Graphtec Fc8600 "OFF SCALE" - but cuts ok

[Gnome Beard]

Why does my Graphtec plotter say "off scale" but still ends up cutting my jobs? The cuts are ok. No major skewing.

Side note: where am I supposed to position my blade? Inside the box or at the edge?

Pictures attached.

 

[VonsGraphix1969]

Mine does the same thing and its never a problem... You're supposed to set the holder just right inside the black reg marks...Hence why you should make them a little longer according to my tech rep many years ago....
Just as a side note, have you always cut with such thick marks? Does it register and cut fine with the marks being short & fat like that?? Just curious...Also look like they are on the shorter side compared to mine.... I set mine at 1" x 1" X .045

 

[WYLDGFI]

We get the off scale error on occasion as well and Graphtech has an option we use as a workaround in there that we use sometimes to alleviate it. Mostly when we have the images close to the edges of the media. Set the pinch rollers wider than the media and scan. Then, after that's done, we lift the pinch rollers...reset them to the media and hit the continue button vs roll/sheet. Had a job the other day that this allowed me to cut after 4 attempts and off scale warnings.

 

[ikarasu]

I'm pretty sure the graphtec only reads the inside of the marks. So having them thick doesn't make a difference except makes it easier to find them.

I read the media at max size with the pinch rollers out as far as they can go... then just keep reloading the media. Even if I load a 30" roll... I have the graphtec set to 54". The graphtec doesn't care, the only downfall is you can't do a crosscut or it'll start at the 54" mark and likely cause a jam. But I set my graphtec maybe once a week... It's more convenient that way and you know you always have enough space for the marks without worrying about setting and then moving the arms.

 

[ikarasu]

I'm the onlyone running it... well, 2 others know how, but they barely run it, and they do it the same way as I do so theyre used to it.

Sometimes we cut 29.9" out of a 30".... so poll sizing doesn't work. Poll sizing you tend to lose half an inch or so!

Honestly, the only downsize is the crosscut function is dangerous to use because it can cause jams. We never use it anyways... I just pop the lever open, push down on the crosscut blade and slide it myself.

but generally you have 24, 30, 48, 54 and 60" Material... I just set whatever size roll I'm loading into cutting master as the size and it'll never cut past that. I really only do a "roll setup" once a month, or sooner if I have a media jam error. It's great... you should try it for a week! It's especially awesome on 54" Print and cuts that have the marks right to the edge... I can throw a 54" anywhere on my 60" plotter and it'll read and cut them fine.


That being said we have 5 arms on our cutter...so I tend to keep one on the max outside and just use the other 4 for the inside. So even when I re-poll I never really have to change anything.

 

[WYLDGFI]

I feel like this is a terrible setup, but to be honest I can't find any real flaw, as long as you know what's loaded and what you're sending. I really like the poll size on the plotter, but it's useless in all honesty, because you should know what's loaded and what you're about to cut... but this still feels so wrong! Do you share the plotter or are you the only one running it?

When I do this method, I am only contour cutting with plotter marks. Sometimes, those corner marks being close to the edge get distorted and are not read correctly. Therefore, the plotter is able to read out to the wider media it measured based on the pinches...BUT...it allows the marks to be read correctly. I wasn't saying we cut beyond the pinches on blank vinyl. This is only used in certain situations where we get off scale warnings or marks not read issues.

 

[ikarasu]

Oh man, why didn't I think of that!
I think I'll give it a shot for a little while, but I think I'm going to miss auto crosscut, as I'll send 5 different locations worth of front door hours through, with a cross cut between each, and when I come back I have a pile of sheets ready to weed and mask.
But I'm still dumbfounded I never tried this...

Just make sure to lift the lever in the back first so it asks you to load media.... Then the "lock" releases and you can easily drag it across. Works great!

You.can still use the crosscut... Just need to be careful. It'll goto.the center of the media, cut t.o.the eft.... Then Right... Then center... So if you load.it as a 54" then 48 works, 30 can work of you place it correctly also.

If you need to cut while away... I'd set up a condition to cut pretty deep but not all the way through . Have it cut across the length of the media on that condition and then keep going. Then you can just fold it and it should snap apart. There was one job I did that for and it worked pretty good.