Thank you

 

To our customers, partners and staff,

For Brown and BrownDigital, 2024 has been full of growth and exciting opportunities. We want to express our deepest gratitude to our amazing staff – your commitment and perseverance have been inspiring. And to our wonderful customers – thank you for your continued support and belief in us and our products. 

The launch of the new BP Series Electraprint was met with enthusiasm from our existing customers and we have added plenty of newcomers to the family as news of this product has spread.  The Brown team looks forward to additional conversations on this 12 Station machine as well as all of the product line.

The partnership with Brother International on the Digital Line DTG production machine has been tremendous.  The challenges of the short learning curve as well as the interaction with new clients has energized the full sales team and driven our design team to think creatively about future possibilities.  This is a joint project that requires the concentration of Brother USA, Brother Japan and BrownDigital to grow it to its fullest capacity.  2025 will be just as exciting.

The expansion of the Brother Digital Line and the general industry-wide growth of digital printing has pushed the BrownDigital Linx team to continually add features to both the web-based and desktop versions of Linx Integrated Product software.  If you have not looked into this barcode driven production tool, we highly recommend you consider it.

All of the items listed above are developed, built, shipped and serviced by our highly capable Brown team.  Whether your business is adding new, expanding for new features, or fixing what is in your shop, the Brown staff has exemplified quality and dedication throughout the process.  Our team does work as a team and these amazing products exist because of them.

So from all of us at Brown to all of you, our customers and partners, we wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to 2025 and all the events yet to come.

For Brown, it is all about customer service

When a person calls Brown Mfg they get a person.  We do not use automated attendants or voice mail on our main phone system.  When someone sends an email to what appears to be a generic email address such as sales@brownmfg.net or customerservice@brownmfg.net or linx@brownmfg.net those emails land directly in a person's inbox so they can be addressed quickly and directly.  These corporate choices are based on the elemental belief that direct person-to-person interaction provides the highest quality service to our customer.  Call us old fashioned, but we get thank you comments from our customers on a daily basis.

Another customer service item that we offer is custom paint as an option for new machinery purchases.  This generates excitement for people who have their machinery as part of their customer's experience.  These businesses sometimes have a production shop as a showroom and they have a corporate color scheme to match.  Recent colors have included combat green for a customer who services military families, hot pink for an all women's shop, and red white and blue because,  well, just because.  

One added benefit item we offer is creative installation solutions.  We cater to community printers. These are typically businesses with very limited space and often owner/operators of the machinery they buy.  Their production spaces are often not commercial, do not have loading docks and many times are multi storied.  One ElectraPrint leaving this week is no exception.  This installation involves a set of stairs into a lower level with 36" doorways.  

To accomplish this task, we take the machine apart into manageable pieces.  The base, the print hub and the platen hub are all packed separately.  The heads, platen arms and accessories are on other pallets.  

Our installer has tools available to assist with moving these pieces into tough spaces and to reassemble these pieces in the final location.  Once assembled, the installer will continue with the standard installation process and training of the customer.  

Yes, this is a fun one.  But not unique.  We have many stories of fun installs.

So, if you are thinking that it is time for your shop to step up into an automatic press but you are concerned about how it will fit into your space, contact us.  Brown has solutions.  We also have over 50 years of experience at these creative installations.  We are here to assist you, person-to-person, in making your business more productive and more profitable.

Innovation Center at Brother International

 

It has been a long time coming and the Brown staff is excited to see that their hard work has paid off.  Brother International opened a new training facility at their Bartlett, TN location and the BrownDigital product line took center stage.  

This new product line has been under wraps for 2 years.  A single operator loads a garment and these garments are pretreated and digitally printed and returned to the same operator.  One guy does it all.  Amazing.

Thank you to Brother International for the opportunity.

