Mimaki CG-130 FX 'ERR36 MARKdetect' *PLEASE HELP*

[ddubia]

"I tried flipping the media 180....still doesn't work."

At the risk of you thinking I'm doubting your common sense, you did flip the file on-screen 180° also?

I wish I knew more about cutting out of CorelDraw.

Have you tried a different print/cut file to see if you have any success with that?

For the longest time I was unable to cut vinyl through Flexi 7.6. It was over riding the plotter settings and I couldn't figure out how to set the pressure in Flexi. After nearly a year of exporting everything I did in Flex as an .ai file, which I hate because it converts everything to outlines, I was poking around in Flexi, changed something that I no longer remember, and it had an effect on the pressure and now am able to cut from Flexi.

Sometimes these newfangled-ed, technology machine-a-ramas can hold us back for most seemingly insignificant reasons.

I didn't notice you mentioning it in the thread. do you have a manual for your plotter?

 

[High Side Design]

"I tried flipping the media 180....still doesn't work."

At the risk of you thinking I'm doubting your common sense, you did flip the file on-screen 180° also?

I wish I knew more about cutting out of CorelDraw.

Have you tried a different print/cut file to see if you have any success with that?

For the longest time I was unable to cut vinyl through Flexi 7.6. It was over riding the plotter settings and I couldn't figure out how to set the pressure in Flexi. After nearly a year of exporting everything I did in Flex as an .ai file, which I hate because it converts everything to outlines, I was poking around in Flexi, changed something that I no longer remember, and it had an effect on the pressure and now am able to cut from Flexi.

Sometimes these newfangled-ed, technology machine-a-ramas can hold us back for most seemingly insignificant reasons.

I didn't notice you mentioning it in the thread. do you have a manual for your plotter?

Hey DDubia,

Yeah, tried flipping the media also.

I tried a brand new file last night, started from scratch...(new file, new crop marks, new all around) and I'm still getting the Error Message.

I posted above what I did also...

So when I go into the 'Sensor Check' mode, there's an option to do a 'registration mark detection'...in this option, you can check a few different things....-the registration mark size (7mm-40mm), -the form of registration marks (Type 1) and -the Speed (10-30cm/s) in which it reads. I left the registration marks at Type 1, but I changed the mark size and the speed. Which you can test them by hitting the jog button left or right to detect the B direction and A direction..... If it detects something, it should make a buzzer sound (says the manual). It says that in case no buzzer sounds, retry detection after changing the detection speed. If no buzzer sounds even after changing the detection speed, check the registration mark condition and contact us....("US" being Mimaki)...

Now I did get the file to send, but it gave me the error message, kept messing with the "REMOTE" button, sent the file...and it started cutting but it didn't cut around the specified design. I started cutting on a random area of the media....so I know it works, it just will not line up with the area I'm telling it to cut at.

I feel we are getting close....just not there yet.

 

[jfiscus]

I've already made sure they are set to the correct crosshairs...wasn't the issue

NO, you do not.
Look at the video:
When you press enter - the laser moves down and to the right (instead of up and to the left).
Mimaki marks (at least here) are the inverse of what you have on your print. (the 4 corners of a box)
You put the laser within that corner's box and it moves down and to the right to find those lines with the sensor.
Also, you have to hit "remote" before you send the cut file AFTER it has found all of the registration marks and stopped at the origin point.

 

[ddubia]

"kept messing with the "REMOTE" button, sent the file...and it started cutting but it didn't cut around the specified design."

In Mimaki's Fine Cut software there is a tab that reads "Registration Mark". Click that and there's a button labeled "Detect Mark". I don't know if there's anything similar in the software you are using (Flexi?)

Also, as jfiscus points out the registration marks I use are the inverse of those you are using. Mine are as shown in the Mimaki software Dialog box attachment. As you can see the measurements are different as well.

 

[jfiscus]

Neither of ours have never made that "buzzer" noise when detecting marks, it just changes direction to go find the next mark.

