers into the screenprinting market, we must not surrender to it. Screen will always have its place. Some of the most powerful and successful screen printers that I visit have managed to successfully integrate digital with screen to gain capacities and efficiencies that set them apart.
New markets Innovations in UV ink will enable digital printing to have a profound impact on a variety of new markets, some of which are identified below. In-mold decorating Digitally produced electronics clusters are being introduced, but only on a limited basis. This certainly leaves room for improvement, while screen printing continues to be a favorite choice—by the hundreds of thousands. The resolution, tolerance, and quality needed for this market remains an ongoing challenge for the digital-printing arena. While advances in digital presses and ink technology are ongoing, the post-print processing creates tremendous friction, elongation, and heat—up to 700°F. This is an environment in which few inks can survive. It continues to pose a challenge for digital ink systems. The automotive industry wants the short-run capability of digital print-
Figure 3 The drop watcher shows droplets of ink as they jet from the printhead to the print surface.
ing. Years ago, manufacturers would print 250,000 dash clusters for any given model each quarter. Now, those same purchase orders might be 2,500 or 700—or less. The end users of these clusters would love to have manufacturing and supply on demand. Digital allows them to make 20 of these in a row. The shape and size could be different, and the text could be Russian, Spanish, or French—all with no set-up time or waste. This is a massive market that includes cell phones, electronics, stereos, computers, toys, and house wares like table tops and containers. Architectural glass Glass is a beast. It’s heavy, robust, and chemically resilient—not exactly an ink’s best friend. However, with continued advancements in technology and surface treatments that will allow the inks to adhere on a microscopic level, this market will continue to grow and flourish. Metallic digital printing While a true UV metallic digital ink remains evasive, considerable advances are ongoing. There are several solvent-based digital systems that have the luster and sheen, but they lack the depth of a true metallic. Currently, these true metallic inks are printed with screen, litho, flexo, or other ink-to-substrate processes. Typical metallic particles are too large to go through microscopic openings in digital printheads. Most metallic pigments are 20 times too large,
and once they are refined to a submicron size, suitable for jetting, their weight causes them to settle or drop out of suspension, which necessitates the use of higher viscosity dispersants all while keeping the viscosity below 20 centipoises. This, my friends, is the challenge of the day! Jettable adhesives Adhesives are all around us, and each of us comes in contact with some sort of an adhesive every day, throughout the day. They literally hold our world together, and we take them for granted. Adhesives can be applied using a variety of methods, including screen printing, painting, spraying, and various roll-coat applications. They can stay tacky. There are heat-activated adhesives, cohesives, solvent-activated and water-activated adhesives, just to name a few. Usually, the adhesive is applied after printing, regardless of its purpose. Digitally applied, jettable adhesives for the industrial digital market will allow digital printers to selectively jet adhesives to packing cartons, displays, and permanent or temporary graphics. In the P-O-P market, such digital adhesives will allow printers to apply a selective adhesive patch at the same time they are printing a graphic. There will be applications for multilayered, multidimensional displays. Digital adhesives will allow printers unlimited design capabilities that will provide unrestricted creative freedom for both designers and printers.
Membrane switches and electronic circuits Like dash clusters,
membrane switches are printed in high volumes. They require very close tolerance and pin-point repeatability. These membranes require multiple layers and can include insulators and conductive layers that, in the end, represent the message center of a given electronic device. It is logical that digital printing will ultimately play an important role in the future of the membrane market and its efficiencies. It goes without saying that digitally printed electronic circuitry will be a massive market in the future. Refined color gamut Ink developers and manufacturers are always refining the color gamut or the overall spectrum of color and how we perceive it. New software, new color theories, and new head and press configurations all influence the final image and its richness and accuracy of color. As firing patterns, nozzle velocities, and head-assembly travel speeds increase, so must the ink system that is fired through them (Figure 3). Astounding advancements in all aspects of digital technology have come about in a very short period of time. That which was once considered a tool for short runs, prototyping, or the infamous one-off run, is now a story of the past. Digital presses are becoming faster, more efficient, and more versatile. As screen printing, litho, offset, gravure, and digital printing continue to collide, it is very important that an inexhaustible amount of research and development continues in all aspects of the printing industry. And with the advancements of hardware, software, firmware and chemistry taking place right now, all of us are in for a wild and exciting ride. Mike Plier is president of Polymeric Imaging, Inc., a manufacturer of UV inks and coatings formulated for high performance. He has more than 30 years of experience in the printing industry, including imaging, production, processing, and substrates.
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Evaluation of Exposure to Organic Solvents Scott E. Brueck, Lilia Chen, and Maureen Niemeier NIOSH
NIOSH makes a site visit to determine whether harmful conditions are present and to make proposals for employee safety at a small screen-printing company.
