IanZane
I'll Stick, Spray or Paint Anything!
Hello to All,
Well I'm back here at this forum to see if anyone reading this might have an idea as to why my Mutoh Ultima SC1400D cutter is producing inconsistent pressure during a plot, "picking" the vinyl and other anomalies. Let's see if I can once again stump everyone with this one. 277 views and no responses on my last post I believe. I did end up finally finding a substitute cut mat strip for any plotter that had a track width of 8mm width. All I had to do was cut the length to the length of the track the mat sits on. There aren't any NOS mat strips for this machine available through any of the dozen and a half or so distributors I called at the suggestion of Mutoh America
So here's my conundrum. I have been employed at this company for a couple months now, and was basically given the keys to an office that contains a computer and the standard peripherals, plus a Mutoh ValueJet 1604A and a Mutoh Ultima SC-1400D combo for print/cut. Well it seems Mutoh doesn't play well with others. I've never experienced such frustration in getting to know equipment. Summa, Roland, Mumaki, Epson, Gerber, and many other names I've worked through the years. I was given the quick "2 minute drill" rundown on them before my predecessor retired and beat feet home. He didn't even run a sample to show me how it works. No print, No cut. Ok I say, No problem. I'll pick it up quick, and figure it out. Always have. All pretty similar. So I have been familiarizing myself with the Mutoh menus and it's characteristics, however some of the plot cut results leave me perplexed and baffled.
First example, I was cutting a standard 10 digit phone number, san serif bold, about a foot tall, 7' long, out of white intermediate vinyl. When I weeded it out, some lines, straight and curved did not cut through the vinyl, like more pressure or force needed to be applied. And some cut perfect. But cutting the number 8, and only the outside bottom right path from the very bottom, up the right side to where it meets the top outside curve, it cut through vinyl and backing. Glad I was watching because I had to help shuffle the vinyl through the cutter so it wouldn't jam till finished. I have photos in my system of these problems, but not sure how to upload using a URL on this post. Now I've researched this and everything points to replacing the plotters cut mat strip. I've read that a worn out cut strip can cause al kinds of irrational results when cutting vinyl. But the results of the cut doesn't make sense to me to believe the cut mat strip was the problem. I replaced it anyway last week. It couldn't hurt and it needed it anyway.
Ok, next.... I set up a little test cut in flexi with a 1" square, a star inside that and circle in the middle of the star. To make sure force and speed are correct for my job I sent to the printer and is in the queue to cut. This project requires I print, laminate and contour cut a quantity of 52 logos, 4.5" long x 3.5" high, asymmetrical. In production manager, I set up columns of 6 high and 9 rows across. Plenty of extra room for the plotter to read registration marks and cut no problem. So in order to make sure the plotter is going to perform its best, I want make sure all settings are optimal, therefore I am doing this test cut.
Since my project is laminated, printed vinyl, my test cut is on a piece of laminated scrap vinyl. Here's the problem. It seems the blade is "picking" the vinyl either where the blade enters the vinyl or when it lifts the blade out. Looks like little mountains sticking up. Feels rough when you run your hand across it. I've changed the blade, brand new. I've lowered the speed on the machine to 10cms. Force is set to 210g. The results are a terrible test cut. Some parts are cut into the backing, some not cut through at all, and it looks like a ragged cut. So I'm not sure which way to go on my force pressure setting. I have done about a dozen test cuts with both the standard default in the plotter and the one I set up earlier. Now I've noticed that at the end of some of the test cuts, the blade housing is in the up position, but the blade itself slid out and is touching the vinyl. Creating another problem, dragging the blade across the vinyl, scarring it between cuts. I have pulled the housing out and adjusted the blade within the holder several times. I've tried pulling the blade out, and it seemed seated properly. Test cut..... blades slid out and is touching vinyl.
One more odd plot on a contour cut job I experienced a couple weeks ago. 24 logos printed and laminated, I laid out 3 wide across printer width, and 3 columns of 8 tall. I setup up duplicates in Flexi's Production Manager to send to printer. Print looks great with registration printed around it with plenty of room for contour cut. Laminate. Set up Ultima with the print. Hit release to send to cutter. It reads registration marks and starts cutting. Here's what I don't understand. The column on the right side, closest to origin, cut right where it should have. The middle column, the cut shifted a 1/4" to the right. The left column the cut was further off, at a 1/2". I double check all settings before sending a print. I don't get it.