 

[High Side Design]

In Flexi Sign you can change the type of crop marks that the printer creates. I have it set to Mimaki Type 1 (which are the lines it created in the video). Then on the plotter, I have them set to 'Type 1' marks which are the same. I made sure they were set to the same and not the 'inverse' of what I'm using, like you mentioned jfiscus.

I did speak with a local tech guy from a company here in Indianapolis, and explained to him what has been going on. He mentioned that a sensor has possibly gone bad and that I'd need to contact Mimaki...does this sound like it might be the issue?

If so, how big of a pain in the rear is it to get a new sensor and what's is going to cost me? Also, since I bought the equipment from a 3rd party, are they (Mimaki) going to be able to work with me or do I need to pay for some tech support package from Mimaki?

Again, you guys have been amazing...I am very thankful that you're all willing to help me out and take time out of your day to give me the knowledge that I'm needing (and learning).

 

[High Side Design]

Neither of ours have never made that "buzzer" noise when detecting marks, it just changes direction to go find the next mark.

Thanks Jfiscus,
however, that 'buzzer' noise was suppose to sound when I was doing the 'registartion mark' test in the settings option.

 

[High Side Design]

Well everyone...not sure if it'll resolve my issue or not. But I just talked to a gentlemen at Mimaki Service.

I'm not home yet, but here's what he told me to do.

Remove the cover on the cutter head (the black plastic cover) and adjust the height of the sensor and the platen. He said that it has to be 3mm gap between them. So, once I get home, I'm going to be pulling that apart and see if adjusting that is going to work.

I'll update later tonight once I do this...


And again....thank you all for your help so far. It's much appreciated!

 

[ddubia]

Man, I hope that works for you.

Nothing's more frustrating than troubleshooting something you don't understand. I'm doing that now with a printer banding issue that I've never encountered.

 

[High Side Design]

aaaaaand still not working
Bout to sell the crap and not deal with the headache anymore

 

[Snydo]

I have many years of 'practice' on that plotter and from what I remember error 36 to me meant the plotter had no idea what it was looking for. I am lazy and tired and I speed read most of the posts but someone mentioned you should be sending from Production Manager while the plotter is on REMOTE. Other than that try putting scotch tape or the like on the crops, your media looked very shiny which this plotter doesnt handle well in my experience. If you decide to upgrade, get a Graphtec, way faster, way better crop detection, way better accuracy. Best of luck.

Upon further thought, your placing the laser correctly, but when it says TP1 and you hit enter it should scan that closest crop, then top right, then back home, then bottome left....return to home then start plotting. So I'm guessing you have auto-detect or auto-scan not turned on. After it scans the crops and before you hit remote you have to hit ENTER twice, for an A coordinate and a B coordinate. Then hit REMOTE, the go to Production Manager, send your plot file and click ok. Hope this helps in some way.

 

[High Side Design]

Another video...

After I spoke w/ Mimaki Service yesterday, they told me to to lower the sensor 3mm from the material (like I mentioned in a post above)....so I did and here are my results in the video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRHPdhA3eo&feature=youtu.be

 

[High Side Design]

I have many years of 'practice' on that plotter and from what I remember error 36 to me meant the plotter had no idea what it was looking for. I am lazy and tired and I speed read most of the posts but someone mentioned you should be sending from Production Manager while the plotter is on REMOTE. Other than that try putting scotch tape or the like on the crops, your media looked very shiny which this plotter doesnt handle well in my experience. If you decide to upgrade, get a Graphtec, way faster, way better crop detection, way better accuracy. Best of luck.

Upon further thought, your placing the laser correctly, but when it says TP1 and you hit enter it should scan that closest crop, then top right, then back home, then bottome left....return to home then start plotting. So I'm guessing you have auto-detect or auto-scan not turned on. After it scans the crops and before you hit remote you have to hit ENTER twice, for an A coordinate and a B coordinate. Then hit REMOTE, the go to Production Manager, send your plot file and click ok. Hope this helps in some way.

Hey Snydo,

Yeah, I am getting the file to send to the plotter from Production Manager, but since it's not pickng up the marks when I want it to register, it has a mind of its own and starts cutting randomly on the media. I'll try the scotch tape trick, see if that works. The guy I bought it from also suggested to me this morning.....taking a pen and ruler, making the crop marks slightly darker & thicker so see if it will pick up?

