Shur-Loc Fabric System: May 2012

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Find It Faster At shurloc.com

Social networking is now a great way to spread the word about new products, instructional information and most of all, connect with our users. So, to make it even easier for you, we have set up some quick links to find us faster. If you haven't signed up to follow our Twitter page, become our friend on Facebook or subscribed to our YouTube channel, here's your chance.

You can find us online using these quick links:

We love our flash intros as much as the next person, but sometimes you just need your information fast. You can access the main section of our website at shurloc.com/home and bypass the entry.

When you want to shop directly from our online store, forget going through the site, just enter shurloc.com/store and you are there.

If you need instructional information, tension charts or need to know how to measure a frame, visit shurloc.com/help.

For the latest instructional videos you can subscribe to our YouTube channel at shurloc.com/youtube.

Keep up to date with our latest special offers, discounts and more with our Facebook page at shurloc.com/facebook or from our Twitter feed at shurloc.com/twitter.

There's more coming soon, so stay tuned!

Welcome to the "Fastest Frame In The USA" Video Contest!

We know that Shur-Loc panels are fast, but we want to know how fast... Who is the fastest frame stretcher in the USA, and what they are using to get the job done. Whether you use bolt mesh and a wooden frame or shur-loc fabric panels on an "E-Z" Frame, we want to see how fast you can stretch a frame to production ready.

How it works:

Roller Frame Users: Select a 23x31 frame and one of the following mesh counts, 110, 156 or 230. You begin with a clean assembled frame. Roller frame users may only use 4 round tube frames (no square bar frames can be used.) Roller frame users may also have the bolts pre-loosened, and the tubes rotated inward. If you are using a manual stretcher like the Shur-Loc Accelerator or a pneumatic device like a Newman Roller Master, the frame may be on the jig, but the wrenches may not be attached. You may use raw mesh from a bolt or pre-cut fabric panels from Shur-Loc. Mesh from the bolt must be in the state that it was in when received, there is no precutting of mesh allowed, unless it is received that way from the supplier (i.e. bagged mesh, smaller orders that are pre-ripped, etc...)
Start with the frame flat on a table or in the jig for the stretcher you will be using. The fabric panel or bolt mesh must be off to the side of the frame and stretching device or table. Place the mesh on the frame with your preferred method of tensioning and bring the fabric to the following tension based on which mesh you selected: 110 (45N), 156 (40N) or 230 (35N). Once you have achieved the tension desired, lock your bolts and remove the frame from the stretcher. You must show us a close up of the frame with the tension meter showing the correct tension (or higher) before the end of the video. Once we see a clear tension on the meter and verify that it is above the minimum number, your video can be registered as an official entry in the Fastest Frame in the USA video contest.

"E-Z" Frame Users: Select a 23x31 frame and one of the following mesh counts: 110, 156 or 230. Start with the frame on a table and the panel off to the side. We must see you place the panel in the center of the frame before you begin the stretching process. You must use the standard 2nd hook/3rd hook method for attaching the fabric panel. Stretching the fabric straight to the 3rd hook will cause a disqualification of your entry. You are allowed to pull the tension bars to the 2nd hook without aid of the stretcher if you are able to pull them out by hand. You also must meet the following tensions for the mesh count you select: 110 mesh must be 45N, 156 mesh must be 40N and 230 mesh must be 35N. Once your fabric is stretched, you must clearly show that the fabric is over the minimum tension requirements for your entry to be registered as an official entry in the Fastest Frame in the USA video contest.
Stretch and Glue/Static Frame stretching: You must begin with a 23x31 wood or aluminum frame. It can be clean and sanded. You may use an automatic stretching machine, but the mesh cannot be pre-loaded. You must load the mesh into your stretching machine, stretch the mesh to the required minimum tension and glue the mesh to the frame. Stapling is also allowed, but not recommended.

I've got my video, what's next?
Once you have a qualifying video recorded and on your computer, simply upload the video to our Facebook page, www.shurloc.com/facebook or send a YouTube link to the video.

What do you win?
The video that Shur-Loc Fabric Systems deems as the fastest stretching video that reaches the minimum tension requirements the fastest will win a $250 Premium Fabric Panel credit.
But, everyone is a winner in our contest as every official entry that meet the registration requirements will be issued a coupon valid for 10% off their next Shur-Loc Premium Fabric Panel order.

Judging
Entries must be uploaded by 11:59:59 PM on May 31, 2012. Any entry or link to an entry that is received after that time and date will not be judged as an official entry. The judging of the videos will take place on or about 6/7/2012 by the employees of JSMD Key Products LLC. Shur-Loc fabrics will judge all videos for the following criteria: Was the video shot start to finish with no signs of editing present? Did the video meet the requirements of showing the proper procedure and tensions? Was there any violation of the stretching process at any time? And was the video timed correctly? Once a video meets the requirements listed above, JSMD Key Products will award the fastest stretcher a $250 Premium Fabric Panel credit. All other valid entries will receive a one-time use 10% discount on any Premium Fabric Panel order.

