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I am wanting to upgrade from my good ol' 4b....but I am gunshy!!! Can I get some opinions as to the best plotter out there. I am also worried about interfacing it with my signlab software....
suggestions and opinions requested!!!
Barry
------------------ Master's Touch Signs & Screenprinting Clinton AR 5017456246 ICQ 17430008 "Imagine the Possibilities..."
Posts: 2500 | From: Clinton, AR USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I would have to say most plotters will be fine. Signlab has an excellent database of drivers for plotters. Decide if you want pounce capabilities, cutting sandblast stencil and such, are the only things I would worry about. I have used a Summa D610 for almost 6 years. It has been great right out of the box. I am sure their newer ones are better yet.
------------------ Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Since 1978 www.wrightsigns.bigstep.com All change isn't progress, and all progress isn't forward.
Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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First question, what is the biggest use for your plotter with the second question being what else would you like it to do without much effort? Intermediant and HP vinyls, reflective, paper patterns, sandblast mask?
If you have an EDGE, you should stay with a 15” sprocket machine. Also, if you plot long runs of copy or graphics, or a moderate amount of sandblast stencil, you probably will be better off with sprocket fed. If most of the time its just standard vinyl and not long runs, perhaps a friction fed machine will suit your needs. I’m sure some people may chip in here and say that a FF plotter can cut long runs as well; I just haven’t been exposed to it. FF machines do appear to do better today than yesterday, and tomorrows models should be better than today’s. I’m lazy, I like putting 50yards of punched vinyl in a machine and walking away to make money else where in the shop while the plotter works.
I’m partial to Gerber, so my suggestion would be enVision 375 for high production or either the GSxplus / GSx15plus for lighter volume. And if you have had your 4B for any length of time, you can attest to the quality of Gerber. As for FF, Graphtec offers some nice machines at attractive prices and Gerber has done well with the Fastrack series.
posted
I like Si's answer! "But beware of your fingers as they can get in the way!"
The true has been said! and that is if you can get one to pounce (Great!)
Sprocket feed! It alone is better then friction as you can do fine lines to infinity with little cambering! (Off line tracking.) Width of plotter! What type of work are you doing and will you need something bigger in the future? Most shops will work with 24" to start and as they grow will put a second machine in 48" or bigger. Tasmus! If your work can handle the purchase of a wider machine at first then purchase one!
Now as all others have said...Materials... Most vinyl are not a problem... But if you are using a lot of reflectives or sandblast materials then take into mind about the blade costs,etc! To me its not the machines and cost but the application I want it to do. Most have the same warranties and set ups as far as operations.
I myself have a Mimaki CG 60. Great little vinyl and stencil cutter but as far as Sandblasting mask! It the Shizt! But then again I don't do sandblasted work.
Also anything over a certain size in lettering I like to handletter to save money on costs and pocket the profit! Hope this help in a small way!
Talk to them all (Dealers and ask the questions to suit your needs) Also hang onto the old work horse as a backup.
------------------ Raven/2001 Airbrushed by Raven Lower Sackville N.S. deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
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I am looking for a moderate volume/higher speed unit to cut hp and intermediate vinyls....I an both interested in, and afraid of a friction fed system. I can see the advantage of one, but I also want to be able to leave the thing unattended as I work elsewhere in the shop. Do most friction fed units require a LOT OF CLOSE MONITORING?
------------------ Master's Touch Signs & Screenprinting Clinton AR 5017456246 ICQ 17430008 "Imagine the Possibilities..."
Posts: 2500 | From: Clinton, AR USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Tasmus, I have been using Suma plotters for about 8 yeras now and the learning curve on how to get a good length of cut is very short and painless. I will admit though, if you just throw the vinyl in with out a quick check of alignment (2-3 seconds max) it will bite you on occasion. Last week I has extremly busy with a couple of large banner orders and if it weren't for the dependability of my plotter I would have been sunk (I cut close to 300 yds of intermeadiate vinyl in 2 days). I am able to put in full 50 yd rolls (just last week) and start the thing going from beginning to end with less than 1/6" of an inch of skewing from end to end.
------------------ Greg Gulliford aka MetroDude Metro Signs and Banners 1403 N. Greene St. #1 Spokane, WA 99202 509-536-9452
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got lots a money stay with gerber..they take it......ff plotter is all i know....and i can do 10-15' runs with my old roland pnc-1000.....once you leanr to set the vinyl at the proper place with a ff it will usually stay there....i like the rolands...i cut from corel...no big expense for softwear...and the roland can be set up to work from a printer port or com port....so you have choices...saw somewhere either suma or graphtec...boast that they have the longest lenght run without going off the pinch rollers...