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he National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) functions as an agency under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responsible for conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related injury and illness. The NIOSH health-hazard evaluation (HHE) program is available for employees, employers, or union representatives to use for an investigation of health and safety concerns. This may result in sending the requestor information, referring them to a more appropriate agency, or making a site visit, which may include environmental sampling and medical testing. After a site visit, we prepare a report that includes recommendations to correct problems. This article discusses an HHE we conducted at a small screen-printing company to address potential occupational exposure hazards. It includes our findings and recommendations provided in the ensuing report.
Background We received an HHE request from a company that designs and screen prints acrylic signs for a variety of businesses. Housed in a four-story, 35,000-sq-ft building, the company employs 22 people with only three involved directly in screen printing or spray painting. Company management and employees were concerned about possible harmful health effects from exposures to organic solvents in lacquer thinner and screen-printing inks. We visited the facility to collect air samples, measure airflow in the spray-paint booth, check air movement in the screen-printing area, evaluate personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and identify fire safety hazards. Workers were mostly exposed to breathing solvent vapors during screen printing and washing. However, they were also exposed to vapors from evaporation of solventsoaked cleaning towels. Additionally, workers had skin exposure to solvents.
We took air samples for toluene, n-hexane, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and cyclohexanone. Air-monitoring results indicated that full-shift exposure to these individual chemicals did not exceed occupational exposure limits (OELs) established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, exposure to the mixture of solvents was slightly above the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommendations. Short-term exposure to isopropyl alcohol during screen printing and screen washing could exceed short-term exposure limits (STELs). We recommended that the company consider using non-solvent or low-solvent alternatives for screen printing. The screen-printing area did not have exhaust ventilation, and there was little air movement in the work area. During warm weather, a window near the screen-printing table is opened and a fan used to blow air out. However, opening the window and using a fan might not improve ventilation enough. Therefore, we recommended installing an exhaust ventilation system for screen printing. We observed work activities that might cause splashing of screenprinting chemicals into the workers’ eyes or hands. Although workers wore latex gloves when cleaning screens, they did not wear gloves during other screen-printing activities. Additionally, the latex gloves that were available were not appropriate to protect against the chemicals in lacquer thinner and screen-printing inks. Based on the primary ingredients in these types of products, we recommended gloves made of Viton/butyl combination or laminate plastic film such as Ansell Barrier (polyethylene, polyamide, polyethylene combination) or North Silvershield/4H (polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, polyethylene combination). Workers also did not wear any eye protection. Therefore, we recommended that they use safety glasses or goggles when handling hazardous chemicals (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Use safety glasses or goggles when handling hazardous chemicals.
We identified several fire safety hazards at the facility. Employees stored lacquer thinner in plastic containers that were not approved for flammable liquids. We recommended that the company provide proper flammable safety containers (Figure 2). Too much lacquer thinner was stored in the spray-paint booth, so we advised the company not to permit more than a one-day supply of lacquer thinner or screen inks to be stored there. We also found that containers were not properly bonded when flammable liquids were poured from one container to another. To prevent possible accumulation of a static charge and spark, we recommended the company require the use of bonding cables to electrically connect containers of flammable liquids when pouring from one container to another. Lastly, we recommended that flammable liquids be stored in the flammable-material-storage cabinets. To eliminate or minimize workplace hazards, we encourage (in order of preference) the following controls: substitution or elimination of the hazardous agent, engineering controls (for example, local exhaust ventilation, enclosure, dilution ventilation), administrative controls (for example, limiting exposure time, training, work-practice changes, medical surveillance), and
Figure 2 A better solution for daily storage and dispensing of flammable liquids is a safety can.
personal protective equipment (for example, respiratory protection, gloves, eye protection). In most cases, the best approach is to eliminate hazardous materials and install engineering controls to reduce exposures. Until such controls are in place, or if they are not effective, administrative measures and/or personal protective equipment may be needed. february/march 2011
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Inhalation of solvent vapors Organic solvents may cause minimal to mild irritation of the respiratory system. Irritation usually affects the upper airways, mucous membranes, and eyes, and it generally ends quickly without long-term effects. Solvents can also cause neurologic problems such as fatigue, poor memory, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes. It is not clear how many of these problems will last after exposure has ended. Symptoms of significant solvent exposure are similar to being drunk (headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, slurred speech, impaired balance, poor concentration, disorientation, and confusion). These symptoms go away quickly after exposure has ended. Death from breathing difficulties can occur at very high levels, but this is very rare.
Skin exposure Skin exposure is a major route of exposure to organic solvents. Solvents
dissolve the protective outer layer of fat in the skin and allow chemicals to be absorbed into the body. Almost all organic solvents cause skin irritation because they remove fat from the skin. Skin disease is the second most common type of occupational disease. NIOSH has a Website on skin exposure, www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin.
dition, sources of ignition, such as pilot lights, static electricity, open flames, sparks from electrical circuits, or welding, must be kept away from flammable vapors (see the section about fire safety below for a link to the National Fire Protection Association’s online guidance on safe storage, handling, and use of volatile substances).
