Numbering machine options

Adding a numbering printer to your production floor can be a confusing process.  There are so many options of customizing an athletic jersey that the research itself can be intimidating.  At Brown, we understand that you have a work flow that you would like machinery to fit into.  You do not want to change your methods to match a new machine.  So, in that thinking, we offer many ways for you to expand into the world of profitable jersey customization.

What are the options and why are they offered?

Athletic numbering is all about product quality with reasonable speed.  There are different job types in this niche market and each of these have their own production issues.  Let's start with the job types.

Recreational league or team printing.

If your or a friend has a team that needs a few numbers, that is a simple job that transfers are perfect for.  Fifteen to twenty shirts that need a front logo and numbers are a great reason to order in custom numbers from companies such as Transfer Express.  First, with this one job you did not plan on a high profit margin.  Second, this is a small run that will disrupt your shop.

However, if you are connected with the Athletic Director or the head of the Recreation Department, you need to consider this a profit center and find a fast, simple way to produce these shirts.  Many of these jobs are 700 - 1000 shirts and each one is custom.  We do not recommend occupying your carousel to print this job.  If you do, then your money making machine is tied up on a low margin job.  Find a better way.

Local sports teams starting in the middle schools and up to the older players.

These are higher end uniforms with very specific customization.  Even the youth club soccer and volleyball teams are offering the option for player to choose their own number.  These players often have multiple jerseys and matching shorts and accessories.  These consumers are paying extra money for these uniforms and are looking for high quality printing.  

This is NOT a transfer job.  These need to be direct printed or sublimated.  As manufacturers of screen printing machinery, we are not big fans of sublimation.  So we will let you research that option on your own.  

So, what are the options, anyway?

Let's go through the list of machine options that Brown offers and their price points.  Once you read through the product line, the best plan for your shop should be more clear.

Slider Carousel Kit.  $895

We are starting at the lowest price.  This is a master frame that mounts on rear clamping presses.  It allows for frame to pin into position.  These frames can have 4", 6", 8" or 10" numbers exposed on them and they will print in 1 or 2 colors.  This is less expensive than transfers and is easily stored and attached to your press.  

The benefits include:

• low investment
• 2 color numbers
• team or sponsor name can be printed in the same shirt load
• in-house flexibility of what you offer
• high quality final product
• low cost final product

The issues with this include:

• Slow printing.  Only one number can be mounted into the master screen at any time.
• Ties up the carousel
• lots of screens to clean

Slider™ Athletic printing system.  $3,295

The next level takes the Carousel Kit and makes it a stand alone press.  This gives all the flexibility
but removes the required attachment to your press.  These frames can have 4", 6", 8" or 10" numbers exposed on them and they will print in 1 or 2 colors.

Benefits:

• reasonable investment
• 2 color numbers
• team or sponsor name can be printed in the same shirt load
• in-house flexibility of what you offer
• high quality final product
• low cost final product
• stand alone unit that uses only 2' x 4' of space and 120V, 15A

Issues include:

• Floor space during the athletic season is required
• lots of screens to clean
• Still slow because the operator has to wait for the flash and cool time on the garment and only one garment can print at a time

ShortStop™ Athletic printing system.  $3,695

The next level takes the Carousel Kit and makes it faster.  This gives all the flexibility and adds speed to the flash and load of the garments.  These frames can have 4", 6", 8" or 10" numbers exposed on them and they will print in 1 or 2 colors.

Benefits:

• reasonable investment
• 2 color numbers
• team or sponsor name can be printed in the same shirt load
• in-house flexibility of what you offer
• high quality final product
• low cost final product
• utilizes the rotary load on the carousel for faster shirt processing

Issues include:

• set-up of the attachment on the carousel
• lots of screens to clean
• ties up the carousel so that multi color jobs cannot be printed until the numbering jobs are done

NumberPrinter™ Athletic printing system with Sniper LazerLoad.  Starting at $3,995

We believe that this is the premium numbering system in the industry.  This is a stand alone machine that prints 1" to 12" 2-color numbers.  It requires only 4 screens per size and font.  It features the LazerLoad positioning system and a stainless steel indexing system for accuracy.  

