Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison
Looks great, that's what a CTS should cost.I don't know why the machines on the market are so expensive.I see that Spider have been around a while, does anyone have details on where they are made etc?
This is the Lawson they are referring to I believe :http://www.lawsonsp.com/screen-printing-equipment/digital-equipment/express-jet-printers/focus-cts
Side question: Why does Lawson always seem to have people from the 70s and 80s "modeling" with their equipment?
I'm still waiting for the scanning laser ones to come down in price.. those things are awesome...and the fact that you get a fully exposed screen out of the 'back end' of it with no consumables is pretty awesome as well.this is a quite interesting device for a smaller shop that's ready to get away from film.at 15k, and a 5 year depreciation cycle, you're looking at 3k a year or $250/month.... definitely seems to fit in well with a 50 screen/week type shop (depending on what the ink costs are of course).
I've spoken to the Exile guys (USA, that video seems to be geared for the UK?) a few times over the last year, they've stopped by the shop a few times since they are relatively close by outside of Houston. I've also been interested in seeing how the new Lawson works. I've been in the camp of wondering why there isn't cheaper options out there but I'm not so much against the $50-80K versions out there and my lack of knowledge of what actually goes into one plays a role. With my limited knowledge it would seem that one could build one for well under $20K but I'm only looking at it from seeing how some fairly complicated, wide format and high-end printers can go for $10K and less and think that somehow that could translate into a CTS machine. Again, it's part ignorance on my part along with a few discussions with guys who know more than me generally but don't work in the CTS field that have hinted that the prices will soon enough be MUCH lower than what we're seeing now. It sure doesn't seem like a complicated machine once you get past the RIP and I would think that those who deal with RIPs pretty much have them dialed in by now. You see printers from Epson and Roland printing super high detailed, full color images with great precision and somewhat affordable and an outsider sees that and automatically assumes that printing black, UV resistant ink/wax wouldn't be that much different. BUT we all know what happens when people ASSUME!If there is ever a CTS that is under $20K and will handle 50 screens per day and doesn't spend much time being worked on I know I'd be all over it. Our ROI isn't going to be close to what some shops have seen so regardless of how great a $70K CTS machine is and how awesome they would make all of our lives it simply doesn't make financial sense when the ROI is 3-4 years. If a CTS would double our setup efficiency and double our screen throughput pre-press then $50-70K isn't hard to swallow. Maybe Exile will want to beta test that $15K unit here and I can give everyone a real-time working review of it.