In 1987, Carlson Design originated the affordable, high-performance, large-bed rotary knife plotter/cutter. Since then, Carlson Design has been widely imitated yet unmatched in price, simplicity, and precision performance. Our time-saving systems plot and cut a wide variety of sewn goods including sails, awnings, furniture, marine canvas and upholstery, boat covers, apparel, inflatables, kites, gliders, balloons, bags, and even boat hulls.

We offer a range of interchangeable cutting tools for maximum flexibility. Since our systems are so easy to set up and use, you can order just the plotter/cutter for your own table or a turnkey installation. We offer complete vacuum tables, or plans, blowers, and tops for building your own.

We believe in open software, offering our own Windows software for pattern design, digitizing, and nesting, or compatibility to the design programs you already use.

Products:	Plotter/Cutters	What's New	Vacuum Tables	Plotter Software	Plotter Shareware	Utilities
Fun:	Hull Design	Boat Projects	Sandplotters			Links

Bulletin:

Demo Opportunity: Come and see us at the upcoming SWIFA (Southwest Industrial Fabrics) Convention at Irving, Texas on April 4-5, 2008 and take a test drive of our new CTx Plotter/Cutter! Wyndham DFW Airport North Hotel, 4441 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, TX 75063

Overseas customers: The U.S. Dollar is near an all time low against other currencies. There may never be a better time to import your Carlson Plotter!

Lighter, faster, and more powerful, the new CT Plotter/Cutter is far and away the smoothest, fastest, and most precise system we've ever offered. No large-bed plotter/cutter beats the CT for value, reliability, and flexibility. The system glides on an all-new ball-slide fully captive custom track system, enhancing precision and cutting power. Dual-beam construction provides a stronger, straighter, and lighter chassis. Combined with a direct drive X, Y, and Z axes, the CT has fewer moving parts to break or wear. A more compact tool head carries a quick-change magnetic-mount tangential knife with lots of optional blade types and a precise air-operated pen. The tools spring retract at rest, so they won't interfere when picking parts or spreading fabrics.


Track System The new CT Plotter/Cutter launches our first all-new track system in many years. The new dual rails are a custom, all-metal, fully captive design, easily mounting to almost any tabletop. The drive motors have a new self-cleaning vertical orientation, allowing various motors to be fitted with no overhang on the table, providing a safer working environment. The track system resists yawing so well, the system will still run even with a drive motor disconnected from one end!

The CT track is a positive-drive system, allowing the plotter to be driven much harder without skipping. The CT carriage is lighter, more compact, and faster than ever before. A dozen ball-bearing composite wheels provide a quiet ball-slide type action down the length of the table, holding the carriage both very securely to the table and the job, and in perfect engagement with the teeth in the drive racks. The system is extremely stiff - more accurate and repeatable than ever before possible. The unique configuration is also extremely flexible, allowing fitting of any combination of motors, including pairs on each end.

Significant improvements also include: Resists skewing/yawing. Quieter and more accurate. Captive, secure - can't jump or skip. New low-backlash drive pinions - one motor, one drive each end. Easy exchange of drive motors, including pair-drive option. Reverse running - head fitted to the back edge of the machine for a better view of operation. Precision ball slides fitted to both pen and cutter reduce slop to zero. New PlotMaster XP includes digitizing and improved compatibility (no Direct-IO). New off-the-shelf control cables with PM XP. Packages under 130" to ship by FedEx or UPS - cheaper and faster than airfreight. Weight drops to just 22 pounds (10 kg) for high acceleration and easy handling. Direct-drive Y-axis (head) eliminates moving parts and belt stretch. New generation stepper motors are more powerful, yet 30% smaller and lighter. The chassis is completely sealed for protection and CE approval. Over-spec'd microstepping drivers for easy servicing and high resolution. Fewer moving parts mean fewer adjustments and higher reliability. High clearance, enclosed chassis for less snags. Drop-in replacement for existing installations with track swap.