Eye exposure
General recommendations for screen-printing companies
Eyes may be exposed to organic solvents or other hazardous chemicals by splashing or by contact with vapors. This can cause chemical burns or damage to eyes. NIOSH has an online topic page that discusses eye safety, www. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye.
Fire safety The screen-printing process may involve lacquer thinners or inks, which are flammable. Flammable liquids must be used and stored properly to prevent the build-up of flammable vapors that can ignite easily and start a fire. In ad-
Resources and Links to More Expanded Information
NIOSH HHE reports: www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe Forsberg K, Mansdorf SZ [2007]. Quick selection guide to chemical protective clothing. 5th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. NIOSH topic page on skin exposures and effects: www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin Respirator Usage OSHA [1998]. OSHA Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Revised Respiratory Protection Standard. www.osha.gov/Publications/secgrev-current.pdf
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NIOSH topic page on eye safety: www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard and Information for Employees Using Respirators when not Required Under Standard - 1910.134 Appendix D. www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/ owadisp.show_document?p_ id=12716&p_table=standards PPE Guidance OSHA guidance on PPE: www.osha.gov/SLTC/personalprotectiveequipment/index.html
So, how can screen printers and management reduce or remove potential hazards? Consider the following actions, in order of preference: Elimination and substitution Investigate whether non-solvent or lowsolvent inks and screen washes can be used. Contact trade organizations, such as the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (www.sgia.org), to determine which non-solvent or low-solvent inks or screen washes are available and whether other companies use them successfully. Eliminating or substituting a hazardous chemical is effective because it reduces the need for additional controls. Engineering controls Improve ventilation in screen-printing areas. Effective ventilation can reduce employees’ exposure to air contaminants substantially. If you have poor ventilation, consult a ventilation engineer to make necessary improvements for your specific environment. Administrative controls Complete a PPE hazard assessment to determine whether hazards are present that require the use of PPE (safety glasses, protective gloves, respirators). Employees must be trained how to use and maintain their PPE. OSHA requires written documentation that the PPE hazard assessment and employee training have been completed. Information can be found on the OSHA Website (www.osha. gov/SLTC/personalprotectiveequipment/ index.html). Implement a hazard-communication program. Such a program includes
requirements for MSDSs, container labeling, training, and a written program. Information can be found on the OSHA Website (www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/new-osha300form1-1-04.pdf). Require employees to follow standard operating procedures to reduce evaporation of solvents into the workplace. For example, this would include requiring preparation of materials immediately prior to use and proper disposal or containment of solvent-soaked materials.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) Provide employees with respirators for use during screen-printing or spraypainting tasks when air-contaminant levels are above OELS. PPE is the least effective way to control employee exposures because it requires a high level of employee commitment and can result in adverse physiological effects. Use of respirators should not be the only method for limiting exposures, but should be worn until hazardous chemicals can be substituted or engineering (ventilation) and administrative controls lower exposures to an acceptable level. Employees wearing respirators must be properly fitted, trained, and undergo medical evaluations. The company must prepare a written respirator program that documents how they comply with OSHA respirator-program requirements. Refer to the OSHA respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134) for information on proper use, maintenance, and storage, or to Appendix D of the standard if use is voluntary. Provide chemical-resistant gloves specific to the type of chemicals in the lacquer thinner or screen-printing ink. To prevent skin exposures from chemicals, follow a reference guide such as Quick Selection Guide to Chemical Protective Clothing (see resources and links) to determine appropriate gloves, as well as other PPE, to use. Latex is not an appropriate glove material for screen printing
because the solvents in inks or lacquer thinner can damage it relatively quickly, and some people are allergic to latex. Provide and require employees to wear the appropriate protective eyewear when using hazardous chemicals and performing activities that might result in chemical splashes. The type of personal protective eyewear used must be chosen depending on the specific work situation and hazards and each person’s individual requirements. Install an eye-wash station in the screen-printing or spray-painting area. The eye-wash station should be capable of providing adequate liquid for at least 15 minutes of drenching or flushing of the eyes. It can be either plumbed or self-contained. Refer to the OSHA standard in 29 CFR 1910.151(c) for more information about eye-wash stations.
Fire safety Do not use plastic containers for any flammable or combustible liquids, such as lacquer thinner, unless the container has been approved by Underwriters Laboratory Inc. One example of a container for daily use of flammable liquids is an Underwriters Laboratory, Inc.-approved metal safety container with a plunger dispensing mechanism. Electrically ground containers of flammable liquids, and make sure that dispensing and receiving containers are properly bonded before transferring flammable liquids. Consider the quantity of flammable material being stored in the work area, and use flammable-material-storage cabinets. The National Fire Protection Association Standard 30: Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code has additional guidance on safe storage, handling, and use of volatile substances and is available at www. nfpa.org.
