ACM cutting for small signs

BigSi

Well-known member
Hi there!.

As you can guess I'm a newbie to signage (offset printing background). Is there a relatively cheap accurate way to cut ACM. (I'm looking for a tool or bit of equipment) for some reason I'm getting a lot of small ACM work ( Curb side parking signs, small information signs etc.). Just scoring with a knife and snapping is to slow (and not accurate enough) and I'm allways freaking out that a staff member is going slip and take the end of there finger off. (You should see our health and safety laws here). I do have a large Vertical substrate cutter. (FSC Fletcher Substrate Cutter) but this is not suitable for small cuts. I'm only a small shop and don't want to spend thousands (my ROI would not be good enough). At this stage I'm thinking of getting them all cut out and I'll just keep in store as blanks. (If I can find a local business that can do this for me, not holding my breath).

Your thoughts are appreciated.

thanks Simon
 
Yes not looking at big $$$. I guess I could go up to 5k and I'm happy for second hand. Maybe a little left field is the answer. E.g a standard woodworkers band saw except with a very fine blade and then something to smooth the edge. I don't know. 5mm ACM would be tough on a lot of blades.
Thanks for your advice.
 
When I worked at Kinko's we used something similar to this to cut Foam and Gatorboard. The cuts were always pretty clean, and it's a lot safer. I still cut myself a few times, but that was me being careless with blade changes, never while using the equipment.
It says it's rated to cut up to 1/2" (12.7mm)
 
You can use basically any router from Home Depot to cut ACM. I think our guys use a 6mm upcut bit. You could build a jig or buy a table for it. It won't be computer controlled, but you should be in the couple hundred bucks range. And it will be way safer than scoring ACM by hand. Yikes!
 

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top