Preparing for new equipment installation

Growth and expansion in a business is driven by the arrival or hope of new customers and orders.  This justifies the cost of new equipment in all levels, whether a new exposure system that allows for faster screen production, a new DTG to expand into new markets or a new automatic press for quicker turn around.  This expansion is exciting and trying times and there are some tips for preparation of installation of the new equipment.

What to expect upon machinery arrival.

Depending upon what is coming, a machine may be installed by your own staff or it may need a technician.  However, one this is certain.  It will arrive on a truck and it will be heavy.  It will need planning for the unload and connection.  What exactly does that mean ?  It means understanding how to get the product off the truck, having a door and path wide enough for the equipment to reach its final location, having utilities and services ready and finally having people on hand to help.

If it is coming on a commercial carrier.

Common carriers, those are the semi-trucks seen on the road, then accommodations need to be made to get the machinery off of the dock high truck and onto your production floor.  If your location has a dock, then a pallet-jack is typically sufficient to unload from the truck.  If your location does not have a dock, then there are a couple of options.  First, a lift gate can be requested.  These are an additional cost and additional delivery time.  Also, if the crate is larger than a 4' x 4' area, then a lift gate will not be large enough to handle the skid.  Second, a fork truck can be rented and the crates can be lifted from the back of the truck to the ground.  This rental is typically the same cost as a lift gate.  As a final option, a roll back tow truck can meet the carrier and move the crate onto their bed and then lower it to the ground.  This is typically economical and most roll back drivers are trained in this process.

Once the crate is in the shop, equipment must be available to remove the equipment from the crate.  This will require people or a fork truck.  Smaller machinery can often be lifted with a few people but anything like an embroidery machine or an automatic press will require a fork truck to place the machine into position.

If it is being delivered by the manufacturer or distributor.

Typically, a driver for a manufacturer or distributor will have a plan for getting machinery to the ground and often a plan for placing it into position.  However, that installer will need people to help.  One person cannot move machinery without additional muscle.

What should be ready at your location?

An installers time is limited, so to get the best use of that time the shop should be completely ready for the product to install.  This means that in addition to having a way to move the machinery from the truck to the shop floor, there needs to be a path large enough for this to happen.  This could required a ramp up some stairs.  It could require a door removed or widened.  It could require that other machinery in the shop be shut down and moved temporarily.  All of this need to be accomplished before the truck arrives.

The next item on the list is the arranging of services and utilities.  If this machine requires water, air, electricity or gas, or a drain then then need to be set in advance.  New ovens, compressors and automatic presses require high voltage and amperage to operate so have those lines available in advance.  Compressor air lines should be run before machinery is placed and if the compressor is the new addition, check to see how water will be released from it during maintenance.

Training is a thing that takes concentration.

If the installer is also the trainer, then the staff needs to be prepared to stop production and pay attention.  This will reduce issues in the long term and make everything smoother.  If the machine is a set up and go, then your staff will still need time to experiment with setting that are best for you production.  Exposure times are calculated differently for every shop and emulsion and only recommendations can be offered from the manufacturer.  Curing times and temperatures change in each shop, so be prepared to adjust setting and check every job.  Set up for manual and auto presses is different with every press.  So learning this will take time.

If you are expecting a new printer or embroidery system, you should have artwork prepared for testing.  We do not recommend single color jobs as these do not offer enough challenges to learn the process.  But we do not recommend a high end job that you have never printed before.  Learning a new machine and a new process at the same time will cause frustration and additional down time.  So solid 3 to 4 color work is best.

Also, do not hold jobs in house waiting for machinery to arrive.  Learning a new process with a deadline looming is stressful and leads to trouble.  If you have jobs in house that this equipment was purchased for, then either send it out for now or print it how you would have before.  Yes, we understand that quick ROI is the hope, but frustration of learning is not going to help.  Keep the stress down anyway possible.

This is exciting, right?

Yes, it is.  New business and learning new skills is always exciting.  Set yourself up for smooth transitions and take breath.  Remember the steps.  Be prepared for the truck.  Be prepared with utilities and services.  Be prepared to learn.  Don't overload your shop with production delivery dates on new stuff.  And have some fun with your new toys.