I know this machine is ancient. It's not supported by any distributors, or even Mutoh America itself. But its what I have to work with. And I have to work these kinks out soon. I need to start being productive here. I feel like banging my head against the wall trying to figure this out! We are updating the design computer next week with the latest CPU, GPU lots of RAM, etc.... Networking everything and updating software too. But I think I'm stuck with this Mutoh pair for awhile. I'm just hoping that we can get along here. If you have read this through, know a little about Mutoh, or have experienced any or all of these issues, Please, Please! Let me know something. I am working towards the day, hopefully, when all my peripherals, Mutoh pair too, work as expected and I can count on it. If you have any input, I really would appreciate it. Thanks
Well I'm back here at this forum to see if anyone reading this might have an idea as to why my Mutoh Ultima SC1400D cutter is producing inconsistent pressure during a plot, "picking" the vinyl and other anomalies. Let's see if I can once again stump everyone with this one. 277 views and no responses on my last post I believe. I did end up finally finding a substitute cut mat strip for any plotter that had a track width of 8mm width. All I had to do was cut the length to the length of the track the mat sits on. There aren't any NOS mat strips for this machine available through any of the dozen and a half or so distributors I called at the suggestion of Mutoh America
So here's my conundrum. I have been employed at this company for a couple months now, and was basically given the keys to an office that contains a computer and the standard peripherals, plus a Mutoh ValueJet 1604A and a Mutoh Ultima SC-1400D combo for print/cut. Well it seems Mutoh doesn't play well with others. I've never experienced such frustration in getting to know equipment. Summa, Roland, Mumaki, Epson, Gerber, and many other names I've worked through the years. I was given the quick "2 minute drill" rundown on them before my predecessor retired and beat feet home. He didn't even run a sample to show me how it works. No print, No cut. Ok I say, No problem. I'll pick it up quick, and figure it out. Always have. All pretty similar. So I have been familiarizing myself with the Mutoh menus and it's characteristics, however some of the plot cut results leave me perplexed and baffled.
First example, I was cutting a standard 10 digit phone number, san serif bold, about a foot tall, 7' long, out of white intermediate vinyl. When I weeded it out, some lines, straight and curved did not cut through the vinyl, like more pressure or force needed to be applied. And some cut perfect. But cutting the number 8, and only the outside bottom right path from the very bottom, up the right side to where it meets the top outside curve, it cut through vinyl and backing. Glad I was watching because I had to help shuffle the vinyl through the cutter so it wouldn't jam till finished. I have photos in my system of these problems, but not sure how to upload using a URL on this post. Now I've researched this and everything points to replacing the plotters cut mat strip. I've read that a worn out cut strip can cause al kinds of irrational results when cutting vinyl. But the results of the cut doesn't make sense to me to believe the cut mat strip was the problem. I replaced it anyway last week. It couldn't hurt and it needed it anyway.
Ok, next.... I set up a little test cut in flexi with a 1" square, a star inside that and circle in the middle of the star. To make sure force and speed are correct for my job I sent to the printer and is in the queue to cut. This project requires I print, laminate and contour cut a quantity of 52 logos, 4.5" long x 3.5" high, asymmetrical. In production manager, I set up columns of 6 high and 9 rows across. Plenty of extra room for the plotter to read registration marks and cut no problem. So in order to make sure the plotter is going to perform its best, I want make sure all settings are optimal, therefore I am doing this test cut.
Since my project is laminated, printed vinyl, my test cut is on a piece of laminated scrap vinyl. Here's the problem. It seems the blade is "picking" the vinyl either where the blade enters the vinyl or when it lifts the blade out. Looks like little mountains sticking up. Feels rough when you run your hand across it. I've changed the blade, brand new. I've lowered the speed on the machine to 10cms. Force is set to 210g. The results are a terrible test cut. Some parts are cut into the backing, some not cut through at all, and it looks like a ragged cut. So I'm not sure which way to go on my force pressure setting. I have done about a dozen test cuts with both the standard default in the plotter and the one I set up earlier. Now I've noticed that at the end of some of the test cuts, the blade housing is in the up position, but the blade itself slid out and is touching the vinyl. Creating another problem, dragging the blade across the vinyl, scarring it between cuts. I have pulled the housing out and adjusted the blade within the holder several times. I've tried pulling the blade out, and it seemed seated properly. Test cut..... blades slid out and is touching vinyl.
One more odd plot on a contour cut job I experienced a couple weeks ago. 24 logos printed and laminated, I laid out 3 wide across printer width, and 3 columns of 8 tall. I setup up duplicates in Flexi's Production Manager to send to printer. Print looks great with registration printed around it with plenty of room for contour cut. Laminate. Set up Ultima with the print. Hit release to send to cutter. It reads registration marks and starts cutting. Here's what I don't understand. The column on the right side, closest to origin, cut right where it should have. The middle column, the cut shifted a 1/4" to the right. The left column the cut was further off, at a 1/2". I double check all settings before sending a print. I don't get it.
I know this machine is ancient. It's not supported by any distributors, or even Mutoh America itself. But its what I have to work with. And I have to work these kinks out soon. I need to start being productive here. I feel like banging my head against the wall trying to figure this out! We are updating the design computer next week with the latest CPU, GPU lots of RAM, etc.... Networking everything and updating software too. But I think I'm stuck with this Mutoh pair for awhile. I'm just hoping that we can get along here. If you have read this through, know a little about Mutoh, or have experienced any or all of these issues, Please, Please! Let me know something. I am working towards the day, hopefully, when all my peripherals, Mutoh pair too, work as expected and I can count on it. If you have any input, I really would appreciate it. Thanks