January 2006 - "My new CT is a lot more precise than my old Carlson cutter. The panels are a lot fairer, and I am completely eliminating any second fairing or trimming!" - Hunter Riddle, owner Schurr Sails, Pensacola, FL, 3-time Carlson owner over 18 years.

April 2006 - "As you know, we are now on our second Carlson Plotter/Cutter. The fact that we came back for more indicates our satisfaction both with your products and with your service. In addition to the hundreds of sails we cut for our own customers, we cut sails for several other lofts. As a result our cutter stays pretty busy. It is accurate, reliable, hard working and it handles everything from heavy Spectra cruising laminates to half ounce nylon with aplomb. Thanks for a great product at a price an independent loft can afford." - Win Fowler, owner Maine Sailing Partners, Yarmouth, Maine.

April 2006 - "You may include a testamonial from us. We were very pleased with the communcation and support we have received during the ordering and set up process. The plotter has exeeded our expectations. It is simple to operate. A new employee can be trained in l to 2 days. We are very happy." - Mark Nelen, owner Sunstate Awning, Sanford, Florida.

April 2006 - "After-the-sale support has been a class act, more than I could have hoped for, wish all companies had the same culture, and by the way, the product is excellent. P.S. Only suggestion, I wish you sold the plastic cutting sheets with holes pre-drilled. Thanks for being there when we need you". - David Conner, owner Fabritec Industries, Butterfield, Missouri.

April 2006 - "We are well satisfied with our plotter and the service we have received from the Carlson people, despite the difficulties of different time zones. The plotter is still going strong and we have grown to rely on it more and more. Since we have it our production has more than doubled and our products have become a lot more advanced." - Bart Maes, Airworks BV, the Netherlandds.



September 2006 - "The new plotter is really a great advancement, track system is perfect: no jump or skip. A lot quieter and accurate. We can cut the panels really close to the edges of the cloth, with the old one was near impossible or we have to fix the edges with some tape. Now we are really happy with it. All new software easy to use." - Roby Vencato, Ullman Trieste, Italy.





PRICES	System	Base Price
CT Plotter/Cutter	Rotary Knife, pen, 24' track & cabling, PlotMaster32/QuikNest/Pedit	$24,995 USD
CT Plotter/Cutter, Installed	Rotary Knife, pen, 24' track & cabling, PlotMaster32/QuikNest/Pedit, Installation, add table	$29,995 USD




The CT cutting head features a tucked-under arrangement for the direct-drive cutter, which lessens the load on the ball slide and provides a longer effective cutting table in a more compact package. Base systems include Plotter/Cutter only. Turnkey systems include the Plotter/Cutter, a 12-foot vacuum table, and installation and training. Terms: 50% deposit with order, balance due with delivery. Delivery: 6-8 week after order. FOB our dock Tulsa, Oklahoma Write us for brochures and offers on new systems. 15% restocking on returned systems.

Available for the CT and PT cutters are a series of beefy magnetic "click-on" blade holders. The holders swap instantly, without tools. The new blade holders are larger too, providing a more rigid, stable, smooth, and accurate cut, and include 2 types of rotary blades and 3 types of drag blades. $295 each.





OPTIONS	Mag Mount Cutter	Application
Steel Rotary		General purpose cutting, disposable blade, magnetic-mount replaceable axle. For apparel, furniture, sailmaking, inflatables, canvas. Comes standard.
Mini Rotary...$295		Disposable, detail cutting, smaller 18 mm blade, magnetic-mount replaceable axle. For apparel or other detail work.
Carbide Drag...$295		Ultra-hard carbide at moderate cost, depth controlled, high precision, long-life for very detailed cutting of composites, graphites, aramids, paper, gasket and other hard or abrasive materials. Applications include applique, sailmaking, patterns, stencils, and aerospace.
Carbide Rotary...$295		Carbide rotary knife, 28 mm, re-sharpenable, long-life for use on aramids and other abrasive materials, mainly sailmaking & aerospace, large patterns or production.
Steel Drag		Stanley blade, low-cost, external depth control for twill and applique.
Zirconia Drag...$295		Zirconia ceramics and carbide for very exotic composites that won't cut with metal blades, especially sailmaking and aerospace




