Need some serious help with contour cutting issue!! Graphtec 54"

[TDFcustomSL]

Ok I need help figuring out what the problem is here. A couple of days ago a printed and contour cut 208 decals with no problems. Last night I went to contour cut some dirt bike graphics I had printed and the cutter will not read the registration marks. It will usually read the first one, and when it goes to the second mark, sometimes it would go past it and try to scan or other times it would scan right on it but say "mark sense level was not enough" Im using Flexi 10, Graphtec Type 2 marks (used the segmented marks for the 208 decals), and using the 1 inch marks. The Cutter is set up for Type 2 and the mark size is set to .787. I really hope someone can help me figure out what is going on here, its very frustrating and Ive got several jobs I need to get cut that are already printed. Thanks!!

 

[Flame]

Just for kicks. Try cutting out the laminate around the crop marks. Could be it's too thick for it to read through the material...

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I have tried using material that isn't laminated and still no luck

 

[royster13]

Is there a way to read the registration marks manually?......I know with software like Flexi you can do it....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hoIbsoqAqI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[TDFcustomSL]

Im sure there is a way to align them manually but that kinda defeats the purpose of the ARMS system. I could do it to get my by for now while waiting to hear back from SW...only had this thing about 4 months...

 

[HIGHSPEEDGRAPHIX]

Clean your lense and check your alignment and tracking.

 

[bob]

Ok I need help figuring out what the problem is here. A couple of days ago a printed and contour cut 208 decals with no problems. Last night I went to contour cut some dirt bike graphics I had printed and the cutter will not read the registration marks. It will usually read the first one, and when it goes to the second mark, sometimes it would go past it and try to scan or other times it would scan right on it but say "mark sense level was not enough" Im using Flexi 10, Graphtec Type 2 marks (used the segmented marks for the 208 decals), and using the 1 inch marks. The Cutter is set up for Type 2 and the mark size is set to .787. I really hope someone can help me figure out what is going on here, its very frustrating and Ive got several jobs I need to get cut that are already printed. Thanks!!

How long is the sheet you're trying to cut? The Flexi/Graphtec/ARMS trifecta can experience failure with prints much longer than 4-5 feet. Not always but not uncommon either. What happens, usually, is the the plotter reads the first mark and then sets off to where Flexi thinks the second mark ought to be. The plotter searches a small area around that spot and if it doesn't detect a mark, failure.

The thing to understand is that where Flexi thinks the second, and subsequent, marks are and where they actually are are two very different things. Where the mark is relative to where Flexi thinks it is depends on what your printer thinks is a foot, what your plotter thinks is a foot, and how badly the sheet is skewed in the plotter.

If you experience repeated failure trying to sense a sheet printed with Flexi's automatic marks all you can do is throw it away. There's no way to save it. There's no other way to read those marks. You could use the plotter's auto and/or manual; mark sensing capability and it will indeed read the marks. But in order to complete this mark read you have to know the logical size [what Flexi thinks it might be] of the rectangle described by the marks. Since Flexi does not publish these two critical measurements, you, sport, are SOL.

If there's any doubt that the automatic marks are going to work, any doubt at all, best to use either the 4 point bombsite option or print your own marks at the corners of a known rectangle and use the plotter's auto/manual feature. The 4 point bombsite is slow but never fails, using your own marks can fail if you're printing on non-white media. Likes silver or gold or something. On white media it's hard pressed to fail.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I am printing on white material and I understand what you mean by if it wont read the marks the material is waste..I wasted a lot of Convex Gear Wrap material and laminate which adds to the frustration since that stuff isnt "cheap". The sheet im trying to cut is only 30 inches wide and maybe 24 inches long...not big at all, the panel size of course is slightly smaller than that, and of course the pinch rollers are inside of the registration marks. Im just at a loss, the 204 decals that i cut that worked flawlessly was a 50 inch wide by almost 5 foot long sheet and had ZERO issues reading the segmeneted marks. I have a sinking feeling in my gut that ill be sending this #*&^ thing back to SW for something.

 

[AUTO-FX]

Try adjusting your rollers out a wee bit farther. This has worked for me. Add a taped on strip of material down the right side if needed. Stupid 'trifecta' thing I think....

 

[LittleSnakey]

Send it back, we had the same problems as you, wasted alot of vinyl and didn't save a minute of time. Which was the biggest reason for buying the graphtec. We sent ours back after the tech came here and couldn't get it to work either, didn't buy it from sw though.

Call drew at summa and don't look back!

I am printing on white material and I understand what you mean by if it wont read the marks the material is waste..I wasted a lot of Convex Gear Wrap material and laminate which adds to the frustration since that stuff isnt "cheap". The sheet im trying to cut is only 30 inches wide and maybe 24 inches long...not big at all, the panel size of course is slightly smaller than that, and of course the pinch rollers are inside of the registration marks. Im just at a loss, the 204 decals that i cut that worked flawlessly was a 50 inch wide by almost 5 foot long sheet and had ZERO issues reading the segmeneted marks. I have a sinking feeling in my gut that ill be sending this #*&^ thing back to SW for something.

 

[QuickSilver2605]

I had a the same problem not too long ago. I had to cut away the lam, and I turned all the lights off in the room that the cutter was in before it would read the marks.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I have had issues with the light reflecting off the material before but i know thats not the issue here. I haev even tried putting scotch tape over the registration marks on non laminated material to see if it would help and still nothing. I printed the same thing but left a lot more space around all edges thinking that maybe the panel size was throwing something off but still nothing. Ive tried several different medias also. I am to the point i wouldnt be opposed to trying a Summa but money is holding me back, still trying to pay for what I have.

