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Summa S3

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victor bogdanov

Active Member
Saw an ad for the just released summa s3


Looks like just some minor improvements over the s2, the 2 tool auto change (extra upgrade) being the biggest benefit it looks like. Hopefully this means Graphtec has something coming out soon
 
FrankW

FrankW

New Member
It is an overall improvement. Specially with new sorting and panelling functionality, together with image processing of OPOS-CAM „onboard“ instead of on a connected PC, it seems like that a lot of work is done in electronics and firmware. And, if the basket is done now more like the S One-Basket, the holders will hopefully less fuzzy. And integrated wireless LAN is another cool feature (was available with the first S-Class up to 2013 optional too, but wasnt very reliable).

For my opinion, no need to wait for something new from Graphtec
 
Pauly

Pauly

Printrade.com.au
Id only look at it if the mainboard has been redesigned to handle more current. The issues with the S2 and even the F series with constant main board fallers from trying to increase the speed doesn't sit well by me.
The FC9000 has it' own issues.
 
balstestrat

balstestrat

Problem Solver
I can't agree with your constant S2 mainboard issues. It's rare problem at least here. Maybe it's the aussie heat.
 
V

victor bogdanov

Active Member
balstestrat said:
I said S2....
Click to expand...
My S2T died after about a year and a half of use after a few other problems. I knew I was in for some trouble after the roller lever broke off after a few months. Looks like that lever is still the same of the S3. Anyway I was happy once the S2T stopped working and got a few more Graphtec's.
 
JBurton

JBurton

Signtologist
Sounds like they've packed a lot more expensive components in there. Standalone functionality is great, but I hope this isn't packed with barely enough power to handle basic folder operations like the fc9000. And adding something like a plotter to a wireless network sounds very tedious.
 
H

Humble PM

Mostly tolerates architects
Adding a $10k+ production machine to anything other than structured cabling strikes me as madness.
 
Christian @ 2CT Media

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
FrankW said:
It is an overall improvement. Specially with new sorting and panelling functionality, together with image processing of OPOS-CAM „onboard“ instead of on a connected PC, it seems like that a lot of work is done in electronics and firmware. And, if the basket is done now more like the S One-Basket, the holders will hopefully less fuzzy. And integrated wireless LAN is another cool feature (was available with the first S-Class up to 2013 optional too, but wasnt very reliable).

For my opinion, no need to wait for something new from Graphtec
Click to expand...
Sucks it still needs to be usb connected
 
FrankW

FrankW

New Member
Christian @ 2CT Media said:
Sucks it still needs to be usb connected
Click to expand...
Shure? What do they mean then with onboard processing? Need to ask.

balstestrat said:
I can't agree with your constant S2 mainboard issues. It's rare problem at least here. Maybe it's the aussie heat.
Click to expand...
Same here. I do summa support since nearly 25 years in europe, in switzerland and germany. No regular mainboard issues here. And, very interesting: at my first service training at summa, in the year 1998, they told us that 2 mainboards only out of 10 sent back to summa as defective are really defective.

The only part I replace on a regular basis (except consumables like pinch rollers and cutting strips) is the pinch roller lever, but not on any machine in the market, and nearly none more than one time per machine.

While on old summasigns, tangential heads are dying regularly, the S-heads are no problem at the S-Classes.
 
I

ikarasu

Active Member
I'm considering switching. After being a graphtec Fanboy for years and years, I hate my 9000. It has an issue thats been going on for a year - Multiple tech visits.... Finally Graphtec wanted them to take it to their shop which theyve had it for over a month, and still nothing. Graphtec support is a joke when you need it... Even if 1 in 10,000 machines need servicing because theyre built like tanks... After dealing with their support and being machineless for months, and not having a proper cutter for a year, I'd never buy another graphtec.... Even when all my previous ones were workhorses. I'll never buy a machine where you cant rely on the support to get up and running in a normal amount of time! The 3 techs that looked at my machine all agree something is wrong... but Graphtec keeps wanting more and more tests, and they take days to get back to the techs for more tests, so it just drags on and on and on - At this point I'm considering it a paperweight, and after the support I got... I'd buy a US cutter cutter before I buy a graphtec again :roflmao:

The S3 looks nice. I was quoted on 3 options - (Canadian funds... -25 to 30% for you Americans)

S3D160 - Dragknife - $10.2K

S3T160 - Tangential - $12K

S3TC160 - Tangential with opos-cam - $14.4K

Then 2.3K for the takeup.


