How long does it take everyone to reclaim a screen? I'm saying the job is done and you pull the screen off the press. How long does it take you to scrape ink, pull tape, washout ink, remove emulsion, and degrease?
I absolutely hate the reclaiming process so I let all of my screens pile up (22 screens) and do them in one batch. I recently started hiring a friend to do the cleaning for me and am paying him $4 per screen. It takes either one of us about 20 minutes to do the reclaiming process per screen and I'm just curious if we are slow, or if anyone has any tips to speed things up.
There are chemicals that will washout ink and remove emulsion in one step. Also, I don't degrease until I am ready to use the screen again. I don't do it as part of the emulsion removal process.
Depending on the job and how much ink needs scraping, I would say 10 minutes (not including degreasing).
I figure on 1 hour per screen to burn, tape, line up on press, tear down press (wash squeegees and flood bars also), strip, degrease, apply emulsion and have ready for next order. I charge $20 set up fee per screen, and I don't make any profit on this, it just covers my cost. I may in the near future raise it to $25. Paying someone $4 a screen to strip a screen sounds high to me, we go through 30 screens a day when we are busy and the employees I have that clean screens can clean them in about 2 to 3 hours. That would equal $120 for 3 hours work. It sounds like you could stream line the process a little bit. Good luck.
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Mike
If you dig ditches be the best ditch digger you can be.
I use a dip tank, takes about 3 minutes to reclaim the screen. Mine fits 2 at a time, there are larger ones.
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I use a dip tank, takes about 3 minutes to reclaim the screen. Mine fits 2 at a time, there are larger ones.
Thanks, I have seen diptanks from different suppliers and always assumed that was basically what they did, but I didn't realize it made reclaaiming them THAT easy. I also didn't know there was a ink remover and emulsion remover in 1 chemical. Looks like I'm going to be making a DIY dip tank!
Yeah, you basically card as much ink of the screen as you can, and dunk the screen for a few minutes. You'll have to experiment on time, most of my screens I dunk for 3 minutes, some of the harder ones take 5 minutes. Then you just stick it in the wash booth and spray it off, a pressure washer helps alot.
You need to buy the chemicals, but you can definitely make your own tank.
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The proud owner of a full service print shop. Screen printing, vinyl decals, stickers, signs and banners, vehicle lettering and wraps, and more! Check out our blog too!
Two words... Dip Tank. It will make your life soooo much easier. The only thing I wish, is that the one-step stuff we use would get off more ink. Still it takes so much less time. 4-10 minutes per, depending.
Reclaiming Screens Time and Cost 
