A new Vacuum Pallet introduced by Vastex International allows quick, easy printing on rigid and semi-rigid flat stock using a standard textile screen printing press. Items are held securely in place without the need for spray adhesives, allowing textile printers to diversify into printing on solid, foamed, corrugated and magnetic stock as well as paper, cardboard and thin plastics, according to Mark Vasilantone, president of Vastex.
The all-steel pallet contains hundreds of precise, machine-cut holes through which air is drawn, and is offered as a self-powered model in 120V or 240V with integral blower (shown), or with a universal hose adapter for connection to a customer-supplied shop vacuum or central vacuum system.
The pallet is supplied with the standard quick-release pallet arm for V2000HD presses, or V1000 presses equipped with a High-Strength Rotor Arm. All Vastex quick-release pallet arms slide on the rotor arm of most manual screen printing presses, and lock in place in seconds with the turn of one lock knob. All Vastex pallets are equipped with a leveling feature to assure an even transfer of ink.
“The vacuum pallet allows textile printers to expand into new markets, printing anything from holiday cards to heat transfers, with political signs offering particularly high profit potential now through November,” says Vasilantone.
Standard vacuum pallets weigh 20 lbs. (9.1 kg), measure 19.9 inches wide-by-25.9 inches long (50.7 cm-by-65.8 cm) and accommodate screens up to 23-by-31 inches (58.4-by-78.7 cm) with maximum image sizes of 18-by-24 inches (45.7-by-61 cm). Vacuum pallets in custom sizes are also available.
Other specialized pallets offered by the company allow printing on long sleeves, pockets, legs, zippered garments, umbrellas, hats, koozies and other textiles and hard goods. Square and trapezoidal pallets in a range of sizes allow printing on infant wear to XXL garments, as well as all-over printing and signage printing.
Vastex also manufactures industrial-grade and entry level manual screen printing presses, athletic numbering attachments, infrared conveyor dryers, flash cure units, screen exposing units, screen drying cabinets, washout booths and complete screen printing shop systems, and offers a comprehensive range of training classes for entry level, intermediate and advanced screen printers.
For information, call Vastex International, Inc., at 800/482-7839 or visit www.vastex.com.