I'm about to go 'Office Space/Beatdown' on it, turn on some Ghetto Boys and recreate Office Space >>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PywI0BOxJpI

 

[Vinylman]

Mimaki plotter problem

DAMN! you are impossible to get ahold of.
I have tried every way I can to contact you to give some help, but you don't make it easy. I tried to send you an email from your web site {that by the way DOES NOT HAVE A PHONE #} the email won't send from the web link.
I sent you a Private message here on Signs 101, and now I will try this. Open my PM here on signs 101 AND CALL ME!

 

[ddubia]

I still want to see what it does with the other registration mark, the one that is like the corners of a box. Print one like that and try it. C'mon, hurry up, I don't have all day. hahaha

 

[jfiscus]

I still want to see what it does with the other registration mark, the one that is like the corners of a box. Print one like that and try it. C'mon, hurry up, I don't have all day. hahaha

I still agree this is the problem. Watch the latest video; after he hits ENTER, the eye moves down and to the right of the mark. I think some plotters/software/etc only work correctly with the right type of marks - even IF you tell it otherwise in the software. In ours versions of Onyx here the other type of marks (box corners) are even called MIMAKI MARKS.

 

[SightLine]

In Flexi, on the final Rip and Print screen, last tab for the cutter, in the Driver Options box, click the Edit button, turn all that stuff (before job, after job) to none. I cannot remember exactly the steps anymore since I have had a different cutter for a few years now but I had a CG-FX cutter and ran it from Flexi for years with no problems. When I ran it with those setting above turned off I'd load the printed sheet on the cutter, bottom right mark - here is where I cannot remember for sure but I thought I'd put the red dot right over the intersection point of the mark right where you had it in the video. On our Summa I put the knife itself over the first mark. I also always had cut jobs set to "hold in list" in Flexi and we would just send them from Production Manager when we were ready - also had Flexi set to keep cut jobs after sending instead of deleting them. Handy since you can just run it again and just delete old jobs when you want to. Not sure if any of this will help or not but I clearly remember keeping those "before and after" job settings in Flexi turned off and I have those turned off for my current Summa cutter as well. I know you can use those to set blade pressure etc but I have always just set those on the cutter when we are loading the material. Also - ours always used the exact same marks as yours is using.

 

[iSign]

regarding buying a new sensor, I had to buy one for my mimaki printer, to detect material width... it was probably 5 years ago, so memory is vague, but i think it was only $30 to $40 and a breeze to install. (I also remember that when I went to install it, the old one was coming loose & not pointed correctly, so I never even needed to new one...

anyway, compared to the value of your time thus far... I'd get the sensor before going postal....

I've used the same type1 marks for my 8 years with my identical cutter... no problems with those marks

 

[High Side Design]

WINNER WINNER!!!! WE ARE CUTTING!!

Okay, so after adjusting the height of the sensor head yesterday, I emailed Mimaki again and told them it was still having issues....

Here's what he told me to do, which fixed the problem.

While in transit to my place, it had a 4 1/2 hour ride in the back of a U-Haul trailer (very bumpy ride) even though it was strapped down as tight as I could get it . The sensor head had wiggled out of it's normal place...

The tech at Mimaki had told me it needed to be 3mm from the vinyl. What he told me to do (which worked) loosen the screws that hold the sensor in place and lay flat a 3mm allen wrench between the sensor and the machine. Make sure it was even from front to back, side to side....then re-tighten down those screws. Which gives you exactly the 3mm in height that it requires.

I turned it on to TP1, set everything, turned it to remote, sent the file...WALLA!!! It worked!

Thanks again to everyone who helped and suggested tips/hints. And a big thank you to Vinylman for taking time out of his day to call me on the phone multiple times and check how things were going.

Best Wishes Everyone, I'm sure I'll be back w/ more 'head scratchers' as this new journey of printing brings me problems

 

[ddubia]

So good to hear! Now, not only can I stop trying to figure it out but know one of the fixes should it ever happen to me.

Now get busy making money!