Benefits:

• 1" - 12" numbers
• 2 color numbers
• expandable to multiple platens and flashes to increase operator speed
• only 4 screens to clean per job
• high quality final product
• low cost final product
• stand alone unit that uses only 2' x 4' of space and 120V, 15A

Issues include:

• Floor space 
• higher initial investment than other systems

So, what should you do?  

This is still a lot of information.  However, the machinery that suits your shop should be determined by athletic printing volume, job complication, floor space availability, job flow and budget.  We suggest that teams be sorted only one time, at the beginning of the job, so that they can be boxed for delivery as they come off the dryer.  So, look at how many jobs you may have coming and how much space you have available.  If you see that one person could print numbers all day during the numbering season, then invest in a machine that will make that operator the most productive.  If you see that athletic printing season comes and goes quickly for your shop, then invest in a system that is portable.  Either one that is an attachment or one that is on wheels and can move out of the way when the season has ended.

Don't shy away from this profit center if the orders are available to you.  Invest in your business and growth will come.  However, do not take the athletic printing growth without being prepared with the right tools.  

For additional information check out our www.brownmfg.net/numberprinters and research the specifications of each machine.  Or give us a call and we can help you decide which machine is right for your production.

Spring cleaning is a good use of downtime

It is that time again.  Time to clean house.

We are talking about machine maintenance.  Not cleaning out the break room fridge or laying off employees.  Though, those might need to happen as well.  That is up to you.

Every spring, as the weather heats up, our service calls increase.  This increase can usually be linked to maintenance being postponed or operators making adjustments.  So, when you have a slow time there needs to be a to-do list that will keep your machinery in proper working order.

What should be on this list?

Every machine on your production floor has items that regularly need cleaning, changing or adjusting.  These items should be listed and this list should be kept for reference.  A log of when the maintenance was performed is a great idea.  This is a sample maintenance log for a vehicle but the idea is the same as printing equipment.  A list of required items is on one side with the dates of completion.  A list of unscheduled repairs in on the other.  

Each machine would have a different list and all of these logs should be kept together.

Conveyor ovens

TRX Conveyor Oven

• Clean all fan filters
• Clean and check all fan blades
• Clean lint from all surfaces
• Clean lint from inside the control panel
• Clean and oil the drive system.  Adjust the chain tension if necessary
• If the oven uses quartz heaters, check with the manufacturer for cleaning instructions and schedule 
• Test all the cal-rod heaters
• Clean the conveyor belt

Automatic printers

ElectraPrint

• Clean all surfaces
• Clean all platens
• Check platen rubber for wear.  Replace rubber if necessary
• Grease all moving parts
• If this is an air machine, clean the lines and confirm the air connections
• If this is an air machine, maintain the compressor
• Clean all fan filters
• Clean all fan blades
• Clean lint from the control panel
• Clean lasers 
• Clean skippy sensors
• Check the chain tension on each print head
• Check carriage stiffness for each print head
• Grease all knobs and replace any that are stripped
• Lubricate the registration gates

Manual printers

MasterPrinter

• Clean all surfaces
• Grease all knob threads
• Replace any broken or stripped knobs
• Grease any open bearings
• Lubricate registration gates
• Check springs for wear and replace suspect springs
• Check gas lifters for leaks.  Replace any leaking lifters
• Confirm platen leveling to the print head.  Check with the press manufacturer for guidelines on this procedure

Screen room

LED Exposure System

• Clean all glass with glass cleaner
• Clean all surfaces
• Clean all fan filters
• Clean all fan blades
• Replace any non-functioning fans
• Replace any non-LED bulbs that are more than 2 years old
• Clean vacuum rubber and replace if torn or worn
• Clean washout sink.  Remove any built up emulsion

Notice a trend?

Yes, CLEAN is the main word here.  Most textile printing machinery will last for years with simple cleaning and maintenance.  We find that lint build up on fans and filters will cause early failure of electronic parts.  Also, unclean registration gates and pivot points will affect the registration of a press.  

While we appreciate all of the parts orders that we receive.  We know that your costs of downtime and spare parts are higher than your cost of preventative maintenance.  Every manufacturer will have a maintenance suggestion for their machinery.  If this schedule is followed in your facility, then the life span of your investment will be extended.