Method and apparatus for long furnace sublimation transfer

A method for sublimation transfer using a vacuum tray having a sublimation transfer image and product which are located between a sealing sheet and a bottom of the tray, comprising the steps of:

• placing a plurality of the vacuum trays on a first endless conveyor belt moving through a heated furnace, the furnace having an inlet end and an outlet end, each vacuum tray having a separate fluid connection located to evacuate air from between the sealing sheet and tray bottom, the tray placing step occurring at the inlet end of the furnace;
• placing a separate vacuum pump in fluid communication with the separate fluid connection of a different one of the plurality of vacuum trays, each of the separate vacuum pumps being connected to and moving with a second endless conveyor belt moving parallel to the first conveyor belt;
• evacuating air from between the sealing sheet and the tray bottom of each tray and pressing the sublimation transfer image against the product with sufficient force to achieve sublimation transfer;
• heating the sublimation transfer image and product to a sublimation transfer temperature for a time sufficient to transfer the image to the product;
• shutting off the vacuum pump and releasing the vacuum from the space between the sealing sheet and bottom of the tray;
• and
• removing the vacuum pump from fluid communication with the tray to which the vacuum pump was connected;
• and
• removing the tray from the first conveyor belt at the outlet end of the furnace.