Graphtec 8600 registration off

[altereddezignz]

Printed a set of circles. 3.5x3.5. then it has a cut line on that circle. Now there is another circle behind that in the same color that is 3.6 inches.
There are 36 of these 3 tall and 12 wide. Plotter find each of the front registration marks but when it goes to the back right one it starts about 2 inches before it and slides across media and then finds it. It then finds that one and the last one. Goes to cut and it cuts the circles about a inch to high. I have this issue randomly and this is not the first time.

Last time i had this issue it was with 2 12" circles and one 30" circle. Cut the 12" circles way off, being high as well but cut the 30" circle fine.

Any ideas.

 

[Desert_Signs]

Printed a set of circles. 3.5x3.5. then it has a cut line on that circle. Now there is another circle behind that in the same color that is 3.6 inches.
There are 36 of these 3 tall and 12 wide. Plotter find each of the front registration marks but when it goes to the back right one it starts about 2 inches before it and slides across media and then finds it. It then finds that one and the last one. Goes to cut and it cuts the circles about a inch to high. I have this issue randomly and this is not the first time.

Last time i had this issue it was with 2 12" circles and one 30" circle. Cut the 12" circles way off, being high as well but cut the 30" circle fine.

Any ideas.

Subscribing to this one. I have the same issue randomly as well.

 

[crny1]

On any given day I am ready to throw our 8600 out the window and this being one of the issues. I have been gone all week so my wife and son started messing with ours to sort it out. Ours would miss by a quarter inch at the end of a 5x9 rectangle. Very frustrating to print and then have them ruined by a cut line that is off that car cutting into the graphics. They claim that they figured ours out by the position of the knife vs the condition we had set in the machine. I just got home late last night and haven't had time to get the details from them on it but I know it had to do with what I mentioned. I will get more info when they get home to clarify.

 

[Kwiksigns]

is your firmware up to date? That fixed some of my problems. Also, I stopped using the automatic sensor and started using the 4 marks and use the laser to set them. My cuts have never been off. Sure it takes a minute longer to walk back n forth to the machine and computer but I have never, ever had a problem.

 

[Dennis422]

Update firmware and reset the cutter.
That will clear all the buffer from the cutter.
I had the same issues, since I did it, cuts like a champ. Always 100% correct cuts.

Mine cutter was one of the first 8600 bought in the States. After I contacted Grimco and they walked me through the steps, no issues at all.
Great piece of equipment.
Is it good as Summa? From the stories I heard, maybe not as good, but well worth the money I spent to buy it.
After the "fix", I have been cutting 10'x4' signs without any issues.

Good luck

 

[Desert_Signs]

Update firmware and reset the cutter.

Good luck

How?

 

[Snydo]

How?

http://www.graphtecamerica.com/supp...ingplotters/FC8000/FC8000 _irmware_Update.pdf

 

[Dennis422]

How?

Magic!

 

[TomK]

is your firmware up to date? That fixed some of my problems. Also, I stopped using the automatic sensor and started using the 4 marks and use the laser to set them. My cuts have never been off. Sure it takes a minute longer to walk back n forth to the machine and computer but I have never, ever had a problem.

Having same problems with my FC8600.

Can you explain what you mean here and the process?

Thanks!

 

[Kwiksigns]

instead of using ARMS and using the auto sensor to do the cuts, In flexi (or I assume any rip) you can print different cut marks. I use the 4 marks that look like crosshairs. I have to line up the laser with each mark then press OK on the computer. After I do all 4, it cuts no problem. Just takes a little longer.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

All you need to do is reset the plotter. There are issues sometimes where the graphtec buffer gets kinda backed up. I think it hits a weird spot in the coding somewhere where it just throws off the roll feed calibration. We have this issue every so often. Steps:

Turn off Plotter
Turn on plotter and quickly hold enter and up on the control panel.
It will beep twice and a menu will pop up.
Select Set Default
Now check the command setup to see what language you are working with. Note this
Go back a menu and select set default, yes, this will set everything back to mfg. original settings.
Change the command back to the language it was before.
Everything should be back to full normal now.