MESH Blog Conversations within the screen-printing community
• Post your comment • Share information • Keep the conversation going • Look, learn, and maybe even laugh
Find MESH blog at screenweb.com under “News & Trends”
Lilia Chen and Scott Brueck are NIOSH employees; Maureen Niemeier is a contract employee of NIOSH working as a freelance technical writer.
february/march 2011
33
shop talk
Going for the gold Andy MacDougall
I
took some time to look at the Golden Image award entries and winners at the SGIA 2010 Expo, an experience that is always instructive. To tell you the truth, it’s also a little humbling to see how well some of my fellow squeegee meisters can print. This ain’t your daddy’s silkscreenin’ anymore. Maybe SGIA should look into touring the winning entries so that the wider world can get a look at the array of screenprinting applications we industry insiders sometimes take for granted—but that’s a topic for another day. Contests like this are important, and they are in stark contrast to many of the competitions we see in today’s society that seem to be based on popularity, nastiness, or the ability to remember a lyric—more than talent or ability. With criteria based on technical merit, and the judges coming from the Academy of Screen Printing Technology, the winners of various categories really are the best of the best from around the world. Michel Caza, 2010 Parmele Award winner, past chairman of ASPT and FESPA, a winner of multiple Golden Squeegees, and the granddaddy of high-end screen printing worldwide, puts it well: “For me, to compete has always been extremely important because it is—even if frustrating sometimes—the best manner to know at which level you are and how you can compete with your peers or other students in the same technique and in the whole world.” For the first time this year, industry vet Joe Clarke had the opportunity to act as a Golden Image judge for the Tom Frecska Student Printing Awards and it was, in a word, exhilarating. “Had the judging area not been cordoned-off as student entries only, there would have been no way to differentiate their work from those of the professional entries,” he says. “It was a challenge and a comfort to see so much talent from so many students in so many countries. It is quite apparent to me now that, due to the up and coming talent, specialty graphics will live long and prosper.” Clarke wasn’t the only one to notice the quality level in the student section, which featured the work of both high-school printers and those attending a post-secondary 34
screenprinting
institute. Neil Bolding, the manager of quality, technical, and marketing at MacDermid Autotype, has judged the student printing awards for the last three years. “The caliber of work is at a very high level,” Bolding says. “Every piece submitted deserves full attention as the diversity of the work ranges from true artistic inspiration to highly technical graphics printing—all of the highest quality. I caught myself wondering, ‘How did they do that?’” I thought I knew how most things are printed. I am still learning, and it is a sheer delight to be shown something new by students.” Bolding mentions the number of school programs that submit work using the screen-printing process is growing every year. “Who said screen printing will die? Not with the talent of the youth I see today,” he explains. Best in Show winner Cassandra Montenegro and her classmate, Victoria Garcia, both of whom won gold in their respective categories (Textile and Fine Art), attend Paramount High School in Paramount, CA. It’s pretty obvious their instructor, David Yakubovsky, knows how to impart correct technique and desire to excel. I’ve seen firsthand the enthusiasm and excitement of students of all ages when they get the screen-printing bug, and it seems to me that all of us in this industry should be doing everything we can to encourage schools in our area to set up screen printing in the classrooms and make sure the teachers know they have a wealth of information and resources available to them through trade associations and manufacturers. The work of industry leaders who actively support SkillsUSA screen-printing competitions at the state and national level should be applauded and encouraged. We have nothing like that in Canada, which is unfortunate. What blows me away about the student participants’ submissions is the realization that working with good teachers who know which end of the squeegee is up produces such an instant jump in print quality. If anyone wants graphic evidence (excuse the pun) of what the most beneficial single improvement in their screen printing might be, look no further than technically-based educational programs. The results speak for themselves and reflect favorably on both the educators and the young printers who did the work. If the students can advance their skills this far in such a short time, just think of the work they will produce and the new products they will invent if they choose a career in screen printing. Andy MacDougall is a screen-printing trainer and consultant based on Vancouver Island in Canada and a member of the Academy of Screen Printing Technology. If you have production problems you’d like to see him address in “Shop Talk,” e-mail your comments and questions to andy@squeegeeville.com.
industry update
Sukarukoff
Yukish
Jackson
LaForge
Agfa Graphics, Canada, promoted Lawrence Robinson as managing director. He replaces Ruben Silva, who was promoted to vice president of sales and service at Agfa Graphics, North America. CET Color, Atlanta, GA, appointed Kevin Howes as West Coast sales and marketing director. Dubit America, Roselle, IL, announced the appointment of Dave Cordell as general manager. GroupeSTAHL, St. Clair Shores, MI, chose Brian Sukarukoff to join its board of directors. Imprintables Warehouse, Masontown, PA, promoted Adam Yukish to national sales manager and hired
Roland Picks Worst Idea Contest Winner
Roland DGA Corp. chose Brian Mallory of Oliver Signs, Valley City, OH as the winner of the company’s “How Not to Build the Perfect Printer” Website contest. The contest was part of a marketing campaign for Roland’s latest VersaCAMM VS metallic inkjet printer/ cutter. The contest accepted more than 500 contest entries. A panel of marketing experts chose Mallory’s submission, awarding him the iPad prize for his truly bad idea. Here is what Mallory suggested: Instead of using inkjets, build a printer with six trained kittens (one for each color) to run back and forth on the media with ink on their paws. You need to show them a picture of the art and yell, “Release the kittens!” Sounds reasonable, and everyone likes a kitten.
Steven Jackson as education and major accounts sales representative. MACtac North America, Stow, OH, promoted Ed LaForge to the position of vice president of Pugh Mattiussi sales and marketing. Mutoh America Inc., Phoenix, AZ, hired Michelle Pugh as marketing coordinator. Nazdar SourceOne, Shawnee, KS, appointed Mike Johnson as director of marketing. Neschen Americas, Elkridge, MD, appointed Matt Myers business development manager of media and Martin Meisner as West Coast sales territory manager. ONYX Graphics, Salt Lake City, UT, promoted Danielle Mattiussi to director of product portfolio and business development and Dean Derhak as director of marketing. Radiant Energy Systems, Hawthorne, NJ, appointed Clara O’Boyle as marketing manager.
PIA Affiliates Launch FSC Group Sixteen Printing Industries of America affiliates have joined together to form the Regional Affiliate Certificate Group offering manufacturing printers access to FSC chain of custody certification at group prices. They report that on December 1, 2010, 47 companies were successfully included in the group launch, which is the first printers group created in North America. Although the group is limited to accepting manufacturing companies with sales of less than $5 million, administrator Jim Tepper says he sees potential for many firms across the US. “The majority of print manufacturers are companies with sales less than $5 million and have struggled with the process and cost of FSC compliance. By partnering with a group manager and a well-respected auditing firm, we have utilized the advantage of association membership to provide our members a way of meeting their customer’s needs at an affordable price which is less than half of a single certification,” Tepper says. The group says that aggregating participating firms makes costs substantially lower than with individual certification. The full costs are prorated across the entire group. An additional benefit is the availability of
the group manager to assist members with compliance, document preparation, advice on organization of records, and more.
february/march 2011
35
U.S. Distributor & Dealer Directory Equipment / Materials / Services For Directory Rates or Information, please contact Victoria Wells E: Victoria.wells@stmediagroup.com P: (800) 925-1110 ext. 393 F: (513) 744-6993 An advertising service for local or regional screen printing distributors/dealers and national companies with branches and/or distributors. The Products & Services (P&S) Codes and the Business Classification Codes in each listing are defined as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Art, Photography, Cad Graphics Curing & Drying Equipment Finishing Equipment Printing Equipment & Accessories Screen and Stencil Making Equip. & Supplies Inks, Coatings & Chemicals
7 8 9 10 11
Board & Paper, Foam Center board, Block Out Board. Garments & Piece goods Glass & Containers Nameplates, Dials & Sheetmetal Plastics, Rigid & Flexible
12 13 14 15 16
Pressure Sensitive Materials Misc. Substrates: Magnetic, Binders, Banners, etc. Testing & Instrumentation Computers, Color matching/Business, Hardware & Software Embroidery Equipment & Supplies
› ARIZONA
› COLORADO
› MASSACHUSETTS
› NEBRASKA
Phoenix
Denver
Omaha
Advanced Screen Technologies, Inc.
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co.
Garston Screen Printing Supplies, Inc.
619 S. Hacienda Dr. #5, Tempe, AZ 85281. (480) 858-9804, (877) 509-7600 Website: www.advancedscreen.com. Contact; Tom Bays. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,14.
› CALIFORNIA SaatiPrint 15905 S. Broadway, Gardena, CA 90248. (800) 992-3676. (310) 5233676. Fax: (310) 523-3610. E-mail: info.US@saatiprint.com. Website: www.saatiamer icas.com. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 2,4,5,6,14.
