My company intend to buy a CRON CTcP machine

Hello everybody,

My company it is interested to buy a CTcP CRON. To be more precise, we discuss about "Platesetter CRON UVP4664EX+".

Commercial offer seems to be very attractive.
Marketing presentations it is marvelous.
But we don't have any info about reliability of this kind of machine. I can't find any true testimonials made by printers that use or that have used CRON CTcP.

Thank you for any informations that you can offer us.

All the best everybody.

.
 
Hello,

We have few companies who is running the CTcP made from China (Cron and Amsky). It's just only good commercial offers (late payment or some discount). As my opinion, you should buy thermal CTP such as Kodak, Heidelberg or Screen. It's really excellent systems and reliable ones. If we need help, we can offer you used Kodak, Screen and Heidelberg or even CcTP Cron/ Amsky.
Have a good day!
 
Hello everybody,

My company it is interested to buy a CTcP CRON. To be more precise, we discuss about "Platesetter CRON UVP4664EX+".

Commercial offer seems to be very attractive.
Marketing presentations it is marvelous.
But we don't have any info about reliability of this kind of machine. I can't find any true testimonials made by printers that use or that have used CRON CTcP.

Thank you for any informations that you can offer us.

All the best everybody.

.

Cron CTP isn't as reliable as it should be. They still have to work on their systems. The price is interesting. The Investment on tears and wears is high. Downtime is long. The Tech manufacturing support and training is a joke. Service manual is a comic book. The software Laboo needs improvement and it is full of bugs. Manufacturer is trying to solve these issues, but investors will pay the price for an incomplete system. Try a used machine like Agfa and screen. Have the right support. parts, warranty and contract with the seller and do not fall in trap of crooks and scammers.
Understand that you will have to fix the machine, have reliable sources of parts and trustable Service engineers for rainy days. Equip yourself before spending a penny machine. Have a reliable Technical support.
Hope this will help with your decision. After all this is your money. Invest it wisely or you will pay for your mistakes and fast decision making. Good luck and all the best.
 
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Question

Question

Cron CTP isn't as reliable as it should be. They still have to work on their systems. The price is interesting. The Investment on tears and wears is high. Downtime is long. The Tech manufacturing support and training is a joke. Service manual is a comic book. The software Laboo needs improvement and it is full of bugs. Manufacturer is trying to solve these issues, but investors will pay the price for an incomplete system. Try a used machine like Agfa and screen. Have the right support. parts, warranty and contract with the seller and do not fall in trap of crooks and scammers.
Understand that you will have to fix the machine, have reliable sources of parts and trustable Service engineers for rainy days. Equip yourself before spending a penny machine. Have a reliable Technical support.
Hope this will help with your decision. After all this is your money. Invest it wisely or you will pay for your mistakes and fast decision making. Good luck and all the best.

Farshad, very interesting to hear.
Wherefrom have you got your experiences with Cron machines?
Did you actually service them?
 
As much as I absolutely hate speaking badly about competitor machinery, I simply have to share my(our) experience in this matter. OK, so I am talking about newspaper, but CRON was mentioned. 4 remote newspaper sites within the country installed CRONs (don’t know which model/s)about a year ago to replace their Autologic 3850 film setters. As far as I understand, price was the issue. Eventually 2 of the sites got rid of their CRONS, shipped them to the 2 other sites as backup machines and installed another make of plate setter. The 2 sites with the 2 CRONs have had to end up keeping their 3850 machines as backup for the CRONS. As far as I have heard, nothing has changed in this line yet. We are in the process of installing our 9th AdvantageN-SA/SL. 3 within the country and the rest in neighbouring countries. The first one went in around 18 months ago. We did have problems with 2 of the machines, but this was due to bad transport conditions - on the back of a truck over some very long and nasty roads - but the problems were quickly sorted out and the machines were in service by the budgeted date. All our machines are visited regularly once every 6 months for routine servicing and preventive maintenance.
 
Farshad, very interesting to hear.
Wherefrom have you got your experiences with Cron machines?
Did you actually service them?

I have attended the service training for their systems. Service training certificate can be presented as per of your request. I can introduce you to their exacutive management and you will have a chance to examine the machine closely.

