Maintenance for Heat Press
Becoming a leader in the St. Louis T-shirt printing and custom embroidery company that has set the standard in the screen printing industry didn’t happen overnight. Although this is not considered to be rocket science, there is a lot more to it than just owning a lot of fancy equipment. A lot of this just comes from years of experience of standing behind a press and embroidery machine. A lot of the techniques that we have learned over time is now obsolete because technology is changing so quickly not only in our industry, but in every sector of our lives.
There is still something to be said for old-school applications like making the most out of your heat transfer machine. It is initially one of the most important assets in your shop if it is used correctly. All these machines work with the same principles, where they apply an image that is usually composed of vinyl or ink with heat with pressure. Some of these older machines need to be re-calibrated from time to time as they tend to get cold spots in order to make sure they are in top working condition. Make sure there are no pieces that are hanging off your machine. If you do happen to find some, then you should replace them immediately. The top of the platens is normally made of rubber and sometimes it can have gouges missing out of it, so make sure that it is also in good shape. It can also become spongy or have cold spots. Make sure that it is well secured. If there is any concern regarding the integrity of this rubber pad, then it should be replaced. They are very easy to install and well worth the extra time and effort involved. This will help to ensure that you have adequate pressure that is evenly distributed throughout the heating element.
The next thing you should do is inspect the electrical components in the machine in order to make sure they are working properly. Look at the connections between the wall outlet and the control panel and make sure everything is well secured. If any of the wires appear to be frayed or cracked, replace them so that you don’t have a short later on. You should probably also examine the cord that plugs into the wall.
Next check the heating element to make sure that it is keeping a consistent temperature and is giving you an accurate heat output. Test different areas because sometimes they can have cold spots and you can be cooler on one end of the platens than the other. Purchase temperature strips that are fairly inexpensive and can probably be found at your local equipment dealer. I would recommend placing at least four of these strips on each corner of the machine as well as the middle. These strips are normally white and darkens with any change of temperature. Look and see that they are all the same color in order to make sure all parts of the machine are calibrated equally. I hope these tips will prove themselves helpful.
We are a St. Louis screen printing company that specializes in custom embroidery as well as digital T-shirt printing.