posted
I have been using a Hs-15 plus plotter to contour cut my Edge graphics but am wondering what non-Gerber plotters would work just as well. I am looking at a new Summa with Opus and have been given an ambiguous answer from them.
Are you locked into just Gerber plotters with this?
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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I asked the same question awhile back, before I bought my Edge
I have 2 Gerber plotters and a SummaSign Pro T750 with OPOS.
The short answer is "yes" the longer answer is with a little hassle. OPOS is great and works really well and I can't fault the cutter at all. But like all software, and crossing from different manufacturers platforms, putting A+B together does not always go so smoothly.
Technically it works but Summa has to read 4 reg marks small squares at set distances for it to contour cut, once that is done it goes thru at megaspeeds.
In practice I find that my head spins enough as it is here, so I tend to use my Sprint 2 for all my Edge cutting, it just chugs away in the background, and then I have the Summa for cutting our daily jobs.....works great like that....but seems a shame not to take advantage of OPOS.
Maybe those nice people in Belgium will write software for OPOS so it can recognise the Gerber "bombsight" or other forms of digital print.
I believe you have a Summa D610?? So you nearly have a similar set up to me, without the tangentíal head and OPOS, but you have a much faster 15" plotter!
Over Christmas or when I get some time over, I can play around some more, and see what happens. I have Signlab E6 too but never use it much as I am so used to Omega, but you can steer Summa cutter controls and OPOS from within Signlab, and with there Edge side developing maybe the 2 might work better in the future.
posted
You are right Henry, I do have a D610 (24") No way to upgrade to opus on it but I am considering the deal offered by Summa for a free tangential upgrade on the purchase of a 750 model. Even without contour cutting I may make the purchase. Time for a new plotter.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
Graphtecs from vintage 3100 and on have the ability to align and contour cut manually, and the 5100's have an optional automatic sensor which can locate and align to previously generated registration marks. Interestingly, doing the alignment manually is by far the most versatile method but, as has been pointed out to me, versatility is lost once the major pieces of equipment are in place...the printer, the software, the computer, etc. The versatility goes like this: the supposition is that the software that produces the image to print must be able to produce that part which is to be cut in vector (*.plt) format for the cutter. The cutter need not be connected to the same computer as the printer...a floppy will work just fine. It is not strictly necessary to print registration marks either so long as it is possible to distinguish that which is image from that which is not. So, the answer is that a 5100 can be and often is the plotter of choice to cut contours from the Edge...you can also include the Maxx as well. hk
-------------------- Howard Keiper Independent Contractor Benicia, Ca. thekeip@comcast.net
posted
I can't honestly say I understand what Howard is saying so I won't dispute it. I will say that after 2 years with my Edge/Envision set-up, I sense that one thing the passage of time will bring to me is more & more opportunities to branch out into cutting more of the diverse edge-ready media. So far I just use Gerber-mag, cast & calandered vinyls, reflective material & t-shirt transfer material. I appreciate the feature in Omega software being able to adjust the speed & pressure settings of my Envision plotter automatically just by assigning the proper materials (which has to happen anyway for the right firing settings).
I'm not sure what the plotters specs are for the one you are looking at David, but unless it is a larger capacity machine & that is a real need for you, I would feel that if you're buying a plotter in the price range of the Envision, keep the thought in mind that the Envision has more then just registration going for it.
I use Graphtecs lower priced 24" plotter (CE 1000 or something?)& it has been an excellent friction feed plotter for all my other plotting needs for a very reasonable price.
posted
Interesting points Howard....although I might question the Graphtec as being "plotter of choice for contour cutting Edge prints". I would think most shops running Edges use Gerber software and cutters?
David, we let our Edge rumble away in the office here, and let our old Sprint do all the contour cutting, which works fine. You already have a HS15 I would have thought you had a near perfect set up with your Edge.
AS for the Envision....nice machine, pricey and you are still restricted to 15" sprocket material.
I bought a Summa for our main work, we buy full width logs and get a really good deal on them, cut them down to 30" + rest which gives 2 great cutting widths, which are adequate here for most. I then stock limited 50m rolls in whites transparents etc for the Edge.
I think as Howard say its once you connect to software printers etc that you have problems. The Sprint works great with one small bombsight setting and away it goes. The Summa OPOS system is great too but requires more effort to work with the Edge.
If I was in your situation, I would keep my Edge setup as is,with the HS15 and buy a plotter in whatever size or make to suit my dáily needs.
posted
Gee, this seemed so clear to me... The bottom line is that Gerber software (which must produce both bitmap and vector versions of the same image in order to both print and cut) can drive a Graphtec 3100 series and up. The same can be said for Flexi's print / cut s/w, and Cadlink's as well. A very popular configuration for us has been a package consisting of the basic Gerber apparatus especially including Omega, and replacing the Edge printer / cutter with a 42" Graphtec 5100-100 cutter and an HP-5000 or Encad-880 or Gerber Maxx printer. hk
-------------------- Howard Keiper Independent Contractor Benicia, Ca. thekeip@comcast.net
quote: It is not strictly necessary to print registration marks either so long as it is possible to distinguish that which is image from that which is not.
Howard, I'm just so used to aligning my cutter to my single bombsight, that this sentence was not getting through my pre-conceptions. I still place more value on the auto adjustment of plotter settings, but it sounds like you are saying that by using Omega, that feature would still exist using the 5100?
posted
Hi Doug... The least common but possible print /cut operation is where you can see the entire image...like a portrait or ad for Coke or similar where you can easily distinguish the corners of the image. For alignment purposes those corners tell you if the image is plumb and square to the machine; if not, you perform "axis alignment" which adjusts the input data to compensate. This is a manual operation...it can be done automatically.
If you had printed a decal or series of them and couldn't identify where the corners would be, you still need to figure it out using registration marks or by putting a frame or box around the image area...it may be that a legimate part of the image is white and therefore indistinguishable from the rest of the media. A particular aspect of the alignment recognizes that there will probably be a difference in inter-machine scaling or changes in scale as a result of laminating; either way, the cutter compensates for same. hk
-------------------- Howard Keiper Independent Contractor Benicia, Ca. thekeip@comcast.net
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