The Ikon Blade Cutter.
The Ideal Basic Single Steered Tool Plotter Cutter.
Aeronaut's Ikon cutter is a basic, entry level cutter which is built to perform. It's certainly the best performing, most durable and reliable cutter in its class without being any more expensive… just compare it with the rest.
The Ikon cutter has been on the market for 15 years or more and it's proved to be a great machine for its owners. Although there's just one steered cutting axis and a marker, the Elektron Mono WS takes Aeronaut's Cam-lock quick change tools so you can fit any tool you need when the work comes up.
The best performing and best value entry level automated cutter on the market.
The Ikon is made in a range of standard sizes up to 2.05 metres cut width. It's fitted with a single Cam-lock tool axis and a concentric pen holder.
The Ikon is designed to be fitted to a self-build or existing vacuum table. Aeronaut provides full installation instructions for the machine and can provide construction notes for vacuum tables as well.
Just because the Ikon is basic doesn't mean you have limitations; with Aeronaut's Cam-lock quick-change tooling system, tools from blades to drill punches can be fitted and changed in seconds. These tools lock positively and firmly in place, ensuring perfect alignment of blade height and angle.
You can fit a wide range of tools to the same machine, including rotary (pizza) blade holders in 18mm, 28mm, and 45mm diameters, drag blade holders, creasing tools, and even a Z-axis drill punch. This feature maximises the machine’s performance and versatility.
All Aeronaut cutters are equipped with a pen adaptor, capable of holding a wide range of markers, from ballpoint pens to paint markers. This adaptor allows you to change marker types without altering critical seam allowances.
When working with materials like shade cloth, canvas, and PVC fabric, a rotary blade can perform 95% of the tasks and with Cam-lock tools, you can fit any other tool in a few seconds.
The Ikon is heavy duty, accurate, fast, reliable and low maintenance… everything you want from a cutter.
Features
Cam-Lock quick-change tooling system
Supports rotary (pizza) blade holders (19mm, 28mm, 45mm), drag blades, creasing tools, and a Z-axis drill punch for ultimate flexibility.
Swap between blades, drill punches, and other tools in seconds for maximum safety and efficiency.
Heavy-Duty Chassis
Designed to cut the widest fabrics and handle the toughest materials with precision and ease.
Built to working widths of up to 2.05 metres (81"), providing strength and stability for demanding workloads.
Concentric Pen Adaptor for Accurate Marking
Compatible with a wide range of markers (ballpoints, paint markers, etc.), enabling easy marker type changes without affecting seam allowances.
Optional Higher Tool-Pressure Version
For applications requiring extreme pressure, such as cutting and creasing thicker materials.
Smooth and Quiet Operation
Runs quietly with remarkable smoothness, making it suitable for any workspace.
Advantages
Cost-Effective Solution
The most affordable in the Aeronaut range, providing high-end performance at an accessible price point.
Long Service Life
Engineered without compromise, the Ikon is built to last, delivering reliable performance over decades.
Future proof
Rapidly change between cutting tools to handle a variety of materials and tasks with ease, now and in the future.
Very low maintenance
Compared with entry-level cutters from other manufacturers which need heavy maintenance every few years, the Ikon is almost maintenance-free.
Superior Speed and Accuracy
The unique design ensures faster cutting and greater precision compared to other single-steered plotter cutters.
Exceeds Industry Standards
Designed to meet and surpass industry standards for self-install entry-level cutters for speed, accuracy, and repeatability, offering exceptional value without the hefty price tag.
Cam-lock tools can be changed by hand in under 15 seconds so you can fit the tools you need, when you need.
If your work doesn't need more than a few tools and you're OK with changing them manually, then the Elektron Mono should be a serious consideration.
The Cam-lock tool range includes 18mm, 28mm and 45mm rotary blades, tangential or drag knives, creasing and scoring tools and a wide range of drill-punch sizes from pin to over 25mm.
Industries
Many customers find that a rotary blade and pen will do almost all their cutting and marking and when the need arises, with Cam-lock tooling, they can fit another tool to complete the job. If you use narrow fabric and can handle the installation, the the Ikon is worth taking seriously.
Sails & Covers
Sailmaking is where both Aeronaut and low-cost cutters began and it's here that the Ikon is completely at home, whether cutting sailcloth, acrylic or composite fibres.
Sporting Goods
If you're on a budget, you use narrow fabric and you need accuracy, then the Ikon has the accuracy, power and price suit you perfectly. Look at the competitors and you'll buy an Ikon.
Outdoor Awnings
If you're on a budget, your materials are under 2 metres (80") wide and you rarely need punches, creases or cutting tools for small details, then the Ikon is a great choice.
Canvas & PVC
There are few limitations on the types of fabric the Ikon can cut, provided they fit on the cutting table.
Increase Productivity
Reduce Waste
Reduce Mistakes
Software, Nesting and Technology
Nesting and Control
Aeronaut's Tangent software is the key to reducing fabric waste and Tangent's powerful and user friendly cutter control is essential to increase production.
Autonesting
Fast and efficient autonesting can pay for a cutting system in months if your fabric is expensive - and isn't waste fabric the most expensive fabric in your business?
Rapid Patterning
Aeronaut has developed rapid patterning software and CAD plugins to reduce the design to cut time down to a few minutes on complex patterns.
Why Automate?
Most of the benefits of automation are obvious, others less so.
- Automation will increase productivity without increasing staff numbers while at the same time reducing waste, mistakes and staff stress at busy times.
- If you don't want growth, automation can let you produce the same number of good quality products with fewer staff.
- Automation reduces your reliability on key workers and conventional skills while attracting another generation of workers who might be entirely happy with computers but less so pushing a pair of scissors.
- Automation adds value to a business since the IP, designs and patterns are all digitised and can be stored off-site.
- Cutting accurate patterns no longer depends on key workers. Aeronaut cutter are easy to operate so many people can run a cutter and saved jobs can be easily recut.
- Automation means you can do more markings and more markings means faster, more accurate and more reliable assembly. The cutting and marking process may take a while longer but the sewing, welding or bonding operations are much faster.
Why Aeronaut?
- Apart from the obvious reason that Aeronaut has some of the best people around in sales, design, software and support…
- Aeronaut cutters are legendarily reliable. We've got dozens of cutters over 20 years old which are still doing the same reliable job for their owners.
- The cost of ownership of an Aeronaut cutter is very low. Upgrades, spares and service are readily available even for 30 year old machines.
- Over a third of new machine orders are from customers who already own at least one Aeronaut cutter, something which applies across the board from NASA contractors to the boat cover maker down the road.
- Aeronaut's cutters are rationally designed machines. As one customer said, "if we'd bought another make of cutter, we'd have spent more on plastic covers than we did on our whole machine".
- Aeronaut cutters may be overbuilt, like a '70s Mercedes and there's a sense of security in knowing that your 3 metre wide cutter is also working somewhere else at 6 metres wide.
- If it's yellow, it doesn't break! 90% of components are made in-house on one of 5 CNC machines, most of which are German 5 axis machining centres. If we made it once, we can make it again.
Contact Aeronaut
Get the facts from the factory direct. If you want advice on automated cutting, an offer on a complete cutting system or to arrange a demonstration, just ask!