Some maintenance required

As with reading the instruction manual, scheduled maintenance is often overlooked.  We get notifications from our car dealers that things are due.  And, to be honest, who hasn't pushed that oil change a little farther out than recommended.   However, all machinery needs to be properly maintained for optimal and profitable production.  Also, keeping with the car analogy, the ones with crank windows and no AC have fewer systems that need maintaining, right.  So the higher level the machine, the more diligence is required.

Screen print machine maintenance

As an example of basic machinery, like the crank window on a car, manual screen printing presses only need to be clean.   Clean machines mean clean shirts for he end customer.  The use of spray adhesive is the biggest factor in a screen print shop.  The spray sticks to the machines, and the lint from the garments stick to the spray.  Dirt, dust and ink stick to the mess as well.  Some shops think this is "charming", like a cotton candy coating.  But, no, it's not.  The best solution, long term is to switch to platen glue that is spread on.  It lasts longer on press and it doesn't travel and stick anywhere it is not supposed to.

The spray adhesive also affects conveyor ovens.  The spray can mist into the drive system and the control panels.  Dirt on the drive train and the belt can easily be transferred to the final garments.  Spray adhesive and lint will stick to the fans of the control panel and reduce or eliminate air flow to the electrical components causing them to overheat and fail.  As the complexity of electronic components increases, the chance of overheat is higher.  This can cause drive train system failure, heat control system failure and complete machine shut down.  So, again, get rid of the spray and clean the machine.  Easy solutions to potentially big problems.

Automatic printers are higher level machines and require more maintenance.  The Brown ElectraPrint has a suggested maintenance that is listed in it's manual.  These items begin, like all others, with cleaning filters and chains.  The biggest part of this machine is the grease.  There are grease locations in each head and in the base. For air driven machines, the maintenance increases due to the air compressor equipment and the cylinders.  Check your manual for the full list and you will probably see "cleaning" at the top.

DTG auxiliary machine maintenance

BrownDigital, with the development of the Synergy and FireFly systems, is heavily involved in the DTG production market.  While this segment of the industry has different challenges, the solutions are often the same.  Additionally, these machines are higher level and required more scheduled maintenance items with more diligence.  

The FireFly is similar to conventional curing systems.  Drive train systems, fans and motors need to be kept clean.  Filter systems and belts for the exhaust scrubbers do have a maintenance schedule, just like the filters on your car.  And if these are not followed, those will fail.  These ovens cure with quartz style heating, so stocking spare bulbs in-house is a good plan to reduce down time.  These also use thermal imaging cameras and touch screen displays.  Higher level parts need additional monitoring for continued reliable production.

For pretreat systems, the complication increases.  There are a lot of moving parts, motors and filters.  Pretreat fluid is sticky and everything it touches needs to be flushed with water or replaced on a regular basis.  There are nozzles, pumps, valves and hosing that water flush cycles need to be run.  There are filter systems for the fluid and for air flow that need regular changing or cleaning.  There is a belting system that needs cleaning due to overspray.  None of this maintenance is difficult, but it is necessary and, in the case of the Synergy, can be preprogrammed to automatically run.  Also, task reminders can be set for any other maintenance item needed.

Final notes

Maintenance is often a low level priority for small businesses.  Run everything until there is an issue and then scramble until things are repaired.  For some items, that is okay.  However, like a restaurant that needs to wash everything every day, a production facility needs to be cleaned.  

Today a long standing customer stopped in for a part for a machine from the late 1980s.  Yes, the 1980s.  It was spotless.  And, since we build a similar unit today, he still runs this one.  We did laugh that he was not a profit center for us, since he never needs to buy anything but he pointed out that this is what makes his business profitable.  Isn't that what you are in this for?

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.

