Signs of the Times - August 2013 - (Page 36)

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW By Chris and Kathi Morrison Chris and Kathi Morrison own and operate The Image Specialists, a full-service graphics company based in Clements, CA. Chris is also a Microsoft-certified systems engineer. Esko Kongsberg XN Finishing System Finishing tables to suit your shop’s needs – today and in the future. We’ve seen customer expectations of signmaking technologists Key Information Esko Graphics 801 Geneva Parkway Lake Geneva, WI 53147 (262) 348-0400 www.esko.com evolve from requests for basic vinyl letters to choosing from the countless digital-print items available today. You’ve surely seen it, too. In comparatively few years, signshop products have leaped from stickyback letters to digitally printed building swaths, vehicle wraps and life-size, dimensional displays. Essentially, the entrepreneurial spirit of signmakers – sign technologists – has created this graphic-demand monster. Thankfully, if we position ourselves as full-service providers, Contact: Bill Hartman, VP business development, digital finishing (262) 812-2442 bill.hartman@esko.com and finish the digitally printed graphics we create, the demand is both controllable and profitable. Esko’s versatile Kongsberg XN flatbed finishing systems are the company’s wide-format product line for signmakers. Available sizes begin at 66 x 50 in. and range up to 87 x 258 in. Each selection offers various heads and tools that will cut signboards, thin aluminum, PVC boards, adhesive-back vinyl, paper, banners, flags, carpet and more. The company customizes its finishing tables to suit your shop’s needs, today and in the future. Its rack-and-pinion drive systems, built to last on a 24/7 production schedule, Specifications: Esko Kongsberg XN24 and XN44 XN24 Work Area XN44 66 x 126 in. 87 x 126 in. 1,390 lbs. 1,800 lbs. Position Accuracy +/- .0078 in. +/- .012 in. Repeatability +/- .0019 in. +/- .0023 in. Max. Acceleration 0.56 G 0.54 G Vacuum Sections 1, 2 optional 2, 4 optional XN 4 XN 48 33 IPS 33 IPS 2 in. 2 in. Weight Field Upgradable to Max. Speed Traverse Clearance 36 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / AUGUST 2013 / www.signweb.com provide extreme accuracy. You may choose from five, finishing tool heads and various insert tools. Esko also offers design, print and cut software – i-cut and ArtiosCD – for its various processes, and training at your shop. The multipurpose XN design allows future growth via upgrades to a more industrial tool head. You may also choose to expand the table to accept larger work, and install an conveyor-feed system or a roll-andsheet feeder. All such items may be initial purchase choices or field upgrades. The XN finishing systems accept numerous materials. Its recently introduced, air-cooled Multicut and liquid-cooled Multicut-HP tool heads allow various applications – the slower speeds assist general material cutting, and the higher speeds permit you to process acrylic sheets, wood, MDF and composite-aluminum materials. Esko also offers its advanced and more production-capable XP series finishing systems for high-production environments. The Esko Kongsberg XN finishing system will positively affect your shop’s entire finishing workflow. It allows you to produce flat or dimensional displays for tradeshows or POP displays. If your digital-print shop needs a profitable, professional finishing station that provides many future options, take a good look at Esko’s Kongsberg XN. http://www.esko.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - August 2013

Signs of the Times - August 2013
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Cloud-based signshop software
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review - Esko Kongsberg XN finishing system
Technology Review - Gerber Edge seminars
Sign Museum News
New Products
Standing Their Ground
Commercial-Sign Company 1 on 1’s
Layers
Dynamic Displays at LAX
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - August 2013