Alpha Supply Co. "Providing you with products and information to help you succeed" |
Inkjet Sublimation ColourMagic! |
 |
HT-400-D
|
(press shown are only open about 15º, it opens to more than 70º) In our thumbnail description of the HT-400 (15x15) we referred to it as absolute "workhorses". They are! Worldwide, literally thousands of screen printers, trophy companies, heat transfer applicators, airbrush artists, sublimators and many others, happily use one of these presses everyday. If you ever hear of someone complaining about his or her new clamshell heat press, it probably isn't a HIX! |
|
|
The HT-400D Operating the HT-400D The press is extremely easy and efficient to operate. The small, red, square at the top left of the press is the on/off switch. The “Heater On” light stays red when the press is heating up.
Most importantly, press the menu button a third time to lock in your settings. Note: the current temperature of the press is always displayed until the press is closed. Then the LCD screen automatically switches to your preset time, as it starts counting backwards. Setting controls work the same way on the Swingman 20D. Pressure is controlled with the black knob shown centered at the very back top of the press. Pressure is changed (always with the press open) by turning the knob clockwise to increase it or counter-clockwise to decrease pressure. Once set, the pressure knob will not move, unless you turn it. More beneficial features…First, is the scientifically engineered handle and closing mechanism. The offset handle produces a mechanical advantage, which can provide 20% more pressure than a "straight" handle design, when needed, while still allowing the press to be easily closed. Second, is the ingeniously designed "tilting" lower platen. When a clamshell (meaning it opens and closes straight up and down) heating head comes down, the back end lightly touches the item on the lower platen first. On the HT-400 press, a unique spring-loaded feature in the lower platen allows the bottom to tilt towards the upper head, to keep even and consistent pressure during the heating process, as the two platen's lock together. Third, is the ability of the heater head (the upper platen) to be raised up, to accommodate items up to one inch thick on the HT-400D. Convention clamshell heat presses have a very difficult time evenly pressing anything much thicker than a heavy jacket or thick tote bag. In addition, some garments are so thick that too much pressure is developed, unless you can raise the heater block, which decreases pressure. The HT Series presses in action…As we stated earlier…it's simple. Let's imagine, for example, that your transfer work today calls for 375º for 20 seconds, with firm pressure. If that was the same work you were doing the day before, you only have to turn the press on and wait for the heat to reach your preset temperature (displayed on the screen). When the press reaches your set temperature, close the press (it’s not necessary to lock it) for about 5 seconds. This is only done when the bottom is cold, so it doesn’t suck up to much heat on your first pressing. Then, place your item on the press and position your transfer. Put your Teflon cover sheet over everything and then close and lock the press (it will stay down by itself). Note: If your garment is badly wrinkled, position it on the press and bring the heater block down onto it for about 5 seconds, to iron out the wrinkles. As the press fully closes, you will hear the familiar HT "twang", indicating the press is closed and locked. The timer immediately starts counting backwards (you can see it, on the LCD screen). When the time reaches zero, the completion buzzer sounds. As you lift the heater head, the buzzer instantly stops and the time automatically resets (this feature is called integrated digital timing). Note: When you lift the top heat platen, the time resets automatically but the temperature is what is displayed. The time indicator only displays when the press is closed or setting the time. As an example, from our former retail
days, this rapid, simple efficiency allowed us to crank out 576 shirts in one
day, for a rush order. We have to admit that day was a long, tiring day but the
"pain" went away when the customer came in the door with his check.
Our Practical Points To Ponder…The HT-400 is HIX Corporation's top of the line 15x15 manual clamshell heat press. It is ETL Certified, for electrical safety, with a one-year parts and labor warranty on the entire press and a lifetime warranty on the heating element. The press is sturdy and reliable enough that they can be confidently used all day, every day. As one of our customers said about his nine-year old HIX, "That old sucker is like a Timex watch. It just keeps on ticking." The integrated digital timer is more of an efficiency booster than what many newcomers realize. Having to manually set a timer is not as efficient if you are dealing with large orders or in a noisy, special event environment. You can actually do a lot while waiting for a heating cycle to be completed (such as fold garments, package items, etc.) if you can start immediately, when you close the heat press. Also special events (mobile retailing) can be quite noisy and the integrated timer and buzzer of the presses will keep you from ruining merchandise if you get distracted. Special Note - HIX also produces a HT-400 with an analog timer. This is a dial timer, with a 60-second limit. Our stock presses (the "D" series) have digital timers, which go up to 999 seconds. In our professional opinion, the digital presses are a much better value. Unfortunately, HIX uses the same nomenclature (HT-400 and HT-600) for both analog and digitally timed presses. They depend upon dealers to state what they are selling and sometimes dealers forget to do that. However, it is very easy for you to discern, by looking at a picture. An analog HT-400 or 600 has a black dial on the top right of the control housing. A picture of a digital HT-400D or 600D will depict a small red rectangle in the top right of the blue control housing (see our picture above). This is the LCD screen, which displays seconds, in red numbers. A timer that can be set for more than 60 seconds may not seem important now, but it could be in the future. New products and imprinting processes appear almost monthly. Some will require more than 60 seconds to transfer. Listening to a buzzer for an additional minute or two (especially while watching a clock) is maddening. Our Final Thoughts For You… The HT-400D is really an excellent clamshell heat transfer machine. In fact, we have used an earlier model HT-400 for many years ourselves. Our needs are simple (to make small samples), but we make a lot of them. The HT-400 allows us to "put the petal to the metal", get finished and get on with our other work. That ability may be important to you also. Heat Transfers & Inkjet SublimationIf you are interested in printing your own heat transfers, with an inkjet printer and regular inks, visit www.TransferBusiness.com for detailed information about our professional grade heat transfer papers. If you are interested in inkjet sublimation (which can also be used to produce very high-quality heat transfers), visit our detailed web site at www.DyeSubInks.com. HT400D Series Heat Press and Optional
Package Deals Prices includes Unlimited FREE technical
support
|
Time and
temperature is very easy to set. With the press open, push the menu button
once and the light next to “Temp” turns green. You then use
the up and down arrows to set the temperature. Press the menu button again
and the light next to “Time” turns green. Use the arrow buttons
again, to set the temperature.
Back