Westix Inc. / WestixOnline.com 1309 D Simpson Way, Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 489-1448. (800) 7413887. Fax: (760) 489-7669. E-mail: info@westixonline.com. Website: www.westixonline.com. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 2,3,4,5,6,15. Los Angeles
NuSign Supply, Inc. 1365 Darius Ct., City of Industry, CA 91745. (626) 961-7688. Toll Free: (877) 6NU-SIGN. Fax: (626) 961-7225. Contact: Tony Le. Business Class: A,B. Marketing Area served: Local, Regional, National, International. Product Codes; 4,6,12,13. San Francisco
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co. 21054 Alexander Court, Hayward, CA, 94545-1234. (510) 732-5800. (800) 824-2468. Fax: (510) 732-7624. Fax: (800) 824-2474. E-mail: midwest@ midwestsign.com. Contact: Marilee Fox-Cichon, Paul Louie, Kevin Todd, Steve Michel. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
5301 Peoria St., Unit F, 80239-2319. (800) 332-3819. (303) 373-9800. Fax: (800) 332-3820. Fax: (303) 373-9700. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign. com. Contact: Al Menzie, RAMON FONTANES, Aaron Remsburg. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
› ILLINOIS SaatiPrint 2050 Hammond Dr., Schaumburg, IL 60173 (800) 368-3243. (847) 296-5090. Fax: (847) 296-7408. E-mail: info.US@ saatiprint. com. Website: www.saatiamericas.com. Contact: Jan Bill. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 2,4,5,6,14. Chicago
Screenworks Supply Corp. (773) 463-9250. (800) 551-5524. Fax: (773) 463-9375. E-mail: sales@screenworkssupply.com. Website: www. screenworkssupply.com. Contact: Wayne Samojla. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5,6,9,14,15.
› INDIANA
St. Paul
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co. 45 E. Maryland Ave., 55117. (651) 489-9999. (800) 328-6592. Fax: (651) 489-0202/ Fax: 800-328-6599. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign.com. Contact: Jason Knapp, Dan Fleming, Pete Weinberg, Ryan Warner, John Hermes, Kevin Wood. Business Class: A. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
Rhinotech 2415 Pilot Knob Rd., Mendota Hts., MN, 55120. (651) 686-5027. (888) 717-4466. Fax: (651) 686-9745. E-mail: rhinotech@isd.net. Website: www. rhinotechinc.com. Contact: Todd Michaels. Business Class: A,B,C. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 2,4,5,6.
› MISSOURI Kansas City
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co.
31 N. Davis St., Dublin, IN 47335. (765) 478-9481. (800) 533-4173. Fax: (765) 478-9462. E-mail: atlasckg@ skyenet.net. Website: www.atlasckg. com.Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 2,4,5.
1806 Vernon St., Kansas City, MO 64116.. (816) 333-5224. (800) 2333770. Fax: (800) 233-3771. Fax: (816) 333-5446. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign.com. Contact: Junior Costigan, Patti Fairchild. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
Screenworks Supply Corp. Richmond, IN 47374. (219) 781-9250. (800) 551-5524. Fax: (773) 463-9375. E-mail: sales@screenworkssupply. com. Contacts: Pierce Marshall, Wayne Samojla. Business Class: A, B. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5,6,9,14,15.
Reece Supply Co. of Louisiana, Inc. 1017 Dealers Ave., Harahan, LA 70123. (504) 733-7799. Contact: Ronnie Garic. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5, 6,7,10,11,12,13,14.
SCREENPRINTING
› MINNESOTA
Atlas Screenprinting Equipment & Parts, Inc.
› LOUISIANA
36
8 Parkridge Rd., Haverhill, MA 01835. (800) 328-7775. Fax: (978) 374-9777. Contact: Dean Garston. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ,10,11,12,13,14.
St. Louis
Lawson Screen Products Inc. 5110 Penrose St. 63115. (314) 3829300. (800) 325-8317. Fax: (314) 382-3012. Contact: David Landesman. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5,6.
A B C
Distributor Dealer Branch of National Manufacturer
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co. 9313 “J” St., 68127. (402) 592-7555. (800) 228-3839. Fax: (402) 592-5267. Fax: (800) 228-3886. E-mail: midwest@ midwestsign.com. Contact: Trish Nelson, John Schnackenberg, Dan Thomas. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1-2-4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
› NEW JERSEY Crown Roll Leaf Inc. 91 Illinois Ave. 07503. (201) 742-4000. (800) 631-3831. Fax: (201) 742-0219. Contact: James R. Waitts. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 12.
› NEW YORK SaatiPrint 247 Route 100, Somers, NY 10589.. (800) 431-2200. (914) 232-7781. Fax: (800) 829-9939. E-mail: info.US@saatiprint.com. Website: www.saatiamericas.com. Contact: Paul Cylenica. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 2,4,5,6,14.
