Dimensional Transfers With Stahls’ Hotronix 360 IQ Hat Press
If you’re looking for one of the best production-grade cap heat presses in the market, you can’t go wrong with the Stahls’ Hotronix 360 IQ hat press. This machine has been designed to streamline the process of pressing any ball cap style hat as much as possible, with its molded, one-size-fits-all lower platen, detailed digital gauge for press settings, and auto-open pressing operation. But how well can it manage thicker heat transfers like Siser’s Brick 600 vinyl? We’ll be showing how this unique, layerable HTV can effortlessly be applied around a cotton hat using this powerful Stahls’ machine.
Of course, once the size of the hat has been measured, we’ll first need to prepare the cut design within this size. When using thick materials like Siser Brick 600, it's best to keep any smaller design details like text in moderation for easier weeding, especially when scaling the design down. But with the design ready, you may go ahead and cut it mirrored. If you’re using a VinylSystems cutter, be sure to set it the following settings: Force at 120 to 140 grams, Speed at 200 to 300 millimeters per second, and in the blade holder, load the 60 degree blade and adjust it to credit card thickness.
And with the design now cut on one or a few Brick 600 sheets, trim and weed each one out and they’ll be ready to apply on any fabric. Since we’ll be pressing our transfer on a hat, we’ll show how simple it is to boot with the Hotronix 360 IQ hat press. Let’s first set the machine to Brick 600’s required settings: 20 seconds at 310 degrees Fahrenheit with medium pressure. In setting the upper platen’s temperature to 300 degrees, and the lower platen to 200 degrees, this machine can provide a time estimate on when it reaches the targets. Setting the pressure number to 6 will help make sure that the machine isn’t set too low or high when pressing the hat. Lastly, you’ll be able to save all of these press settings to return back to for future Brick 600 projects. Once the machine reaches temperature, mount the hat to the lower platen and add the transfer to the center of its crown. Then cover it with a protective pad and press.
For thicker heat transfers, these Hotronix hat presses include 3 foam cover pads to complement transfers of a particular thickness. For Siser Brick 600, the one-eighth inch pad will work best. After 20 seconds, open the machine and allow the Brick 600 transfer to completely cool down. Once it's cooled, peel its carrier sheet off and it’s now permanently applied onto the hat. With a key part of the hat now customized, the 360 IQ does indeed allow you to press on different sides of it thanks to the lower platen’s 360 degree nature. This works as simple as rotating the hat where desired, then locking it back on the lower platen for your next transfer. You’ll also be able to customize its bill with another Hotronix heat press!
By replacing a supported Fusion, Auto Clam, or Maxx Clam machine’s lower platen with the hat bill platen, you can apply additional layers of Brick 600 or other HTV to new and unique levels. Use the same press settings in applying Brick 600, and the hat can display a depth-defying transfer nearly all around itself. But while the majority of the work goes to creating the custom transfer itself, it’s still key to own a heat press that’s efficient for busy projects. And for a machine that’s ready for a large scale order of hats, the Stahls’ Hotronix 360 IQ hat press on its own still has it all. You can learn more about Stahls’ Hotronix, Siser vinyl, and many other products on our YouTube channel , or at HeatPressNation.com.
