Originally Posted by
Brian Lamb
That is why I wonder at the Trotec having no memory at all and being run essentially drip feed like we have to do with old low memory CNC's. You keep telling me it's like a flip phone vs. a smart phone, but you aren't telling me what the differences or advantages are???
Give me some "for instance's" of how great this job control software is, so I can understand it better.
Thanks!
It has been asked and answered dozens of times over the years. As someone who has run and programmed NC and CNC machines since the early 80’s, I’ve lived through paper tapes up through robotic machines that set themselves up, change their own tools and fixtures. I’ve run Machining Cells that you loaded the jobs into a computer and it figured out which machine was available at what time and it moved jobs from machine to machine, based on the schedule, so I’m well versed in machine technology. You don’t have to believe what I say, but it’s not just me, there are some of the most seasoned veterans in this industry on the forum and they say the same things. Surely we couldn’t have all been fooled by this 1 comptuer 1 Laser fad? Again, why is Universal doing it that way since 2006? 11 years of doing it and they still do it? Surely there MUST be something to it?
Originally Posted by
Kev Williams
glad you put a smiley there because you simply can't be serious? Last night I had 12 of my 15 machines loaded up with jobs, the only 3 machines NOT loaded, my BIL's-well, it IS loaded but HE does that work-- the vinyl cutter, and the 3200.
-3400#1 is running off silver (alum alloy) platters
-3400#2 is running 600 roller coaster bumpers, engraving date code info
-5000XT#1 was running Allen Bradley 559 legend plates, more of the same to follow
-5000XT#2 was cutting holes in a fiberglass Hoffman box lid, next up is several 1/8" Rowmark labels and operator plates
-5000 is engraving a crapload of cowbells, it's Olympics season
'
-IS400 was engraving Allen Bradley 100WE plastic legend plates
-IS700 is engraving a box full of aluminum operator panels
-3400#3 was engraving stainless microphone bodies, aluminum boxes are next
-fiber is deep engraving some stainless ID plates, more to follow
-LS900 is in the middle of a few hundred SS ID plates, which I stop occasionally to run leather, glass, other stainless, Rowmark etc-
-GCC was engraving a pair of stainless radiator covers that fit old G-body GM cars, and ran off a couple hundred $ worth of Rowmark today, 100+ flasks are next up- so like it or not, the old thing IS pretty amazing-
-Triumph was Cermarking a cowbell, finished cermarking a small batch of aluminum ID tags, and will be running another 100 cowbells tonight...
Could I make use of a Trotec? Of course, but the way I work, I don't need one... And THAT would be the waste of money I was talking about.
Think I'm about due for a break...
If you had 12 machines running and priced at $60 per hour per machine (low end), then you should have been making at least $700 per hour. If you are making those kinds of rates, then you should be pulling in over $2,000,000 a year as a one man shop, more or less. Some how I doubt that’s the case.
Just because YOU don’t have the need for it because of the work you do, doesn’t mean it’s a waste of money for people that do use it.
Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers
Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.