Dealing with splits

A "split" is damage to the mesh on a frame which normally presents itself in the form of a tear or split, and renders the mesh unfit for purpose.

Although the damaged mesh is no longer of any use, the frame can be recycled by the removal and replacement of the damaged mesh.
This mesh replacement process is known as re-stretching, and is typically achieved by raising a purchase order. and specifying a type of restretch.

Splits can occur at any stage in the life cycle of a screen and dependent on where they occur, strokeone must be updated so that the incident is recorded, tracked, and appropriate corrective action is taken promptly.

Splits in Screen Life-cycle stages

As noted, splits can any stage of the a screen's life-cycle. See below for how to update strokeone for occurrences of splits at common points in the life-cycle.

At this stage in the screen life-cycle, the screen is blank - that is, no image has been applied / exposed onto the mesh. Blank screens are not "job related."

Whilst in this initial preparatory stage, the screen can either be coated with photo reactive emulsion, or not, and this is a variable used when recording the actual details of splits.

The process to record splits that occur at this stage can be illustrated schematically, and involves the following steps:- :-

Procedure

Evaluate the frame & mesh count size of the screen that has split.
Evaluate whether the screen is coated with photo reactive emulsion.
Open the Screens controls list layout.
Locate the data-row for the screen frame/mesh count from step 1)
Locate the two action buttons Split from Coated and Split from Available for the screen size identified in step 5).
If the split screen was coated, click Split from Coated button; if it wasn't click the Split from Available button.
In the Enter Quantity dialog, enter the quantity of the chosen screen frame size/mesh count / and coat status which has split.

Note: the verbiage (circled in the above screen-shot) is contextual and will vary depending on whether you clicked the coated or available button in step 6)

Click OK to commit your update.
The totals in the screen control list update accordingly.

At this stage in the screen life-cycle, the screen(s) are job related (they have artwork images exposed onto them) and moreover are actively in use in a print process.

Splits that occur at this stage are the most critical as the print process cannot continue to completion until the split screens are removed, replacements manufactured and provided back to the print room. Given this imperative, it is worth noting that flashing status colours are used for the screen-set to denote their high priority.

The process to record splits that occur at this stage can be illustrated schematically, and involve the following steps:- :-

Procedure

Remove the split screen(s) from the print machinery.
Locate the screen-set record label on the split screen, and record the following information
1. Pos Id reference
Navigate to the Screen Print layout within strokeone.
Locate the print job that the split screen is employed on.
Tip: locate the machine name, and you should see the Production icon for the job will be in an in progress (amber) status, and a Screen-set location of Out to Print.
Click the Detail button beside the job identified in step 4)
Ensure that you have selected the Tech Spec tab in the detail pop up
Using the Pos Id noted in step 2) locate the equivalent screen record in the left hand pane, and click its corresponding Split button.
The following updates occur:-
1. The status for the screen updates to Not Started (Red)
2. The status for the screen-set updated to a Flashing Red
3. The Print job process record selected in step 4) is paused. ** this needs to be developed **
4. In the screens control list, the following accounting entries are made for the screen type actioned in step 7
  1. The in use total is debited by one.
  2. The required total is incremented by one
  3. The splits pool is credited by one.

To re mediate the situation the following steps should be taken as a matter of urgency

