UltraFlex Ultrapoplin S240 fabric on HP Latex 365

[PrintQueen]

Hey all,

I'm wondering if anyone out there is currently printing on an HP Latex 365 (or similar) and using the UltraFlex UltraPoplin S240 coated fabric? I am trying to figure out if this material needs to be connected with the take-up reel before beginning the print, or if the material is able to be loaded and printed without waste.

A little backstory - we are currently printing on HP Light Fabric, which is pretty porous, so we are using the ink collector platen with the material. It is also very lightweight, so we have to advance the material and attach it to the take-up reel before we can start printing, because it needs to hold tension the entire time it's printing. This results in us losing probably 4'-5' of blank fabric material every time we load to print. I am looking to switch to a fabric that has a coating, so we don't need to use the ink collector platens, and also something that is heavy enough to hold its own weight as it runs through the printer, allowing us to just load and print without the extra waste.

Anyone run into the same issue? Do you have a latex-compatible fabric material that you swear by? We aren't printing table throws or anything, it's more like research posters for folks, as I work for a university print shop. People like to have the fabric posters so that they can fold them and put them into their luggage as they travel for conferences, etc.

 

[P Wagner]

Most polyester and natural fiber textiles will require an amount of front tension to keep the media from bunching in the media path. The take-up reel's dancer bar provides that tension, but there are other ways that can be achieved for the first print, such as using spring loaded clamps or other weights to the media's lead edge, at the exit of the cure unit.

After the first print is complete, the media can be affixed to the TUR with minimal lead edge waste.

 

[TGINC]

We've run UltraFlex UltraPoplin S240 on our 360 for years, but always have to tape it to the TUR. It will never advance properly without it. You'd have to run a fabric that's heavily coated in order to do what you're trying to do. At that point, you'd be running canvas, and lose the softer hand of the poplin.

 

[Ronny Axelsson]

Why not just tape a couple of meters of a more stable material (banner for example) to the leading edge of the fabric, and then connect it with the take-up reel?

 

[P Wagner]

Why not just tape a couple of meters of a more stable material (banner for example) to the leading edge of the fabric, and then connect it with the take-up reel?

Using tape to affix a leader can work, but fabric is difficult for many tapes to adhere to. Staples can also work well for this.