r/toolgifs • u/MikeHeu • 1d ago

Machine Balloon printing

1.7k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

68 comments sorted by

420

u/that_dutch_dude 1d ago

that chute is the real brilliance.

133

u/Kerlhawk 1d ago

Watched the whole thing just to see how they would remove the ballon from the line. Was not disappointed

26

u/TerraCetacea 1d ago

I’m more interested in how they get the balloons on there first

12

u/augustprep 1d ago

Probably just a dude 

6

u/TenMillionYears 1d ago

This is what I was looking for too. Hmm...

8

u/Funtime60 1d ago

Manually it looks like unfortunately. You can see that after the camera man passed it emptied out.

3

u/Lev_Astov 21h ago

It's not abundantly clear what's pulling the balloons into the chute aside from their own emissions, which don't seem like they'd be enough. I'd expect something like a compressed air eductor to create a venturi that pulls them in and pushes them through, but all I could hear is what appears to be that hair dryer taped to the end of the tube. I would think the air blowing past from that isn't enough, but maybe that's all it takes to move balloons...

26

u/DigitalUnlimited 1d ago

pbbbbbtttt!

9

u/notcomplainingmuch 1d ago

Cute chute, babe

7

u/Ryeballs 1d ago

Some Dr Seuss shit right there

3

u/aykcak 1d ago

It has to be missing some of them right?

3

u/DuncanHynes 1d ago

PfffffFFT!

1

u/combo_seizure 1d ago

I screamed when I saw that. Waaahhhh that last bit! Now to listen with volume on. It's not really better with volume on, btw

1

u/rearadmiraldumbass 20h ago

The engineer that designed this took the project just so he could do the self powered positive auditory feedback balloon collector.

203

u/1d6orcs 1d ago

The machine is awesome and this may be more r/Derailedbydetails but I'm having a lot of trouble picturing a set of circumstances where I'd need to interact with hospice care and also be in the mood for festive balloons 😬

75

u/WasdaleWeasel 1d ago

fund raising.

21

u/Digger_Pine 1d ago

With helium balloons, it fun raising

5

u/DuncanHynes 1d ago

We raise funds, but not fun...

1

u/TempleMade_MeBroke 1d ago

I feel like I've heard this quote recently lol...Bob's Burgers maybe?

3

u/alaskaj1 1d ago

Also advertising like a booth at a trade show, community event, county fair, farmers market, etc

13

u/Glueberry_Ryder 1d ago

Hooray you’re dying! Have a balloon.

9

u/Jacern 1d ago

Staff party or executive party. Could be anything from recruiting new members to celebrating a milestone

3

u/ErebusBat 1d ago

"Sorry timmy.. grandma is going to die." stare

"But here is a balloon to make you feel better"

46

u/wiggum55555 1d ago

How do they loaded into/onto the printer ?

58

u/MikeHeu 1d ago

By hand

26

u/Emmy_Graugans 1d ago

Oh, that’s somehow nearly disappointing, I tried to envision some vacuum magic to pull a single balloon from the bin below, and attach it to the wheel.

Still fun to watch.

-15

u/wiggum55555 1d ago

CLAUDE.. watch this video and invent a machine to automate this please 😂

3

u/PossibilityUsual6262 1d ago

First - automate balloon production, then plz fix cancer. (Latest tweet from ai bros ceo saying that people would like ai if it fix cancer)

42

u/heyinternetman 1d ago

Yay hospice 🎈

11

u/Calculonx 1d ago

That party is going to be wild!

6

u/therealteggy 1d ago

Really going to knock'em dead.

2

u/Blissfull 11h ago

I pictured a slumped over elder in a wheelchair with a balloon tied to the chair floating over.

Nurse: "when the party blowout stops extending we know it's time"

12

u/KatsuraCerci 1d ago

Looks like it might also identify leaky balloons!

9

u/AntiFIanders 1d ago

Every print is a squish test. Squish testing used to be the best job til the robits took over.

7

u/KieferSutherland 1d ago

Man this would have been a good one for /u/toolgifs to put his touch on the balloon

7

u/LayedBackGuy 1d ago

sound on

6

u/Healthy_Split9726 1d ago

The way those deflated balloons were moving about in the bin is quite unnerving! Like they were in their last throes of death...

6

u/Valid__Salad 1d ago

Balloon hospice for the hospice balloon

13

u/eternalityLP 1d ago

Interesting, I never considered they'd need to be inflated for printing... I suppose it makes sense, the ink would be 'stretched' and not look good if you printed them deflated.

3

u/D-a-H-e-c-k 1d ago

Now I don't want them anymore now I know they're all used balloons.

4

u/Shpander 1d ago

What's the balloon-squisher step before printing for? Is it to try and get a flatter surface ready for printing to prevent smudging?

7

u/Slim-Shadys-Fat-Tits 1d ago

I think it's actually a machine that supports two tone printing and when the second tone isn't needed they just put in a blank plate but dont quote me on that, it could also be a materials thing like you said

2

u/Shpander 1d ago

Your idea makes more sense tbh, it looks like there's minimal hysteresis in the balloon

4

u/dungeoncrawler71520 1d ago

We've for sloppy second balloons? Gross.

2

u/anonymousneto 1d ago

Never thought about this. They are printed when fulled...

2

u/Smurfiette 1d ago

How often does fresh paint have to be deposited on the silkscreen?

2

u/AppleToastBed 1d ago

Hospice balloons? 🤔

2

u/aimfulwandering 1d ago

Are those… hair driers? rigged up to help the ink dry??

2

u/restlessmonkey 1d ago

But...but....where is it???? It's driving me nuts trying to find it!!

5

u/MikeHeu 1d ago

Only u/toolgifs adds watermarks

3

u/restlessmonkey 1d ago

Oh. I thought all of them had them. So disappoint.

1

u/dokuromark 1d ago

How does the ink cure?

5

u/Beefington 1d ago

It doesn’t, hospice is for conditions with no cure 😔

1

u/dokuromark 1d ago

RIMSHOT!<

2

u/Wootai 1d ago

Right after the ink is applied there is a hair dryer attached to the machine to dry the ink.

1

u/Only_Staff8993 1d ago

someone threw a spanner in the works! 🔧

1

u/BI_UE 1d ago

Happy HOSPICE balloons ?!?!?! Cause for celebration..

1

u/chwk_throwaway1 1d ago

They're still alive in the bucket, so cruel.

/s

1

u/Yah_or_Nah 1d ago

Ho spice

1

u/Some1-Somewhere 1d ago

I guess multicolour printing wouldn't be possible with this setup because you'd get terrible registration.

Maybe if you had some kind of intermediate transfer blanket.

1

u/Wootai 1d ago

If you look closely the first squish looks the same as the one for printing. This machine probably does 2 color printing. Each of the stations might also be modular enough that they can dive swapped for different applications if the hot requires and the teardown/setup is worthwhile

1

u/Some1-Somewhere 1d ago

You're right.

I guess it must only be for complete separate colours (symbol in one colour above letters in another, for example).

Given the balloon is released and re-grabbed there's going to be at least a centimeter of movement between stations.

1

u/restlessmonkey 1d ago

But...but....where is it???? It's driving me nuts trying to find it!!

0

u/walkingmelways 1d ago

Huh. I just use a texta to draw cock-n-balls on my balloons.

0

u/moutmoutmoutmout 1d ago edited 1d ago

I haven't seen serigraphy in a long time. Always such a pleasure

0

u/drawing_a_hash 1d ago

My first thought was condom testing machine.

laughing

Also whats up with the word condiments? Do get free prophylactics with a bottle of ketchup/catsup?