I don't care about Tangential... Or all the creasing tools or other tools, but I do like the opos -cam.... Wish they made a Dragknife with it... spending 4K to get tangential / opos seems pretty high. I guess it depends on how good the opos cam is for print and cut workflow I guess.
 
Christian @ 2CT Media

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
ikarasu said:
I'm considering switching. After being a graphtec Fanboy for years and years, I hate my 9000. It has an issue thats been going on for a year - Multiple tech visits.... Finally Graphtec wanted them to take it to their shop which theyve had it for over a month, and still nothing. Graphtec support is a joke when you need it... Even if 1 in 10,000 machines need servicing because theyre built like tanks... After dealing with their support and being machineless for months, and not having a proper cutter for a year, I'd never buy another graphtec.... Even when all my previous ones were workhorses. I'll never buy a machine where you cant rely on the support to get up and running in a normal amount of time! The 3 techs that looked at my machine all agree something is wrong... but Graphtec keeps wanting more and more tests, and they take days to get back to the techs for more tests, so it just drags on and on and on - At this point I'm considering it a paperweight, and after the support I got... I'd buy a US cutter cutter before I buy a graphtec again :roflmao:

The S3 looks nice. I was quoted on 3 options - (Canadian funds... -25 to 30% for you Americans)

S3D160 - Dragknife - $10.2K

S3T160 - Tangential - $12K

S3TC160 - Tangential with opos-cam - $14.4K

Then 2.3K for the takeup.


I don't care about Tangential... Or all the creasing tools or other tools, but I do like the opos -cam.... Wish they made a Dragknife with it... spending 4K to get tangential / opos seems pretty high. I guess it depends on how good the opos cam is for print and cut workflow I guess.
Click to expand...
Opos cam should be standard in my opinion, it is magnitudes better than the standard sensor and significantly faster.

The tangential knife is also light years better than drag knives for quality at speed. We are cutting between 30 and 40ips with great detail.

I'm hoping the USB only camera is a typo so ot can be run from one machine and load balanced.
 
I

ikarasu

Active Member
Christian @ 2CT Media said:
Opos cam should be standard in my opinion, it is magnitudes better than the standard sensor and significantly faster.

The tangential knife is also light years better than drag knives for quality at speed. We are cutting between 30 and 40ips with great detail.

I'm hoping the USB only camera is a typo so ot can be run from one machine and load balanced.
Click to expand...
Do you have a roll summa? Do any perf cutting on it? My only worry is the perf cutting... It took me awhile but I perfected perf cutting on the graphtec, it'll cut a nice smooth edge and quick.

Trying to find a local supplier with a summa s3, or even s2 so I can test
 
K

KEYSER SOZE

New Member
victor bogdanov said:
My S2T died after about a year and a half of use after a few other problems. I knew I was in for some trouble after the roller lever broke off after a few months. Looks like that lever is still the same of the S3. Anyway I was happy once the S2T stopped working and got a few more Graphtec's.
Click to expand...
The same lever breaks on the 3 Summas we've had dating back to the 90s.
When the S2T turned up 4 years ago we had the local machine shop make us one of these from mild steel to replace it.
Other than that it's been great, way more accurate than our Graphtecs.
 

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C

cornholio

New Member
The roller lever only breaks once on owner operated Summas...
Other than that, I haven't seen weaknesses in S class cutters.
I sell an service summas since 30 years and they are the best in cutting quality, versatility and tracking by far.
Mimaki has the best software by the way...
Roland is so so...
Graphtek has quite a good cutting quality too, but their menue structure is a desaster and their perf cut function isn't up to par with Summa's.
If you asked me, how to improve the S2, the internal cam processing would have been on my list and they did it. Other than that... I wouldn't find a lot to improve.
 
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