"He who marches out of step hears another drum." ~ Ken Kesey
On the subject of how a press is configured, for example, servo drive and AC print heads, I've never understood why there are so many servo driven and air operated print heads out there. If I could only have one of those options, AC print heads or servo indexer, I'd choose AC print heads and it's not even close. Sure it's nice to have a machine indexing smooth and quiet, but when it comes to performing the most important part of what we do, you know, the actual printing part, AC print heads are where it's at. An air indexer or servo for that matter has nothing to do with the actual squeegee stroke. If money were holding me back from getting both options on an auto, AC print heads are what's actually important yet you see a ton of servo driven presses with air operated print heads on the used market. It should be the other way around if people were really concerned about how the machine prints, not how well it indexes. Just my thoughts on that, anyone agree or disagree? Or care?
I know AC print heads are about $1500 per head, give or take a few hundred depending on dealer, manufacturer and their generosity at the time, but I really haven't compared pricing between servo drive and air driven indexers. I was dead set on both options and I know the AC print head option because it's broken down on several quotes from several different manufacturers. Does anyone know or have a price increase from an air to servo drive? I'd bet it is around 4-6K. Just my wild ass guess though, I could be way off.
even the table up at times can scare the heck out of ya.Darryl
Some presses air index is not even a option. I know that is the case with the S.Roque presses. I would imagine the same with MHM. Alpha 8 for that matter as well. With how they index, I'm not even sure they could be set up to air index. S.Roque's new "entry level" press has servo index and air heads. It was interesting, when our press was being installed the techinician(from Portugal) was looking at our anatol and said "oh yes, I have seen this type of indexer. We use it on our machines 10 years ago." He wasn't trying to be funny, he was somewhat intrestred in just how the machine(anatol) worked. I got a kick out of it though The first autos used either a Geneva drive or hydraulic chain driven index systemI almost wonder(I am guessing here, and could be totally wrong) if air indexing was the first way autos indexed. It would make sense. And since everyone always seems to want a cheaper press, they leave the air indexer as a option to lower the price of the press and make it more appealing. I would guess(again) that most people that want AC heads are not buying their first auto, or if they are, they have done their research. I wouldn't want a nice smooth press with AC heads and then a air indexer that will shake the hell out of the machine.
Some presses air index is not even a option. I know that is the case with the S.Roque presses. I would imagine the same with MHM. Alpha 8 for that matter as well. With how they index, I'm not even sure they could be set up to air index. S.Roque's new "entry level" press has servo index and air heads. It was interesting, when our press was being installed the techinician(from Portugal) was looking at our anatol and said "oh yes, I have seen this type of indexer. We use it on our machines 10 years ago." He wasn't trying to be funny, he was somewhat intrestred in just how the machine(anatol) worked. I got a kick out of it though I almost wonder(I am guessing here, and could be totally wrong) if air indexing was the first way autos indexed. It would make sense. And since everyone always seems to want a cheaper press, they leave the air indexer as a option to lower the price of the press and make it more appealing. I would guess(again) that most people that want AC heads are not buying their first auto, or if they are, they have done their research. I wouldn't want a nice smooth press with AC heads and then a air indexer that will shake the hell out of the machine.
Quote from: TCT on April 02, 2013, 09:15:55 PMSome presses air index is not even a option. I know that is the case with the S.Roque presses. I would imagine the same with MHM. Alpha 8 for that matter as well. With how they index, I'm not even sure they could be set up to air index. S.Roque's new "entry level" press has servo index and air heads. It was interesting, when our press was being installed the techinician(from Portugal) was looking at our anatol and said "oh yes, I have seen this type of indexer. We use it on our machines 10 years ago." He wasn't trying to be funny, he was somewhat intrestred in just how the machine(anatol) worked. I got a kick out of it though I almost wonder(I am guessing here, and could be totally wrong) if air indexing was the first way autos indexed. It would make sense. And since everyone always seems to want a cheaper press, they leave the air indexer as a option to lower the price of the press and make it more appealing. I would guess(again) that most people that want AC heads are not buying their first auto, or if they are, they have done their research. I wouldn't want a nice smooth press with AC heads and then a air indexer that will shake the hell out of the machine.I was hoping one of the old timers or gearheads would chime in, but I thought most of that old M&M/American stuff was mostly servo. Another thing I had to mention reading this--from my limited experience, if you properly adjust an air indexer, it works just as well as a servo--just not as fast.I'm assuming they could be equivalent systems given the same spec--at least to a point.
If you are sincerely interested, I will take pics of how the American Arrow works geneva and all.Personally, I fell like it works pretty well.