** From within the tech spec detail pop up, click on label button to cause the label for the split screen to print out in the stencil maker's area ** - needs development **.
The stencil maker should, using the printed label as cross reference, physically draw-down the necessary blank coated screen (matching frame size and mesh count).
Using the pos Id on the label, call up the corresponding artwork Tiff and apply this to the blank screen, expose it and develop it.
Record that the replacement screen is in the process of being made:-
1. Open the Stencils Required Layout and open the corresponding screen-set detail record
2. Note that the screen-set record status (1) is flashing red on and off
3. Ensure the screens tab is selected.
4. Locate the individual record for the replacement screen that is being made.
5. Click the corresponding Start button for the screen.
  (Note this is not the start button in the new make section)
The following updates will occur:-
1. The screen status will update to In Progress (amber)
2. The screen-set status will update to a flashing In Progress (amber)
3. The location field is updated to Being Made
4. In the screens control list, the following accounting entries are made for the screen type started in step 12) e)
  1. The in use total is credited by one.
  2. The required total is debited by one
  3. The coated total is debited by one.
Once the replacement screen has been finished being made, the replacement should be sent to final check.
Click the Full Check button beside the replacement screen that has been made.
(Note this is not the full check button in the new make section)
The following updates will occur:-
1. The screen status will update to Completed (green)
2. The screen-set status will update to a flashing Final Check (Navy Blue)
3. The location field is cleared
Upon successful final checking the replacement screen should be physically walked down to the print room.
This out to print status needs to be recorded, by clicking the Out to Print button besides the screen record.
(Note: do not use the Out to Print button in the Print header section)
Once the replacement screen is walked down to the print room, and physically installed back in the printing carousel, the print job can be resumed.
1. Navigate to the Screen Print layout within strokeone.
2. Locate the print job that the replacement screen is employed on.
3. Click the pause button to toggle pause off.

Foreword: At the time of writing, there is a system deficiency in accounting for splits that occur on one or more screens in a set once they have been made but before they have been used in a print run. Once they have been used in a print-run, split functionality works as intended.

Therefore, there are two temporary "work around" methods which can be used to deal with this scenario. (There is no recommendation as to which method is the preferred choice)
The expectation is that a definitive system solution will be implemented during phase 2 development of strokeone.

Method 1: Start The Print job, then record the split

Under the method, the split occurs when the screen-set has been made, but before it has been used in a print job. However, in order that the system accounting is correct, the job process is "started" in the system (but not physically started), and then the split recorded. Once the split screen is replaced, the job is physically started.

The steps are therefore:-

Note the Pos Id reference and screen-set number of the split screen.
Navigate to the Screen Print layout within strokeone.
Locate the print process that the split screen would have been used on.
Click the start button for the print process from step 3)
(Note: physically the print process has not begun- these are system entries only)
Click the pause button for the print process.
Click the Detail button beside the job identified in step 3)
Ensure that you have selected the Tech Spec tab in the detail pop up

Using the Pos Id noted in step 1) locate the equivalent screen record in the left hand pane, and click the corresponding Split button for the split screen.

The following updates occur:-
1. The status for the screen updates to Not Started (Red)
2. The status for the screen-set updated to a Flashing Red
3. The Print job process record selected in step 4) is paused. ** this needs to be developed **
4. In the screens control list, the following accounting entries are made for the screen type actioned in step 7
  1. The in use total is debited by one.
  2. The required total is incremented by one
  3. The splits pool is credited by one.

To remedy the situation, the split screen needs to have a replacement made. The steps tor doing this are outlined fully in Splits that occur during a print run

Once the replacement screen has been made and sent out to print, the screen-set can be assembled on the print press and the job physically started,and also "unpaused" in the system

Method 2: Do not Start The Print job, but take the split screen back to the screen-room for replacement, and record the split as a coated screen

Under this method a replacement screen is fabricated, but the split is not recorded against the existing screen. Instead it is recorded against a coated screen.

Procedure:-

Note the Pos Id reference and screen-set number of the split screen.
Print a label off for the split screen.
Physically draw down a new blank screen of the same mesh count as outlined on the printed label.
Using the label the stencil make should re-make the split screen - but crucially do not use any system update action buttons during its manufacture
Upon completing manufacture, the stencil maker should record as a split from coated the same mesh count screen as the one that was split.
(This has the effect of crediting the splits pool, and debiting the coated pool, and will result in the accounting being in proof)
The split screen should be physically located to the splits pool.
The replacement screen should be walked down to the print area to complete the set to be used in the print process.
The print run can occur as normal.

At this stage in the screen life-cycle, the screen(s) are job related (they have artwork images exposed onto them) and have been used in a print run and are returned to the wash room to be cleaned.

Post washing, screens are physically filed in their screen-sets and go through a physical inspection where splits are identified.

Should any splits be identified in member screens, they are recorded in strokeone against the corresponding screen-set record.

Then the screen-set record is interrogated to evaluate what the what the next usage of the screens will be.

