End of the industry

[Jwalk]

This says it all.

Robotic mural machine.


https://www.facebook.com/robotpaint/videos/545198745671933/

 

[SignosaurusRex]

20 years ago, a similar setup was unveiled and it was gonna tip the world on it's ear. That contraption disappeared into obscurity and I'm still upright. Buildings can be 3-D printed using concrete ...I don't see anyone utilizing that technology either.

 

[letterman7]

I remember those. The "Michaelangelo" or something. Airbrushes mounted on a CNC gantry that you could stand upright to paint the sides of vans (never did work right due to angles). This is just another one of those contraptions. Cool, but niche.

 

[Gino]

Nothing is forever, but this ain't got a chance a'tall. There might be a few instances where it might work, but not worth the investment, by any means, not yet.

 

[jfiscus]

20 years ago, a similar setup was unveiled and it was gonna tip the world on it's ear. That contraption disappeared into obscurity and I'm still upright. Buildings can be 3-D printed using concrete ...I don't see anyone utilizing that technology either.

Keep your eyes open; they're printing buildings all around the world. You're just not in that industry so you don't hear much of it.

I remember those. The "Michaelangelo" or something. Airbrushes mounted on a CNC gantry that you could stand upright to paint the sides of vans (never did work right due to angles). This is just another one of those contraptions. Cool, but niche.

I remember that, but never heard of it again. This looks very similar.

 

[signcrafters london]

I remember those. The "Michaelangelo" or something. Airbrushes mounted on a CNC gantry that you could stand upright to paint the sides of vans (never did work right due to angles). This is just another one of those contraptions. Cool, but niche.

I don't know who was more persistent 20 years ago, the Van Ladder salesmen or the Automatically Letter Your Vehicles With Paint salesmen you speak of. They both used to call me every single day trying to close the deal.



Van Ladder guys must have been more successful though. Still some of them around.

 

[T_K]

Even after watching the video, this machine is a foreign concept to me. :Big Laugh

I've got an engineer in another department I work with a lot. He's convinced the best way to build houses is to 3D print them out of concrete. He makes a convincing argument based on cost, build time, durability, etc.
I could see it becoming a trend in the future, but it would take a good long while for the industry to actually make a shift like that. This wall printer seems to me the same way...provides a niche market right now, but would take decades of development and promotion to really take over the industry.

Same thing with plastidip on vehicle color changes. It does impact the industry, but won't ever truly take over as there are still (at least at present) effects that are cheaper/faster with vinyl.

 

[Cross Signs]

I remember those. The "Michaelangelo" or something. Airbrushes mounted on a CNC gantry that you could stand upright to paint the sides of vans (never did work right due to angles). This is just another one of those contraptions. Cool, but niche.

It was The Michelangelo !!! My mentor had one back in the early nineties and we were printing bus wraps.

 

[rjssigns]

Two things. Notice they never showed a close up?

Seems there is enough problems posted here trying to get good prints off a flatbed in a controlled environment. And this is gonna work outdoors? Really?!

Second thing is how do you remove whatever colorant they're using? Better be in love with the print, especially on porous surfaces. Would need a blaster to get rid of it.

 

[SignProPlus-Alex]

It looks like a direct to substrate printer.

 

[eahicks]

Too windy around here for that to work. Everything around it would be painted.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Looks more like an Urban or Metropolitan investment by the city and not so much a commercial investment.

 

[lgroth]

I love seeing the ingenuity though... Being 737 days away from retirement (not like I'm counting down or anything) I've been around a while. I remember growing up in the family owned body shop, back in the days of hand painted lettering, air brushed murals and such, before anyone could conceive what a computer even was. In the early days of plotters it's use for vehicle lettering and signs was thought to be a novelty too, the first generation printers were pin-fed thermal dot matrix units that weighed more than a boat anchor and the cost was astronomical, but it did replace the "ditto" machines in the schools (sort of), I don't think anyone back then could have imagined in their wildest dreams the printers we have today. Digital solvent, latex and UV printers that have made the sign painting and automotive custom painting fields all but obsolete, dye sub printing on fabrics is taking it's toll on screen printing. Heck, they even have spray-on removable wraps for vehicles out. Add to that the advancements that have been made in the 3D printing arena... Yes this stuff has changed a lot in my lifetime. Taking your printer to the job site and printing directly to a wall might seem as ridiculous as the thought of wrapping an entire vehicle in printed vinyl did 40 years ago. I don't foresee it being commonplace overnight, but it'll be something to watch and see if it goes anywhere... Or if it's even needed once robotics are affordable enough to take a bigger role in the sign & printing industry. Spray on custom wraps done at the local car wash while you wait? Why not... Well, it's lunch time, 736 & 1/2 days left :Big Laugh

 

[0igo]

Nothing is forever, but this ain't got a chance a'tall. There might be a few instances where it might work, but not worth the investment, by any means.

thats what you said about the gator board huh

 

[Gino]

I love seeing the ingenuity though... Being 737 days away from retirement (not like I'm counting down or anything) I've been around a while. I remember growing up in the family owned body shop, back in the days of hand painted lettering, air brushed murals and such, before anyone could conceive what a computer even was. In the early days of plotters it's use for vehicle lettering and signs was thought to be a novelty too, the first generation printers were pin-fed thermal dot matrix units that weighed more than a boat anchor and the cost was astronomical, but it did replace the "ditto" machines in the schools (sort of), I don't think anyone back then could have imagined in their wildest dreams the printers we have today. Digital solvent, latex and UV printers that have made the sign painting and automotive custom painting fields all but obsolete, dye sub printing on fabrics is taking it's toll on screen printing. Heck, they even have spray-on removable wraps for vehicles out. Add to that the advancements that have been made in the 3D printing arena... Yes this stuff has changed a lot in my lifetime. Taking your printer to the job site and printing directly to a wall might seem as ridiculous as the thought of wrapping an entire vehicle in printed vinyl did 40 years ago. I don't foresee it being commonplace overnight, but it'll be something to watch and see if it goes anywhere... Or if it's even needed once robotics are affordable enough to take a bigger role in the sign & printing industry. Spray on custom wraps done at the local car wash while you wait? Why not... Well, it's lunch time, 736 & 1/2 days left :Big Laugh

Very interesting, but did you know a man walked on the moon and it's NOT made of cheese. My Dad thought it was all done with mirrors, but I'm not quite sure, yet. I'm still thinking about that one. It still amazes me that in less than 70 years, we went from almost all getting around on horses, to cars, double winged planes and tanks, rocket ships and then on the moon and beyond. If you can imagine it..... it will be accomplished........ someday. These printers aren't there, yet, but people are so lazy, they'll have a machine that does the whole kit-n-caboodle for ya.

 

[0igo]

Very interesting, but did you know a man walked on the moon and it's NOT made of cheese. My Dad thought it was all done with mirrors, but I'm not quite sure, yet. I'm still thinking about that one. It still amazes me that in less than 70 years, we went from almost all getting around on horses, to cars, double winged planes and tanks, rocket ships and then on the moon and beyond. If you can imagine it..... it will be accomplished........ someday. These printers aren't there, yet, but people are so lazy, they'll have a machine that does the whole kit-n-caboodle for ya.

fyi gina, this post made no sense.