Hi all
I was just wondering if anyone could explain what method Earthquaker Devices (for example) use to decorate their enclosures? I know that DBA screen print their stuff but wondered if anyone knew what process ED use?
Cheers.
Pretty much any company making a box or more a day is screen printing with near certainty.
UV printed? I have no idea what that actually is, but I know it's done tonenclosures
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Quote from: midwayfair on October 17, 2016, 01:13:03 AM
Pretty much any company making a box or more a day is screen printing with near certainty.
Or lasers. :-)
I have deep, deep envy of Wampler's enclosure printer...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijZbF1hEMos
1:30 onwards.
Quote from: juansolo on October 17, 2016, 07:59:32 AM
I have deep, deep envy of Wampler's enclosure printer...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijZbF1hEMos
1:30 onwards.
A mimaki UV printer like that is on my lottery win wish list :)
Obviously far cheaper models are available, I have a feeling one of the finished enclosure suppliers uses a Chinese model from the secrecy around it and comments about it being temperamental...
I'm surprised they're using a proper milling machine rather than a large bed CNC router, someone must spend A LOT of time loading and unloading the jigs!
Anyone else disappointed Amanda Wampler didn't feature more in that video ;D
I like the FET testing section without any ESD handling ::)
Quote from: sturgeo on October 17, 2016, 09:31:46 AM
Obviously far cheaper models are available, I have a feeling one of the finished enclosure suppliers uses a Chinese model from the secrecy around it and comments about it being temperamental...
I've been tempted a few times by the cheaper ones from China. But I always resist because I think about how much of a pain in the ass it will be to get setup without any support (nevermind if something breaks).
Quote from: culturejam on October 17, 2016, 12:49:14 PM
Quote from: sturgeo on October 17, 2016, 09:31:46 AM
Obviously far cheaper models are available, I have a feeling one of the finished enclosure suppliers uses a Chinese model from the secrecy around it and comments about it being temperamental...
I've been tempted a few times by the cheaper ones from China. But I always resist because I think about how much of a pain in the ass it will be to get setup without any support (nevermind if something breaks).
I got a China solder/desolder station in a trade, and it is kinda junk. It is very temperamental, and is totally unsupported.
I wouldn't do the trade again, TBH. Can't imagine buying a crappy Chinese uv printer and try to use it to make money.
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Quote from: culturejam on October 17, 2016, 12:49:14 PM
I've been tempted a few times by the cheaper ones from China. But I always resist because I think about how much of a pain in the ass it will be to get setup without any support (nevermind if something breaks).
I bought one of the Chinese 40W lasers with the intention of upgrading pretty much everything other than the x-y gantry, tube & enclosure. As it stands I've not done much other than build my own manual z table, the software is rubbish but once you figure out the idiosyncrasies you can get some decent results. In the long run I hope to replace the controller and fit a motorized z table to get a very usable machine at a fraction of the cost of a typical unit.
As you know, get a community going for these cheap Chinese machines and everything becomes easier, support, upgrades, etc. Fortunately the lasers are at a reasonable price point and are widely available so more people are willing to experiment with them, the UV printers however are still pretty pricey :(
Quote from: sturgeo on October 17, 2016, 02:50:32 PM
ortunately the lasers are at a reasonable price point and are widely available so more people are willing to experiment with them, the UV printers however are still pretty pricey :(
I was looking at this one because it's fairly small, on the cheap-er end, and can print on things as high as 75mm (big enough for a 125B):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/A4-size-uv-printer-shenzhen-for-pen-phone-case-etc/32717132962.html?spm=2114.13010308.0.0.LR6a7a
There's also pad (aka tampo) printing which can be really durable and not very expensive. An enclosure would be really easy to do, and it also allows for multiple colors. Cleaner and quicker than silk screen IMHO.
There's also inkjet printers that can print on enclosures (or just about anything for that matter) but I imagine that you might have better results with certain finishes that aren't standard for most of us.
Is there an affordable laser that can etch aluminum? That would be great.
Quote from: Matmosphere on October 18, 2016, 03:04:11 AM
Is there an affordable laser that can etch aluminum? That would be great.
It has less to do with expense than laser type. Even the expensive one we bought for FFX won't do it as it's a CO2 laser. To etch into bare metal, you need a fiber or yag laser. I don't know much about the cheap ones, but with good lasers, those are very expensive. I want one. :-)
I got the seller to send me the manual for that cheap UV printer I linked above. As you might expect, the English is pretty rough. But it's interesting to note that the print head is a clone of the same print head from an Epson L800 photo printer (generally only available in Asian markets). So at least there is a market for spare/replacement parts, which is better than some of the other cheap options.
Quote from: culturejam on October 18, 2016, 01:58:31 PM
I got the seller to send me the manual for that cheap UV printer I linked above. As you might expect, the English is pretty rough. But it's interesting to note that the print head is a clone of the same print head from an Epson L800 photo printer (generally only available in Asian markets). So at least there is a market for spare/replacement parts, which is better than some of the other cheap options.
I too have been doing a little digging, that is the one part thats prone to fail or will need servicing in its lifetime so the fact the L800/R330 heads are relatively easy to get at a decent price looks promising. Not sure how many other components have come from those ranges of printers. Here's a link to the software with some rough guides, notice the supported models, makes me think the mainboards are from normal printers as well... http://www.focusdgt.com/productshow.asp?pid=488
Quote from: sturgeo on October 18, 2016, 02:23:22 PM
I too have been doing a little digging, that is the one part thats prone to fail or will need servicing in its lifetime so the fact the L800/R330 heads are relatively easy to get at a decent price looks promising. Not sure how many other components have come from those ranges of printers. Here's a link to the software with some rough guides, notice the supported models, makes me think the mainboards are from normal printers as well... http://www.focusdgt.com/productshow.asp?pid=488
Yeah, looks like they did some creative re-appropriating of the hardware/firmware. Pretty smart.
I found the web site of the seller I communicated with on AliExpress: http://multiflatbedprinter.com/
just noticed I wrote something incorrectly on my previous post, I meant to say "dye sublimation" printers. A little cheaper than UV, pretty nice quality I think though. Usually used on mugs, etc.
Guess I had ink jet/UV in my head from reading the other posts.
I wonder how sturdy dye-sub printing would be on top of a powdercoated box?
My mate owns a promotional company and he lets me use his dye sub printer to customise my gear and works great. I asked him and it should work on a powdercoated box just fine.
Quote from: StuTheGuitarMan on October 19, 2016, 07:16:59 AM
My mate owns a promotional company and he lets me use his dye sub printer to customise my gear and works great. I asked him and it should work on a powdercoated box just fine.
So for dye sub, you first print a transfer and then use a heat press to apply, correct? I did some quick searching yesterday but didn't see any dye sub printers that apply directly to anything other than fabric or paper.
Yeah, I believe that's how it works, print on transfer paper, apply, then bake. No heat press, I think that's for doing shirts.
Similar to toner transfer process for us except for the baking.
I think it should be fine on powdercoat.
Not sure but I think michaels has a kit to put photos on tiles, mugs, etc. for abou$12. It probably isn't called dye sublimation on the kit though. I thought about trying it just haven't done it yet.
One more technique for consideration is hydrographic transfers. Which is next on the list as I get back into building. There's a little technique and you'll need a clear coat but seems promising. Custom printed films might not be cheap...