Over 2,500 customers have reduced set-up times and improved accuracy with the Newman PinLock™ Registration System for GRAPHIC and TEXTILE printing using Newman Roller Frames^®

M3 PinLock™

The Newman PinLock™ Registration System has been developed as a comprehensive strategy to increase productivity in the Automatic Textile printing application by dramatically lowering the on-press preparation time. This system, specifically designed for use with Newman Roller Frames^®, which utilize high-tension, distortion-free printing, consists of 3 distinctive steps: Art preparation, Screen exposure, On-press alignment.

THE FIRST STEP in the system is the use of pre-press Carrier Sheets, made of optically clear and stable base polyester (or an image setter with a built-in punch). These sheets have been punched by our specially designed equipment, resulting in an impressive tolerance of + .0002. All art is aligned on these Carrier Sheets, while connected by the carrier sheet Grid Layout Board. The beauty of this method is its ability to evaluate art alignment "trueness" and then correct or compensate for any irregularities, distortions, or imperfections that may be inherent in multi-color artwork.This technique promotes objective evaluation of the "alignments" before spending valuable on-press time compensating for such deviations.
 
Figure 1 - First Carrier Sheet being placed on Grid Layout Board w/5 hole Film PinBar.
Figure 2 - Grid layout Board w/ 5 hole Film PinBar. Shown is the first color of the "Classic Autobody" car print being positioned and aligned on the grids.
Figure 3 - Second Carrier Sheet placed on top of the first image. Next, the black detail film is aligned into registration with the car body (Fig.2) then taped on to the Carrier Sheet. These 2 colors are aligned exactly to each other and the job complete.

NOTE: If this were an 8-color design, the second Carrier Sheet with its attached film would be removed.  The third Carrier Sheet and color of the image would then be aligned to the first color (or to another appropriate color in the design).

THE SECOND STEP in the system is exposure of the screen. Art separations, correctly attached to the Carrier Sheets are placed on a Pin Bar that is attached to the mesh side of the Newman Roller Frame^®.  The Pin Bar has pins that exactly mate to the PinLock™ castings on the Newman Roller Frame^®.  The film positive is transferred to the screen mesh with 5 or 6 pieces of thin tape.  Multiple screens are then placed in the exposure unit – as many screens as will fit at one time. As a result, the images on the screens become correctly aligned with one another.  The exacting relationships of art registration and frame alignments are unique to the Newman PinLock™ Registration System.

Figure 1 - Frame & Film PinBar with Newman Roller Frame^® aligned to locator pins underneath and Carrier Sheet attached to pins on top.
Figure 2 - Closeup of Newman Roller Frame^® with PinLock™ aligned on the left locator pin
Figure 3 - Frame & Film PinBar  showing 2 pin locations below (23" OD frame width & 25" OD frame width for Automatic Textile Printing). Also showing are the Carrier Sheet pins on top.

THE THIRD STEP in the system is on-press alignment. The Swing-Out Pallet, developed for textile printing, will adapt to virtually all automated presses on the market. It is well suited for simple or trap art. Well-maintained printing machines, combined with a high-level proficiency between the operator and artroom personnel, can provide very excellent results for even the most demanding butt register art. The Swing-Out Pallet has the alignment fixture built directly into the printing pallet. When in use, the spring-loaded pins extend upward to the screen's "printing elevation" allowing the frame to be set into place on the pins.  Once it is on the pins, the frame is easily clamped into the pre-registration position. A machine is simply indexed to the next station and the process repeated.  The result is fast, excellent pre-positioning of all colors.  Please remember however, that even the most basic registration systems require a commitment to machinery trueness, platen flatness, as well as operator proficiency.