Special Options & Tools

Hot Knife Rev.5	Cut and seal synthetics	$1495	Swivel Penknife	Kisscut sign vinyls	$125
Paint Pens	5/8" dia. sign pen	$125	Custom widths	60", 78, or 84 widths	add $1000

28mm Rotary Blades High-quality Olfa	28mm Carbide Blade Composites cutting	Carbide Drag Blade Detail and composites	Pressurized Pen High capacity, fast	Carbide Drag Blade 2 edge, large	Ceramic Drag Blade 1 edge, small
$3 each, qty 1 $2 each, qty 100	$50 each	$21 each	$24.30 each silver for dark fabrics $21 each black/blue - light fabrics	$25 each	$21 each

The new PT (Pro) Plotter/Cutter is a heavy-duty version of the CT Plotter/Cutter, also employing the new precision track system. The PT is specially reinforced for heavy cutting applications such as industrial or heavy composite fabrics. The PT uses the most powerful motors available within the frame size. The PT power plates are stretched to spread the loads associated with heavy cutting and further dampen any tendency to yaw. The wider configuration extends the life of the ball-slides by reducing loads. The PT shares many components with the CT, with the exception of a few key components that are oversized.

While the CT is not recommended in custom widths more than 84 inches, the extra strength and stiffness of the PT chassis allows stretching the machine to 3 meters - popular in tension structure applications. Shown is a 126" wide unit being tested. Like all Carlson plotter/cutters, the self-contained PT has no microprocessors on board - our intuitive Plotmaster software plus your PC is your controller, with diagnosis and service available online.. The PT requires little or no maintenance and thrives in the dirtiest work environments. Your operator need not be an engineer or a computer expert once they see how simply our systems work. Owners average just $46 yearly maintaining their systems - and most users have never lost even one day of production! In every way, the PT is designed to cut your products accurately and swiftly day in and day out without unpleasant surprises or costly service.

The PT is available at the standard width of 72 inches (183 cm) and custom widths from 60 inches to an ultrawide 126 inches (3 meter). Typical applications include large-scale architectural fabric structures (3 meter wide), carbon fiber prepreg for sporting goods, and high-volume aftermarket auto goods. Other features and options are similar to the CT.





PRICES	System	USD
PT 72" Plotter/Cutter	Quick 2-tool head, standard Rotary Knife, pen, track & cables to 30', PlotMasterXP/QuikNest/Pedit	$29,995
PT 126" Plotter/Cutter	Quick 2-tool head, standard Rotary Knife, pen, track & cables to 30', PlotMasterXP/QuikNest/Pedit	$34,995

15% restocking on returned systems.

The new Studio ST Personal Plotter/Cutter is as serious a manufacturing tool as it is a great value. Designed for sample cutting, pattern development, and smaller design-cut-sew operations, the Studio is our most compact and affordable system. In fact, we can ship your system fully assembled (except for your tracks) by express shippers such as Fed Ex or UPS. The ST is a lightweight, single-arm machine using a custom extrusion combining exceptionally strong mechanical structure and guides for the head. The head rolls on adjustable composite wheels, whereas the CT and PT employ steel-on steel guides. The ST carries its power electronics on a small "bubble" along the back each of the machine, and operates purely from safe DC power carried to the head. The Studio ST is among the lightest chassis's we have produced, so performance is quite lively even with smaller drive motors. Of course, the ST also uses the new precision ball-slide track used on its bigger siblings. Like the CT and PT, all axes - X, Y, and Z - are direct drive with one moving part per drive. The Studio ST is fitted with an air-operated pen and Rotary Knife cutter, swiftly and accurately marking and cutting an amazingly wide variety of materials. Installation of the tracks on your table takes simple tools and about an hour or two. Plotmaster XP and Quiknest Windows software is easy to use and compatible with your design software.

