# How do you keep your platens cool when printing multi-color jobs?



## BusyAsABee123 (Jun 10, 2015)

I looked but didn't see an answer to my question here so I'm hoping you can help; I can't imagine I'm the only one who has this issue.

I work in a small, ventilated (though not well) room, and every time I print a multi color job, I have to take breaks between about every 10 shirts because my platens get so hot with all the flashing. 

I know there has to be a solution to this. I was thinking about mounting a platen sized fan, horizontally, to the wall so it could blow cool air on my platens between flashing. Is there an easier way that I'm not aware of? Forgive me if it's a simple solution, I'm fairly new to this!


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## PatWibble (Mar 7, 2014)

The simple answer is more platens, and less time under the flash.

To print/flash/print successfully you need a minimum of three platens - 1 to print, 1to flash and 1 or more to cool. A fan will help. If you have less platens then the only answer is to slow down to allow some cooling time.

To flash properly the shirt should only be under the dryer for a matter of seconds, so if heat build up is a major problem you might be over doing it. If the dwell time ( the length of time the platen is stationary) is more than about 10 - 15 seconds then you will need to swing the flash unit away from the platen.

Are you using your flash dryer to cure the finished print? If so, that could be the problem. Always remove the shirt and cure on a separate surface.

Hot platens can be very problematic. It can cause ink to cure in the screen and platens to warp.


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## Axk4218 (Jun 10, 2015)

How many platens do you have on your press? I used to have a 2 station press and when flashing for big jobs they would get hot and if the platens are too hot, when you print you could be curing the ink a little bit even without flashing. The best way to get your platen to cool down is by upgrading to a 3 to 4 station press. This will give the platens more time to cool down between prints.


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## BusyAsABee123 (Jun 10, 2015)

I have a 4 station press but only 3 platens are usable. It just seems like I should be able to get more shirts done before they get so hot that I have to take a break. I'll look into getting a fan to mount over the top so that when I flash 1 platen, I'm printing 1, and cooling another.


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## Axk4218 (Jun 10, 2015)

Are you just flashing (6-9 seconds) on the platen or are you completely curing on the platen (45-60 seconds)?


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## veetwincowboy (Mar 14, 2015)

As you are printing on one platen, the next one should be flashing and the third one should have a fan blowing on it... works pretty good unless the second one is under the flash too long


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## gatorGRAFIX (Mar 11, 2015)

Your under base needs only to be flashed enough where the top is gelled where it won't lift off onto the underside of the next screen. It does not need to be flashed completely dry.


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## taterman08 (Aug 28, 2015)

i was having this same issue. I do cure mine on the platen which I figured was adding most of the heat; I also have just a single station, four color press. Does anybody know anything about the honeycomb aluminum platens? Im wondering if they hold less heat...


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## Printor (Apr 16, 2015)

taterman08 said:


> i was having this same issue. I do cure mine on the platen which I figured was adding most of the heat; I also have just a single station, four color press. Does anybody know anything about the honeycomb aluminum platens? Im wondering if they hold less heat...


metal boards hold more heat but don't warp.

For the OP, the fan thing is always a good idea for wood boards cuz they warp so easy. I use all metal and still use a fan on some jobs with a 4 station. Just be sure to angle your fan away from the flash and conveyer to avoid slowing down their times with extra airflow.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

Aluminum boards can handle more heat. The aluminum has a very high heat conductivity rate. The wood is very low. What this means is the the wood takes longer to heat up but once it does will hold the heat longer then the aluminum. High heat rubber is added to the aluminum boards for better printability and it acts as a thermal break between the flash and the shirt board. The rubber has almost the exact thermal conductivity rate as most natural woods. I couldn't find the rate for pressed partial board. I would suspect because it won't be consistent due to there being many diffrent types of wood in the mix and it never being exactly the same. 

When I printed on a 6/4 with wood I had a fan for a cooling station. Be careful how it's setup. I hung above and it caused the flash to cool. I set up blowing away from the flash and it was drawing the heat from flash. I ended up getting a small fan under brews blowing at a 45 degree angle. It's the only way it wouldn't drasticly change flash times. 

I don't need cooling station on my 6 station press and can print as long as I want or need to.


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## akam001 (Nov 8, 2011)

BusyAsABee123 said:


> I looked but didn't see an answer to my question here so I'm hoping you can help; I can't imagine I'm the only one who has this issue.
> 
> I work in a small, ventilated (though not well) room, and every time I print a multi color job, I have to take breaks between about every 10 shirts because my platens get so hot with all the flashing.
> 
> I know there has to be a solution to this. I was thinking about mounting a platen sized fan, horizontally, to the wall so it could blow cool air on my platens between flashing. Is there an easier way that I'm not aware of? Forgive me if it's a simple solution, I'm fairly new to this!


I have a ryonet silverpress 2 station 6 color. I have a fan blowing on the platten that I printing on. It's a Vornado and it's set to #1 the lowest speed. Only problem with that is when I pull stroke and lift the squeege sometimes the "strands" of ink while lifting gets blown to the side of the screen and onto the frame and past it, making a mess if you are not careful. 

The other thing I try to do is print as much wet on wet as I can to eliminate so much flashing. Oh and I made my own boards so that in the event the boards I am working on get to hot and they start to warp I can change them out. Although that doesn't hasn't happen for awhile now.

I forgot dont forget to turn the fan off when you spray your pallet with adhesive. You'll find out why if you don't LOL.


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