Rotating Vinyl Rack

[lkt1954]

Does anyone make a rotating rack to hold multiple rolls of vinyl that could go behind a printer? What I am looking is something that could go behind our roland vs540 to hold like 3 different rolls of media and could be rotated to load which ever media you wanted to use. The 54" rolls are very hard for my wife to load and unload plus I get tired of having to stop what I am doing at my work and go load another media for her.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks
Larry

 

[Gene@mpls]

I have thought about having 2 sets of rollers for media on the back of the printer. We use one media 80% of the time and it would be nice to be able to
swap out the other roll with what ever is the flavor of the day. Replacing our printer this winter and am thinking of trying this plan.
Another thought- it is easier to handle heavy rolls with a handle to extend your reach >below> I am average size and above average age and not
as tough as I once (thought) I was.

 

[1leonchen]

have the same problem. my wife can load the printer if the rool is new.so i opted for a lift
http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...apacity-hydraulic-table-cart-60730-10041.html

i changed the casters and built a holder for the vynil. cost 250 by the time i was done. but my printer is a mimaki style i have no bars blocking mine.

 

[Drip Dry]

I haven't done this, but just thinking...

If you have the rolls on the wall behind the printer, you could use an electric hoist from the ceiling such as this from northern tool. http://northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_420551_420551

You can put a wooden dowel or something similar through the roll. Now you can pick up the roll with the hoist, She can gently swing it into place onto the printer. You may have to work out a few things but it gives you a starting piont

 

[2B]

we have been playing around with designing / building a system like you see at Home Depot or Lowe's for the carpets or floor vinyls. They press a button and it rotates till the material you want comes around and stops at teh desired height to enter the machine. Granted this only works on rear feed machines.

What you are looking for is a motorized vertical carousel
http://www.directindustry.com/prod/mecalux/vertical-storage-carousels-12590-496131.html

 

[GAC05]

Instead of rotating maybe keep it simple and stack the rolls vertically - don't load the rolls - feed the printer directly from the rack.
(unless its one of those HPs that have to be loaded from the front.)
I've done this with single rolls on a stand behind the printer (mutoh 1304 leaves a lot to be desired with roll weight capacity).
You could most likely get 2 rolls down low with the 3rd one level with the printer's OEM holder and go above that if you use the printer's holder as a drawbar(?).
As long as it is good an square, maybe with bearing rollers for the rolls it should pull pretty smooth.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[player]

You could make a rack out of wood. This idea would hold 3 rolls. Cut 2 triangles out of plywood about 2'sides. Connect them in the center with a heavy dowel (at least 60" for 54" material) so it acts like an axle, and the triangles are like wheels on an axle. Drill holes a few inches down from each corner on the triangles. Then put dowels through connecting the 3 corners from one side to the other. These are the dowels that hold the rolls so they should be longer so they go through the triangles and have some overhang past the triangles. Build a stand on wheels that allows the triangles to rotate, letting you spin the 3 rolls horizontally to choose a roll. The wheels on the bottom of the stand makes it portable. A sketch would make this easier to understand...

 

[sneakers]

I made a cart for our shop for the same reason as you. We keep the most used media standing vertical near the printer on the plastic end pieces that the rolls come with. My cart uses these end caps to hold the roll while you tip the roll over. Now you roll the cart up to the printer and load the media. Just do the steps in reverse to remove. I hope this helps. I am trying to attach photos of the cart.
Gary