The Studio ST is available in 48", 60, 72", and 84" versions. While a lighter machine, the ST shares a number of components and spares in common with the CT and PT plotter/cutters, including blade holders, pen holders, and software. Delivery for the ST is generally about 2 weeks quicker than a CT or PT due to the simplified design.

PRICES	System	USD
ST 72" Plotter/Cutter	Quick 2-tool head, standard Rotary Knife, pen, 24' track & cabling, PlotMasterXP/QuikNest/Pedit	$19,995

Turnkey systems include Plotter/Cutter, sample-sized vacuum table, onsite installation and training. Base systems include Plotter/Cutter, but you supply your own vacuum table and installation. Contact us for more information. 15% restocking on returned systems.

The new T-bar Fast Digitizer digitizes patterns as quickly and accurately as you can move the head around an existing pattern. The T-bar Digitizer slides into your existing CT/PT/ST Supertrack and provides a digitizing bed as big as your plot table. Digitizing is as easy as pointing its laser at key points and clicking the button - the offsets are immediately stored on the PC. The T-bar Digitizer may also be wall-mounted, or mounted in a remote location to allow a designer to quickly trace and share his patterns with an offsite manufacturer. The Digitizer may be used to catalog an existing pattern library, or quickly trace new patterns as they are developed with traditional processes. Advantages include quick and accurate cutting, electronic copy protection of valuable patterns, and time savings for replacement canvas. The T-bar Digitizer includes Windows software for desktop or laptop allowing full-scale patterns to be quickly captured without rescaling or distortion, and edited. Pattern pieces are saved and exported as plot/cut files for your Carlson Design Plotter/Cutter. The digitizer connects to a USB port, and is extremely light and portable. Requires a current Supertack installation.

PRICES	System	USD
60" T-Bar Fast Digitizer	Slides into your existing supertrack for quick digitizing	$1,9995






---

Vacuum Tables for Plotter/Cutters


---

We offer high-quality Phillocraft Grip-Tex and National vacuum tables for your plotter/cutter, standards in the sewn goods industries. Includes heavy-gage steel framework, composite tops with internal air channels, and heavy-duty powerful suction blowers - everything you need except a cutting surface. (220/440 volt 3-phase standard; 1-phase and 110 VAC available for some applications.) Assembly notes for your Phillocraft table.




VAC TABLES	60, 72, or 84 inches
High Performance Vac Tables	$32 per sq. ft.

Contact us for quote; pricing varies on wide, short, or by some applications.

Using plans included in our manual and our components, you can build your own table.


COMPONENTS	Components for home-built tables	Price
Polyethylene Tops	4' x 8' x 1/16" sheets of general-purpose cutting surface (user drills).	$60 /sheet
Polypropylene Tops	4' x 8' x 1/16" sheets, slightly harder, general-purpose cutting surface (user drills).	$50 /sheet
Porous No-Drill Tops	Super-grip porous black rubber top, 36" wide rolls (for all but the softest materials)	$5.25 /linear ft.
Regenerative Vac Blower	Heavy industrial blower like those provided with Phillocraft tables. Use about one per each 20 feet of tabling. 2.5 Hp 3 phase (EBO264)	$1200 each
Radial Vac Blower	High volume, medium pressure blower handles up to 20 feet of tabling with only 1/3 hp and 110 or 240 VAC. A great compromise for many applications (EBO265)	$425 each
Mini Vac Blower	Inexpensive but very powerful small blower, high pressure and high volume. Noisier, rated for 500 hour life. Use about 1 per 10' of tabling. 0.7 Hp 110 VAC (EBO266)	$85 each


An alternate source for cutting surface.





---

Plotter/Cutter Application Software


---

Click to see...	...from Carlson Design	Price
PlotMaster/Control	Software plotter/cutter controller for Windows 3 or 95. Supports HPGL, DXF, sailmaking. New metric and calibration. Included with new systems.	$2995
QuikNest	Pick-and-place pattern nesting program saves valuable time and materials. Mark out cloth flaws. Standard with new systems.	$195
PEdit	Pattern Editor optimizes plot sequences, cleans up digitizing, and develops simple patterns. Standard with new systems.	$100
NestMan	Automatic, optimizing nesting program saves design time. Supports multiple cloth types and wild parts in waste. New multi-pass optimization feature improves nesting results.	$495
Triangle/DTM	Develop canvas patterns to fit on your laptop with our digital tape measure.	$1495




• The Triangle program includes our new digital tape measure for developing patterns to fit existing structures like awnings and marine canvas.
  
