Getting Your MHM Press Back to Peak Performance
When you’re swapping out infrared lamps on an MHM press, it’s easy to think of it as just replacing a lightbulb. But it’s a bit more complicated than that. You’re actually managing a very specific heat pattern. If you want your curing and drying to look exactly like it did the day the machine left the factory, you have to get the spectral output and the mounting just right. The tricky part about heat density MHM machines use short-wave infrared to flash-dry inks. The goal is to set the ink quickly without accidentally scorching the fabric. Here’s the thing: the wattage-to-length ratio is everything. If you throw in a lamp with the wrong voltage, you’re gambling. You’ll either end up with under-cured ink that washes out, or you’ll burn a hole right through a garment. Plus, high-power lamps are picky. They need a rock-solid power supply. If your voltage jumps around, those lamps are going to die early—usually burning out right at the ends. It’s all in the clips This is where most “compatible” parts fall apart. If the mounting clips don’t hold the tube at the exact right distance, your heat distribution goes sideways. We make our clips to match the original tension and positioning perfectly. Why does that matter? Because if the tube tilts even a tiny bit, the heat peak shifts. You’ll end up with cold spots on your print, and that’s a headache nobody needs. The trade-off with high output More wattage means you can push through more shirts, faster. Sounds great, right? But there’s a catch. Pushing all that heat into the platen makes the air around the press get really hot. You’ve got to make sure your ventilation is actually doing its job. If the airflow is blocked, heat traps inside the housing and can actually warp your reflectors over time. We designed these to be simple drop-in replacements. Just wire them into your existing controllers. You get the same thermal profile as the original parts, but you don’t have to pay that “OEM tax.”