Anaconda flash cure features

The Anaconda is the latest option for the ElectraPrint automatic t-shirt printer.  This system uses heat and a roller to flatten the fibers of a garment into the base ink layer.  The effect is sharper prints that pop off a shirt and feel softer and smoother.

Simple in design.

Using the structure of a Stretch Devices M3 roller frame, the Anaconda utilizes teflon sheeting as the base support that is in contact with the garment.  A flat, flexible heater is placed in the squeegee side of the teflon.  A digit temperature control with a thermocouple will keep the heater within 7° of the set temperature.  A silicone pad is placed on top of the heater for friction protection.  A roller is used in the squeegee system to press the heat onto the shirt.  Typically used in conjunction with a standard QuartzAir flash, this process offers startling results with quick speed.

Not just for Brown presses.

Because the frame structure is a standard 23" x 31" M3 roller frame, the Anaconda can be used with any automatic press.  Roller systems are available for all press types.  

Reasonable cost and simple install.

The Anaconda is no more expensive than our QuartzAir flash systems and they require only 120V, 17A of power, installation is quick and simple.  These are a great addition to any shop.  

For additional information call us today.  616-249-0200

Manual printing options

There are so many options available to screen print a shirt.  The different machinery levels can be confusing and the options available are essential to some but unnecessary to others.  Let's break down the machinery levels and what all of those features can do for the press operator.

CP-42R ClassicPrinter

There are some basics to begin.  Beginner presses are typically designed to be mounted on a bench or table.  They also only allow for a maximum of 4 colors to be printed.  And they do not have features for micro-registration or rotary load platens.  However, they print shirts and have a low initial investment which means that the ROI is quicker and higher.

Whoa... some technical terms were tossed about there.  Slow down, what do those mean?

• Micro-registration is an adjustment feature on each color head that keeps the screen secure in the clamps but the operator has dial adjustment to move the screen small amounts.  This comes in handy when registering multi-color jobs.  Though, this is not a require item on a press, it makes the press faster to operate so jobs are produced quicker.  Time is money.
• Rotary load platens is also referred to as speed tables.  The print boards rotate as well as the print heads.  This allows for flash curing between colors while you are still printing.  It also gives the opportunity for additional people to load and unload shirts while the press operator is printing.  

PP-64 PonyPrinter

Moving up the ladder of printing machines, we add some basic items.  First, these typically are mounted on a stand.  A stand designed for the press tends to make the whole operation more stable.  Unlike bench models, the entire design of this level press is heavier and designed for a longer life span.  These units may start to have some extra features like more colors,micro-registration and rotary platens but they are typically rear clamping.  The micros are usually not as tight as higher end machines and the platens are made of wood.  Again, the initial investment is lower so the ROI is quick.  They tend to be more durable than table top types so they will provide that return for years.

Stop!  Another new term!  

• Rear clamping refers to how the screen is secured into the printing head.  Rear clamp machines typically have 2 knobs that hold the short side of the frame.  This positioning is quick for screen load but can offer issues during a print run.  Off-contact and screen warp are two of the most common.
• Off- contact (yeah, we snuck that one in) is the distance between the substrate and the print side of the screen.  The screen should not sit directly on the shirt and the distance should stay stable across the print area.  In rear clamp situations, there is nothing to support the nose of the frame so off-contact shifts from back to front as you pull the squeegee.

MD-64 MidLine

Mid-line presses are the next level.  This is where you will see refinement in the design and durability of the machine.  Stands become bases, support shafts get stronger, micro registration adjustments get finer, and pivot mechanisms are more durable.  These machines are designed for community printers and for full shifts of printing.  They will be offered with 4, 6 or 8 color options and 4, 6 or 8 platens. Some of the presses are still rear clamp, while some have moved to side clamp for more stability. The price starts to shift upward but their set-up and features make the ROI still within a year.

See what we did there?  

