Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1451379
5 8 G R A P H I C S P R O A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M ROLLSROLLER was also one of the first companies to develop an application table. CWT Worktools tables came from the same group from an invention standpoint, he says. "e team that made both of these machines, the original models, were brothers. at's what makes us and them the top two competitors because the same group of people created them and still do today." CUTWOR X sells smaller table sizes, entry level options to get people started, Divarco says. If a shop makes traffic signs, for instance, they wouldn't need a 10' table if they are only mount- ing blanks for smaller road signs. If they are doing fleet graphics or highway signs, they will need longer tables to pre-mask blanks. One of the biggest considerations is space. e company's more high-end worktables have lift kits, lights, a heat-assisted roller, and cost nearly $35,000, so a shop wants to make sure they have room for it so it can be used properly and not just end up "as a table collecting boxes," Divarco adds. "at can happen in the blink of an eye. You get busy and it becomes a collection tray, and you damage it." Price isn't as much of a consideration because there are so many platforms offering so many sizes it is easy to find the table size a shop needs for a good price that will fit the space, he adds. Shops that have the luxury of extra liquidity might want to opt for a machine with a higher price tag because it "generally means you will get more premium rubber, which is pretty important when using it for a pinch roller for lamination," Divarco argues. He adds that clients do come in with size and space restrictions thinking they will want a lower end model but will leave with a Signarama's employees use the table to mount masked vinyl and digital prints onto various substrates. (Image courtesy Signarama Huntington Station) more expensive one after seeing a hands-on demonstration and realizing it will alleviate workflow bottlenecks. Visual Horizons Custom Signs is a full-service commercial sign company based in Modesto, California, which has been in business for more than 25 years, offering non-illuminated signs, banners, engraving and vehicle wraps. e company also chose a 5' × 12' ROLL-X worktable to help increase efficiency of its production space. e company chose the table because it "fit in our workspace and was larger than the widest material we print on," says owner Charity Jackson, "so it accommodates all printed graphics and signs we run through production." e key features the shop looked for in a worktable were size, the clearance of the application roller for different substrate thick- nesses, the height controls so it could be raised and lowered as needed, the backlit work surface, and the extra storage and cut- ting tool. "Since we're a busy shop with few employees, it's important for us to be able to quickly apply signs with as few people as pos- sible," says Jackson. e table includes a roll holder glide beam that is used for applying masking tape. e company orders 54"-wide rolls of application tape and mounts them on this bar. "One person can mask graphics 52" wide × 12' long in seconds, with even pres- sure," she says. e height control under the roll beam is very important. In the past, when the company used its laminator to apply graphics After seeing the worktable at a trade show, Dawn Bent knew it would be a game changer for her shop that had been using traditional methods for 33 years. (Image courtesy Signarama Huntington Station)