  
  Links:

  
  
  

  	TouchCAD 3D is a combined 3D modeling and unfolding program focused on the ability to generate complex 3D shapes and convert them into physically buildable models. Includes and a driver for Carlson Design.
  	SGS Scanvec is a leading supplier of CAD systems to the sewn goods industry. No matter what you cut & sew, Carlson Design and Scanvec represent the best value in true industrial-strength pattern design and cutting solutions. Industrial users will be surprised at how simple and affordable Scanvec is.
  	form·Z is an award winning 3D synthesis program that includes drafting and rendering - if you can imagine the shape, you can build it with form·Z. Our customers use it to develop balloons, inflatables, awnings, and tents for impressive sales presentations and then explode them for cutting.

  
  
  









---

Shareware for Carlson Design CT Plotter/Cutters

---

Some programs may check for an installed copy of Plotmaster XP.

Carlson Design Letterworks creates basic lettering and signage, and includes 35 basic fonts. Free.	Carlson Design Sail Analyzer allows you to photograph and analyze flying sail shapes for recursive design, software calibration, and trimming study. Check your sailmaker's work! Free.	ImpressionX Raster-to-Vector Converter shareware traces your scanned artwork to vector for plotting (print-to-file to a generic HP plotter). Download Thumbs Plus shareware to preview and convert image formats.
Carlson Design Pedestal Cover develops patterns for pedestal covers from a few simple measurements of the boat's wheel and guard. Free to users of Carlson plotter/cutters.	SailCut4.09 is an excellent sail design program by Robert Laine, linked to Carlson Design hardware. SailCut4 cross-cuts Marconi and gaff sails with simple and robust 3-d shape control (user manual). SailCut6.10 is for asymmetrical spinnakers, defining the flying sail in 3-d rather than just 2-d (user manual). Other programs allow spinnakers to fly away from their over-simplified 2-d outlines. SailCut8 is for junk rigs and batwing sails, and SailCut5 is ready to cut windsurfer sails on your Carlson Design plotter/cutter.	Carlson Design NTV2NST Converter/Viewer lets you nest newer NTV files (SMSW 6) on the older SMSW 5 DOS nesting programs (e.g. MCIFNEST for NST files).
Carlson Design SailForm is a traditional broadseaming sail design program. Develop shape by camber, entry, and twist at 6 stations up the 3-sided or gaff sail. Click and drag seam positions. Flat radialing leaves all shape in large, intuitive horizontal broadseams. Create reinforcements, reef points, and batten pockets to be cut along with panels on your Carlson plotter/cutter. Mix and match size, molds, and panel layouts from any stored designs. VRML 1.0 output. Free.	Carlson Design Boomcover patterns sail covers for mains and staysails and round sailbags.	Carlson Design Awning Designer beta develops patterns for standard awning types from single measurements for cutting on your Carlson Design Plotter/Cutter. Finished program may become a pay version.








---

Software Libraries, Drivers, and Utilities

---

• A WinXP HPGL driver for WinXP allows page sizes up to 915mm x 3200mm (36" x 126") and allows printing to file. For larger plots, use one of the two scaling methods: 1. draw at a known scale and rescale during Plotmaster HPGL import (e.g. 1/2 scale and 200% import), or 2. scale to fit the page and include a drawn box of a known size and unique color and enter these two values into Plotmaster HPGL import autoscaling. Win95/98 includes HPGL drivers (e.g. HP7586), but here's an alternative Win98 HPGL driver.
  