Although, I am not involved with the system's installation and services any more,but I am in direct contact with service engineers who are involved with the machine. In simple words: when you buy the machine you will have to hire a full time service engineer who is using your phone line to get support that he wouldn't get from the factory.
I have no intention to destroy Cron's reputation. Cron is improving everyday, but it is too early for the end users to invest on their systems. If you feel you will have an inexpensive system which can image on conventional plates.it is a wishful thinking.
I hope you use your experience and knowledge to put the puzzles together. Pick a system with open eyes and trust no one except your sense of judgment. After all it is your money and your decision.
Wish you all the best and Hope this will help!
 
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I have attended the service training for their systems. Service training certificate can be presented as per of your request. I can introduce you to their exacutive management and you will have a chance to examine the machine closely.

Although, I am not involved with the system's installation and services any more,but I am in direct contact with service engineers who are involved with the machine. In simple words: ... ///

A client in Nigeria have a few Cron CTP's with conventional plates/exposure. Never seen the machine and was surprised by the quality. I would say, as far I could see in a few weeks production, they work fine. The support was not the best though when I wanted to change the furniture on the imposition (add some bars). But if one is used to Harlequin and can read a manual I figured it out myself.

Later I wanted to find out where to buy the machine. Googled but it is not very clear. Anyone have contact info or a world wide reseller list?
 
HI,
I haven't been with Cron with years. In my recent correspondence with Derek Sizer, I found quite interesting information about Cron . The most interesting part was Derek tried to be detailed and patiently elaborated some of the highlights of Cron organisation as well as their operation in Europe and North America. He also explained how things have been changed with Cron.

Why don't you contact him directly. He is an interesting man to talk with.

CRON EUROPE

Derek Sizer
E-mail: [email protected]
Germany

A client in Nigeria have a few Cron CTP's with conventional plates/exposure. Never seen the machine and was surprised by the quality. I would say, as far I could see in a few weeks production, they work fine. The support was not the best though when I wanted to change the furniture on the imposition (add some bars). But if one is used to Harlequin and can read a manual I figured it out myself.

Later I wanted to find out where to buy the machine. Googled but it is not very clear. Anyone have contact info or a world wide reseller list?
 
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Just an update to my previous post. The one remote site of one of the very large newpaper groups here in South Africa have had both of their CRONs down for over a week now, with absolutely no newspapers on the street. 3 CRON engineers (according to my information and including one factory engineer) have not been able to get even one of the machines working. We have shipped an old AdvX (which has been running successfully for many years) to the site to get them up and running and are busy installing at at the moment. Based on the reliability of Agfa setters and the after sales support and ongoing reliable technical support, the result is that the entire group is now going totally over to Agfa (machinery, consumables and all software), installing AdvN-SL plate setters in ALL their 6 remote sites and one at their head office site to replace the AdvX that is being installed at the remote site.
 
Just an update to my previous post. The one remote site of one of the very large newpaper groups here in South Africa have had both of their CRONs down for over a week now, with absolutely no newspapers on the street. 3 CRON engineers (according to my information and including one factory engineer) have not been able to get even one of the machines working. We have shipped an old AdvX (which has been running successfully for many years) to the site to get them up and running and are busy installing at at the moment. Based on the reliability of Agfa setters and the after sales support and ongoing reliable technical support, the result is that the entire group is now going totally over to Agfa (machinery, consumables and all software), installing AdvN-SL plate setters in ALL their 6 remote sites and one at their head office site to replace the AdvX that is being installed at the remote site.

strange. We installed Cron UVP 4648 with 3 cassette autoloader and punch within 3 days, so seems like your customer is just unlucky or servicemans are dumb. I also servicing Screen and see some advantages over Screen machine, so in general - i like this machine (so far) and can recommend to others. Ask me in case of questions.

Regards
 
strange. We installed Cron UVP 4648 with 3 cassette autoloader and punch within 3 days, so seems like your customer is just unlucky or servicemans are dumb. I also servicing Screen and see some advantages over Screen machine, so in general - i like this machine (so far) and can recommend to others. Ask me in case of questions.

Regards

A little impossible for all CRON machines installed here to be "unlucky". Also, a machine supply company should not employ "servicemans are dumb". All CRONs hare have been replaced, CRONs have all be scrapped. Customers now running AdvantageN-SA/SL and all are very happy.
 

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