Safety Speed Helios Substrate Cutter

[jimbug72]

The owner's son was just at the Orlando trade show and he saw the guy at the Safety Speed booth using a the Helios table top substrate cutters to cut 3mm ACM.

https://safetyspeed.com/products/machines/sign-cutting-machines/helios-cutter/

I was wondering if anyone here has any real world experience using one of these, especially if they use it to cut ACM with any regularity. If we were to buy it, that would be it's primary function, and to a MUCH lesser extent coroplast, PVC & acrylic. We have a stop shear but we can only cut 48" wide. I would like to have something that anyone in the shop could use at any time to cut their own ACM and not require me to lug it out into the warehouse and mark it and cut it with the circular saw for anything over 48". We cut ACM on a near daily basis.

TIA for any info/suggestions.

 

[mkmie]

I have never used that brand but it looks very similar to our Fletcher Terry and Kleen cut. We have cut 3mm ACM all the time. I usually score it two or three times and then snap it. My table guy cuts it all the way through with three passes.
The Kleen cut has a couple of blade options. It isn't easy but doable.

 

[Humble PM]

I was going to say it looks like an import homage to a folding Javelin cutter, but their website talks about a Minnesota factory. If they've also taken inspiration from KeenCut's customer service, then I'd certainly consider it, if I was on your side of the pond.

 

[jimbug72]

Thanks to you both for the input. The table we are considering putting this on is wood and lets say "less than level". I didn't build it and it's not terrible, but the crowns in the wood cause the surface to rise and fall a little bit in places. Will that be an issue using a cutter like this?

 

[Gene@mpls]

Safety Speed [Cut in years past] has been a customer of ours since I bought a 6' panel saw from them 25 years ago. They are 5 miles down the road and build a lot of equipment now. They bring us down equip to test and actually listen to what we say. Still have the original saw- no problems at all. And safe.

 

[Humble PM]

Thanks to you both for the input. The table we are considering putting this on is wood and lets say "less than level". I didn't build it and it's not terrible, but the crowns in the wood cause the surface to rise and fall a little bit in places. Will that be an issue using a cutter like this?

if the table is not level, then expect not perfectly straight cuts. That said, the cutter runs on its own base board, so as long as you use it in one position, you could shim the base to compensate for the warp of the table
The Helios is fitted with an integral leveling adjustment allowing the cutting bar to sit flat on any thickness of material up to ¾” (20mm) thick.

And made in the UK.

 

[jimbug72]

Thanks for the input, folks. I think we might give it a try.