Belquette Mod1 Garment Printer Review
Dean Armando
The Mod1 is Belquette’s second foray into the DTG market, following the PRO series Flexi-Jet. Based on a modified Epson r1800/r1900 print engine, this A3 style printer is quick, boasting a range of high tech features and an innovative appearance and construction. The ability to independently control either of the z-axis motors for maximum control is a huge plus, but some might find the auto laser level to be somewhat restrictive. The Mod1 boasts a modular design for quick and easy print module swaps, as well as a bagged ink system for bulk convenience. Print Size: 13″ x 19″(x 6″ Z-axis height)
Quick Change Platen Indexing
Platens are quickly and accurately positioned easily on a precision ball mounting system for repeatability you can count on. Switch out platens for different jobs or use multiple platens for the same job with absolutely no setup time. With the platen indexing system on the Mod1 all that you have to do to change the platen is pick up the old one and set the new platen down in its place.
Four balls on the bottom of the platen rest in magnetic cups on the platen base. By simply setting down the platen, you can be assured that it will be tightly secured in the correct location for printing. This makes platen exchange quick and easy. In addition, it allows our platens to be interchangeable within production runs, but also between our different machines. The edge uses the same platens as the Mod1, so if you already own one, there is no need to buy a second set of your special platens when you purchase the other.
The Rapid Multi-Pass feature returns the Platen to the Print Position as soon as the last raster is printed, increasing productivity by not waiting for the platen/printer to go to a “Home” or “Start” position. The MQM also has the ability to control when print commands are sent to the printer; this is helpful when printing multiple layer prints such as white ink underbase with a color pass on top. Since the Mod1 is so fast, the software has the ability to set a time-delay between passes to allow the white ink layer time to “set” before the color layer is printed. This white ink timer allows the operator to set it and forget it, printing both layers with only one button press. The operator can then work on other tasks, while the printer takes care of setting the white ink layer and printing the color layer.
As you can see in the timelines above, Rapid Multi-pass removes unnecessary platen movement from the print motion and between passes, saving a significant amount of time. For a graphic that occupies approximately 90% of the vertical height of the platen, it would take a printer with comparable speed approximately 57 seconds to send the platen through its print range at print speed. The last 10% of that time, approximately six seconds, for which there is no image, is just wasted platen movement. Furthermore, sending the platen back to the "Home" position and then returning it to the "Start" position takes about six seconds, while simply moving the platen directly back to the start position only takes one second. Over the course of this example, this wasted platen movement results in 17 seconds of time wasted on unnecessary platen movement. Thus, Rapid Multi-pass produces a 17 second, or 13.5% reduction in the print time!!
Independent Height Control
Independent Height Control allows for printing on uneven or sloped products within the Mod1’s industry-leading six inch height range. With Independent Height Control (IHC) you are able to adjust each side of the printer body's height independently in order to level your printer perfectly.
If you decide that your My Little Pony Trapper Keeper doesn't have enough ponies, now you can add some more. Just set your trapper keeper on the platen, send it under the printer, and adjust the sides independently until the printer body is aligned with the top of your Trapper Keeper and print away!
Industrial Grade Components
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$200