 

[Bigdawg]

I think "send it back" is a little overkill guys.

We have a 54" Graphtec. I cut regularly with it - virtually no problems at all. But when any of the guys try to run it... they can't seem to make it work right. It rarely cuts for them. We have yet to figure out what I do that is sooooo different than what they do to load the graphics back in the machine. I think I am just more careful with my line up than they are... same graphic... different operators.

So I think you are hitting that trial-and-error part of learning your machine. Not the machines fault

I've had to adjust micro moves of material to make things work right - try that. Try running a line across from your register mark with a stabillo to the edge of the material to make sure you are lining up correctly. Double check your rollers in the back are either all up or all down - if they aren't the same the feed rate seems to vary side-to-side.

Sorry.. but I really think it's just getting the hang of it...

 

[fresh]

I think "send it back" is a little overkill guys.

We have a 54" Graphtec. I cut regularly with it - virtually no problems at all. But when any of the guys try to run it... they can't seem to make it work right. It rarely cuts for them. We have yet to figure out what I do that is sooooo different than what they do to load the graphics back in the machine. I think I am just more careful with my line up than they are... same graphic... different operators.

So I think you are hitting that trial-and-error part of learning your machine. Not the machines fault

I've had to adjust micro moves of material to make things work right - try that. Try running a line across from your register mark with a stabillo to the edge of the material to make sure you are lining up correctly. Double check your rollers in the back are either all up or all down - if they aren't the same the feed rate seems to vary side-to-side.

Sorry.. but I really think it's just getting the hang of it...

Yep. We don't even know how to use registration marks, we just use our own "laser eyes" to set it up the cuts. We can quickly and very accurately manually set up media for contour cuts on the graphtec. Its awesome.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I think "send it back" is a little overkill guys.

We have a 54" Graphtec. I cut regularly with it - virtually no problems at all. But when any of the guys try to run it... they can't seem to make it work right. It rarely cuts for them. We have yet to figure out what I do that is sooooo different than what they do to load the graphics back in the machine. I think I am just more careful with my line up than they are... same graphic... different operators.

So I think you are hitting that trial-and-error part of learning your machine. Not the machines fault

I've had to adjust micro moves of material to make things work right - try that. Try running a line across from your register mark with a stabillo to the edge of the material to make sure you are lining up correctly. Double check your rollers in the back are either all up or all down - if they aren't the same the feed rate seems to vary side-to-side.

Sorry.. but I really think it's just getting the hang of it...

I understand what your saying and believe me I love this thing, it has never given me any issues. Ive never once had it not read the marks that I didnt know what the problem was. Ive printed and tried to cut probably a dozen different size sheets, different graphics and ive even tried the half inch marks and tried the type 1 marks. I will check the pinch roller levers tonight but im almost positive they havent been moved.

 

[LittleSnakey]

Have the tech come out and make it work.
If it does not work, and is wasting time and material and you can still send it back then its a no brainer.

I personally fought with that machine finding the marks using flexi and cut master and never had any consistency.

I have never had those problems with the summa that replaced or the versa cam we used to use as a cutter.
The summa does cost more but it works.

I think "send it back" is a little overkill guys.

We have a 54" Graphtec. I cut regularly with it - virtually no problems at all. But when any of the guys try to run it... they can't seem to make it work right. It rarely cuts for them. We have yet to figure out what I do that is sooooo different than what they do to load the graphics back in the machine. I think I am just more careful with my line up than they are... same graphic... different operators.

So I think you are hitting that trial-and-error part of learning your machine. Not the machines fault

I've had to adjust micro moves of material to make things work right - try that. Try running a line across from your register mark with a stabillo to the edge of the material to make sure you are lining up correctly. Double check your rollers in the back are either all up or all down - if they aren't the same the feed rate seems to vary side-to-side.

Sorry.. but I really think it's just getting the hang of it...

 

[HIGHSPEEDGRAPHIX]

I have never had any major problems using Cut Master in AI with my Graphtec. I have cut runs on printed reflective and runs as long as 10'. for me alignment was key, and a nice thick stroke outside your cutline helps too. I use a straight edge on the leading edge to mark the registration marks on the edge of the material. Then I would line it up using my nails in the crease of the machine near the cut strip. That has always worked for me.There has been times where it did drive me crazy, but the more I use it the less problems I have. I also found that you want your bounding box to be two inches larger all the way around, if things are too close to you registration marks It could pick up a false reading.

 

[knucklehead]

Sharpie marker on marks is what I have to do on some. Others, is no problem.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

Ok I got the problem fixed. Not sure what the "Problem" was but after going into the SENSE LEVEL setting and hitting DEFAULT, even tho the settings had never been touched, it reads the marks without a problem now. Thanks for the replies, and for the phone call Bigdawg. This site has been so helpful and its great to see how many people are willing to help!

 

[nopalito24]

This can be the software or ur file, or ur settings on the plotter since u mention that u have the reg. marks size setting modified . The 1st thing u should do is set everything u modified in the ARMS menu back to default..don't need it. Ur describe that the sensor is coming down past the mark so check ur file or reset ur plotter. Everything is software controlled don't need to set anything on the plotter, make sure that u don't use to long of ausb cable and no USB hubs.