Nothing changes, if nothing changes: What we learned by adding a new automated press to our shop.

While operating a manual press can get the job done, efficiency is always the key for a successful business. Here at K and B Promotions we have been operating our business with a 6 color automatic press and a 6 color manual press for the past 13 years. We knew it was time to make a change, but with plenty of patience, we’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to capitalize. At this very moment, I am happy to announce that we have finally invested in our second automatic press! We can now print jobs up to 8 colors. In this blog I would like to share with you everything it took to get to this point and discuss some things that are important when trying to bring in an automated press.

Printing with an automatic press can not only help you deliver a more consistent product, it also opens the doors to accepting higher-volume jobs. According to statistics, automating your printing process can produce 2-3x the amount of products as a manual press with 1 operator. Something else that comes along with transitioning to an auto, is a faster turnaround time. Normally, we have a 1 week turn around time, but I have a feeling that will change for the better in coming weeks. We can also accept more rush orders as well. Our hopes are to keep both of the press running non stop.

If you’re thinking of making a change by adding an automatic press, here are some things that you’ll have to think about:

Things to think about:
Electricity	What some people don’t think about is the amount of power it takes to run an automatic press. Another thing people don’t have a lot of knowledge about is single phase or three phase power. This is so important because you can’t run a three phase press with single phase power.
Space	Most likely you’ll have to rearrange your whole shop, as we did, to accommodate for all the new equipment that comes along with an auto. Just because you have the space to place a press, doesn’t mean everyone will be comfortable and able to run in an efficient manner. Make sure you have plenty of extra room and plan ahead, so when the equipment arrives the process can go smoothly.
Timing	Everything is about timing. If you try to rush things, you leave more room for error. Wait until you are ready and prepared for everything that will come along with buying an automatic press. Don’t settle for any press either, make sure it has everything you are looking for and that it’ll pay off in the long run.
Production	With adding a new press, comes the need for more sales. Work will be finished a lot faster, so to make sure your presses stay running, increasing sales is needed. On the flip side, while the installation is going on, production will have to be shut down. Make sure you’re still able to complete orders by the due dates.
Employees	Make sure you have enough employees to get everything in production done. If you have all your workers on presses, who’s going to clean and expose screens and who’s going to check in merchandise?
Knowledge	Research, research, research! Know the ins and outs of screen printing to ensure you aren’t just wasting your time or money.
Equipment	Not all presses will come with everything you need to operate successfully. You’re going to have to spend more money on upgrades or things that they might have not given you. Or maybe you’ll have to make changes to your existing equipment to allow it to handle more production.

Making changes can be a scary thing, however, with the right knowledge it can be worthwhile. Don’t think that everything will come together over night, make it your goal and slowly work towards it over time. Here at K and B Promotions, we’ve been waiting for the right press for over a year. Finally, everything worked out! Our shop is set up to run more colors and more orders, more efficiently.  We believe this is a winning combination. Remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes!