(another) Which machine to buy thread

[OADesign]

Hello CNC zone!
Finally made my first post this eve. Gotta say i thought the CNC machining industry was amazing before, but this site with out a doubt has confirmed the fact that this machines are only limits buy the the imagination of the operator.

So here's my dilima. I am currently working for one of the sign franchise stores but i have been in the signage/graphic design biz for over 13 years. I'm finally making the preparations to open my own shop. we do lots of dimensional signs and sand blasted signs Great stuff, BUT we do everything by hand. Between the scroll saw and the ban saw and the table mounted router, a set Plex faced foam letters take us 2-3 days to complete. Not to mention the production bottle neck that is created when we have multiple jobs in the queue. I have always know that automation is the way to go but I have never been in the position to make it happen. And my soon to be Ex employer cant see past his 54" dust collecting digital printer.

So I've been doing my research on machines that are under 50k (wide selection I know). but I'm "planning" on financing so i should be okay.

I've been to a trade show to see offings by AXYZ. great folks. but after all the bells and whistles the 5x10 is near 70K!

I'm meeting with a guy from MultiCam in a week or so at their local show room here in Anaheim CA. So we'll see what he has to say.

I just got my package from ShopBot Tools in the mail today. And as it stands the PrtALPHA96 or 120 seems to be the best bang for my buck. but in the packet it says the all machine can only hit +-.015" accuracy. is that good enough? I will be doing a lot of inlays and push through letters on sign faces

I just started looked at the ShopSabre. but i don't know if much besides the info on the their website.

So (in my mind) the best combo for my immediate needs (and future growth)
the ShopBot with the 5hp columbo spindle. Universal Vacuum system. And ArtCAM Pro.
I know i can get buy with lesser software but i am certain i can monetize the machine time in my area with a pinch of effort. and i want to be able to step up to more advanced 3D stuff almost immediately. I also want to be able to do some accents and doors for the many cabinet shop near me.

I am very computer literate. I'm an expert Flexi user. And i do under stand the concepts behind CNC machining (as best as i can with our touching one)

I'll add some pics pf stuff I'm doing now. mind you all this stuff is hand cut.

So (since i went off on such a tangent) Which machine do you guys recommend for what I'm doing? And how much growth can i get out if it before i upgrade to a mid level machine.

[OADesign]

more pics

[OADesign]

This was not meant to be a gallery lol i just wanted to show you guys what im cutting so you have a better idea of im talking about.

your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[Torchhead]

Investigate some of the following:

DynaCNC (large servo driven router tables for less than 20K)
EZ-Router (built-like-a-tank router tables)

Both can be ordered with commercial spindles and digital spindle speed controllers.

Vcarve software (written by the same programmer as ArtCAM but at 1/20th the price!)

Mach3 (www.artofcnc.ca) control software.

Try not to paint yourself into a proprietary solution where you have to use their Machine, controller, CAM and Control software.

None of this will be as easy as doing a layout in Flexi and pushing the "print" button like you can with your vinyl cutter but by chosing a system that allows you to use whatever drawing package you want, whatever CAM (toolpath definiton like Vcarve or SheetCAM) and the machine control (MACH3) you can optimize the machine for the jobs at hand.

There are some issues with the Shopbot control software. Even their new (proprietary) machines do not have Constant Velocity (CV) software so getting real smooth arcs and circle cuts that don't require sanding is a challenge. If you don't know what CV is or why you need it then do more research.

If you buy right , I don't think you will ever need a bigger more expensive machine for doing production sign work then the units listed. You need to understand that the 70K machines are carrying a lot of overhead and costs and that price difference is not all in improved components , capacity or reliablility!

Disclaimer: We design and sell controls for open CNC systems and sell to builders and OEM's. We also do sub-contract work (steel cutting) for sign shops under www.fourhillsdesigns.com

Tom Caudle
www.CandCNC.com