• Stand versus base.  A stand is a table designed to hold something.  In this case it is a durable steel structure designed to hold a 4 or 6 color printer.  A base is integral to the printer itself.  Often the design of the platen support hub is part of the base.
• Finer micro-adjustment.  You just learned what micros are and now they change too?  Sure, like all tools they can get better.  The amount of movement with each turn is smaller and tighter on mid line machines.
• Pivot mechanisms are what the print heads go up and down on and the print/platen hubs spin around.  In starter machines, these are usually wear parts made of bronze or plastic.  As the durability of the machine goes up, these parts become more solid.  At this level the presses start to have sealed bearings and hardened parts.
• Support shaft is what all the hubs spin around.  The starter machines usually have some bot together parts with lazy susan bearings or a hardware spindle for the print and platen hubs to rotate around.  Again, these are wear parts.  In mid line machines, you will see a solid shaft that moves through the full mechanism of the press and some sealed bearings for everything to rotate on.

MP-666 MasterPrinter

Premium machines is where all these features come together.  This level of machine offers sealed bearings on all applicable locations, solid shafts, side clamps, tight micro registration, aluminum platens, heavy construction and extra options such as preregistration systems and interchangeable platen.  The price on these can get as high as $8,000 but they are designed for full shift production and long life spans.  One of these should last 20 years with the same quality print as when it was first produced.  ROI takes longer but the press will still be a profit center long after the depreciation is over.

Last call.

• Aluminum platens are covered in a screen print resistant rubber.  These platens do not warp or burn and are a life time investment.
• Interchangeable platens for what?  For the automatic printer that you know you want.  
• Pre-registration systems speed up set up starting in the art room all the way through screen processing and press set up.  These systems cut set up time down to seconds for multi color jobs.  As we remind you, Time is Money.

So the final question is, "what do you do"?  That is all dependent upon money, space and function.  We have often suggested starter presses to big shops because of the function it will be used for.  And, if there is a premium press available on the used market, anyone should buy it if they have the space. Most machines on the market will produce quality printed shirts.  Stick with your budget and your space, because when you grow you will add new presses.  If you go in debt on a press then the ROI will take too long.   

Save money by saving time.

What many of our customers fail to remember is that time is more valuable than products.  And if a shop wants to save money, they have to save time.

Most often, that wasted time is from trying to use low quality tools for any job.  In this case we are discussing screen frames.

Tips from our Print Master installer

Screen frames have more influence on how well and how profitable job are produced.  Yes, we are sure you have heard all the hype and looked at all the articles.  Yes, we know that screen frames seem expensive and they appear to last forever.  Yes, we know you can print through anything.  Been there, done that.

However.  The real expense is hidden.

Wood frames are the least expensive.  They are typically dipped in varnish to help to seal them.  However, even new ones, warp.  Yes, sure you can push down a corner when you are printing.  Yes, sure you can put them in the side clamps and they will flatten.  However, they do not hold register once they warp.  If you can lay a frame on a flat surface and they rock from corner to corner then they are warped.  They should be used at your next bonfire.

Once, a frames has warped, the movement of the mesh is inconsistent from when the screen is exposed to when the when the squeegee presses the mesh to the product.  This makes the set up time on press longer.  Hence, a time waste for your press operator.

Rigid aluminum frames are dimensionally more stable than wooden frames.  They also have their issues.  They are more expensive as an initial investment.  However, they are also considered equipment and can be depreciated.  Wood frames are considered consumable.

One of the biggest time wasters is due to the cleanliness of the frames.  Dirty hand means dirty shirts.  
Aluminum frames do not absorb ink or cleaning solvents.  These items stay on the surface of the frame.  The aluminum frame needs to be wiped down after each use to keep the press operator's hands clean.  

Both of these frame styles have one HUGE issue that needs to be addressed on a regular basis in every shop.  Mesh tension.  Yes, we went there.  We are not talking about high newton measurement but we are saying that if you can see a job have on the mesh from 5 years ago, chances are the mesh tension is too low.  Well, non-existent.  This causes problems with registration because of mesh shifting during the print.  The image is exposed onto the mesh when there is no pressure against it.  However, in order to get ink to clear, you have to apply high level squeegee pressure.  How can a job register when it has been stretched out of position?  

