Heat Press Maintenance Tips

The triumph of buying a machine is not as worthy as getting productive output from it.

A heat press machine is the life of crafters businesses and the garment printing business. Just like other machines, it depreciates over time. That's why you should keep this money maker with utmost care to get maximum benefit.

Here "utmost care" refers to conducting maintenance checks of heat press machines regularly. Routine maintenance prevents faults and ensures efficient operations. Don't forget that proper maintenance extends the longevity of the heat press machine. Regular maintenance guarantees the optimal performance that paves the path for a high turnover over acquisition cost.

Just imagine the revenue you will generate with a well-maintained heat press machine. However, you must have patience and determination for performing maintenance at regular intervals.

We all know brands manufacture models with different features and specifications. The good news is all of the machines require the same maintenance at regular intervals. You don't need to worry if you have a different model.

Do you want to learn how to perform maintenance? Well, keep on reading.

In this article, you will heat press maintenance tips. Just follow the below maintenance tips to reap the maximum benefit from your machine.

Let's dive in!

Maintenance Tips for Heat Press Machines

Read The User Manual

Every heat press machine comes with a user manual. This manual includes the necessary information to set up and use the machine. It also provides various tips to perform maintenance.

The manual highlights the precautions that users should follow in overhauling the heat press. Adherence to the user manual will extends its lifespan. Keep in mind that these tips only apply to that specific model.

Keep Work Area Free Of Dust Particles

Dust never gets along with electrical or mechanical gadgets. Hence, the performance and quality of your heat press solely depend on how tidy your workstation is.

The Heat press machines have electronic parts. It is better to clean your work area regularly to prevent dust from entering. If dust goes inside of the heat press, clean it with an air duster.

Air duster makes your heat press dust-free. It is better to clean your work area daily.

Keep The Upper Platen Of Heat Press Always Clean

A clean surface is one of the main reasons for quality output. As the heating element lies in the upper platen of the heat press, it is a good habit to clean it regularly.

An upper platen free of excess ink, dust, debris will ensure the even distribution of pressure and temperature. The heat will transfer designs to garments successfully.

Nonetheless, some residues remain on the heating elements after every production.

You can clean your plate using the following procedure:

First, turn off your heat press. Let the upper platen cool down. It will eliminate the chances of getting yourself burnt. Take a soft cloth and apply mineral spirit, iron cleaner or alcohol to it. Use the soft cloth to wipe the entire residue from the upper platen.

Clean the upper platen every month with a soft cloth. Make sure the heat press is cool down before cleaning.

Note that you should never rough cloth to remove the residue. Any rough object will cause damage to Teflon coating.

Be aware that mineral spirits are flammable. Never clean hot platen with mineral spirits as this might cause a spark.

Safeguard The Teflon Coating On The Upper Platen

Just as Teflon coated pans prevent food from permanently sticking, a Teflon coated upper platen prevents the inks from sticking on the surface of the upper platen. The is an extra layer that safeguards the upper platen surface.

It is best to buy a heat press with Teflon coating on its upper platen. Otherwise, you will have to invest in a separate Teflon cover. One more thing, Teflon coated upper platen is replaceable. If your platen is untidy, you can replace it at a low price.

If Teflon coating comes in contact with any rough material, it will cause uneven distribution of pressure. Your garments will have uneven ink layers.

To protect your upper platen from scratches, keep off any zippers or buttons from your platen.

Protect The Pad On The Lower Platen

The second part of every model is lower platen. This area has a rubber pad on its surface. Protecting the rubber pad is the crucial step of heat press maintenance. As you already know, the rubber pad- also known as silicone pad- plays a vital role in delivering even pressure on the substrate.

However, the pad gets punctured by hard/sharp objects like buttons or zippers on your garments. Not only this, loading and unloading garments from a heat press can subtly damage the edges of the rubber pad. The damage will affect the outcome.

It is simple to protect the pad from damage. All you need to do is to cover the lower platen with a Teflon coating. It acts as a shield for the rubber pad. Also, Teflon coating ensures an even distribution of pressure from the edges to the platen centre. You can slide the garments on the rubber pad without puncturing it.

No doubt, Teflon coating extends the lifespan of the pad.

Lubrication

Do you want to stop unwanted stress on heat press pivot points?

Well, regular greasing can do the work.

Just like other mechanical devices, heat press machines have joints and pivots. When you use heat press regularly, these parts become harder. As a result, your heat press will not operate as the pivot points will resist movements.

What's more, these parts will dry out and lead to friction.

To avoid an unpleasant experience, lubricate pivots and joints with grease every six months or when necessary. It will ensure the smooth lifting and lowering of the platens. You can either use a rag or a cotton swab for lubrication.

Make sure you don't apply grease in excess, as this can end up oiling your garments. If you over-apply grease, wipe off the excess before you start the machine. Failure to wipe the grease will create a stain on your t-shirts.

Change The Faulty Parts Of Your Machine

When any part of your machine is punctured, it is time to replace it with a new one. Regular use of a heat press leads to breakage in parts. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the faulty parts as soon as possible.

Procrastinating the replacement of parts will cause a breakdown in other parts of the machine. Hence, the whole heat press will entirely break down. Your investment will be in vain. Changing a part is cheaper than changing the entire machine.

Keep A Clean Air System

This step applies to automatic heat press machines. Automatic heat press machines use air compressors to generate air.

The compressors obtain air from the surroundings and forward the air into the air system of the machine. As we already know, the toll of dust particles on the heat press machine is inevitable. The dust can cause malfunctions to the air system. It is best to keep the air system free from dust particles.

Usually, compressors have air filters that prevent the dirt particles from entering the air system along with the air.

You should regularly monitor the air filter element to check that it is clean. Replace it to avoid dirt. The frequency of replacing it depends on the dust piled up on the air filter.

If there is too much dirt on the equipment, it will not filter the air effectively. Eventually, the air system of your heat press machine will block.

Also, keep the air system of the machine dry. The dirt congestion in the air filter can cause air leakages. A desiccant air dryer on the air pressure regulator will remove the dirt. Many manufactures sell such dryers.

Check The Heating Element Of The Heat Press Machine

Many heat press machines have an in-built heat element. It comes with a lifetime warranty. That doesn't mean it is free from maintenance. You may have to keep the heating element clean.

While your heat press is hot, use a soft fabric cloth to remove ink from the heating element. The ink in melting form is easier to remove.

If you are afraid of burning yourself, turn off the heat press and let the machine cool down. Then use a surface cleaner to remove the ink.

Lastly, check the user manual to see if the manufacturer has recommended any specific solvent to use.

Final Words

A heat press is the heart of many t-shirt printing businesses. That said, proper maintenance of the heat press is necessary at regular intervals. It requires very little or no cost.

Regular check-up of heat press saves time and the high cost of repairing. You will not incur an additional price to buy a new heat press. Routine maintenance also extends durability and ensure optimal performance.

Remember, all heat press machines require the same maintenance irrespective of the model.

Don't wait anymore.

Now, you know the heat press maintenance tips. Apply these tips to deliver quality output and earn a maximum profit on every project.