Graphtec FC7000-130 Not reading reg marks!

[wwinc]

I am currently having issues with my Graphtec reading my reg marks. I am attempting to plot out of Ai via CuttingMaster 2 plugin. The two machines communicate perfectly. I can plot out of Ai just fine except for when it comes to reading the reg marks. I am using graphtec reg mark 2. I have reset the machine to default and changed only these settings. The machine is in GPGL mode and my conditions have been changed to fit my cutting needs. Everything else is default and looks good. Any ideas? I have contacted Graphtec and though they have helped they haven't resolved the issue. I have studied the vid tuts on Graphtecs website and furthermore on youtube. I am at a dead end.

 

[Case]

what material are you using? and what happens when it doesn't read the marks? immediate mark scan error or what? need more details...


case

 

[nopalito24]

yes, need more details.
- have you countour cut successfully in the past?
- when does the machine give you an error, when scanning the first mark, second, third, fourth
it is important to know this becaus if its the first one then it can be the file or basically on the PC side, if its the second third or fourth it can be
the material, the spacing around the image, light reflection, etc...

 

[CES020]

One of the most important factors in that is that you have to have a certain amount of white space in front of and on each side of those.

Too much white space before the mark and it won't read it, not enough on the left or right and it'll kick out with an error message.

Might not be your issue, but it's killed me a couple of times.

 

[scallahan]

I have the Graphtec FC7000-160 and I have never been able to make it read the type 2 marks. However, it does fine if I use the type 1 marks. Go figure! You might try changing to the type 1 marks and see if it works.

 

[Case]

i have no problems with type 1 or type 2..............and i prefer type 2...........

also, for the graphtec out of ONYX, type 2 marks are the only ones that it creates, no option in Onyx to use type 1......

of course, in cutting master, the plugin, you can use type 1 or 2.......

case

 

[wwinc]

Ok this is the media I am using http://sh-polygon.com/_en/products.asp?cid=37&id=836 . I get an immediate mark scan error both in Ai and when I try to do an auto scan through to axis/rms button directly on the plotter. It always happens on the first reg mark. I keep the heater on my solvent printer as low as possible so that the media doesn't stretch and throw off my marks. I keep an average of 3-5 inches of media buffer front he reg marks to the end of the media. I have only tried type 2 marks so I am gonna try type 1.

Thanks for help thus far!!!!

 

[eaddesigns]

When i use my FC7000-100 i have to change it to GP-GL for it to read the
reg-marks.

 

[CES020]

I keep an average of 3-5 inches of media buffer front he reg marks to the end of the media.

There's your problem right there. You can't have that much. It has to be about 25mm (1") and it cannot be too close to your pinch roller. It also needs 15mm on the right side and 22 mm on the left side. I'm sure there are ways around making that work, but in my limited experience, when it won't read it, it's because one of those isn't right, most notably the space in the front or the right.

Take a knife and hack off the front until it's about 1" away from the mark (obviously don't do that on a good piece that's expensive, but if you can try it on something it'll help narrow it down).

 

[Case]

When i use my FC7000-100 i have to change it to GP-GL for it to read the
reg-marks.

It has to be in GP-GL anyways to use Cutting Master 2 (the plugin)........It won't work in HP-GL mode, regardless.........


case

 

[wwinc]

I will try trimming my media to the measurements listed. I am in gp-gl mode.

 

[wwinc]

I trimmed the media down to 1 inch (don't have a metric ruler) and verified the machine is in gp-gl. Still having Mark Scan Error. I'm going to keep messing with it.

 

[CES020]

What's your process, can you explain?

You're loading the media, then what?

Are you trying to read the marks through the use of the control panel or are you sending the job over and it's reading it all automatically?

 

[MediumPace]

I have found that turning off the auto sensor on my graphtec 5000-60 has helped a great deal in recognizing the registration marks. Instead of watching the electronic eye search everywhere for the fist registration mark, (moving he eye in an L pattern over and over again while it moves the media up and down) it goes right to the first line and makes everything go by much faster.

 

[wwinc]

I have attached two low quality vids to help show my basic process. In the plotting from Ai vid I say type 1 marks when I meant to say type 2 . Anyways the only settings I have changed since I reset the machine to default was putting it into gp-gl mode. I am going to print today and attempt type 1 reg marks as well. Once again I really appreciate all the help thus far. I come from a web based graphic design background and kinda had this design company dropped in my lap. There are no graphtec technicians near my area and I am new to plotting and printing on a large scale. I hope the videos help.


plotting via Ai

attempting autoscan feature

 

[wwinc]

I have found that turning off the auto sensor on my graphtec 5000-60 has helped a great deal in recognizing the registration marks. Instead of watching the electronic eye search everywhere for the fist registration mark, (moving he eye in an L pattern over and over again while it moves the media up and down) it goes right to the first line and makes everything go by much faster.

So do you do a manual scan on all 4 marks? Please explain more how you do this. thnx

 

[wwinc]

oh yeah and I can contour cut with no coarse cutting at all. The machine contour cuts out of Ai very efficiently I must say.

 

[wwinc]

yes, need more details.
- have you countour cut successfully in the past?
- when does the machine give you an error, when scanning the first mark, second, third, fourth
it is important to know this becaus if its the first one then it can be the file or basically on the PC side, if its the second third or fourth it can be
the material, the spacing around the image, light reflection, etc...

oh yeah and I can contour cut with no coarse cutting at all. The machine contour cuts out of Ai very efficiently I must say. I get the error on the fist scan

 

[Case]

I watched the video............PINCH WHEELS MUST be on the outside of the targets...........The 2 most outside pinchwheels, left and right have to be outside of the targets, otherwise the print and cut process will never work, it will mark scan error every time if you don't have the pinchwheels on the out outside..........Your job and your targets must be within the 2 most outer pinchwheels...........

You have the far left pinchwheel inside of the target, it will never work....

Case

 

[nopalito24]

hey,

yea agree w/ Case. first on the 17 seconds mark I noticed that you mark is a little to clos to the design, in this case give it a tiny amount more about 3 mm more space. Second, on the 1:09mark we see the left roller- is this your most left roller? if it is I can't believe it the head even went past it, the left rollers should be set just like the right roller on your video, at least 1/4in from the mark, if your using media thats 30in or less you should only use 2 rollers.
Anyways, I think the problem is the design or the way you have the rollers position. I say is the desing because the way the RMS sensor tries to look for the second mark, normally after scanning the botton righ mark it goes to the top right not accross to the 4th, that tells me that the problem is coming from the PC side, you design.