Tino Screen Manufacturing Inc. 440 Lawrence Bell Dr. #8., Buffalo, NY 14221. (716) 626-0782. (800) 8618821. Fax: (716) 626-0783. E-mail: sales@tinoscreens.com. Website: www.tinoscreens.com. Contact: Richard Wong. Business Class: A,C. Marketing area served: International. Product Codes: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14. New Hartford
Reich Supply Co., Inc. 2 Campion Rd., New Hartford, NY 13413. (315) 732-6126. (800) 3383322. Fax: (315) 732-7841. E-mail: sales@reichsupply.com. Website: www.reichsupply.com. Contact: Neil Reich. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5,6,7,11,12,13,14.
› OREGON Portland
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co. 5035 N.W. Front Ave. 97210-1105. (503) 224-1400. Fax: (503) 224-6400. 800-228-0596. Fax: 800-278-0596. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign.com. Contact: Karen Walker, Pat McNamara. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
› TEXAS
San Antonio
Vancouver
Dallas
Reece Supply Co. of San Antonio, Inc.
Ryonet Corporation
Reece Supply Co. of Dallas, Inc.
4960 Eisenhauer Rd. Ste 110 (78218). (210) 662-6898. Fax: (210) 662-6945. (800) 776-0224. Contact: Ricky Brown. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Pro-duct Codes: 1,2,4,5,6,7,10,11, 12,13,14.
11800 NE 60th Way., Vancouver, WA, 98682. (360) 576-7188. (800) 3146390. Fax: (360) 546-1454. E-mail: sales@ryonet.com. Web Site: www. silkscreeningsupplies.com. Contacts: Jeff Held. Ryan Moor. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: National, International. Product Codes: 2,4,5,6,8 ,11,12,13,14,15.
3308 Royalty Row, Irving, TX 75062. (972) 785-0212. (800) 938-8330. Fax: (972) 785-0512. Contact: Kelly Leonard. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5,6,7,10,11,12,13,14.
› UTAH
El Paso
Salt Lake City
Reece Supply Co.
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co.
1530 Goodyear Dr., Suite J, 79936. (915) 592-9600. (877) 776-0128. Fax: (915) 592-9050. Contact: Aaron Wieberg. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,4,5,6,7,10,11,12,13,14. Houston
Reece Supply Co. of Houston, Inc. 2602 Bell St., 77003-1753. (713) 228-9496. (800) 776-0113. Fax: (713) 228-9499. Contact Labon Tatum. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes:1,2,4,5,6,7,1 0,11,12,13,14.
1160 So. Pioneer Rd., Ste. 2, 84104. (801) 974-9449. (800) 497-6690. Fax: (801) 974-9442. Fax: (800) 497-6691. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign. com. Contact: Sean Hession. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
› WASHINGTON Seattle
M&R* Parts
Roller Frames - Used.
ALUMINUM SQUEEGEE HOLDERS & FLOODBARS
visit the message boards on screenweb.com for more oportunities
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co. 16405 W. Lincoln Avenue, New Berlin, WI 53132. (262) 641-8550. (800) 2427430. Fax: (262) 641-8555. Fax: (800) 242-7439. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign.com. Contacts: Tom Robinson, Craig Gray, Marty Campell, Fred Horn. Business Class: A. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
401 Evans Black Dr., 98188-2912. (206) 433-8080. (800) 426-4938. Fax: (206) 433-8021. Fax: (800) 426-4950. E-mail: midwest@midwestsign.com. Contacts: Jeff Macey, Todd Colvin. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,11,12,13.
Complete range of M&R parts. Vacuum beds, pallets, squeegee/floodbars, electrical and mechanical parts.
A.W.T. World Trade at 773-777-7100 or sales@awt-gpi.com
Milwaukee
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing Supply Co.
We are buyers of your preowned flat bed graphic presses, cylinder presses, 4-post presses, longstroke presses, uv dryers, cutters, die-cutters, sheeters, slitters & all equipment & items related to the screen printing industry. Top dollar Paid. 305-551-0311 800-383-2649 www.ezscreenprinting.com 100s in stock, many VERY large. Ask for quote & list before buying new. Save $100s.
› WISCONSIN
773-725-4900 or sales@gpiparts.com (*Not affiliated with M&R.)
Largest Inventory Of Replacement Parts. Largest inventory of replacement parts for screen printing machines
773-725-4900 or sales@gpiparts.com
All brands of scree print equipment. OEM prices direct from manufacturer!
773-725-4900 or sales@gpiparts.com
Rubber Blankets For All Exposing Units Manufacturing all sizes and types for any brand - nonporous, UV-inhibited.
773-725-4900 or sales@gpiparts.com
Canadian Distributor & Dealer Directory › ONTARIO Cosmex Graphics Inc. 390 Deslauriers St., St. Laurent, Quebec, H4N 1V2, (514) 745-3446. Fax: (514) 7453449. Contact: Enzo Di Gneo. Business Class: A,B. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 1,2,3,4,5,6,12,14.