Essentially there are three choices:-

The screens will be reclaimed
The screens will be filed for potential re-use in the future.
The screens are required to be used in an upcoming print run, so will be sent to pre-check.

If the screens are required on an upcoming print run then additional action is required to replace the split screen(s).

The process to record splits that occur at this stage can be illustrated schematically, and involve the following steps:- :-

Procedure

Using the printed label, note the following information from the screen-set where one or more member screens have been identified as having splits
1. The screenset number
2. The Pos Id of the split screen(s)
Record the splits in strokeone against the corresponding screen-set record.
Navigate to the Stencils Required Layout - ** this might not be the case as it could be not required **
Using the screenset number noted in step 1), find the corresponding system screen-set record.
Open the detail record for the screen-set identified in step 4).
Ensure that you have selected, the Screens tab. (denoted as (1) in the below screen-shot)
Cross referencing with the Pos Id noted in step 1), locate the data row for the screen which is split.
Click the Split action button to the right of the corresponding screen data row (denoted as (2) in the above screen-shot)
The following updates occur:-
1. The screen status is updated to Not Started (Red)
2. The Split and Reclaim buttons for the data row are disabled; whilst the Full check button enables.
3. In the screens control list, the following accounting entries are made for the screen type actioned in step 8)
  1. The in use total is debited by one.
  2. The required total is incremented by one
  3. The splits pool is credited by one.
Repeat steps 7) to 9) if you are recording more than one split screen on the screen-set.
It is important to understand, that the screen-set is no longer a Full Set. As one or more member screens no longer exist (i.e., they are in a Not Started (Red) status) the screen-set is a Part-Set

At this stage, the splits have been recorded on the screen-set - what happens next depends on the post wash usage indicator (annotated as (1) below)

If this indicator states File, proceed to step 12); if Reprint, proceed to Sending a Part Set to Pre-Check for a Re-Print section below.

Filing a Part-Set

If the screens are to be filed, click the Post Wash > Put Away button.
The process of filing the screen-set is detailed in Post Wash: Filing a Screen-set, so please see that topic.
The only exception is that the screen-set status gets updated from Wash (yellow) to Part Set (Pink)

Sending a Part Set to Pre-Check for a Re-Print

The part-screen set should be sent to Pre-Check by clicking on the Post Wash > Put Away button.
This will update the screen-set status to Part Set (Pink) and set the Checkover flag to enabled.

At this stage in the screen life-cycle, the screen(s) are job related (they have artwork images exposed onto them) and have been forwarded to the Pre-Check area for a series of up-front checks before they are used again.

it is worth appreciating the following:-

The screen-set may have originated directly from wash or may have been retrieved from filing

The screen-set may be already be a part-set - that is, there may have been splits recorded on it.

If more splits are discovered in pre-check they need to be recorded.

The process to record splits that occur during pre-check can be illustrated schematically, and involve the following steps:- :-

Procedure

Using the printed label, note the following information from the screen-set where one or more member screens have been identified as having splits
1. The screenset number
2. The Pos Id of the split screen(s)
Record the splits in strokeone against the corresponding screen-set record.
Navigate to the Stencils Required Layout
Using the screenset number noted in step 1), find the corresponding system screen-set record.
Open the detail record for the screen-set identified in step 4).
Ensure that you have selected, the Screens tab. (denoted as (1) in the below screen-shot)
Cross referencing with the Pos Id noted in step 1), locate the data row for the screen which you have discovered is split.
Click the Split action button to the right of the corresponding screen data row (denoted as (2) in the above screen-shot)
The following updates occur:-
1. The screen status is updated to Not Started (Red)
2. Screen-set status does not update.
3. The Split and Reclaim buttons for the data row are disabled; whilst the Full check button enables.
4. In the screens control list, the following accounting entries are made for the screen type actioned in step 8)
  1. The in use total is debited by one.
  2. The required total is incremented by one.
  3. The splits pool is credited by one.
Repeat steps 7) to 9) if you are recording more than one split screen on the screen-set.

Dealing with splits

Background

Splits in Screen Life-cycle stages