These static mesh screens can be remeshed at reasonable prices.  $10-$15 per frame and new mesh at a tolerable tension can be glued to your existing frames.  That is certainly less expensive than the amount of time your press operator spends attempting to make these jobs hold register on press.

We are going to take a side trip down the merry lane of retensionable screens.   Yes, we are a distributor, so we are happy to have them installed with any of our machinery.  However, our goal is to product high quality prints on our ElectraPrint and MasterPrinter presses.  These can increase the quality of the print and reduce the press operators set-up time.

Being profitable and producing high quality work takes some investment.

We try to have our assembly staff use good tools when they build equipment.  They move faster and get better results when the tools are high quality.  Our installers each have a brand of tools they prefer but they are very picky about which ones are in their bags.  And everyone knows that cutting a tomato with a dull knife is a mess.  So our suggestion to you is to take a look at what is in your shop. A small investment could save you time, which is the best way to save money.

Master Printer series: Employee training to reduce down time

From our Master Printer

An installers view

Our technicians and our sales people travel the globe installing machinery into screen printing shops that are both large and small.  While we are securing the machinery for proper operation we train the users on the operation and maintenance of their new purchases.  We often suggest some changes to the shop flow and to the tools that the operators have on hand.

As a rule of good customer service, we will stop back into the customer's location some time after the initial installation.  We do this to answer questions that will come up after they have been running for awhile.  These questions are typically about unusual jobs and how to print them.  Sometimes we will need to review maintenance so that the machines run to the optimal level.

What happens next is when this gets interesting.

Brown Manufacturing Group offers unlimited phone support.  This can be to the main office or to a cell phone.  Sales people and technicians take calls 24/7 in an effort to keep our customers on time for job deliveries.  The questions we hear are, very often, not related to the machinery that we installed.  

As an example, a call came in yesterday concerning the cure of a job.  A customer had a very short production run returned with under cured ink issues.  Every shop has been in that situation and it is one that you want to solve immediately.  After confirming that the oven was operating correctly, the conversation turned to understanding curing of plastisol inks.  Many times we are talking to a shop owner and this information stays with the shop but often it is with a production person.  

How much information does or should a shop employee have?

Studies suggest that employees need in-depth training to stay interested and involved in what they do.  Also, they should be encouraged to gather additional information that is beneficial and stay current on  new technology.  So, we have conversations with shop employees about curing or screen processing or any other facet of shop production.  

In a recent shop visit, a customer was having trouble with screen exposure.  This shop employee repeated, often, "I have been doing it like this since I started.  This is how I was trained."  Well, that initial training was great.  What was never taught was that bulbs fade, emulsion is temperamental to humidity and mesh counts make a difference.  So, productivity was down for more than a week while additional information was taught and the machinery was updated.  If this employee had been given technical information as they continued to stay on the job, then much of the interruption would have been avoided.

So what do you do?

Technical information and shop maintenance are a full shop necessity.  If employees and shop owners understand how things process then they will have a stronger link to keeping it moving.  Good places to expand knowledge are trade shows.  

At each of these, these are classes taught on all aspects of production.  Also, part of walking the floor of a show is to talk to experts.  Stop in a booth and ask questions and learn about how the process works.  This should only take a day.  Employees should be assigned tasks of what information they are to gather.  Don't just wander in without a plan.  That is like sending a group of middle school kids to a museum without an assignment.  They wander around, too shy to talk to people, and randomly grab literature while playing on their phones.  When everyone returns to the shop, a quick walk through of what people learned would then spread the information to all.  

Yes, this sounds expensive and maybe wasteful of a day's production.  But in the long term it is beneficial for many reasons.

