Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Master Printer series: a tune up, or a clean up?

Is your shop tuned up and cleaned up?  

Maybe you are ready for a check up?

In our continuing series of tips from our master technician, we like to cover what makes a shop function at its best.  The highest functioning production departments are typically the most profitable and have an edge on the market because of their efficiency, product quality and willingness to expand into new techniques.

Facilities that are clean and well organized can add new techniques and products into their flow because they are know where there is room and how it will affect standard operations.  Also, these facilities know where all their tools are located and those tools are in great working condition so that changes can happen when urgent situations happen.  Finally, the product quality is spot on because when everything is very clean and organized, items can ship in perfect condition and nothing gets misplaced.

So, look around your shop.  There are tell tale signs of production issues.  If these signs are here then there is a good chance that your machinery, as well as your facility needs a good overhaul.

  • Are your squeegees totally clean and organized on a rack by size or durometer?
  • Are all your screens organized by what stage of the prepress they are in?
    • Ink cleaning station
    • Strip or dip tank station
    • Ready to coat
    • Coated and ready to expose
    • prepped for the upcoming jobs
    • extras sorted by mesh count
    • old jobs stored together by job or customer
  • Are your inks and prepress products on clean tables and in clean containers?
  • Are your machines wiped down so that there is minimal lint and no ink on it?
  • Skip the production floor... how does everything else look?
    • Cafeteria or break room
    • Shipping and receiving
    • Trash cans
    • Work spaces
As a tip, if you would feel a need to clean it up to show it to your Mom, then clean it anyway.

Cleaned up, so now what?

Service contracts are available.
Once everything is shiny and new looking, then the flow of your production and the operating precision of your equipment can be evaluated.  Like HVAC equipment, printing machinery needs yearly maintenance.  Our technicians are trained in the installation and upkeep of Brown and BrownDigital equipment.  They are available for tune-ups as well at printing training on a scheduled rotation.  While they are in your facility, they check all of your Brown equipment:
  • Electrical connections and functions
  • Motors and drive systems
  • Registration systems
  • Wear points
  • Machine leveling
  • and much more...
And while they are there, they are available for printing and production flow training and advice.  Contact Brown Mfg for availability and pricing for your list of machinery.