For more information, please contact ron@shurloc.com.

About Us

Thank you for "clicking" on the option to learn more about the Shur-Loc® company. We are a company who has been designing and introducing new and innovative products for the screenprinting industry since 1988, including the original and patented Shur-Loc® mesh panel, Accelerator Tensioning systems and E-Z Frame system consisting of a frame, a tensioning device and mesh panel. Demand the best, demand the original.

The shur-loc® Fabric System company, dba JSMD Key Products LLC, is a family owned and operated business, thus, the name, which stands for Jim, Sheri, Michael and David. The products Jim has invented are some of the keys to helping screenprinters prepare and stretch their screens easier and faster than ever before with accuracy and consistency with minimal training.

Jim majored in commercial art in college. In 1981, Jim and Sheri started Sandcarved Designs when Jim pursued a new form of art on a wood medium, which later led to screen printing the designs. The AloomaLite retensionable frames (1988) was his next project and first patent.

The company name was changed in 1991 when Jim was awarded his 3rd patent, which was for the shur-loc® Fabric System panel and screenprinting frames. The name was changed again in early 1998 to JSMD Key Products to encompass a business name separate from our product line. In late 1998 the turntable was re-designed and again in 2000 and 2003 with various improvements each time. Although either the panels or the table can be used independently of each other, they were designed to work together to obtain the optimal performance of both. Additional patents were later awarded for the Accelerator tensioning system for its improved designs including for its numbering system and physical stop features insuring the roller tubes would be turned evenly maintaining the balance implemented in the shape of the panels.

In 2004, Jim came up with the concept of using an adjustable wrench for turning the tubes, which eliminated the need for multiple "wrenches" for the various diameters of frames. It became a "one size fits all" type of wrench, savings customers hundreds of dollars.

In 2005, Jim made another discovery. For most textile size frames, the present accelerator model was more of a heavy duty system than it needed it to be, so he came up with a less expensive method of having the parts manufactured. We have passed that savings on to the customer with this more economical tensioning system. This newest version added to the product line-up is called the Accelerator 2 and is also available in a variety of Kits with an optional turntable to complete the system. Same concept, less money.

In 2006, the armor plating "Tandem System" was introduced and patented as an option to add to your roller frame. A semi-permanent addition to your frame provided the means for a smaller panel and eliminated the fragile mesh wrapping around the frame tubes. The "Extender" was introduced in early 2007 and attached to the square bar tube of roller frames "extending" the connection of the panel away from the frames square tube and eliminating the fragile mesh from breakage in rear clamping presses.

In the early summer of 2007, Jim decided to make another screenprinting frame. With numerous potential customers at each trade show indicating they only had and used static frames and complaining about not enough tension, the E-Z Frame system was designed, developed and introduced at the ISS Show in Long Beach in January of 2008 with the patent being awarded in the fall of 2010. Even though the patent had also included the E-Z angle conversion kit designed for customers to attach to their existing static frames, it was not introduced to the industry until later. The system consists of a square tube frame with 4 tension bars, standard or economical stretching device and Shur-Loc's® patented mesh panel specifically designed for the new frame. The shape of the mesh panel is designed to represent the recommended tension suggested by the mesh manufacturers. Due to the design of small corner "pockets", smaller piece of mesh and no slippage whatsoever, the tension is much more stable for a longer time period.

Another popular Shur-Loc® product is the Shur-Chek 130 Tension Meter, which is also made in the U.S.A. It is a bi-directional meter, with heavy duty construction, extremely accurate yet economically priced that was three years in the making but worth the wait.

Yet another popular product is the Shur-Loc® anti-fatigue extreme standing mats. Available in four popular sizes, 14" x 21", 2' x 3', 3' x 5' and 3' x 7'. We welcome you to visit our web site at www.shurloccom to see all of our products, additional information, instructional videos and to keep apprised current and new products. Stop by and see us at a trade show to watch a demo or stretch a panel yourself to see how E-Z it really is to use.

Jim (President), wife Sheri (Secretary/Treasurer) and youngest son, David, (Vice President) make up three of the four officers for JSMD and work full time (in addition to their other employees) at their site in Monroe, Washington, which is approximately 35 miles northeast of Seattle.

If you are a first time inquirer, we thank you for your interest in our shur-loc® Fabric System and encourage you to call or email us with any questions you may have and/or to request a free sample. If you are a current customer, we greatly appreciate your business. Either way, we value your comments and suggestions in helping us serve you better and hope you will call us at (360) 805-4140 or email us at info@shurloc.com.

Thank you,

Jim, Sheri and David Larson

JSMD Key Products LLC / aka Shur-Loc® Fabric System

14517 Fryelands Blvd S E, Monroe, WA 98272-2942

Phone 360-805-4140, Fax 360-805-4141

web: www.shurloc.com, email: sales@shurloc.com or info@shurloc.com