Employee Spotlight: Richard Tafoya, Machine AssemblerEPS: I’m talking today with Richard Tafoya, who is a pad print assembler here at Engineered Printing Solutions, and he is our spotlight employee of the day. Richard tell me, how long have you worked for EPS?

RT: I started on the first of December 2014.

EPS: Eight years. And tell me about a typical day. What does that entail?

RT: It’s all different every day. That’s what I really like about this place is every day, it’s something different that I do. You know, I’ll build a pad printer. I was working on a Corona treater earlier today. Now I’m working on KP-05. You know, it always changes. I like that.

EPS: That’s very cool. And that does lead to my next question. What do you liked best about working here?

RT: The variety, but it’s not too much variety that it gets overwhelming, you know what I mean? I mean, it’s pretty much the same stuff, but different applications.

EPS: What is it about direct-to-object product-decoration that really intrigues you?

RT: Probably about the same as before, you know, every because every part you print is different, with different part topologies. So you have to come up with a way to make it fit onto the machine or whatever.

EPS: Tell me a little about your background. What are you like doing your spare time?

RT: In my spare time? I anodize. I like to generate electricity, and like to mess around with water, solar and stuff like that.

EPS: So do you do solar in your house?

RT: Yeah, I have solar. I’m building a little hydro generator too. Unfortunately, in Vermont, they don’t let you dam up the rivers and stuff!

EPS: We certainly have no shortage of both water and vertical drop here in Vermont. And I know you also like to tinker with old cars, because we’ve shared that in the past. Thanks a lot, Rick!

RT: Well, thank you very much.

 

If you think EPS sounds like a fun place to work, well…that’s because it is.  Want to join our team?  We have openings in several departments.  Visit our Careers page to find out about current openings, or just fill out the form below:

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EPS To Speak At CannPack West

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Scott Einsig, National Sales Manager – Strategic Accounts, will speak at the CannPack Conference at the Anaheim Convention Center. The topic will be “Driving Cannabis Packaging Innovation Forward Through Packaging Partnerships,” and will take place on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, from 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM in the CannPack Theater at Booth #5375. Click here to find out more about CannPack West 2022.  You can use the code SPEAKER for a 20% discount, or the code CCIA for a $100 discount on the whole show.

Scott has over 10 years of experience helping companies find solutions for direct to object printing in a variety of industries ranging from Cosmetics, Food Packaging, Consumer goods, Promotional Products and more. He has an extensive knowledge in pad printing, UV digital flatbed printing as well as high speed industrial single pass printing. Scott takes a consultative approach to find the best solution for each process whether you’re an established flagship brand owner or a new startup looking to build from the ground up.

EPS also has a white paper on cannabis packaging available as a free download right on our site. In this white paper, we discuss challenges particular to cannapackaging, such as child resistance, traceability, dosage information, and other regulatory requirements. The patchwork regulatory environment is also discussed. Get your free download today, and register to here Scott speak in Anaheim!

Here in East Dorset, Vermont, preparations are underway for the MD&M West show at the Anaheim Convention Center from April 12-14.  MD&M West brings together medtech engineers, business leaders, disruptive companies, and innovative thinkers to create powerful solutions and life-changing medical devices.  With 1,400 exhibitors and 13,000 attendees from 70 countries, the event is de rigeur for anyone in the medical device space.

EPS To Attend MD&M West Show April 12-14At the show, we will demonstrate our FJet24 Flatbed Inkjet Printer as well as an EAZY130 pad print machine.  With a 24″ x 20″ platen, the FJet24 can print multiple parts in one job, using UV-LED ink with rapid curing.  “Drop-on-demand” technology permits variable droplet sizes for gradient effects and resolutions up to 1200 dpi.  This machine is ideal for printing flat and semi-flat medical device parts.  Print a full platen in under two minutes!

Featuring electro-pneumatic control, the EAZY130 is easy to operate and requires no special maintenance.  The EAZY 130 Pad Printing MachineAn integrated control panel enables the operator to set speed, pickup, and print strokes, continuous and/or single cycle, and much more.  In continuousmode, the EAZY 130 pad printer can run at 800-1000 cycles per hour.  Capable of using photopolymer, steel, and laser plates, this printer can also be equipped with an “RR” pad shuttle.  With this configuration, the part remains stationary and the pads move side-to-side for exact print registration on multicolor applications.

We’ve got lots of other exciting developments in the works at EPS, so stop by Booth #2711to say hi or tell tell us about your part-marking challenge!

Want to set up a meeting ahead of the show? Drop us a line!

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Q: So Josh, how long have you worked for Engineered Printing Solutions?

JV: I just celebrated my six year anniversary on the 21st of March this year.

Q: That’s a long time. What do you what do you like best about working for EPS?

