FC8600 Contour Cut Off

[dro289]

Hello,

Been searching and trying to fix this problem for days. Hopefully someone can help that has faced similar.

I use a Mutoh to print, Graphtec FC8600 as a cutter, run by Flexisign & Print Editor Mutoh Edition.

Contour cut is seriously misalinged. Tried to cut a set of lettering measuring only 31" wide by 9" tall. It starts to cut in the bottom left corner which is aligned somewhat correctly, but by the time it gets to the top right, it is off by at least 1/4 of an inch.

I've attached pictures below via link, hopefully they can be seen. I've run this cut a few times so I'm not throwing more than one piece away.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w067vbmpwgo9vgo/20180829_202357.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/34pypuik8ka39vr/20180829_202351.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t1kkcoqmpcq26mt/20180829_202337.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pw3noho5i59vxqd/20180829_202333.jpg?dl=0

This happens on just about everything. Tried the mark sensor adjustment, both via pen and the printed crosshair adjustment, which does not appear it did anything.

Any help at this point would be useful. I've contacted graphtec tech support as well, but still have not heard back.

Thanks in advance,
Derek

 

[GAC05]

I don't know, that's not a small error. Maybe your media compensation setting got reset to a high value by mistake.
Have you done that test using the program manager in Flexi instead of the Graphtec utility?
One way to keep working while figuring out the issue is to print blocks of color bigger than the text you need to cut.
I did this for quite a while before I got a cutter with ARMS.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[AGCharlotte]

Is the material high gloss? I've had problems with the eye reading the ARMS marks correctly on materials that are extra shiny. Sometimes have to cover the ARMS with mask and hand draw over the top. Looking at the screenshots it looks like there's distortion on the cuts (ie: it's not cutting the same size as the art) and the cut's "shrinking" by the end of the line, so it could also be what Wayne suggested too.

 

[unclebun]

My question is why are you print/cutting solid red, blue, and black letters? Just buy some red, blue, and black vinyl, forget the printer, and just cut it. It will actually look better, cost you less, and last longer.

 

[AGCharlotte]

I'm sure he's like me and just doesn't run enough cut colored vinyl to justify buying rolls of material to sit in the closet til he needs it again.

 

[unclebun]

I think on basic colors like red, blue, and black, if you had the vinyl on hand you'd find you use it up quickly. So much faster for basic lettering jobs. But that's OK, keep printing simple lettering and I'll continue taking the customers after their red logo on their truck door fades in only 2 years.

 

[westcoast local]

are you running your cutter on fc8600 gplg or regular fc8600 in production manager not in rip and print and sometimes on the cutter get the setting thrown off and you have to manage it in the cutter settings manually this happened to me a few months back at total random made for a long few days

 

[AKwrapguy]

Hello,

Been searching and trying to fix this problem for days. Hopefully someone can help that has faced similar.

I use a Mutoh to print, Graphtec FC8600 as a cutter, run by Flexisign & Print Editor Mutoh Edition.

Contour cut is seriously misalinged. Tried to cut a set of lettering measuring only 31" wide by 9" tall. It starts to cut in the bottom left corner which is aligned somewhat correctly, but by the time it gets to the top right, it is off by at least 1/4 of an inch.

I've attached pictures below via link, hopefully they can be seen. I've run this cut a few times so I'm not throwing more than one piece away.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w067vbmpwgo9vgo/20180829_202357.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/34pypuik8ka39vr/20180829_202351.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t1kkcoqmpcq26mt/20180829_202337.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pw3noho5i59vxqd/20180829_202333.jpg?dl=0

This happens on just about everything. Tried the mark sensor adjustment, both via pen and the printed crosshair adjustment, which does not appear it did anything.

Any help at this point would be useful. I've contacted graphtec tech support as well, but still have not heard back.

Thanks in advance,
Derek

So a few questions,

What's your speed setting? How many rollers are you using and how much pressure on the rollers do you have? Is the plotter clean? Is the grip/feed roller filled with debris? What is the backing of the material your using (paper or plastic)?

