should i buy a gerber/spandex system 48?

[Joe McNamara]

Hi Dave,

I have an older router – it’s the model that replaced the system 48, an AR-400 Gerber.
I find it brilliant and I use gerber artpath to run it, just import an ai file, select an inner or outer cut and off it goes, very simple to use.

I know you can still get some bits for these older machines but as far as I know, gerber don’t support them anymore.

If I was you, and it was really cheap (or you can swap it for basic signwork), I’d grab it – at worst you can sell it on ebay and put the funds towards a dimension 200 which is a really great little router / engraver.
Is the router a Perske or porter cable?
If it’s a porter cable you’ll need some good ear plugs! – you won’t want to be near it while it’s running – noisy bugger….if it’s a perske – that’ll be worth having just for the perske head.

(mod-edit)

Cheers
Joe

[David Rowland]

we have a dimension 200 sat in the corner, gathering dust! its in the buy/sell area

[Harry Cleary]

where?
😀

[Dave Harrison]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The router comes with a box of spares it has two heads one is a perske but I believe this needs attention. I’m not sure what the head currently attached to the router is, but its noisy. I’ve also noticed the machine is fitted with a misting unit. I believe it has a cutting area of approx 1200x1200mm and have been told with the correct software it can tile. So with a bit of jiggery-pokery I could machine a full 8×4 sheet.

Next question is. .. what is the best way of moving these machines. . ?

[Barret Evans]

Hi Dave, did you end up getting the machine ? how are you enjoying it they are old bangers a little slow but virtually unbreakable

[Dave Harrison]

Hi Barrett,

Yes I did get the machine. . . what a mission. . it fits into the back of a 7.5 ton lorry with about 5mm to spare haha. . . then its so heavy the tail lift struggled ! !
Unfortunately I haven’t have a chance to use the machine yet due to work commitments. I’m hoping to get a chance sometime next week.

I have traced a company that still service the old gerber machines including the perske heads. .

protip uk – 01373826443

[Barret Evans]

Great news i am sure that when you get to using it it will bring you plenty CASH 😛

[Dave Harrison]

Barret do you happen to have a manual for your machine ?
I would be interested to know what the rpm / feed speeds others are using for acrylic, dibond, foamex etc. ..

[Barret Evans]

Unfortunately i no manuals for it i do know that they stopped support on the machine around 1995 here in SA so getting parts etc for them is quite a job i have resulted in having the breakable parts remanufactured here so that i alawys have stock and can advise you on repair if you need, in terms of feeds and speeds my machines all have porter cable spindles that have a manual variable speed switch on it ranging from 9000 to 21000 rpm, most of the time the machines are cutting alu, acry, wood basically all the non ferrous stuff. for this i run them at full rpm and around 17mm/sec ( if you are using art path this is vey easy to set ) you will find that the machine has an opperating console (very basic) where you can adjust the feed rate as a function of percentage i can assist you with these functions if you need.

I use BelinY solid carbide tools only for any material that i am processing the tools are expensive but they are by far better that any of the high speed steel tools available here. to give you an example i cut 14 sets of the barclays lettering and logo 325mm high from 20mm plexiglass i was running an 8mm belin tool 17mm pass at 17mm per sec the tool laughed at it, cut all 14 sets and is still in production on other jobs, seriously belin tools rock !!
I can mail you the product cat for belin if you want. They give plenty info on feeds and speeds rated for their tools.

Please feel free to contact me anytime while you set up your machine i have spent many hours setting and repairing these and would be glad to help where i can.

regards
Barret

[Dave Harrison]

Hi Barret

Cheers for the tip on belin.Y tools, I’ve managed to download their catalogue in PDF. I’m just looking to see if they have a UK distributor or I have to order direct from France.
I finally managed to get the machine up and running this week, I spent a few evenings cutting some 10mm foamex and generally familiarising myself with the artpath software. So far I’m really impressed.
My plans for the coming week are to machine the bed true and level and invest in a decent extraction system.
Can I ask about your porter-cable heads, are you running these independently of the machine, ie turning them on and off and selecting the RPM manually ? – this seems to be how mine is set up. .. not ideal but it works fine, I have a Perske spindle that I’ve been told was original equipment for the system 48 however its only rated at 750w which seems a little small ? ( the porter-cable is 1850w ) plus it’s going to cost £500 to rebuild the perske. . so I’ll put up with the noisy porter-cable for the time being !