  
• Our programs require a few support files that you may not already have. Generally, you only need to download these once, or when a program complains it can't find something. Put these files into your working directory for our programs or your windows/system directory:

  apiguide.dll

  grid.vbx

  tips.vbx

  lfstatus.vbx

  resize.vbx

  cmdialog.vbx

  vbrun300.dll

  
  
• For problems running a 16-bit application like Hulls in Win XP or NT, try this Microsoft Bulletin.
  






---

Shareware for Boat Design

---

• Download our free Hull Designer , a simple, interactive, visual 3-d hull design Windows program for modeling and developing panels for hard chine construction. Find Center of Boyancy, Center of Lateral Area, Length Waterline, and righting moment (pitched or heeled) among other calculations. Create patterns for stem, stern, bulkheads, up to 10 chines, and up to 8 frames for construction. Includes a 3, 4, or 5 sheet nesting and hand-plotting capability and output to VRML 1.0, DXF, HPGL, or Carlson plotters. Includes sample designs and Word 6.0 manual. User Gavin Atkin offers a tutorial. Includes Atkins Oarmouse plans and Ed Bachmann's Excel tool.
  
  
  
• A pair of free mast design programs for round wooden masts - one to develop strakes for round masts and another to calculate mast size and strength for stayed and unstayed rigs based on sail area and wood types. The second program is by Robert Tyrrell.
  
  
• Link to Carene 40/50, a shareware boat hull design program for plywood or sheet metal construction by Robert Laine.








---

Boats, Projects, and Sailing

---

	The Cruising Log of Alligator, our Biloxi Lugger
A live webcam of our dock, and sailing adventures on Grand Lake of the Cherokees
	A short pictorial of the refit of our Herreschoff Rozinante canoe yawl, now owned by a friend.






• A step-by-step construction pictorial of my 1999 Phil Bolger Light Scooner.
  
  
  
  
  
• A step-by-step 1997 construction pictorial of my box-keel Phil Bolger Sneakeasy.
  
  
  
• Pictures of my finished Sneakeasy and my other boat-building Projects.
  
  
• Pictures of boats designed and built by users of our free Hull Designer program.
  
  
• Join our informal Phil Bolger Discussion Group for fans and builders of Bolger's designs and share your opinions and questions.
  
  
• Order our updated plans for the Butterfly Folding Kayak at just $25 (Visa, Mastercard, or check).
  
  
• I have an MS in mechanical engineering from Tulsa University, where we researched the effect of surface abrasion on metal fatigue. The practical application was to predict any acceleration of fatigue failures in coil tube well drilling - if a method of rotating the tube could be developed (it is). Coil tube rigs use a huge, continuous spool of steel tube - not segmented in joints as in conventional rigs. We found some abrasions that might occur as the tube is spun against rocks in a directional bore bend (a "dogleg") can even have beneficial effects due to residual stresses (like shot-peening). We used profileometers (roughness measurers), rotating-bending test machines, finite-element analysis, heat-treatment (to remove residuals), and electron microscopes to study the problem. Read my thesis here: "The Effect of Circumferential Abrasion on Rotating-Bending Metal Fatigue"










---

Links

---

Bluewater Sailing Supply is the source for Nuclear sails, hardware, and sailmaking supplies, Sunbrella and canvas goods, furlers, and rigging. Bluewater also runs a computer cutting service for sails and is a dealer for Carlson plotters.










---

Contact us:

Info - for information on new sales and applications of our versatile plotter/cutters.

Service - for service, spares, and technical support.

Carlson Design, 539 South Trenton Avenue , Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120 t/f (918) 438-8344

DISCLAIMER Warranty does not apply if the product has been altered, modified, or damaged. Carlson Design makes no other warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness of the product for any particular purpose even if that purpose is known to Carlson Design, or any warranty relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property. Carlson Design shall not be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or loss of profits resulting from the handling or use of its products. A finance charge of 1.5% per month (18% annual percentage rate) will be charged on all past due amounts. Reasonable attorney fees will also be charged by seller in the event of any action proceeding for collection of the sums billed on the invoice.

...send comments to Gregg Carlson


Copyright © April 2008 Carlson Design Corp.