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Gerber M Series cutters, M-3000, M-1200

Gerber Scientific Products acquired Data Technology, so now they can offer a flatbed cutter to compete with Zund cutters, Kongsberg cutters, and Mimaki CF2 and CF3 cutters. But recently Teckwin is entering this field, with a TeckRouter router and cutter.

Routers are another kind of technology

The Sabre 404 and Sabre 408 routers are another kind of flatbed technology. Our initial interest is not yet in routers, but rather initially in flatbed cutters that handle signage printed with UV-curable flatbed inkjet printers.

Gerber M Series cutters, M-3000, M-1200

Our interest is in flatbed cutting plotters, not roll-fed vinyl cutters

FLAAR does not evaluate vinyl cutting plotters for several reasons: first, their technology is relatively simple and most people buy automatically either by brand name (Roland is a well known brand) or price (cheap Asian clones). The technology is so basic it does not require a research institute to prepare a glossary, training programs, etc.

Second, there is little new or unusual technology in cutting plotters; this is fairly basic equipment that has been around for years.

Third, too many other exciting kinds of digital technology exist that attract our attention, most notably UV-cured wide-format inkjet printers. The new Gerber Solara Ion is precisely one such new technology that we are curious about.

Competition from China

When you visit a Chinese sign trade show (such as Shanghai) you see entire vast halls filled with knock-off flatbed cutters, routers, and CO2 laser engravers. So far, the only Chinese cutter that we are even considering looking at is the TeckRouter router and cutter from Teckwin with MGE iCUT Vision software.

Gerber M Series cutters reviews

For further information on flatbed cutters for foam material and other rigid materials
If you have questions about flatbed cutters, you ought to contact individuals who have experience both with flatbed cutters AND with UV-curable flatbed printers. After all, it's foam boards, Coroplast, Sintra, Styrene, plexiglas and many other materials you will need to understand how to cut.

One place that where we know the people personally, is Global Imaging (toll free 800 787-9801). They know about the reality of UV-curable flatbed printers, and know XY cutters.

They also know image capture (medium  format digital cameras, as an example). In other words, they are at a professional level. This is not a low-bid box pusher where they don't know the difference between UV and solvent ink.

If you are accustomed to priority treatment relative to UV printers, and have a printshop that needs to learn at a high level, might as well start at the top (the CEO of Global Imaging): Greg Lamb, glamb@globalimaginginc.com.

 

First posted October 8, 2007. 

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Dill Neo Titan
IP&I cube 260 UV
Durst Rho 351R
Durst Rho 351R
Dill Neo Titan
Durst Rho 800
IP&I Cube 1606uv
NUR expedio 5000
NUR Expedio 3200
Raster Printers H700UV
Sun LLC
GCC CO2
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Mimaki UVj 160
Printing on Ceramic tiles
UV flatbeb symposium
UV factory visits
Learning about UV printers
Data Mate Rembrandt
Printing doors
Printing table
Lenticular Images
Lenticular Images
Lenticular Images
Lenticular Images
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Gerber Ion
Oce Arizona 250
ColorSpan 9840UV
ColorSpan 9840UV
Nur Tempo
Nur Tempo
Nur Tempo
Vutek 200/600
Chinese UV printer
Korea UV printer
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Eco-Solvent Printers
Mild-Solvent
Bio-Solvent

Air Purification Solvent or UV Ink Odors

Island Clean Air ICA
Latex Water-Based Ink replaces Solvent ink
UV-Curable ink, OEM
(in preparation)
UV-Curable, third-party ink
Encres Dubuit
(others in preparation)

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Most of our updates for 2008 onward are in FLAAR Reports in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. It is more efficient for us to make new information available in PDF format. So if the web page itself is not updated, check out www.wide-format-printers.NET to see if the printer, RIP, or other subject is covered in an update in a PDF download.

Any problem with this site please report it to webmaster, or if you note any error, omission, or have a different opinion on a review, please contact the review editor, ReaderService@FLAAR.org, or find out how to meet Nicholas Hellmuth and speak with him personally. © 2001-2008 FLAAR