I am looking for a vendor(s) of machine(s) for printing T-shirts in
four colours using the silkscreen technique. There are three paramount
criteria, as follows - listed in relative order of importance.

1) The cost of the unit. 
2) The need for the machine to be delivered (almost certainly by sea
cargo) to Port Klang in MALAYSIA, and 
3) The CAPACITY of the machine in terms of the number of t-shirts it
can produce per unit of time, most usefully one hour.

In the silkscreen printing equipment "ballpark" there are various
levels of automation. I am searching (so far without any success at
all) for a pretty basic type of machine, which is unashamedly labour
intensive! I (we - I write this for a friend) do NOT want a Ritzy bit
of equipment where you throw the t-shirts in one end, feed a
computer-generated design in by clicking a mouse, fill up the ink
tanks, press a button and sit back for the ten minutes it takes to
produce 250,000 t-shirts, printed with perfect registration, dried,
folded and perfumed at the other end. No way! Very far from *that*.

Neither of us have a great, detailed knowledge of exactly what is
available. (Obviously - otherwise it would be unlikely that this
question was being asked). The entire silkscreen business (t-shirts,
banners, baseball caps, POS material - you name it) is extremely
secretive. Successful operators combine excellent creativity and
business networking with a vast talent for INNOVATION. But above and
beyond that, a truly amazing degree of professional SECRECY.

To return to the machine we want. First, it must be noted that small
orders for t-shirts (anything below about 800 units) can be produced
by hand - the only equipment consisting of silkscreen frames or
stencils, ONE FOR EACH COLOUR, a huge flat table, suitable ink(s) and
a SQUEEGEE, for pressing the viscous ink through the screen onto the
t-shirt beneath. The front and back are separated by a perfectly flat,
ink proof separator, to prevent the ink being applied to the front
from
messing up the back - and, on a front-and-back printing order - vice
versa. Labour intensive!

It can be readily appreciated that when, say, three or four colours
are called for, each colour must be in PERFECT REGISTRATION with the
others. Well, almost perfect. This is where mechanisation becomes
essential.

The most simple machine we have come across on the internet operates
on a kind of "Octopus" system. Arrayed around a stable central
"pillar" are numerous platens. They are caused to rotate, each, in
turn, coming under the non-moving silkscreen frame. One revolution,
one colour. Change the silkscreen. Second revolution for the 2nd.
colour, third for the 3rd. colour and so on.

By having a precise "notch-stop" for each t-shirt under a rigidly
fixed (series of) frames provides the speed that enables the
production of anything up to a few *thousands* of t-shirts as opposed
to the mere *hundreds* that can be produced entirely by hand on, say,
three 20-foot long tables.

We are most interested in discovering whether there are alternatives
to the "Octopus system" so described above. Whatever system is
available, it has to be at a price we can afford, and deliverable as
detailed above.

To reduce shipping charges to Malaysia the manufacturer should ideally
be in the Asian region. Taiwan or Australia come to mind. But it
seems, from our limited search results so far that the USA seems to
own the ballpark.

Please ask for clarification if need be. We do NOT require inks or any
other "re-orderables". Machine price, Freight cost and timeframe would
be greatly appreciated, unless this is something you do not "do".

Bearing in mind the "Tips" opportunity that may present itself at a
later stage of this question, I will, as a first-time user of this
apparently excellent Google service, click on the link question below:
"How do I price my question?"  :-)

Thank you for having read this. 
JT