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Cutting laminated material

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GreenL

New Member
Ok so I’m encountering more of an annoyance when trying to cut a print I’ve laminated

After I’ve printed and laminated a sheet graphic, I then put it in to the machine to cut… problem I’m getting is I’m needing to cut 2-3 times in order to get the machine to actually cut through the material, if I increase the pressure (especially on sheets longer than 2m) the alignment of the cut goes off.

I’m using a mimaki cjv150 with 60 degree non oem blade.

Pinch rollers on cut set to high outer and inner, pressure I can work too before risking it going out of alignment is about 100g

Has anyone else experienced this and have any idea on how I can get around it

Ian
 
G

GaSouthpaw

Profane and profane accessories.
What I'd check:
- Blade depth
- Cutting pressure (or force- different manufacturers call it different things)
- Cutting speed

All of those should be adjustable. Test with scrap until it works the way you want it to, then write down your settings. Most plotters have different tool settings where you can save custom settings (re, one for hi-performance vinyl, one for laminated, one for reflective, etc.) Save the settings (along with writing it down) and call it "Laminated Vinyl" (if the plotter allows custom naming).
 
White Haus

White Haus

Not a Newbie
What is "the" material?? Any plotter should be able to cut cleanly through vinyl/ink/laminate in a single pass, assuming you're not using polycarbonate or thick laminates like substance etc.
 
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signheremd

New Member
In addition to all the good above recommendations, on some plotters you need to extend the blade out slightly so that it is out as much as the thickness of the material being cut. Otherwise, the blade holder hits the material and the blade does not reach deep enough to make it to the wax paper liner.
 
DL Signs

DL Signs

Never go against the family
Using aftermarket blades in a Mimaki is hit & miss, don't know why, but it is. Make sure the blade spins free, just the tip should be extended out of the holder, make sure the blade tip isn't damaged, and the correct offset is selected. Higher speeds will also cause more shifting, make sure the grit rollers are clean, rubber rollers are clean and not hardened with age, and cutting strip isn't chewed up. All those affect cutting. The cut function in print-cut machines aren't as robust as a stand alone cutter, their main function is printing, so they're built around that more than cutting. I don't know if I'd run heavy stuff like reflective or masking materials on the printer's cutter, but standard vinyls and laminated vinyl they should handle with no issues on a single pass.

I have two Mimaki print-cut machines and two of their stand alone cutters, all had to be "dialed in" their own way. One stand alone cutter is 15+ years old and still has the original cutting strip, only a new set of rollers put in a few years ago. Main issues I ever have on any are the usual, attempting aftermarket blades, blades getting dull/ damaged, and had to replace a couple blade holders that wore out.
 
Notarealsignguy

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
Put a drop of oil in the blade holder. +1 on OEM Mimaki blades, they are pricey but last forever. I used to use the generic blades on another machine and would have to change them all of the time. On our CJV, the pressure for 6.5 mil cal vinyl/lam is usually in the 120-130 range and it cuts spot on.
 
Signarama Jockey

Signarama Jockey

New Member
White Haus

White Haus

Not a Newbie
Signarama Jockey said:
I'm also curious as to the thickness and type of material/lam that you are trying to cut.

In my experience, 60 degree blades are best for really thick stuff. If you're using a 60 on typical stuff that isn't thick, you're going to get a dull blade quicker than you would cutting the same amount with a 45 or 30 (which could be the problem - a dull blade).

Here's a good website full of stuff you already know; but it's probably a good idea to look it over in case you're missing something.
Click to expand...
That's actually a really good article, don't think I've ever seen that formally discussed online. Saving it for training purposes, thanks.
 
C

Chichia96

New Member
GreenL said:
Ok so I’m encountering more of an annoyance when trying to cut a print I’ve laminated

After I’ve printed and laminated a sheet graphic, I then put it in to the machine to cut… problem I’m getting is I’m needing to cut 2-3 times in order to get the machine to actually cut through the material, if I increase the pressure (especially on sheets longer than 2m) the alignment of the cut goes off.

I’m using a mimaki cjv150 with 60 degree non oem blade.

Pinch rollers on cut set to high outer and inner, pressure I can work too before risking it going out of alignment is about 100g

Has anyone else experienced this and have any idea on how I can get around it

Ian
Click to expand...
Laminated white print media (Arlon/briteline/3m) really anything 3mm thick laminated with 2-3mm lam:
Blade: 60 degree Speed: 20 Force: 31

Laminated reflective print media:
Blade: 60 degree Speed: 20 Force: 33
 
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GreenL

New Member
Material is metamark md5 plus md5 laminate, think there about 70g each.

Think I’ll slow the machine right down and see what that does and get an oem blade see what that does
 
Notarealsignguy

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
GreenL said:
Material is metamark md5 plus md5 laminate, think there about 70g each.

Think I’ll slow the machine right down and see what that does and get an oem blade see what that does
Click to expand...
Slowing down for thicker materials helps quite a bit. Check how much blade is exposed from the holder, 1/2 the thickness of a credit card or a little more seems to be a good starting point.
 
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