JV: I like the people I work with for starters.  They’re all good people. I learn a tremendous amount from those people and they’re always willing to give me a hand when I ask, no matter what they’re doing. And that’s absolutely true. I like the fact that I have a pretty wide range of responsibilities that I can do and do successfully. And so it’s not the same thing every single day. There are a lot of different tasks that I get to do and, and apply myself to. So that’s pretty great.

Q: Well, that leads to my next question. And it may be hard to answer in light of your answer just now, but tell me about an average day. What do you typically do?

JV: So a typical day recently is that we we got a big order for these FJet24 machines. I work between two different departments—pad printing, which is a more analog version of printing—and then I also worked with the digital team, which I was hired onto and which I spend the bulk of my time currently. So I was probably four years with the digital team. And then we got a huge order in for these FJets. So I was taken from pad printing, sort of moved over. And this machine that that we’re speaking in front of, this is the sixth machine that I’ve built and vetted for a thirteen-machine order. And they’re all going to different parts of the country. So I’ve been working hard and trying to get these machines set up, vetted, and then broken down so that they can ship out to the customers.

Q: And you also do machine installs, right?

JV: Yes, I also do installations. A typical day for me lately has been to check some emails to get a list of priorities. If I have any from the pad print team, I try to help them. If they need my help, I check the service calls, see if there’s anything I can respond to, but I’ve sort of had my nose to the grindstone on these machines. And I just did in, in an effort to try to get these machines all out and built vetted did two six-day weeks. So I’m, so hopeful that this coming weekend will be a full weekend!

Q: I hope so too, for your sake! So what is it about direct-to-object product decoration that you find most interesting?

JV: The, the answer to that lies in the installation of the equipment. I think what’s interesting is these little companies that are sprinkled around the country. I mean, printing to a mouse pad or printing to a cell phone cover, that’s all cool. It’s, it’s great. Cause you can customize it. You can do whatever you want and, you know, put your Aunt Linda’s face on it if you want, or happy anniversary, or whatever. But the coolest part is when you build one of these machines and you go to someplace in Arkansas, that’s doing something that you had no idea even existed. And they’re using this machine to print on some tiny thing that is a component that goes into a larger product or supports a larger industry.

And those kind of things are really cool because I’ve been to some really interesting parts of the country, and met a lot of really interesting people. And so that part of it is really cool meeting the people that run these machines and the industries that they support and seeing these companies that make their living off these really small printed parts, and we supply the printer to do that. So that’s very cool. It’s a very cool thing.

Q: One last question. Tell me a little bit about your background. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

JV: Well, as you know I play guitar and I play drums. I mountain bike, I road bike. I run. I like to camp and hike. I do a lot of yoga. I read quite a bit. I have two daughters and a wife and a whole batch of animals. But my background is with Federal Express. I came to this place actually as a FedEx delivery driver! I walked in the back door to deliver something and got a look around and I said, “Hey, this place is pretty cool.” Prior to that, I did do something similar to this, in that I traveled around and did installations, but it was software-based.

Q: Josh, thank you very much.

This past weekend, the Manchester Machine Makers, a local high school robotics team headed north to Hinesburg, VT, for the Vermont First Tech Challenge Championship competition.  Weeks of preparation paid off.  The team played six matches, and impressed the judges mightily with their skills, knowledge, and character.  They brought home not one, not two, but three judged awards this year.  They earned the Design Award, and were first runner up in both the Think Award and the Control Award.

Isaac Vernon was recognized as one of two Finalists from the State of Vermont for the Dean’s List.

In addition, Isaac Vernon, a third-year member of the team and the son of an EPS employee, was recognized as one of two Finalists from the State of Vermont for the Dean’s List, a prestigious award for students who are dedicated to FIRST’s principles and show leadership and sportsmanship.

You can read more about the teams success this past weekend on their blog: https://manchestermachinemakers.org/2022/03/20/2021-2022-post-competition-update/

You can also read about Isaac’s award here: https://manchestermachinemakers.org/2022/03/20/isaac-vernon-honored-as-a-deans-list-award-finalist/

 

 

Manchester Machine Makers, the 4H robotics club sponsored by EPS, is geared up for the Vermont State Championship this weekend at Champlain Valley Union High School.

Manchester Machine Makers Headed To State ChampionshipTheir robot, Freya, the Freight Frenzy Robot, is ready to go.

The challenge this year is called “Freight Frenzy” and focuses on the creation of robots that move freight. The robots will earn points for moving and sorting freight (yellow plastic cubes, rubber ducks, and wiffle balls) from a section of the field representing a warehouse to a three-tiered structure.  They can earn extra points if they place a self-designed cap on the structure.  The Manchester Machine Makers cap features an EPS logo on the very top.Manchester Machine Makers Headed To State Championship

Team members learned SolidWorks and were helped with design by EPS employees Randy Marsh and Larry Wood.  The EPS Machinists custom-made a part that connects the freight arm to the main body of the robot.

Let’s wish them well at the competition!  The event will be livestreamed at youtu.be/I57Glg0Ve1k.

