My Gerber Plotter GS15Plus

[Stitch Up]

Many of you will know that I have a Gerber Edge FX Printer - fantastic for printing labels and smaller graphics for signage etc.

This video will give you some idea of what it can do - sorry for the poor quality.


http://youtu.be/o9oc5vvPdbo

In order to use the FX you also need a Gerber cutter. The GS15Plus was built to match the Edge printers back in 1995 and it's a real heavyweight for a 15" plotter!! New, it cost nearly £9,000 and is probably one of the best cutters ever made as it has a tangential mode. This means the blade turns before it cuts in any particular direction. Most plotter use a drag mode and the knife turns as it drags in the various directions.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/datasafe/Printing and Dye Sub/Gerber GS15Plus Plotter/GerberDS15Plus.jpg

Back last year, my plotter started playing up! I switched it off and stopped offering label printing. Last week, I received a repeat order for 5000 labels. I forgot the plotter had a problem, but was soon reminded when I switched it back on yesterday - beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep - and I could do nothing with it.

There's only one company in the UK who can fix these things and that's Spandex BUT, the cost of the repair was going to be about £2000!!!! So, I spoke to Harry of Edward Mathias (if anyone wants plotter blades, he's your man), I know how knowledgeable he is! He gave me some ideas and so back on the bench, locate the circuit board, clean the optical sensors which were filthy, plug back in and guess what ...... it didn't work!!! So, one last bash, pulled it apart once more and this time I removed the board holding the optical sensors, examined under magnifying glass and there was clear dry joint :) Out came the soldering iron and the rest is history. I now have a fully functioning Gerber GS15Plus plotter.

I'm back in the label market once more :)

[Paul]

Well done buddy! 2000 in you pocket!

Btw. I cant play the video. Is it only me ???

[cardman]

you know glad u got it working and you actually found the fault yourself which is even better
Even if u was quoted 2000 odd to fix it,that was only a quote and u could of been charged a lot more for something as simple as a dry joint


Video is set to private - cant watch it

[smitch6]

it plays for me :)
click it and then once the bar loads you have to click the actual play button

[John G]

Coming up as private for me - won't play

Well done for sorting it - sounds like a cracking bit of kit.

[Stitch Up]

Coming up as private for me - won't play

Well done for sorting it - sounds like a cracking bit of kit.

How odd, the video on Youtube is definately not private!

In tangential mode, it will cut lettering as smal as 3mm! Don't fancy weeding it :)

[Ian M]

Nice one John & so glad you got it sorted out at a good price. :biggrin:

[logobear]

vid plays for me, funny how dinosaur technologies can still be the best

[Stitch Up]

Nice one John & so glad you got it sorted out at a good price. :biggrin:

Cheers guys, I was nearly at the point of binning it as £2,000 for a repair is just plain DULL & I have no room for door stops!

[AdamB]

John - will these labels fit onto the bottom of mugs, and if so will they last in the dishwasher?

If so, that's maybe a good market for you ................... prices would be good if possible as I would be interested :-)

[Stitch Up]

I have done labels for chip fryers BUT, they don't go in a dishwasher and had to be a speciality vinyl = cost more.

I've no idea about mugs - maybe I'll try one.

I'm just cutting 3000 labels and the accuracy of this cutter is just amazing :) Well worth the perseverance!