I Image Computer issues

[inkman996]

A lot of the idea of having a back up film printer is not worth it in the long run.  It takes too much attention throughout the year to “just be able to print film” when that one time that a machine goes down for period of 4 hrs to maybe a full day of production use. It rarely happens, but it can over maybe 1-6 years time. I know it hurts the schedule when it does, but hopefully, you don’t have many jobs in your flow that can’t hold off for a day. Or maybe work overtime the next day when you get the machine running.


Mentally, we think we need to keep rolling every day to not get behind. But if you are scheduling due dates like most people, then you may be getting those orders completed several days before they are actually due and not printing them the day of the due date. Thereby, giving you a days cushion for mishaps.  But yea, take one day out of the schedule, and your whole flow is off. Who wants that? 


We all know “we don’t want to not print for one day), but I’ve been in many shops where something happened and there was a full day down. A gas shut off, electric goes out all day, Some shops would send this people home, but most have plenty of things to put them onto for the day. Then maybe OT the next day when the machine is back up.


Being down won’t last long, but it’s usually never for multiple days.

We do not make screens the day we need them, that is to risky. I tend to organize what I send to the CTS room based on how they can be ganged up or to have them ready to be printed sometime during the week. But even one day down is enough to throw things into chaos.

Fortunately I got a fellow on the phone today that figured out after a while the tech yesterday installed the incorrect software. So it all had to be started again from scratch but after about 4 hours now I am finally running again. Kind of liking Homers idea of cloning the drive and having it as a back up for the future.

[Frog]

Kind of liking Homers idea of cloning the drive and having it as a back up for the future.

This is pretty good free backup software that offers the cloning option
https://www.ubackup.com/free-backup-software.html

[blue moon]

A lot of the idea of having a back up film printer is not worth it in the long run.  It takes too much attention throughout the year to “just be able to print film” when that one time that a machine goes down for period of 4 hrs to maybe a full day of production use. It rarely happens, but it can over maybe 1-6 years time. I know it hurts the schedule when it does, but hopefully, you don’t have many jobs in your flow that can’t hold off for a day. Or maybe work overtime the next day when you get the machine running.


Mentally, we think we need to keep rolling every day to not get behind. But if you are scheduling due dates like most people, then you may be getting those orders completed several days before they are actually due and not printing them the day of the due date. Thereby, giving you a days cushion for mishaps.  But yea, take one day out of the schedule, and your whole flow is off. Who wants that? 


We all know “we don’t want to not print for one day), but I’ve been in many shops where something happened and there was a full day down. A gas shut off, electric goes out all day, Some shops would send this people home, but most have plenty of things to put them onto for the day. Then maybe OT the next day when the machine is back up.


Being down won’t last long, but it’s usually never for multiple days.

that would mean leaving things to chance. When things are down, it could be quick, it could be for a while. We have backups for everything and I mean everything; dryers, presses, heat presses, CTS, even personnel. It might take an hour to get things up, but we know it will be up in an hour. Maybe it's the ex military in me. . .

pierre

[bimmridder]

"If anything I would get one and never open it.  That would be your best bet."

Actually I think your best bet is a back up CTS.

[inkman996]

"If anything I would get one and never open it.  That would be your best bet."

Actually I think your best bet is a back up CTS.

We would get a second with out hesitation but we just do not have that kind of space. I may buy a low end printer and just let it sit till I may need it.

[zanegun08]

Just find someone locally that you could get films for when you are in a bind. 

You'll pay more but better than buying another printer and hopefully you have some sort of relationship with a local shop that could help out when your CTS does go down.

If you have some sort of screen supply by you that you could get printed films from as well.

Redundancy is great, but when that redundancy costs $50k + or whatever that's more of a burden for that 1% case when something goes down.

[blue moon]

film printer comes in handy for those oversized jobs and other odd jobs. We print once a week or so and have everything ready when it's needed.

pierre

[3Deep]

film printer comes in handy for those oversized jobs and other odd jobs. We print once a week or so and have everything ready when it's needed.

pierre

Yep nice to have both film output units