To learn more about the club check out their website:  www.manchestermachinemakers.org

To learn more about the competition and the freight frenzy challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6lX12idAf8

Manchester Machine Makers Headed To State Championship

Employee Spotlight: Ray Johnson, Pad RoomIn today’s Employee Spotlight, we visit with Ray Johnson, our pad room specialist.  Ray designs and pours all of our custom pads for our customers.

Q: How long have you worked at Engineered Printing Solutions?

I have been with the company for over sixteen years.

Q: Wow, that’s a long time! What do you like best about working for EPS?

What I like about working at EPS is the people. I enjoy coming in and seeing my co-workers.  We’re a dedicated bunch, each with different skillsets, but all pulling in the same direction.

Q: Tell us about a typical day.  What do you do at EPS?

My day is pretty routine.  All of the pads have basically three stages.  I’m either making bases or pouring molds, or cleaning the pads.

Q: How many pads do you keep in inventory?

Our stock pads come in a multitude of different shapes, sizes, widths, lengths and heights, without even mentioning the custom pads we pour for our customers. If you originally ordered your pad from us, we’ll have noted the pad re-order number on the base. If you want to try one of our pads and see one on our website that matches what you’ve got, give us a call and we’ll talk.

Employee Spotlight: Ray Johnson, Pad RoomQ: What is your turnaround time for orders?

Although we stock our most-frequently ordered pads, we generally pour your pad within hours of receiving your order. Then, depending on the pad material and the size of the order, we generally ship orders within 3-5 days of receiving them.  One important factor, as I mentioned, is the pad material itself.  Blue pads cure in 1 hour, red pads take 24 hours to fully harden, and white pads take a full 48 hours of curing time before we can pack and ship them.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background.  What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to bowl, hang out with my family, and play with my dogs.

Thank you for your time!

EPS Welcomes Its Newest Hire: Blessing Ejeriefe!Engineered Printing Solutions welcomes its newest hire, Blessing Ejeriefe, as a Machine Assembly Specialist. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Blessing emigrated to the US fifteen years ago after his employer in Lagos sent him to New York City for training, and he hasn’t looked back since.  His wife had ties to the Burlington area, which brought him to Vermont.  The couple now lives in Arlington.  Welcome, Blessing! Please let us know where we can find jollof rice in southern Vermont.

Want To Find Out More ABout Careers at EPS? Drop Us A Line!

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inline flame pretreatment

This machine uses a six-axis robot to load parts onto the conveyor for printing. Stored “recipes” control everything from parts-handling to tooling changeovers.

Engineered Printing Solutions recently shipped one of the most versatile automated singlepass inkjet printers in its history, and the rapid development process was made possible by streamlined design and production techniques implemented in the past year.  The machine in question was designed and built in our East Dorset facility for a leading player in the promotional products industry.  Based on the XD-70 platform, this machine featured a six-axis robotic arm controlled by a vision system to load parts, inline flame pretreatement, a five-color, six-head print engine, and servo-controlled offload accumulators for sorting different SKUs.

Printed products are automatically sorted for downstream secondary activities.

With this machine, the customer will be able to store separate “recipes” for each SKU, each of which can be recalled instantly upon changeover.

Parts are first loaded into a fixture.  Stored recipes enable the robotic arm to locate the part, pick it up and place it on a conveyor for pretreatment.  The part then moves under the print heads for marking.  Following inline UV curing, the part is conveyed to a series of “gates” that open and close according to the recipe. In this manner, parts are sorted automatically.  On average, this machine can mark 1,000 parts per hour, including changeovers.

This singlepass inkjet printer will be able to accommodate up to 20 SKUs, and this is limited only by the number of end-of-arm tools stored in the carousel.  With changeovers of the carousel itself, the number of SKUs this industrial inkjet printer can decorate is limited only by the 25-lb. weight limit of this particular arm and the physical dimensions of the part itself.  In the hands of a skilled operator, this is the proverbial Swiss army knife of production decoration for the promotional products industry, able to accommodate a wide variety of parts, capable of performing near-instantaneous changeovers, and delivering products with complex decorative effects and subtle gradients at fourteen linear inches per second.

See This Automated Single Pass Inkjet Printer In Action

You can see this machine in operation here, including tooling changeover, pretreatment, and sorting:

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Drop Us A Line

Find out more about integrating direct-to-object printing into your production line by filling out the form below.  We’d love to hear from you!

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The Makers Welcome New Members

We have gotten to work on our robot! Here is what the team has been doing this Fall…

  • We have been cleaning out and organizing our new space donated by TPW Real Estate that we are sharing with two local First Lego League teams: the Fiery Froggies and the Explore team.
  • Also along with the new space we have welcomed some new members this fall (left to right): Amos, Jake, Zach, and Takoda. (see their full profiles on the Team page).

Read the latest updates from the Manchester Machine Makers

Read The Newsletter