GX-24 problem, am I crazy??!!

[FrankieTeardrop]

Okay, so I bought a brand new GX-24 & I've been having quality problems with the cutting. At first I thought it's my production manager in Flexi 10 but even on the internal self test it's looks like crap. Where it plots out "camm-1" the tops of the M's are jagged to where it will tear when I try to weed it. It will have a stitch cutting pattern on the backing paper. So I know it's not my system causing the problem. Pretty much the cutting quality of the width of the plotter (not sure what axis that is) is fine but when it cuts the other axis (perpendicular to the plotter) it's jagged. I've done all the adjustments from "the email", updated firmware & drivers but no luck. I FINALLY got a tech out here & he said "yep, it's messed up" so they sent it to Roland to get fixed. In the meantime they let me take a loaner (same model). I checked it out when I was there & the cutting quality was about the same! They did have the speed set to 20 so it wasn't quite as bad but when I brought it here to my shop I sped it up to 25 & they quality of the cut was exactly the same as mine so I slowed it down but it still cuts horribly. I just don't know what to do??? Does anyone have an opinion on this? I have an old Summa D-620 I've had for over 8yrs & it still cuts way better than this one. And while I'm complaining, what's the deal with the piece of crap stand that comes with it? One of the hex sockets that hold the stand together couldn't be screwed in because there wasn't any thread to screw into & if the cutter reaches the end of the slack on a roll it will jerk the vinyl & throw it on the floor. I just think it's a really poor design...Sorry but just a little frustrated & disgruntled.

 

[FatCat]

I've never liked the 24" Roland machines - they just seem cheap and flimsy. They appear to built more for a hobbyist, not a professional sign maker. FWIW - I had both a Roland CX-300 and a CX-400 back when I first started out. Both machines were rock solid, reliable cutting machines.

If you have the opportunity I would return the GX-24, upgrade to a GX-300 and never look back.

 

[BobM]

I've had a Roland GX24 for three years with no problems.

 

[gabagoo]

have you called your dealer? let them come out an see whats going on

 

[OldPaint]

something is wrong with how your COMPUTER/FLEXI is sending the info to the plotter.
i have had nothing but ROLANDS since 93...........NEVER had your problem. i cut right from COREL X3........TO A ROLAND CX-300. some where some how you have a communication problem.......NOT A PLOTTER PROBLEM. i dont know how you have it connected plotter to computer. what OS are you running? MAC OR PC? USB/COM or PARALLEL? ROLANDS work well with HPGL. some setting on the plotter/flexi IS NOT RIGHT.

 

[FrankieTeardrop]

Well, the concern with me was that it is some sort of communication problem but the fact that it does the same thing with the internal self test makes me think differently. This morning I called the service place where it's at & they said it had a chip in the blade that was most likely the problem BUT I already switched out the blade with the one in my sp-300 & it had the exact same results. The service guy that came & looked at it agreed that it was cutting badly & that if it's doing it from the internal test then it couldn't be my software. The loaner GX-24 I have cuts exactly the same way too, so I just don't know anymore. So if any of you all with a GX-24 can do the self test & the results are perfect without any stitch or jagged cutting, especially on the top of the M's on "camm-1"? The guy at the service place said he was going to run the self test this morning & call me back but I haven't heard a thing yet. I'm just stumped...

 

[Haakon]

Nice and smooth cuts on mine, its about 6 months old. But it runs without a glitch all day everyday though..

Edit; Close-up:

 

[OldPaint]

frankie, you dont pay attention... IT AINT THE PLOTTERS.........its either YOUR COMPUTER, OS, FLEXI, CABLES or settings IN YOUR PROGRAMS......stop blaming the plotter!!!
ITS ONLY GONA DO WHAT ITS TOLD TO DO!!!!!! you got that? the information being sent to the plotter...........IS YOUR PROBLEM. i would bet if you took that same plotter put it on a PC with corel draw it would cut perfectly.
you still didnt answer any of the questios i asked......OS, PC/MAC? HOW DO YOU HAVE IT CONNECTED???

 

[StickySigns]

I'm having exactly the same problem with my 3y old GX-24
it' almost impossible to cut small things.

replaced blade, blade holder, silicone cutting strip,...

I tried both the mac with cutstudio plugin and the pc with cutstudio, same result.

I will be sending it in to get checked as soon as I can miss it
(bigger plotter on its way)

let me know If you can find the problem!

 

[Custom_Grafx]

http://support.rolanddga.com/docs/D... and Guides/GX-24 Control Panel FlowChart.pdf

Page 4 - Smoothing On/Off.

 

[FrankieTeardrop]

@ OldPaint, well like I said at least twice before it's doing the same thing with the self test. I can completely disconnect it (USB) from my computer (WIN XP SP2) running Flexi10 & perform the test & it cuts exactly the same as when I send a file via my computer. If I can find a test cut like Haakon posted I'll upload a pic so you can see what I mean. How could it possibly be an issue with my computer if the self test has the same results?

 

[signage]

Have you replaced the blade holder?
Or have you at least blew it out and lube the bearing?

 

[OldPaint]

set blade pressure low, stick a pen in where the blade goes, turn over the vinyl so it can write on the backing............. save vinyl. have you read the MANUAL that came with the plotter?

 

[FrankieTeardrop]

Yes yes yes, I've done all these things! I don't have a PhD but I can RTFM. A tech from Roland has contacted me from reading my posts here & they're working on the problem. They have been very helpful & not accusing me of being a dumbass. My plotter has been at the service department since Monday getting worked on. Holy Hell I have explained all of this in my previous posts

 

[OldPaint]

well...............YOU ASKED FOR POSSIBLE FIXES)))) its one of 3 things:
1.operator error
2.damaged connections
3.defective product...........
when you ask, we dont know how well you know what your trying to do,(hence thinking your a dumbass) SOOOOOOOOOOOO, we have to ask what you seem to think are DUMB QUESTIONS!!!!
ive exhausted all my possible screwups.............you might be right......IT IS THE PLOTTER)))))))))

 

[FrankieTeardrop]

No I know what ya mean. I've been hoping it was just some stupid thing I was or was not doing but it's been a mystery & a very frustrating one that's starting to affect my shop output thus $$. I just thought I had made it clear in my posts that I had tried everything to no avail. Hopefully Roland will help me resolve the issue & I can start to sleep easier & not think my shop is built over a Native American burial ground!

 

[OldPaint]

my indian name is ....HE WHO SLEEPS LATE)))))))))))))

 

[Air Art Girl]

I've never liked the 24" Roland machines - they just seem cheap and flimsy. They appear to built more for a hobbyist, not a professional sign maker. FWIW - I had both a Roland CX-300 and a CX-400 back when I first started out. Both machines were rock solid, reliable cutting machines.

If you have the opportunity I would return the GX-24, upgrade to a GX-300 and never look back.

I have a GX-24 for cutting garment vinyl and we have 3 Roland CX-300's, yes, the 300's are much nicer then the GX-24 but I have cut garment vinyl on the the 24 with text as small a dime with no problems. I think I even posted pics here of that so I don't think it is the plotter it's self that is causing his problem. I agree with OP, something else is wrong if it is happening on 2 different machines.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

Smoothing on/off made no diff?

 

[FrankieTeardrop]

Okay, so I got my machine back from the roland service center & this is how it's cutting the self test. All I did was plug it in the wall, put in a brand new roll of oracal 651 red & performed the self test. The one pic is of the stitch pattern the machine makes when it's cutting diagonals & I put a cheesy outline around it so you can see it. I can hear a feel when it makes those cuts, like it's skipping or dragging.

So I ask, what did I do wrong