-
Started work on the Gassing Off Cabinet Again
Had a bit of time this week (little quiet!) and so after catching up on things that have been hanging around I started printing a wrap for next week. Then the long standing issue with larger prints appeared again.
Currently my gassing off process is stand the roll on a milk crate in a loose state and go find something else to do. I have tried rolling out but get contaminants and I do not believe this is all that effective or accurate. Just guess over night will do?
Last year I started plans for a Gassing Off Cabinet to try to better the situation and got too busy to start it so now is the perfect time….
The cabinet is planed to be angle with dibond sides will either seal or use VHB tape to make air tight if warranted. I have four huge computer server fans mounted in an aluminium panel that I plan to repurpose at the bottom of the cabinet to suck out the air.
The fans are 48v dc 880ma units. These are modern type fans that have 4 wires + /- then a speed control and a tacho. I decided not to bother with the speed element and so disregarding the speed control and tacho the fan will auto run at max rpm. If i notice it hovering then linking the speed control to the earth will change the fans to run at low speed. (Any techies with knowledge on power please feel free to correct me if wrong and transformer info/ advice would be great as needed).
So based on my plan the Ecosolvent ink will print onto media of choice collected on the take-up whilst two 12" fans blow air over it to aid drying. Then into the cabinet with the fans sucking the air from the bottom (as solvent gathers at the bottom not the top – Thanks to UK Signboards member pointing out). I can’t work out airflow until the fans get power but I am hoping this will increase Gassing Off tremendously and no contaminants.
Any comments, ideas to make better or experience would be an interesting read…
Whats your Gassing Off Method?
Attachments:
-
16 Replies
-
Hi Jamie
Couple of things…
1. Does adding fans not add contaminants from outside to the loosely rolled prints?
2. My Epson has 4-6hrs degas time, could you not go for one of them? Or latex inks.
3. I regularly laminate within seconds of the print finishing and never have any issues. I personally think degassing is overhyped by the Latex suppliers/advocates.
Neil D.
-
I’ve also built one of these. I have the Epson too, so like Neil says, maybe not entirely necessary. I’m not really sure how effective the cabinet is, but worse case it gives me somewhere to store the printed rolls!
-
Hi Neil, running 54” Roland Versacamm SP540i so I will have variables over other models / makes. The fan will suck out air and I plan to have an air filter at the top as I do have a dog at work to so hair could be sucked in! I have had issues with laminate failing in the past and so redoing a job and the cost especially vehicle wrapping means I am a lot more interested in hedging my bets! This seems to back up my thoughts that this is a bit of what works for one doesn’t always work for everyone. As mentioned I would like spittle more control over getting the desired results and save some time too. Thank you for your thoughts all the same.
-
Hi Luke, can you be more specific on your cabinet, what would you do different if you built it again and is the air driven or simply air holes to allow movement?
-
I made one also. It runs 8x large pc fans. It sucks like a (resists temptation to say something rude) I’ll take a pic tomorrow but basically it’s a rectangular box made from mdf the has 2 circular rolls cut on the top. Two large cardboard tube that pop up banner material fits into them, then you media slides into them. Definitely helps with the drying of things needed in a hurry. Running 2x Roland 640s so degassing is a must. Great from banners as well. Have a look on Yello tools website, they sell a couple for stupid money. They claim to reduce drying times by 75%!!!
-
One thing on “the list” to build. We went as far as getting some PC fans…..
Anyway took our inspiration for another local sign maker. However they didn’t build anything in at the top. Basically like a vase that it was plonked into and the fans blew up the way.
Lee was saying (boy who built it) that they are printing and laminating wrap in 24hrs and to be fair to them I’ve never seen any of there vans popping out or peeling.
Contamination wise, we have very soft cotton gloves we wear with laminating. Put the machine on auto and wipe back and forth for any hairs etc.. appearing. Always worked well. I did see some sort of yellow tool roller type thing for this o Instagram a while back to.
-
Made mine out of half inch ply and a bathroom extractor fan in the bottom pulling air down from the top. Really makes the roof stink of solvent when on full blast so must be doing something right. Will post a pic tomorrow
-
quote David Stevenson:I made one also. It runs 8x large pc fans. It sucks like a (resists temptation to say something rude) I’ll take a pic tomorrow but basically it’s a rectangular box made from mdf the has 2 circular rolls cut on the top. Two large cardboard tube that pop up banner material fits into them, then you media slides into them. Definitely helps with the drying of things needed in a hurry. Running 2x Roland 640s so degassing is a must. Great from banners as well. Have a look on Yello tools website, they sell a couple for stupid money. They claim to reduce drying times by 75%!!!
What power system or driver did you use for your fans? Do you believe your curing times are reduced?
-
I did have a car air filter in top but it created too much back pressure and collapsed the roll, now it just has a square dust filter on top
-
Yeah I’d say it definitely reduces drying times. I’d notice it more of banners and posters that have a heavy ink saturation. Tines we need things out the door quick and this does the job. Like a say yellotools are charging a few hundred quid for something similar. It’s a 12v 4amp adaptor bought on eBay. Been running for months cos we normally forget to switch it off!
-
That’s a really neat idea
-
Latex guys saves all the de gassing handlings [emoji85][emoji85]
-
Looks really effective David, onto Plan B re-design!
-
When you’re finished your dryer Jamie you’ll have to build a fan system for your sp. Just be careful if you make one to mount it pointing down at an angle so you don’t blow the ink as it leaves the head. With regards to contamination we’ve very little problems with it and also have a company dog. Ours is seriously hard, he’s a punk rocker [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
-
As I see it the difficult part of this is getting the vinyl to sit in such a way that there is enough air space between the layers so the air can flow over all of the printed surface. Just loosening the roll and sitting it on its end is not really enough to do the job.
-
quote Simon Worrall:As I see it the difficult part of this is getting the vinyl to sit in such a way that there is enough air space between the layers so the air can flow over all of the printed surface. Just loosening the roll and sitting it on its end is not really enough to do the job.
For sure Simon. It takes a bit of playing sometimes to get the roll to sit right. In an ideal world there’d be a lovely 5mm gap between each layer. The amount of air 8x server fans draw is incredible for their size so a couple of mm between each layer seems to work. Does no harm to move the roll every so often if it’s not sitting 100% right. Try our best to schedule printing so it gets time to out-gas. Would never risk cutting out gassing for a wrap, to much money at stake for that.
Log in to reply.