If you notice your plotter misses the reg mark and still finds it don't let it cut. It will most likely be off like this. Reset the plotter like above and recut it.

 

[altereddezignz]

I have tried every listed step above with no solution until today. Maybe...

I have had my registration marks set up for Graphtec Segment Area Type 2 automatic . Normally that i can recall all of my prints will have the extra marks in the middle to help with registration.

I printed a new file today. Over all was 13 x 20. It was a simple block word and 2 monogram fonts. Well same issue when i trued to register the marks on the plotter it came time to find the 3rd mark or the back right mark and it started about 2 inches from the mark and then moved to the mark and found it. Now when it started cutting the images it was about an inch or more off from where it needed to cut just like the last file i had that did the same thing.

Here is where is is odd. I went back to my design and instead of using the Graphtec Segment Area type 2 automatic i used the standard Graphtec Type 2 automatic. Resent the file as contour cut only. It found all the marks with no issues and cut the file perfectly fine.

I am wondering if there is an issue when you have it setup as Graphtec Segment Area Type 2 Automatic but you have the Step size set greater than the overall image size therefor it does not insert the extra reg mark. I wonder if this might be the cause of these problems.

One other thing to note.
Graphtec Segment Area Type 2 Automatic reads the marks from starting at the RF then to the LF then to the RR then to the LR.
Graphtec Area Type 2 Automatic reads the marks starting at the right front then to the right rear then to the left front then to the left rear..

I dont see how this would be an issue but i think it all has to do if you have it setup as Graphtec Segment Area Type 2 Automatic you must have the step amount for the extra registration marks be inside the range of the file size so that it see's it and will register it correctly. If not then you must use the Graphtec Area Type 2 Automatic.

I am just guessing here and this is what made mine work.. Anyone else like to test...

 

[altereddezignz]

Also to be precise it started the cut 1-1/4 inch further away from where it should have started cutting it.

My exact file size was

14.734 wide and 12.722 tall. My reg marks were set to Graphtec Segment Area Type 2 Automatic but i had the step size set to 12.50. So i am not sure if this has any outcome on the registration being off or not all i know is once i set it to Graphtec Type 2 Automatic it cut fine.

 

[Desert_Signs]

Mine is still pissing me off. It will cut fine for 10 jobs in a row, then be off.

Here's a 'for instance'. I printed 40 of these on IJ5100. 4 at a time (they're pretty large). It cut 9 jobs pretty much perfect. In the 2 in the first picture you can see the top one is perfect, there's one behind it that's off a fraction. Then on the 10th job I CAN'T get it to cut right. Keep in mind these files were ripped once in a group of 4, then the same ripped file was printed 10 times. So, there was only one cut file, sent to the cutter 10 times. Nothing could have possibly changed in setup as they were all literally identical.

On the second picture, the first time it tried to cut is where it cut right through the R. The second cut is shifted to a different place, but still way off.

What the heck??

 

[altereddezignz]

instead of using ARMS and using the auto sensor to do the cuts, In flexi (or I assume any rip) you can print different cut marks. I use the 4 marks that look like crosshairs. I have to line up the laser with each mark then press OK on the computer. After I do all 4, it cuts no problem. Just takes a little longer.

Can you explain this to me? Mine is set to auto find reg marks as soon as i send the file? We are using flexi a well with a q-54 or well the fc8600. You can pm me if help more.
Thanks

 

[altereddezignz]

I get asked what type of mark when after i change my plotter to axis alignment. I get this box that pops up. Using this type of reg mark. Is there a way to add more reg marks to the file when the file might be long that way i know i am getting good registration on the whole cut sheet. Like if my file is 3 ft long and i want another reg mark in between the first and last one?

The only option i see when doing manual reg marks is the X with the circle around it that is numbered to tell you what ones to use in what order but no option to add extra reg marks like you can with graphtec segmented.