CTS LED exposure combo at M&R booth

[dirkdiggler]

I don't ever seeing us being large enough to justify one, but it's a truly amazing system.

think about it, no more outputting film, no more carrier sheets, no film purchase, no filing old art, no cleaning tape off carriers.  eliminates all of those jobs.  Even the 68k version, that's less than 1 minimum wage job with a 5 year finance, with no bitching, no laying out of work, no vacation time, no holiday pay, faster setup times with perfect registration.  We are doing the math and strongly considering it.

[Gilligan]

I don't ever seeing us being large enough to justify one, but it's a truly amazing system.

think about it, no more outputting film, no more carrier sheets, no film purchase, no filing old art, no cleaning tape off carriers.  eliminates all of those jobs.  Even the 68k version, that's less than 1 minimum wage job with a 5 year finance, with no bitching, no laying out of work, no vacation time, no holiday pay, faster setup times with perfect registration.  We are doing the math and strongly considering it.

Are you REALLY eliminating that entire person?  Yes, many tasks of an employee gets removed, but ot all of them.

[GraphicDisorder]

I don't ever seeing us being large enough to justify one, but it's a truly amazing system.

think about it, no more outputting film, no more carrier sheets, no film purchase, no filing old art, no cleaning tape off carriers.  eliminates all of those jobs.  Even the 68k version, that's less than 1 minimum wage job with a 5 year finance, with no bitching, no laying out of work, no vacation time, no holiday pay, faster setup times with perfect registration.  We are doing the math and strongly considering it.

Are you REALLY eliminating that entire person?  Yes, many tasks of an employee gets removed, but ot all of them.

I think you read too fast.  He didn't say he was eliminating a person.  He said it costs less than a minimum wage job. 

[Gilligan]

Right, meaning to do those task you would need to hire a person... Otherwise you aren't really saving any of that.

[dirkdiggler]

I need to hire that person, so I would rather hire the machine, just the situation at MY shop, can't speak for others.

[Gilligan]

Back to the point of being a big shop though.

[GraphicDisorder]

I need to hire that person, so I would rather hire the machine, just the situation at MY shop, can't speak for others.

It's sorta like when we bought an auto.  As a two person shop we could have either bought an auto and have factors faster in output or hired a person to only mildly help increase print speed on the manual.   The auto was not only cheaper than a employee but our output was drastically more.

Right, meaning to do those task you would need to hire a person... Otherwise you aren't really saving any of that.

If someone is already doing the process in his shop and it's a bottle neck then he can either hire someone additional to help speed it up or he can buy the machine at a cost less than a new employee and that same current process now has higher output.....with no new hire.  The point at which this makes sense will not be the same in each shop as the way most shops staff is different even though we all do the basic same processes. 

[Gilligan]

I don't ever seeing us being large enough to justify one, but it's a truly amazing system.

<the discussion between you, digger and I starts here>

But the quote inside the above quote it is where the real discrepancy is.

[alan802]

You guys know I've been doing a ton of research on this and my biggest problem right now is figuring out how it's going to affect our current staff/payroll.  I know it's going to increase our production capability by a large margin, right away.  But what about that void we will have, the free time on hand now that we've done 5 days worth of work normally, in 3 days?  I don't mind cutting payroll at the benefit of the company, but I do feel responsible for keeping the guys busy and them get their hours in so they can pay bills.  I'm looking too far into this but it's one of those things that I've thought about among many other things that may be affected.  I know that most everything will be positively affected by adding CTS to the shop but I've seen a few things that might not work as well.

[Socalfmf]

Alan

you know I am big proponent of the DTS and streamlining.  The only thing having a DTS will help is the bottom line.  you will be able to do more with less and make more.  I did a time study of film vs dts and I was amazed on how much time it really takes to do film even if you have them cataloged.  it still takes time vs. dts.  ours was about 3 min to 1.  plus your exposure time is reduced, rinse out is fast ect.  now adding in the LED.  damn you are making screens in record time.  Last week I was in Chicago and went to see M&R and wow.  it is amazing how fast that thing was.

sam

[ebscreen]

I'd argue that it does require quite a bit more of a skilled operator though. Any mouthbreather can tape film to a screen
and press a couple buttons on an exposure unit. But add a full on computer to that mix and things starts exploding.

[BorisB]

I'd argue that it does require quite a bit more of a skilled operator though. Any mouthbreather can tape film to a screen
and press a couple buttons on an exposure unit. But add a full on computer to that mix and things starts exploding.

That was my initial concern, when we installed it. Girl that worked screen room before and after install of CTS as well,  never had any computer experience. She still has no FB or e-mail. It took me only 15 minutes to teach her work with RIP.  Including changing positions.  And she speaks no english as well.


Boris

[bimmridder]

Eb, I can show anyone how to run out CTS in 15 minutes or less. Literally a matter of 6-8 key strokes. I am not proud of the fact that I am about the most computer illiterate person alive, but our CTS is a piece of cake. I will admit it took our artists a little time to get used to, but if I asked them to print out film (if we had the ability) they'd have similar problems "learning" how to do that again. Actually only one of our five artists has ever printed to film. 

[Alex M]

Our Print Production Software (PPS) really can keep things simple in the screen room. The operator needs to know how to open a file (just like any Windows machine) and click print. All the options for art work can/will be decided by the artist. This way the operator needs very little computer knowledge to run the unit.

There are many ways to set up our i-Image ST/STE, the workflow scenarios are almost endless. If anyone has questions on how it would apply to their shop specifically please feel free to PM/Email/Call me. 

[T Shirt Farmer]

For those of us that weren't at sgia. Here's the factory video, absolutely awesome.


http://m.youtube.com/mrprinting?uid=AqfKMlk5dKajXz2c6zN3Uw&desktop_uri=%2Fmrprinting

I will be taking a good look at this for a capital expenditure at the end of the year. Watch the video and look at the reflection when the light bar turns on, it appears there are voids in the light where there is a space between the bulbs. It seems you would not get an even exposure, I assume the rows of lights are off set, would this make for a even blanket of light over a given area?