Choosing between Epilog and Universal for a first machine

[Keith Winter]

Do you think it's possible to have a better price at a show than the standard discount ?

Pricing is always better at the show. Sometimes by thousands of dollars and/or freebies/upgrades worth thousands.

[Ross Moshinsky]

At the show, for whatever reason, they give you the "best" price right away. When you contact your sales rep out of the blue, expect to spend a decent chunk of time negotiating the price.

[Dan Hollis]

I would agree, not a valid comparison (see my earlier reply #23). The argument of steppers vs servos is not that cut and dried IMO. Here's an interesting discussion of why Universal uses steppers, Mike McKenzie post #3.
http://www.engravingetc.org/archive/...g=EE&msg=872.1

can you make a video of your ULS reversing direction as quickly as that epilog?

our vls4.60 performs exactly the same as that one in the video. raster,pause,raster,pause,raster,pause. and i know exactly why the universals do it. they have to decelerate more gradually, or risk skipping steps.

the epilog helix 24 goes rasterrasterrasterrasterrasterrasterrasterrasterra ster. just like the one in that video. and again i know exactly why the epilog can do it. the feedback markers lets them do it safely.

[Brian Leavitt]

That's not true. If it was, that would mean the VLS engraves at about 40ips and I can tell you it doesn't. Epilog and ULS are both rated at 80-90ips.

I believe it. My ULS and Epilog machines both rated around the same speed, but the Epilog will run many jobs twice as fast using the same settings (almost the same settings - 500LPI on the Universal vs. 600LPI on the Epilog) . There are a couple of reasons. First is it doesn't have to pause at the end of each line. Second is it disregards all of the "white space" in any given file. It is especially noticeable with text. Say you have a a word like "Recognition". When it comes to the descender of the "g", the Epilog will travel back and forth only enough to laser that descender, while engraving. The ULS will travel the entire length of the word regardless.

Of course, This is on an older ULS laser so things may be different now...

That said, I'd honestly still take the ULS over the Epilog. It engraves better detail and never breaks. Heck - the 50 watt tube in the Universal is 10 years old and is still outputting 58 watts.

[Keith Winter]

Second is it disregards all of the "white space" in any given file. It is especially noticeable with text. Say you have a a word like "Recognition". When it comes to the descender of the "g", the Epilog will travel back and forth only enough to laser that descender, while engraving. The ULS will travel the entire length of the word regardless.

Of course, This is on an older ULS laser so things may be different now...

Interesting the white space I wonder if that has been fixed in newer versions...That seems like a simple software optimization, can anyone with a newer ULS verify if that has been fixed?

[ludovic chenaux]

At the show, for whatever reason, they give you the "best" price right away. When you contact your sales rep out of the blue, expect to spend a decent chunk of time negotiating the price.

Actually I think I have a good price with Epilog and Universal, but you confirm that during a show the prices could be even better (or free upgrade...)

The next show is C!print at Madrid (October 4,5,6th), but Spain is not the easiest way to buy and import in Switzerland (and I don't speak spanish).
Too bad, next C!print in France is February 2017...

[Kev Williams]

That ULS in the video has the same exact gantry setup as my old 1997 ULS-- I don't know that it's capable of much over 40" per second simply because of the tiny belt. Or, it may be capable of 80 ips on the straights, but it would have to slow way down before the change. I notice in that vid it DOES seem to hold a long time before changing direction. But it's definitely not running the length anywhere near as fast as the Epilog--

Just for giggles I just shot some vid of my LS900 running full speed on across a 6" plate. It runs almost exactly as fast per length-of-sweep as the Epilog, which is typical of 70-80ips machines.

linky>> https://youtu.be/DPsThw_p88M

(btw, I called it an LS100, it IS an LS900... oops)
I've never even watched a 150ips machine run, but it must be fun!

[ludovic chenaux]

What about the filter unit ?
Do you know difference between the BOFA base 1 (for ULS) and the TBH GL desk 30 (for Epilog) ?


BOFA AD base 1 Oracle : http://www.bofa.co.uk/productDetails.asp?pid=49

5032014092746.jpg

TBH GL desk 30 : http://www.tbh.eu/en/products/gl-des...-20-gl-30.html

GL_DESK_20_30.jpg