Ecoscreen, Inc. 300 Commerce St., Vars, Ontario, K0A3H0. (613) 443-1999. (888) 265-3556. Fax: s(613) 443-1909. E-mail: sales@ecoscreen.ca. Website: www.ecoscreen.ca. Contact: Mike Brugger. Business Class: C. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 5,6.
SaatiPrint 1680 Courtney Park Dr. E., Units 1 & 2, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1R4, (905) 564-5388. (800) 567-0086. Fax: (905) 5645391. Contact: Alfred Guinness. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: Regional. Product Codes: 2,4,5,6,14. Markham
Sias Canada Ltd. 3400-14th Ave., Units 37 & 38, L3R OH7, (905) 305-1500. Fax: (905) 305-1501. Contact: Karl Bakker. Business Class: A. Marketing area served: National. Product Codes: 2,4.
Mesh Wanted Cash For Your Surplus Or Unneeded Mesh! Any mesh, Any color, Any quantity, Any brand, Any width.
773/777-7100 or sales@awt-gpi.com Textile Pallets T-shirt pallets for all brands of screen print equipment: American, M&R, MHM, Tas, Tuf, Anatol-at OEM prices
773-725-4900 or sales@gpiparts.com Aluminum Frames Overstocked! Extruded and self-tensioning; 1000s to choose from — huge discounts! All clean of inks.
773/777-7100 or sales@awt-gpi.com
Remanufactured Press American Daytona Screen Printing Press; 38x55" print area; with warranty; $19,900 plus crafting. 773/777-7100 or sales@awt-gpi.com
Used Equipment Mart & Opportunity Exchange Used, Trade-in & Demo equipment, Help Wanted, and Business for sale. For Rates or Information, contact Victoria Wells E: Victoria.wells@ stmediagroup.com P: (800) 925-1110 ext. 393 F: (513) 744-6993
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011
37
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EDITORIAL INSIGHTS THE NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN Though I have much to be thankful for in 2010, I’m not sad to see the old year pass.
W
hat a tough year 2010 was for many screen printers. Clients, business models, and profit margins changed. But now the winter solstice has passed, when long nights give way to lengthening days and the rebirth of the sun gives new energy. After the New Year celebrations calm down, lots of printers take an assessment of where they stand as far as equipment, organization, and new business development for the next cycle. Forecasters predict a better year ahead in 2011, and we need to plan for success. This issue of Screen Printing contains lots of ideas for basic organization and preparation, so let us help you with the renewal process. On page 14, Rick Fuqua, president of Real Performance Machinery, covers the methods for taking care of your presses, just as you’d take care of your car by keeping records of service; keeping track of wear points and how to oil/grease/tighten them; having supplies of critical parts on hand; protecting your presses from contaminants; examining air-delivery systems; inspecting electrical systems; and so forth. Rick’s practical advice can save lots of stressful downtime and prevent costly replacements. Not only do your printing presses need maintenance, but it’s also time to examine how you clean screens. Do you still use volatile chemicals when you clean and reclaim screens, or have you moved on to a greener type cleaning material? In his article, The Screen Cleaning Boxing Ring, Jason Davenport writes about how to use eco-friendly materials and control costs throughout reclamation. It features how-to advice for using emulsion removers and dehazers that are designed to be environmentally safe. After you have set up a system of equipment maintenance and considered using ecological green cleaners for
screens, next it’s time to read at Mike Plier’s article, Developments in UV Inks. It looks at the latest formulations and their usefulness for expanding into new markets. Last October, I asked printer Ben Reutter of Transfer Express what he expected for screen printers in 2011. “I expect more screen printers to be using computer-to-screen (CTS) units and more automated screen exposure and cleaning. In terms of inks, I think we’re seeing more specialty inks and ink manufacturers producing much better specialty inks than they did three to five years ago. And, of course, I think more environmentally friendly inks. Most screen-printing inks are already lead- and phthalate-compliant, but I expect that to be the norm in the near future and for even more environmentally friendly inks to become available.” Our articles certainly agree with Ben’s take on the industry. Before I fade into sounding like a cheerleader for this February/March issue, there’s a program that long-time columnist Mark Coudray started, called Marketing for T-Shirts (www.marketingfortshirts.com), that you might want to look at. It’s a series of videos that talk about screen printers using techniques for building new business through developing a niche, creating informational presentations, and more. Though I have much to be thankful for in 2010, I’m not sad to see the old year pass. And yes, I’m doing all the usual renewal activities, such as reviewing the latest in smartphone applications and preparing forms for the tax man. Going further, I’ve signed up for a few classes to fill in a few educational needs. And at Screen Printing magazine, we’re editing articles and finding interesting angles for the latest topic coverage. The invigorating wintery weather pushes plans for a very productive 2011.
Editor gail.flower@stmediagroup.com 40
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