 

[Joe House]

It appears to be off left and right only? Is that correct. You should focus on the Y axis system. Is the belt tensioned properly? Is the motor pulley belt tight and in good shape? Have you performed the distance adjustment in the adjustment menu (service mode)? Also, as Wayne pointed out, is your Production Manager applying output compensation? If yes, turn it off. If not and other suggestions don't help, this could probably solve the problem.
Have you tried resetting the factory defaults? Press and hold the up arrow key while powering on. Follow the prompts and select HPGL.

Good luck,
Joe

 

[Jburns]

Try one or more of the following:
1. watch out for the conflict between cutter settings and Flexi Prod. manager settings.
2. set the plotter to ignore flexi prod. manager
3. calibrate your ARMS sensor - instructions are in the user manual

 

[bob]

I assume the error is on the X axis, the media feed direction. The error is cumulative, it gets worse the farther along the axis you go. Therefore it's not the mark sensor adjustment. If it were you'd see the same error anywhere along the axis. It would seem that what the printer sees as an in is not what the plotter sees as an inch. But, assuming again, that you're using 4 marks, on in each corner, since it found marks #2 and #3 it knows the size of the rectangle bounding the job and should be able to map the job into that rectangle. So why does it find marks #2 and #3 but then underfeeds the media. The only difference in finding the marks and cutting the job is that the blade is down lot of the time and the media moves back and forth. Thus the media travel when cutting the job is a lot farther that when sensing the marks. Blade depth causing drag? Down pressure causing drag? Media drive mechanism slipping? I would give good odds the problem is mechanical but then the odds against something also state the that something does happen. Interesting problem.

 

[dro289]

I'm sorry I never replied to this, I was expecting an email notification for replies, but never got it so thought it went unanswered. I am going to try some of the stuff mentioned here.

Little more info on my use of the plotter:

Mainly use it for paint protection and cut lettering from solid color rolls. I use ppf software, plots near perfect, sometimes on larger panels, say a quarter panel of a car, the end points are maybe 1/8 inch apart, which is nothing in my eyes given it's a 60 square foot section cut at the highest pressure. For cut lettering and other graphics, always spot on, from a 6" decal, to a 14' decal. No errors. Even with the contour cut problem existing, these have not been effected, so don't think it has anything to do with the belt tension, or the rollers. I generally use the 4 pinch rollers on all medias, at the highest pressure setting so it doesn't move as well. I've also used it for tint sparingly, most recently a Tesla Model 3 rear window, which is a gigantic window, and again, spot on. Generally solid color lettering I tend to stick with cut vinyl, but this is supposed to match the lettering on another vehicle that was printed to cover a bad paint job, so they still want it to match. Regardless if it is lettering, or even a small sticker, they are never spot on when it comes to contour cutting, and the more repititions there are, the worse they become such as the lettering above.

I'm assuming it may have something to do with the software then since everything else seems to be fine with the plotter mechanically, unless it's the arms system itself. If all else fails, does anyone know someone who could check the plotter out in New England? Anyone other than Supplies Unlimited in Wakefield MA? They answered my first phone call regarding the problem, but have ignored every call and email since even though they are listed under Graphtecs page for service.

 

[dro289]

So a few questions,

What's your speed setting? How many rollers are you using and how much pressure on the rollers do you have? Is the plotter clean? Is the grip/feed roller filled with debris? What is the backing of the material your using (paper or plastic)?

I've varied speeds, from the slowest, to the fastest and everywhere in between. Cut stays the same. Pressure on rollers is the highest pressure. Plotter clean, rollers clean. Backing is paper. As mentioned above, I cut plenty of medias, from paper to plastic backing, and they are always spot on, it is the contour cutting that is a mess.

 

[bigkahuna_305]

are you running your cutter on fc8600 gplg or regular fc8600 in production manager not in rip and print and sometimes on the cutter get the setting thrown off and you have to manage it in the cutter settings manually this happened to me a few months back at total random made for a long few days

mine is off on the right side but calibration is good, mine is as a gplg in production manager, should it be regular instead