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firecracker

wanting to upgrade

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I make signs for in-house use only, I am in the firework business and make signs for all our stands.

I am currently using a Summa D-750 cutter for the last 15 years it's time to upgrade and retire the old machine.

I would like to purchase a machine that's prints directly on Coro. What kind of recommendations do you suggest and are there any machines that do both?

Thanks for any help you can give.

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a flatbed printer that prints directly on coro was over $75 the last I knew - much cheaper to get a $8K latex printer to print on vinyl and then apply that to the coro.  maybe the fladbeds have came down some in the past 4 years but betting not a great deal

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51 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said:

a flatbed printer that prints directly on coro was over $75 the last I knew - much cheaper to get a $8K latex printer to print on vinyl and then apply that to the coro.  maybe the fladbeds have came down some in the past 4 years but betting not a great deal

ouch! hmm, maybe i shouldn't be so concerned about the cost of my laser engraver. :P

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I drool over them at the shows lol,  very cool and must be great money in fireworks to purchase one of those

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fireworks=pyrotechnics=explosives=hold my beer and watch this.

Ya, I'd buy one.

 

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Like any solvent printer though you will need to keep it printing or you will be replacing very very expensive heads often - think about spending more than a graphtec ce-6000-60 every time you put heads in the machine and if it has 4-6 that multiplies.  not something you uses once in a while - sold my solvent printer as they don't even like 3 week vacations well and we are planning longer ones after wife retires in 16 months.

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2 hours ago, Dakotagrafx said:

a flatbed printer that prints directly on coro was over $75 the last I knew - much cheaper to get a $8K latex printer to print on vinyl and then apply that to the coro.  maybe the fladbeds have came down some in the past 4 years but betting not a great deal

is latex better than a solvent? what do I need to be cautious of if getting a used one? 

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1 hour ago, Dakotagrafx said:

I drool over them at the shows lol,  very cool and must be great money in fireworks to purchase one of those

not really, lol looking for a good used one.

 

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latex doesn't clog heads as bad as solvent when not used for a couple weeks - you will need a new 220 power run for it though

on any used printer always see a clean nozzle check prior to purchasing  - missing nozzles will never come back but lots of sellers will tell you it will

betting a used flat bed will still be 30K-40k or more - no such thing as a cheap flat bed printer that is usable 

Also don't recall ever seeing a latex flat bed but they may exist - just not at the shows I was at

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PS whatever you get plan on printing on it continuously  - not let it sit for more than a couple of weeks between jobs

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I don't think those are adapters for the latex.  I believe they are completely different machines.  I got invited to the HP demo here in Atlanta but I didn't go.  I kept asking them for a estimated price and they would not give me one.  So I'm thinking very expensive.

One of the things I like the most about my Latex printer is I can let it sit for a long time without any worries.  One of the main reasons that I want with Latex.  I have a few different things I do with my business so I don't keep my printer running every day like a lot of the people on this forum.  I've let mine sit for three weeks without any issue.  I wouldn't be afraid to let it sit for three months though.  No problem.

I think a Latex unit would do exactly what you need it to but you would be printing on vinyl and applying it to corrugated.

I also hope Dakota is wrong about the parts ----- or hopefully I will never need any.  LOL

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the parts comment is from reading on several forums - seems to be a problem for the HP and Mutoh printers - I personally have ordered encoder strip and reader for a 6+ year old roland with no problem - biggest reason the old guys tend to have the roland and mimaki printers - hopefully you won't need the parts ironbar but I have owned 3 printers and have had to do maint on all 3 (more so the first 2 because they was not as new)

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I am looking at a Roland SC-545EX 

Any thoughts?

I have been looking at the price of flatbed printers and your right, WOW!! Out of my price range for what I need.

Think I'll go with something I can print and apply on Coroplast.

How is latex in outdoor use? does the sign color hold up in the sun? I am in Texas with hot summers.

 

 

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latex is fine outdoors and is much more forgiving when not being used like ironbar said above - only downside is getting parts after the first year or two , and needing the 220 power

The price on the hp is appealing too - I worked from my house so the print/cut feature was important to me and the reason I had 3  rolands but for your use the latex actually sounds better

https://www.uscutter.com/HP-Latex-115-54-inch-Wide-Format-Printer

 

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I went through this when I was looking for a new printer:    This is completely my opinion I formed while shopping for a printer.

Latex -

Advantages:

  • No clogs after sitting for a long period of time. 
  • HP 115 allows for in home/office setup by end user without having to deal with a dealer and all of their fees and contracts
  • Almost zero smell (only smell is the vinyl being heated up in the drying process)
  • No wait for out-gassing
  • Very little maintenance on a regular basis.  I have had mine for about 6 months and I have not done anything with it except print.
  • New technology they are continuing to improve.

Disadvantages:

  • Requires 220v (not a major one to me but everyone harps on it)
  • Parts *might* be an issue long term
  • No print/cut combination (that I know of) (the barcode function of the HP/Suma/Graphtec cutters works GREAT though)
  • Prints are not as "bright"

Roland/ECO -

Advantages:

  • Years and years of use of these units and you can find help with almost anything.  Great support & parts.
  • Brighter prints
  • Print/Cut combination units (saves space but costs time - might not actually be an advantage)
  • Many sources for ink

Disadvantages:

  • Requires you to print often
  • Requires routine maintenance (not hard to do though)
  • Smell - ECO does not have very much of a smell but it is there
  • All units I looked at required a deal being involved in the install and setup thus costing additional fees

The same:

  • Print quality is good with both types
  • Print longevity is about the same
  • Price is not really that far off depending on the unit
  • About the same materials are available for both

As far as outdoor signage.  I've only had mine for about 6 months.  I printed some unlaminated decals when I first started and stuck them to the back of my truck.  They have not faded any noticeable amount.  HP advertises that unlaminated inks will last at least two years.  If you use a quality material and laminate it you will get about 7 years.  This is my understanding.  I think ECO is about the same.

I was about to write the check for a Roland when I switched to the Latex mostly because I don't want to worry about running it every week.  I think you can't go wrong with either one.

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