[Ian Holmes]

I have just purchased a system 48 cnc router, as anyone ever updated
one of these – the problem I have is it came set up with a very old pc and the
only way the get files in is via the floppy disc that doesn’t work and the new floppy drives don’t fit due to the pins at the back, I have put the hard drive into a newer PC though I seem to have trouble with the com port as the machine stops part way though and crashes, I can’t transfer the Gerber port card as this is ISA or Vesa local bus type and all computers have PCI slots – I am prepared to spend as it didn’t cost me much I would even consider buying a brand new control box if one is available as I would like to run from Signlab if possible – Any Suggestions ?????

Ian

[Martin Manley]

Barret,
I’ve just picked up an old system 48 sprint but can’t get it to do anything!
I’m trying to run a test letter off Artpath but the router isn’t seeing it ( no bleep when job goes through). Whats the series of things I have to do to get to "rout"? I have used one before but it was donkeys years ago…
Martin

[Donald McCaskill]

Are there many of these System 48 machines still on the go? Our old one was upgraded to the AR400 controller and motherboard before we bought it but developed a fault in the Y-axis recently. I’ve had the board checked and all seems ok, the stepper motors are fine so it looks like the problem is in the resistor packs at the top right hand side of the back panel – the one with the fan and sticker saying ‘high voltage’. I re-soldered all the terminals as they had corroded over time and it has helped. Now the Y axis is able to keep moving but needs a push start. Before i soldered the terminals there was no movement on that axis.

I need a replacement resisor, or a set of 6 if anyone has any lying around they would be able to sell me? Alternatively, does anyone know of a modern replacement resistor that will do the job?

We don’t use it much to be honest but it’s a handy machine to have for letters and Dibond shapes. I can’t justify the cost of replacing the machine and wanted to at least have a good go at repairing this one first!

Any help appreciated

[Martin Manley]

Sorry mate, sold mine on about a year and a half ago….
martin

[jamesgraves]

Hi all,

I know that this is a rather old post, but I recently got hold of a Gerber System 48 to add flat cut routed letters to our sign and graphics company offering. The system works perfect, however the PC that it came with is running Windows 95 (I know, very old) and some very old software to run the system.

I was rather hoping someone might be able to assist me in upgrading the PC and the software that runs it. I have a PC at the ready with Windows 7 installed, but need to get some drivers to be able to communicate with the Gerber system, any ideas where I might be able to get these from? I’m also hoping that once I have this working, I might be able to just use any GCode routing application, rather than their prehistoric ArtPath and AutoCarve, which is seriously outdated.

Anyway, any assistance or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

James.

[David Rowland]

well, I have a gerber based cnc and I am aware that Gerber watch these forums, so please correct me if i am wrong.

I have in the past upgraded ArtPath/Composer to the newer versions which would work on XP (and possibly newer software), this involved a payment and a dongle exchange/license change.

This worked and a newer Art Path could run the machine… BUT here is the BUT… it is its own code, it doesn’t’ use the standard NC code that other CNC’s use, The gerbers use their own G-Code system.

This is where I am stopped with the project.

[jamesgraves]

Hi Dave,

Many thanks for your reply. Sounds promising, however I have tried to contact Gerber and Spandex about this and they have either been unwilling to assist or have promised to get back to me, but with no call back.

The thing is that I don’t mind spending "a bit" of money bringing it up to scratch and I’m willing to put some effort into doing so, but I’m not getting a great deal of assistance from them.

I would settle for an XP system build, lets face it, that’s much more stable and robust than Window 95, which is currently runs.

If you have a contact at Gerber, Spandex or wherever you dealt with then I’d really appreciate it if you could pass this on to me.

Many thanks for your assistance.

Kind regards,

James.