Growth of a small shop

[Gilligan]

Looking at the pic, is the radicure in backwards?

Yes, it kind of has to go that way... We could completely rearrange it but I'm hoping reversing the belt is good enough.

It only has 3 panels, in a 1101 configuration, so we are now running it in a 1011 configuration.

I'm not sold on the 1.5' in feed but my printer says he's ok with it.  I told him if it isn't working I can run some wires for the motor to the other side (electrical is right on that side already) and we could move it around pretty easily.

Current indicator LEDs are not that bright, so hardly are usable except when directly checking them... Need to see about fixing that if possible.

[bulldog]

So is all that in a 450 sq foot area or did you gain some space when you knocked the hole in the wall?

What is the footprint of your Sabre?

[Homer]

Congrats Gilly, I know it's been a long time coming so savor the moment! It's a game changer when you start looking at 300-400pc orders as an hours easy work.

Funny you say that.  I got a call a couple days ago for 300 cheap black shirts with just white on one side as I quoted them, I thought... Man, that is cheap, but I wasn't saddened as I knew that would be about a two hour job and easy money.

don't lower your price just because you went auto, now you gotta pay for that sucker.

Under the press already effing with adjustments after the tech set it up?  ....

nice machine Gil, time for some vids of that baby making some bank.

[mk162]

welcome to air...i felt like our air gauntlet could always be a touch softer when running.  It finally reached a point where I got it as good as it could get(which was fine) and ran with it.

I do like servo though, changing platens without slamming or clunking.

[Gilligan]

So is all that in a 450 sq foot area or did you gain some space when you knocked the hole in the wall?

What is the footprint of your Sabre?

LOL... yep, the hole in the wall allowed us to move the drying cabinet, exposure unit and developing tank into the other room.  So we gained some elbow room, not square footage.

12.5' just like the specs say it is, I just took the tape to it.  But we have more room than I was anticipating.  Maybe because I plan for the worse or maybe because the Radicure is that much shorter than I was expecting to have freeing up some space.  We can walk completely around the entire press fairly comfortably, even while it's running.

don't lower your price just because you went auto, now you gotta pay for that sucker.

Under the press already effing with adjustments after the tech set it up?  ....

nice machine Gil, time for some vids of that baby making some bank.

Hell no!  That was my previous prices... just before it would have been decent money but a good bit of time due to PFP on a manual.  300 pcs with all the hates my guy wears would take him all day or possibly a couple of days unless he was able to just hammer through them, which he typically can't.  (FYI, it was 4.64 each, I don't think we got the bid)

Well, to be fair... we got the press in on Thursday, unexpectedly, and I went a head and called Work Horse and told a small white lie that we had everything in the shop and ready to go.  Truth was the print heads and arms were in but the center shaft and flash was still in it's crate in our storage container because our forklift wasn't coming in until the next day.  I just wanted to make sure we weren't delaying them sending a tech out any longer than we had to since I knew we would be good to go first thing the next morning.  Well, they said they could have a tech at my place the NEXT day, he was doing an install 30 mins away!  *GULP*

We made it work as with ISS Dallas going on, it would have been some time before we could have gotten a tech out to do the install if we wouldn't have seized that opportunity.  Only caveat was that he HAD to be done by Saturday night because he had to be in Dallas for ISS setup.  I certainly didn't mind the long hours or coming in on Saturday.  So we jumped on it!

The tech had showed me how the valves work to speed up/slow down the lift and decent of the press and where the cylinder cushion adjustments were and we tweaked them a bit while he was here.  But as the press got broken in and things really started moving more freely the thunk that was happening at the bottom of the decent became more than my guy and I were liking.  So I went down there and decided to get it "right".  Now it's smoother and has a very subtle thump at the bottom that we both like a whole lot better.