------------------ joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-944-5060 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND
Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well, over the last 18 years we've had Gerber, HTD, Newing-Hall, Summa, and Roland.
My personal preference is sprocket over friction.
The Summa we had was the old D-15. It was a sprocket fed plotter with a swivel blade. I don't know why Summa discontinued it. It was a dynomite little plotter. It cut 50yd rolls of reflective like no tomorrow.
Roland did a fine job with small letters. But, I had a real problem with tracking beyond 10 feet.
I'm currently using Gerber's enVision 375 and Gerber's Odyssey.
The enVision is fast, accurate and will cut anything you want. The only complaint I have is the loud hum. It can really get on your nerves.
The Odyssey is a 49" wide friction fed plotter. I love it. I can cut anything I want with little trouble. I have even cut entire rolls of 48"x50yd. reflective at one time. It uses a pair of sensors to maintain accurate tracking and will automaticly adjust the vinyl to keep it straight. A few weeks ago, I gave it a 30"x50yd. roll of reflective to cut. I went to lunch. Came back and the job was done. No sweat. The only draw back is that I don't recommend it for cutting Edge prints if you intend to do any sort of volume.
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I can't complain about my Roland PC-60 for cutting. I even use Corel 9 for software. We did a big bus last fall and had to cut stripes 16' long. The only problem is having 16 feet of vinyl laying on the floor as it feeds it back and forth.
------------------ Laura Butler Vision Graphics and Sign 560 Oak St. Lapeer, Mi 48446 810-664-3812 visiongraphics@tir.com
"Anything thats comes from my shop, comes from the right brain."
Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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Graphtec!! but we also have a pair of 750s, the old workhorse. Best pounce patterns around. All are 30"ers.
------------------ St.Marie Graphics & Makin' Tracks Sound Studio Kalispell, Montana stmariegraphics@centurytel.net http://www.stmariegraphics.com 800 735-8026 We're chiseling every day of the week! :^)
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To Bob Rochon... Bob...We have come to expect and to be very comfortable with 10 meter (about 40') perfect (well, almost perfect) tracking. You should be getting the same...all the time...That's assuming the 4100. hk
------------------ Howard Keiper Sales Mgr., Graphtec Benicia, Ca. keip@pacbell.net
Posts: 409 | From: Benicia, Ca., USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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"Super quiet Roland and ..."? And you let that slide? When it comes to quiet, you've got us all beat.
Hi Greg:
Thanks for the kudos on our tracking! That's been the primary focus of our engineers, and our variable width pinch system has been out performing tractor feed for a number of years. Hence, we discontinued the D-15 (sorry Glenn).
The problem with punched material is that accuracy is only as good as the punching. And with each move of the X-axis, the holes in the material elongate, particularly with paper lined vinyls. Accurate friction drives are much preferred ... both from an accuracy standpoint, as well as speed and flexible media width cutting ability.
Agree ye not Howard?
------------------ Jim Doggett Vice President Summa, Inc.
Seattle, WA USA jim@summusa.com
Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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Yes, I do agree. Truth is, I can hardly hear anything, anymore, anyway, so noise is not an issue with me....except that noisy machines in general, make me tense for some reason. In my mind, speed, versatility, and flexability trump all else, given that tracking is not actually poor. I'd be much more impressed if someone said they cut 5 feet of High Intensity reflective and got the results they expected, rather than getting 50 feet of normal reflective to track well. To each, his own. hk
------------------ Howard Keiper Sales Mgr., Graphtec Benicia, Ca. keip@pacbell.net
Posts: 409 | From: Benicia, Ca., USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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i have the graphtec fc3100-60 and have had no problems with it. before that i had the 20 inch graphtec. before that the gerber 4b. Howard send me some info on the 4100.
------------------ Jimmy Chatham Chatham Signs 164 Poplar Rd. Commerce, Ga 30529 706-335-2348 Fax 706-335-3378 icq#11718273
Posts: 1766 | From: Commerce, GA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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We are running The Graphtec 4100, and a IVB. They are both run by Signlab from the same computer and we use both on a daily basis. Love the Graphtec, it will track straight a long way - never measured, and it is sooo fast and quiet compared to the IVB. Mainly use IVB for cutting sheets for Fargo printer and reflective small jobs when we're to lazy to change Graphtec knife. We use separate blade for reflective and have weights preset for 2mil, 3mil & reflective. My 2 cents! (not worth much Canadian)
------------------ Colleen Henderson Signs Now, Thunder Bay, ON signsnow@tbaytel.net
Posts: 140 | From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jun 1999
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