• empowerment -- yes a buzz word.  But really, informed employees are usually interested employees
• Problem prevention -- new information will allow the employees to look at what they do with a deeper understanding and they may be able to fix issues before they impact production
• Respect -- if your employees think you are willing to invest in their education, then they may invest more into your shop

All of this is a win-win.  

And remember, after all of this effort.  Brown is still available for 24/7 support to keep your shop running smooth and productive.

Trade Show season begins

The 2014 show season kicked off with a new event.  The NBM Printwear show was held last weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  This event was small but we are excited by any chance we get to talk face to face with our customers.








This was the premier event for this year's show specials.  We want to heat things up a bit with free flash cure units and screen dryers.

The next show opens today in Las Vegas.  This is the PPAI Show.  We are exhibiting in the Decorate Pavilion with our ElectraPrint Junior and TRXi Curing System.  This event gives us the opportunity to talk with a wide range of specialty producers.  This sparks our creativity.

The final event for January is one of our favorite.  The Imprinted Sportswear Show held at the Long Beach Convention Center.  We have a row of booths to present our full line of production machines.  The DragonAir will be on display as well as some old favorites like the MasterPrinter and NumberPrinter lines.






We look forward to seeing all of our friends on the West Coast and any others who use these events to escape the cold of winter.  If you are looking to expand your printing capacity now is the time to get a great deal.  Stop in to any of the upcoming events and ask for details.

Preparing for equipment installation

We are always glad to say that we are shipping equipment every day. In this economy, it is a feeling of security. As always, it is a feeling of accomplishment. It is nice to know that our products and services are thought well of.

One of the things that we regularly see with machinery installations is that the receiver of the goods is not fully prepared for the installation. This is in both small and large shops. From both the idea of a new flash dryer to the installation of a full shop of automatic machinery, we run into the same problems. Let me see if some of these tips will help future equipment owners.

Receiving the merchandise.

Be prepared for whatever type of vehicle that is delivering your product. That means the UPS guy. If you asked for the flash to ship COD, then have your money ready. He doesn't have all day. For larger purchases, a semi-trailer will be at your dock. Again, see if you need a check for the freight and have it ready. These drivers have many stops to make and they get paid by the hour. Let's move.

Now when the big truck arrives, you have to be prepared to get your merchandise off the truck and into your shop. You did not buy furniture from a furniture store. You do your own install.

• If you have a dock height building, then make sure that you have a pallet jack or a forklift immediately available. It is not the drivers job to get it off his truck. It is yours.
• You can request a lift gate on the truck. That will cost more and the crates that screen printing machinery requires are usually too large to fit on a lift gate. You still need a way to get it off the lift gate and into your building.
• You can get a roll-back tow truck. We use these often for large items and big parking lots. These are flat bed tows with a winch system. They will drag the crate onto their bed, then lower the crate to the ground. They are usually $75 and do a great job. However, you need a parking lot and they will not help you get large items into your building.
• Rent or borrow a fork truck or hi-lo. These can be rented by the hour. It will solve all your problems and they are not very expensive.

Tools you will need.

Did I mention that this is not furniture? Yes, I believe I did.

You will need all of the following:

1. Hammer
2. pry bar
3. Utility knife
4. drill -- complete with driver bits
5. US or metric socket and open end wrench set
6. allen head set
7. tape measure
8. level
9. blood, sweat, tears
10. beer and pizza -- after you are done

Be prepared to get rid of all the lumber that the machinery arrives in. Be prepared to install the parts. Even the stuff that comes on UPS has some assembly required.

Do not throw out any paperwork, CD-ROM or other possible reference guide. They are usually packed in a place that will keep them from falling out of the crate. Check all your packaging carefully. And, trust me, it did have instructions when it left the factory.

Take a deep breath.

Ok, you have it in your building. You have discarded all the packaging materials. You have kept all the instructions. Now take a deep breath and eat your pizza.

On my next installment I will talk about having the building prepared for the installation. That should be fun. I do get to define "electrician" and that should irritate a few.

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