Question Wallpaper cutting - xy Cutter vs Flatbed

[Christirol]

Hello

We are a small Wallpaper printing Busines thinking about upgrading from our Keencut Evolution.

I am reading day and night spec sheets from different devices and it confuses me more and more.
So please help me find the perfect Device for me and my Busines.
I dont have a lot of money to spend so i thought about buying used.

I was looking into a xy cutter at first, but i could only find a miura plus for 25.000 a Fotoba XLD 170 for 18.000 or a Kala XY Pro for 18.000
Non of these a dedicated device for cutting Wallpaper, the accuracy for the Y Direcrion is between 0.5mm to 1mm, not great
A new Fotoba XLD170WP for 50.000+ is not possible sadly.

Then i got into Flatbed Cutters, like the Summa F1612, great device but even more expensive.
Then i found a iEcho BK4 used for under 20.000.
It is quite similar to the Summa
Can the iEcho also Cut Wallpaper Panels with a good accuracy like the Summa?
Does anyone have experience?

Or should i go with a xy cutter and get happy with a 0.5mm accuracy?
Is it good enough for wallpaper?
Kala, Miura or Fotoba?

I use a Mimaki UCJV 300-160 with Rasterlink, there is a Fotoba cutmark already build in, do i have to switch to another rip if i want to use iecho,miura or Kala?

Thanks!!!

 

[victor bogdanov]

flat bed is way more versatile. Cut up a 150 ft roll of wallpaper in about 30 minutes (includes collecting the cut panels). XY cutter is faster (you will be limited by how fast you can collect the cut panels) but you are locked into panel widths unless you manually adjust the blades or go with the higher end auto adjusting models.

I primarily print and cut wallpaper and went through the same choice. Would have been so limited if I went with an XY cutter vs flatbed.

Both options will be just as accurate but why are you worried about accuracy? bleed + overlap give plenty of room for error. Even if cuts are 1/2" off (they are not, near perfect) everything would still apply perfectly with my set up

 

[FireSprint.com]

A flatbed cutter like a summa can do a lot more than just cut wallpaper. Custom shapes and different sized panels are possible on a flatbed but much harder/impossible on an XY cutter.

But a dialed in Fotoba will be much faster than a flatbed cutter.

It really depends on your business needs and what you plan to do in the future.

If you’re doing less than a few hundred feet a day of wallpaper, I might suggest the flatbed. If you’re doing more, or plan to do a lot more, the fotoba will make you more money.

 

[Mike Perth]

We’re the same as Victor as we only print wallpapers and use a Summa 1612 after years of Keencut misery. Keencuts are great but you can’t produce accurate volume.
Getting the flatbed changed our whole business and we now run big projects that would not have been possible previously. Staff do not need to set up or calibrate the cutter as we have a barcode workflow that’s automated.
Our wallpapers, swatch books and samples are all cut perfectly plus we crease and cut all our own cardboard packaging too.
If you’re looking at an xy cutter be wary of the ones with “press” blades/cutters as when darker wallpapers are installed you can clearly see the drop edges.

 

[Christirol]

flat bed is way more versatile. Cut up a 150 ft roll of wallpaper in about 30 minutes (includes collecting the cut panels). XY cutter is faster (you will be limited by how fast you can collect the cut panels) but you are locked into panel widths unless you manually adjust the blades or go with the higher end auto adjusting models.

I primarily print and cut wallpaper and went through the same choice. Would have been so limited if I went with an XY cutter vs flatbed.

Both options will be just as accurate but why are you worried about accuracy? bleed + overlap give plenty of room for error. Even if cuts are 1/2" off (they are not, near perfect) everything would still apply perfectly with my set up

Thanks,
I will only have 1 panel with for my whole roll
Because it should fit seamless together, or else there are problems with dark wallpaper on a white wall
I need it way more accurate then i get with the keencut

We’re the same as Victor as we only print wallpapers and use a Summa 1612 after years of Keencut misery. Keencuts are great but you can’t produce accurate volume.
Getting the flatbed changed our whole business and we now run big projects that would not have been possible previously. Staff do not need to set up or calibrate the cutter as we have a barcode workflow that’s automated.
Our wallpapers, swatch books and samples are all cut perfectly plus we crease and cut all our own cardboard packaging too.
If you’re looking at an xy cutter be wary of the ones with “press” blades/cutters as when darker wallpapers are installed you can clearly see the drop edges.

Thank you
Flatbed Cutter sounds good.
How to i know which xy cutter has a press blade?
Thank you

 

[victor bogdanov]

Thanks,
I will only have 1 panel with for my whole roll
Because it should fit seamless together, or else there are problems with dark wallpaper on a white wall
I need it way more accurate then i get with the keencut

Overlap seam + double cut produces the best result. Overlap seam is standard for digital wallpaper / murals. Easier application and better end result than trying to do butt seam.

Get a better, more opaque material and the overlaps will be near invisible even without a double cut

 

[Evan Gillette]

Victor, what flatbeds have you run and what is your favorite so far?

 

[victor bogdanov]

Victor, what flatbeds have you run and what is your favorite so far?

I've only used Colex, it has been good for the most part

 

[Christirol]

Overlap seam + double cut produces the best result. Overlap seam is standard for digital wallpaper / murals. Easier application and better end result than trying to do butt seam.

Get a better, more opaque material and the overlaps will be near invisible even without a double cut

I am European, not english native so maybe i dont understand it exactly

You dont do butt seam or even double cut?
So you put it up on the wall and just let it overlap?
Thats not possible with my material, it has a texture and is about 1mm thick with a vinyl coating.
It looks absolutely perfect on the wall and if cut straight you cant see any seam (even possible with the Keencut if you dont make mistakes and have time)

 

[MarkSnelling]

I sell the Colex units...for about $130K you can get a flatbed Colex with a conveyor to cut rolls and boards. So incredibly efficient and also at least $50K less expensive than the big brands. Great people support them out of Jersey, where they are made. If I can ever set up a demo for any of you, please think of me and my shoeless children and I'll get it set up!

 

[victor bogdanov]

I am European, not english native so maybe i dont understand it exactly

You dont do butt seam or even double cut?
So you put it up on the wall and just let it overlap?
Thats not possible with my material, it has a texture and is about 1mm thick with a vinyl coating.
It looks absolutely perfect on the wall and if cut straight you cant see any seam (even possible with the Keencut if you dont make mistakes and have time)

Yes 99% of wallpaper/murals are left with overlaps, barely noticeable. I use different materials, peel and stick, unpasted, prepasted, canvas etc. All look good with overlaps left as is. Some customers double cut, double cut looks a little better

 

[Pauly]

I have Both a Fotoba XLD160HS and Flatbed cutter.

If you only do wallpaper, all same size then fotoba 100%. you can get the normal XLD to cut perfect, ours does.
If you can get a used Fotoba, it will last you a very long time if you keep it services (easy to do)

Flatbed cutter only if you do different sizes (widths)

 

[grafigo]

Then i found a iEcho BK4 used for under 20.000.
It is quite similar to the Summa

There is a new model named AK4, with conveyer belt and in 160cm x 250cm dimension, which is priced around that price tag, not used but new. I ordered mine just last week.