Discussion, tips, pictures, reviews and peer to peer support for current and future owners of Belquette manufactured machines, including the MOD-1 DTG machine and the Flexi-Jet set series of printers.
Thanks to everyone that dropped by to see us at SGIA.
We enjoyed showing everyone our products, it's nice to hear all the positive feedback as we have worked very hard to make a robust machine that we feel proud to put the BelQuette name on.
The mod1 series was in two locations and was in high gear the entire show. It's an industrial proven machine with a solid year of heavy use. The latest mod feature was our "Staging Module" that reduces the load and unload times down to near zero increasing it daily out-put significantly.
Looks interesting.... What is the benefit to mounting the additional platens in the given configuration? Do they slide right into place when you remove the previous platen? We would love to see some video!
I know this has been discussed elsewhere, but are those bulk ink bags just sitting next to the printer? Or, rather, sitting on the tray by the side of the printer? This is just suggestion, so take it for what its worth; in my production environment, I would be wary to use a system that had exposed bags, just laying there like that. In my mind, a professional setup would protect the ink bags more carefully.
I have a ColorSpan wide format printer, as well as the Brother GT-541; both of which use bulk ink bags to supply ink. The difference, in both cases, is that the bags come inside the cartridges (in the case of the Brother, they are plastic, but in the case of the ColorSpan, they are simply stiff cardboard shells that protect the delicate bags inside), which then get mounted out of the way, so there is never any chance of setting anything on them, leaning on them, bumping them, etc. Just a thought, to pretty up the machine a bit.
What is the benefit to mounting the additional platens in the given configuration?
They don't slide. The picture should show 2 platens with three holders. I'm sure it's to show where the platens go.
When the platen is in the machine, you unload one shirt and place on heat press. Then you place a new shirt on the platen. At SGIA, Mark pulled the platen off of the machine while it was still exiting the machine. He then moved it over to the right and then picked up the left platen already loaded with a shirt and place it on the still moving platen holder. Then he pushed the green button and the platen moves back into the machine. Then repeat. So you are shifting the platens back left and right, then right and left, all the while, allowing a continual movement of the main platen holding the shirt being printed.
It's no different then buying an additional platen, except this allows you to have all work directly in front of you, giving a better production rate. It takes literally one second to lift the platen off of the platen holder. Placing the other platen is just as quick. Just drop it in place and it goes into registration every single time with no messing around.
Simple, but effective.
__________________
BelQuette Inc, 877.202.0886 & Screener's Choice, 330-345-5877
Mod1 Direct to Garment Printer, Made in the USA www.belquette.com
I know this has been discussed elsewhere, but are those bulk ink bags just sitting next to the printer? Or, rather, sitting on the tray by the side of the printer? This is just suggestion, so take it for what its worth; in my production environment, I would be wary to use a system that had exposed bags, just laying there like that. In my mind, a professional setup would protect the ink bags more carefully.
While most people wouldn't find this a problem some might. I know the ink delivery system wasn't shown at SGIA because of patent applications, etc., but I believe the final setup will be different. I don't know that 100%, but I do know there are some differences from what you see here. Belquette did not want to show the ink system in advance without starting the process with the patent.
__________________
BelQuette Inc, 877.202.0886 & Screener's Choice, 330-345-5877
Mod1 Direct to Garment Printer, Made in the USA www.belquette.com
It looked like the only one getting really good prints in the Digital Direct Pavillion was Belquette with their Mod 1 printer. Mark gave us a nice demo.
Quoted by Scott Fresener
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To those that did not atend the show, SGIA had put together a booth with different digital machines operating. The mod1 was right beside the Anajet, both Brother machines a Viper and a Mimaki as well as Lawsons Pre-Treat station and the Viper Pretreat for perspective customers to compare machines and output.
I feel that people enjoyed seeing everything in one area. This was an informational area only and customers would follow up at the manufacturers main booth for addition details and or sales.
Looks impressive, and the staging modul is an excelent idea. I've tried to do something simular on my work station placing some boxes infront/to the side of my DTG machine and it helps when loading and unloading the plattens, the problem with the boxes was that sometimes they were in the way. On the ink bags, they could go in a box to the side. I had a bulk system from Sawgrass for a epson printer and the ink bags were in a plastic box with a cover on them. something like this
All in all, great machine. Very interested in whats to come.
Thanks for the feedback, as Jerid pointed out there will be some changes in how the ink bags are attached when appropriate. However the current configuration is proven to be very easy and effective and has been used this way over a year in heavy production. One obvious advantage is there is no 2nd guessing when it's really empty, as the bags will literally flatten to the thickness of the Mylar film. “Total ink utilization” The mechanism devices used to detect the remaining ink in most cartridge systems have quite the hysteresis or range that unfortunately leaves a lot of ink in the bag.
Further, since the bags are packed in a vacuum there no way that air can enter the ink system even if it’s empty, the ink will just stop flowing. Interesting enough when this has happened a cleaning cycle will suffice.
I heard mention of a "flexijet2" prototype that you had at the show. Any information on this?
I printed with the Flexi2 all during the show and your boss stopped bye to see it so he can pass his feelings onto you, it is planed for a 2010 first quarter release and we are still passing information/ideas back and forth "More to come"
Dan "HAPPY PRINTING"
__________________ www.DTGInks.com "Where help is always there, just for the asking"
Last edited by YoDan; October 14th, 2009 at 10:45 AM.
Oh ok. He mentioned that there was a 4880 there. I didn't know it was a new flexi version.
Be advised. This is not the official new Flexi-Jet Version. This is a prototype displaying some projected capabilities of the next generation of BelQuette's 4880-based Flatbed Printer due next year (kinda like a concept vehicle at a car show). The three mod one series Printers that were displayed at the SGIA Expo are actual, and the only other platform in production besides the still popular Flexi-Jet at this time.
Oh ok. I know Mike had mentioned that it was printing white, however he didn't mention any other changes that he heard of from the current flexi. Other than the benefit of the teflon coated 4880 head can you talk about any other differences that the concept currently has from the current flexi?
The current plan is to incorporate a few of the Mod1's capabilities into the Flexi-2, the "Simple Load System" is a plus also BUT remember this is we have said a "Prototype" so "YES" a few things may change and if they do change it would be a benefit for the end users. Mike did tell me that if he could print White Ink like I was doing and showing that he could sell a bunch of shirts Dan "HAPPY PRINTING"
__________________ www.DTGInks.com "Where help is always there, just for the asking"
Last edited by YoDan; October 15th, 2009 at 06:44 AM.
Being able to print white is a huge goal for us right now. I was able to get the flexi to lay down a consistant white and had the pretreatment process pretty much figured out 2 years ago after months of tinkering. However after analyzing how long it took to print, the press time per pass, man hours involved in manually pretreating (no pretreatment machines available at that time), and above all the cost of the print, it just wasn't feasible for us to pursue this with the technology and inks available at that point.
Thank you for seeing us at SGIA 2009! 
However the current configuration is proven to be very easy and effective and has been used this way over a year in heavy production.
