Many automatic screen printing machine businesses want to automate their processes. In addition to helping with bulk orders, automated presses are very beneficial for the industry because of their speed, consistent quality, lower cost of production due to less human resources, and reduced wear and tear on the printer itself.
Investing in automated or semi-automatic screen printing machines is a significant financial commitment, so it should be seriously thought of. Let’s talk about the potential benefits of the automatic screen printing machine you will get!
Why should you move to an automatic screen printing machine?
I don’t get a reason why we shouldn’t put everything on autopilot immediately. It’s a no-brainer if you have the income and sales to back up the investment.
When it comes to taking risks, some individuals are hesitant. Undoubtedly, it is a significant time and financial investment.
However, it’s not as risky as many thought it to be, and the rewards might be enormous.
1 Speed
Speed is the most significant benefit of using an auto printing machine. It is easy to anticipate a shirt press to produce between 500 and 1,000 shirts each hour.
As your production pace improves, you’ll be able to handle more work in less time. Large orders and short deadlines will not be a problem for you anymore. With a single automated press, you’ll be able to grab them.
2 Steady Quality
When your employee is about to end his shift, the shirt quality usually drops, even if you’re a proud automatic screen printing machine. Even the most efficient automatic screen printing press business will eventually run out of ink.
With each stroke, the squeegee becomes heavier, and your consistency begins to suffer. The appearance of print one and three hundred differ significantly. We’re all just human, after all.
If you have an automatic printing machine in your store, every shirt will be the same because of this. As far as pressure, angle, and speed are concerned, you have complete control.
You may take a deep breath and relax. Set it and forget it, and watch as your automatic screen printing press prints your shirts perfectly every time. The outcome will be stunning.
3 You Don’t Have to Be Exhausted
How many shirts do you estimate your employees’ manual press printing can handle at once? 100-300?
No matter how many screen printing enthusiasts you have, it’s hard to deny that by the end of the day, they’re exhausted. The soreness has spread across your arms and shoulders, and your lower back and feet are wailing.
Setting up the displays, pushing a few buttons, and loading and unloading shirts are the only physical demands of an auto. The days of manually pushing or dragging a squeegee are over. Your body is also protected from the damaging effects of long-term exposure to printing materials.
4 Saving Money
Payroll for your workers might be processed every two weeks. It means your company’s wallet loses a significant amount of money each year.
Perhaps you’re thinking of adding another person to your team to help you keep up with the recent business growth. Did you realize that adding a new employee has a monthly cost that is often one to three times more than purchasing an automatic printing machine?
Instead, think of using something that never calls in sick, never tired or injured, and who can boost your production a lot. Consider automated solutions if your business is expanding and trying to figure out what your “next big move” is.
5 Printing Efficiency
In addition to reducing the discomfort on your back and wrists caused by manual screen printing, you’ll get a significant boost in production capacity.
To illustrate the precise advantages, let’s look at two real-world jobs.
Parameters of the printing projects.
Project #1
- 1,000 t-shirts
- Black T-shirt only
- whole front surface printing
- Print Height: 12 inches
Manual Printing
- Production rate: one shirt every 36 seconds, or 100 per hour. (A reasonable estimate for a reputable printer’s services)
- Printing time: 10 hours (just printing).
Automatic Printing
- Production rate: A shirt is printed every eight seconds at a print speed of 450 shirts per hour. (An acceptable rate of output)
- Printing time: Two and a half hours (including other production activities).
With an automatic printing machine, there is a 75% reduction in printing time for a similar project. A manual printer will never be able to print 75% faster!
Let’s move on to another printing project!
Project #2
- 600 t-shirts
- Black T-shirt only
- Six colors front and back print
- Print Height: 12 inches
Manual Printing
- Production rate: Around 50 per hour.
- Printing time: About 10 hours
Automatic Printing
- Production rate: 330 t-shirts are printed each hour.
- Printing time: 2 hours max.
Despite the complex color palette, the fully automatic screen printing machine will remain the same throughout the whole project. You won’t have to work constantly for 10+ hours a day. That’s a time-saving you can devote to marketing instead!
For an automatic screen printing machine business looking to expand, buying an automatic screen printer is the next logical step. If you want to grow your company, upgrade your equipment as soon as possible. You’ll see a 4 to 6x improvement in the manufacturing process (if not more).
You will have access to big projects and bulk prints that you couldn’t accomplish as a manual printer, and you don’t have to risk your health in the process.
Getting started with automated screen printing
Here’s everything you’ll need when you’re ready to make the switch to automated printing, including the necessary hardware and software.
- Automatic screen printing machine: It doesn’t matter whether you purchase a pre-owned screen printing press or a new one; you want an automatic screen printing machine that will endure. For the most part, this involves purchasing some of the best automatic screen printing machines. Remember that just because you have an “8 color press” doesn’t imply you can print in that many colors right away. If at all feasible, I recommend that the print business begins with a 10-color press. With the automatic screen printing press in place, you may expand your business without having to make a significant financial commitment.
- Flash Dryer: Each press will most likely need two flash dryers. More would be excessive.
- Top-notch air compressor. In the event of an air compressor failure, your business would come to a sudden end. Maintain your compressor and ask for assistance if you’re unsure about this.
- Suitable conveyor dryer: Your manual printing dryer will probably not be enough for big projects. You don’t have to buy a 72-inch dryer right now, but you will need something that can handle a more significant number of shirts down the road.
- Airlines: You’ll have to install airlines in your shop since presses are autonomous. Many choose to have them installed in the ceiling. However, other businesses have decided to place them through the floor instead. Maintenance and troubleshooting are made easier when airlines are easily accessible. It’s possible to install basic airlines yourself if you’re simply setting up one press. If you’re a newbie or worried that you won’t do it right, ask professionals for help.
- More electrical power: Make sure your store has enough three-phase electricity to meet your requirements. You’ll need a lot of electricity to run your equipment! Make sure your facility can accommodate this additional load by hiring a certified electrician.
- Software for managing screen printing operations: While you may believe you can put off company management until the software is ready, this is a mistake. You need to make sure you can invoicing, order processing, and order tracking seamlessly.
Should I buy a brand-new automatic screen printing machine for sale or buy a pre-owned one?
This is a difficult question to answer precisely. It would be best if you thought about your ability to repair and maintain equipment, as well as the cost and convenience of receiving a used press.
A used automatic screen printing machine is always an option, but you run the risk of having trouble getting timely support from the manufacturer, as the automatic printing machine may no longer be covered by warranty, or it may have damage or issues that are not visible to the naked eye.
In the worst-case scenario, you may discover that the equipment is subject to a lien.
To put it another way, you should already be lined up with customers and work. Printing more will be possible if you get an automatic screen printing machine for sale, but you’ll need to increase your sales and marketing efforts if you don’t have any customers.
All of it at once is a lot to take on. To avoid your company being destroyed by the automatic screen printing machine price, you must have a steady source of income from which you can comfortably make your monthly payments for maintenance.
Final Thoughts
An automatic screen printer is your only option if you’re serious about growing your company and taking on bulk projects that you could never print successfully by hand.
There will always be a market for manual screen printing or a semi automatic screen printing machine. In fact, for a super custom limited order, manual printing is the most efficient way to do it. However, automatic screen printing machine opens up new options for massive productions that aren’t possible with manual printing.