Truth be told, I don't think our tech understood how detailed orientated we were and how meticulous we were going to have this baby tuned up.  It's not perfectly level and I'm guessing that judging our shop and others in the are that just get Javs or Freedoms AND that we only had 3 auto screens stretched up as we thought we would have another day or two before the tech arrived.... AND that we had some seemingly dumb questions on where to burn the screens which was misinterpreted to what he thought was REALLY dumb questions.  He was telling us to have registration marks on our artwork LOL as he thought that was part of our puzzle.  We just didn't know how to deal with the "right of way" of the print head carriage and where it can and CAN'T print.  Coupled for us with the fact that the plattens move, the screen holders move... where is this all supposed to go?!?!   It was a bit overwhelming from our system that we developed 2 years ago that we have been using to slap films on the screens that was so simple and any adjustments were pretty easy to make because the screen was in the rear holder and didn't have any place to go.  Now we had so many more variables and no FPU to go with.

Anyway, the tech was patient with us and even helped get the radicure in and our dryer in storage and some advice on how to do a few repairs that weren't related to anything he was doing.  He certainly didn't have to take time out of the install to do those things but man did we appreciate it!

So, yeah... it's not balls on perfect, but we will get it there and it is probably the best most shops ever see... we just come from the Anal Alan School of printing and want to get everything nailed down PERFECT!

[Gilligan]

welcome to air...i felt like our air gauntlet could always be a touch softer when running.  It finally reached a point where I got it as good as it could get(which was fine) and ran with it.

I do like servo though, changing platens without slamming or clunking.

Yeah, the servo indexing and AC heads are nice... Their indexing method is rather clever, though it may not be unique to them... basically a double yoke bearing that takes turns indexing the shaft as it spins in half turn increments.  I wish they would have put a proximity sensor at the midway point so allow half indexing though.

It's pretty soft now, we could soften it more but it would be at the expense of time before it could flash (flash back), so we left a small thud in it to get it moving.  Balancing act... the boys in New Orleans with their servo lift probably don't have to worry about these things.   (just replacing that expensive ass servo if it ever goes out!  And double clutching at the right moment. :p )

[alan802]

I spent an hour around the Sabre yesterday, 30 minutes at the Sroque YOU, an hour at the G3, 45 minutes with the MHM X-type, 3 minutes at the Anatol Volt, and about 15 minutes at the DB so I got to see a lot of autos up close yesterday.  I'll start another thread on my thoughts on each machine on Monday but I'll say a few things now.  RPM is going to get passed up, if they aren't already, in the "bang-for-the-buck" category.  It's hard to say just how lucky we are these days with having so many GREAT machines out there and just 5 years ago I would have said the only great autos were just a tad bit out of our price range and the RPM.  That's not true anymore. 

The operating systems I saw yesterday were impressive, and I'd say the Sabre is right up there in the top 2, along with the MHM, and the G3 is so functional it's hard to knock points off because its not as sleek and pretty as the Sabre, MHM and Anatol Aries.  There were a few things on the Sabre that I thought were very unique and nobody else had done.  Others have the maintenance schedules on there but then having a video there to show exactly how/where to do the maintenance?  Wow, that's cool.  The Sabre's ability to integrate with shop software and their portal system was awesome too.  Others have the same type of function or ability to tap into other networks/software but I didn't think anyone has that feature as well thought out as the Sabre does.  It's close in that department, with the MHM tablet and the new stuff that is coming/already here with M&R but for a press with the price point of the Sabre?  I'm shaking my head.  And watch the hell out when/if the Falcon gets this upgrade.  They are also already looking at upgrading some of the less noticeable components of the Sabre that won't necessarily enhance the functionality or appearance any but just knowing it's there will be nice but I won't go into that since there were parts of the conversations that were off the record so to speak.   

So after having some questions on the robustness of the Sabre and if it was stout enough to handle a higher volume shop...those were answered with a yes.  There was only 2 areas that I though might need some improvement with regards to the print head and that was discussed and is already in the works.  By no means were those things a deal-breaker, not even for my picky ass, but it's nice to see that the Workhorse guys are truly committed to putting out a machine with no real weaknesses. 

[Gilligan]

Small update... We had to get out a 150 pcs contract job today.

I left for a meeting right as backs were done being setup, returned to my guy having problems getting some union royal blue to clear some 180 (I suspect scumming or something, screen opener or pressure got us rolling and we had no time to play).

It was two color left chest plus under base (we flashed table up in head two with the flash back).  Put a three man crew on it and was bursting at 600/hour, sustained 500/hour.

Sabre + flashback was kicking some ass today!