Need help Contour Cutting with Mimaki CG130FX

[itljcloud]

I use primarily Mutoh Equipment but have an old CG130FX Mimaki cutter that is a great machine. I cut regular vinyl with it, but can't seem to figure out why it won't find the registration marks for contour cutting. I have tried type 1 and type 2 registration marks and have the manual for the machine. I have set origin where it says to set, and it always seems to go to where the marks 'are not' located. The red laser comes on, and makes the attempt, but it's always somewhere else.

Can anyone offer any advice?. I see you can change the size of the marks, and I did, but it just won't find them.

Thanks,

 

[myront]

Are you using FineCut for the setup and cut process? Corel or Illustrator?

 

[unclebun]

Unlike other plotters, on the Mimaki all the mark reading is done from the plotter's console, not from your cutting software. You also need to make sure the plotter is set up to do mark reading or it won't even turn the laser on at all.
Here is the process:
Load vinyl, making sure the pich rollers are set outside the registration marks (the center roller can be in the middle somewhere.)
Press the left arrow key for Roll. After it reads the width of the vinyl and stops, the screen should read TP1. If it doesn't, press the End key and that will bring TP1 back.
Using the arrow keys, move the cutter head so that the laser is shining into the nearest corner registration mark. Not on the black line, but inside the corner.
Press Enter. It will read the registration marks and return.
Press Enter, Enter, Enter to accept the readings.
Press Remote to get the plotter ready to accept the cut file.
Go to your cutting software and press cut.

 

[myront]

Unlike other plotters, on the Mimaki all the mark reading is done from the plotter's console, not from your cutting software. You also need to make sure the plotter is set up to do mark reading or it won't even turn the laser on at all.
Here is the process:
Load vinyl, making sure the pich rollers are set outside the registration marks (the center roller can be in the middle somewhere.)
Press the left arrow key for Roll. After it reads the width of the vinyl and stops, the screen should read TP1. If it doesn't, press the End key and that will bring TP1 back.
Using the arrow keys, move the cutter head so that the laser is shining into the nearest corner registration mark. Not on the black line, but inside the corner.
Press Enter. It will read the registration marks and return.
Press Enter, Enter, Enter to accept the readings.
Press Remote to get the plotter ready to accept the cut file.
Go to your cutting software and press cut.

Agree with these steps but the file has to be set up correctly. Reg marks have to be on a certain named layer etc.
The initial "read" of the reg marks is just for the plotter to get the general idea, You'll then ask it via your cutting software to make a final read of what exactly to cut.

 

[unclebun]

We use Onyx. There are no layers. The RIP creates the registration marks itself. The only thing the file has to have is the CutContour spot color lines for cutting. When the Mimaki reads the registration marks using the procedure I outlined above, that is all the reading of marks there is. Once you press Cut, the plotter immediately cuts the job without ever reading any more registration marks.