[Solved] - Graphtec FC8600 problem

[nico]

Hey guys,

I'm having a very frustrating issue with a recently installed FC8600 (5 months). Just a little bit over a week ago every job I send to cut is off by like 1/5 of an inch maybe which increases as the plotter goes to the next row of decals. Then when it gets to like the middle of the job it'll start decreasing again.

The really weird part is that in every single job the first and last 4 inches of each row will always be perfect, the cut is exactly where it's supposed to be and then in all of the middle part of the roll or each row, it'll have this error which I'm currently solving by using "distance adjust", which of course messes up the beginning and end of each roll.

I'm thinking about resetting the machine tomorrow morning, would that be something you would do?

Has anyone else experienced this or know what could be causing it? I can no longer send cut jobs without standing next to the plotter to adjust each job and make sure the cut is right. I've tried everything I can think of, at first I thought that because I was using smaller marks that was decreasing the accuracy but the error margin is the same with all jobs no matter width length and size of marks.

- I'm using Flexi and another thing that usually happens is that when reading marks the plotter will always do this thing where it goes past the second mark, like consistently, this happens when I'm printing multiple jobs and sending them out in a different order. I then have to turn off the fc8600, reset flexi, open the job again, I can't use the cut file automatically created by flexi but need to open the print job again in flexi and send to "cut only" then it'll read the marks properly.

As always thanks for your time and help!
nico

 

[ikarasu]

I've never had this problem, but I know cheaper media tends to bow when printing on the latex and causes this problem.

Do you have a straight edge? Try putting your.media against a wall, or something you know is straight... See if the ends are touching but not the middle.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sour...FjAAegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw0jySIDPfiAYnrS4C9IwHMm page 68 explains it. There's a setting called straightness optimization that should help.

You can also turn the heat down, turn up passes to make sure it dries, etc.

 

[bob]

Check the mark sensor to blade distance calibration. There's a whole ritual described in the manual. If this is not set properly all of the cuts will be off.

 

[AKwrapguy]

Hey guys,

I'm having a very frustrating issue with a recently installed FC8600 (5 months). Just a little bit over a week ago every job I send to cut is off by like 1/5 of an inch maybe which increases as the plotter goes to the next row of decals. Then when it gets to like the middle of the job it'll start decreasing again.

The really weird part is that in every single job the first and last 4 inches of each row will always be perfect, the cut is exactly where it's supposed to be and then in all of the middle part of the roll or each row, it'll have this error which I'm currently solving by using "distance adjust", which of course messes up the beginning and end of each roll.

I'm thinking about resetting the machine tomorrow morning, would that be something you would do?

Has anyone else experienced this or know what could be causing it? I can no longer send cut jobs without standing next to the plotter to adjust each job and make sure the cut is right. I've tried everything I can think of, at first I thought that because I was using smaller marks that was decreasing the accuracy but the error margin is the same with all jobs no matter width length and size of marks.

- I'm using Flexi and another thing that usually happens is that when reading marks the plotter will always do this thing where it goes past the second mark, like consistently, this happens when I'm printing multiple jobs and sending them out in a different order. I then have to turn off the fc8600, reset flexi, open the job again, I can't use the cut file automatically created by flexi but need to open the print job again in flexi and send to "cut only" then it'll read the marks properly.

As always thanks for your time and help!
nico

How big is the area you're trying to cut? What type of material? What type of plot marks are you using?

 

[nico]

I've never had this problem, but I know cheaper media tends to bow when printing on the latex and causes this problem.

Do you have a straight edge? Try putting your.media against a wall, or something you know is straight... See if the ends are touching but not the middle.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://h20435.www2.hp.com/hpg/attachments/hpg/HPLatex100Series/22/1/Latex%20110_User%20guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi8wsjp4cnbAhVNCDQIHWNgBTcQFjAAegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw0jySIDPfiAYnrS4C9IwHMm page 68 explains it. There's a setting called straightness optimization that should help.

You can also turn the heat down, turn up passes to make sure it dries, etc.

Wow hadn't thought about it this way, I mean at some point I did think that media could be getting affected by the heat while printing, but if it is this bad, then that would be a major problem with the media, I'll definitely check the way you are saying against a wall tomorrow morning and let you know, thank you! Thanks for pointing out where this is in the user guide, I'll re read it.

Check the mark sensor to blade distance calibration. There's a whole ritual described in the manual. If this is not set properly all of the cuts will be off.

Hey Bob, thanks, this is something tech support did a couple months ago when installing the machines, I talked on friday to the guy who knows/deals with Graphtec and he said the same, I'm doing it too.

How big is the area you're trying to cut? What type of material? What type of plot marks are you using?

Hey man thanks for helping (again) and your time, Adhesive vinyl (a roll that's supposed to be decent, but I'm thinking its not, brand Kemica, italian). I thought area could have something to do with it, since at first I noticed it only with smaller prints (decals), but after a lot of tests I'm now positive it happens with all prints no matter how big or small, it was just that I hadn't notice it before since I leave more excess for bigger decals/stickers, we are talking here anywhere from 1/2 feet to usually no more than 14 feet.
Type 2 registration marks if I'm not mistaken (don't have flexi with me), the ones that make a rectangle if you were to draw a line between them (as opposed to the ones that point outwards). I noticed this first after I decreased their size in flexi while adjusting the colors strip width too, but after coming back to default size the error was still there.


Do you guys think before trying anymore stuff I should just try resetting it first though? thinking something in the settings could've been screwed by me while trying to adjust it, I mean since just a couple of days ago everything was working perfectly under the exact same conditions.

 

[ikarasu]

You could.. but all your custom settings would.be gone. So unless your comfortable re-run IMG calibration settings, I'd use it as a last resort.

I'd also download plotter controller.for windows, you can backup your settings if you do that.

You could also try switching to user 2... Pretty sure user 2 would be a fresh default settings, then you wouldn't need erase everything.

I've had to reset 2-3 times, sometimes the plotter is glitchy. But instead how to change the arms sensor before you do it, because you'll have to print out some marks before hand to get it up and running again.

The whole accurate on front and end, and not accurate in middle sounds like it's bowing though, so in this case I think resetting would just be a waste of your time... Of course if your unable to print anything accurately though, it may be worth it just to rule it out!

 

[AKwrapguy]

Wow hadn't thought about it this way, I mean at some point I did think that media could be getting affected by the heat while printing, but if it is this bad, then that would be a major problem with the media, I'll definitely check the way you are saying against a wall tomorrow morning and let you know, thank you! Thanks for pointing out where this is in the user guide, I'll re read it.


Hey Bob, thanks, this is something tech support did a couple months ago when installing the machines, I talked on friday to the guy who knows/deals with Graphtec and he said the same, I'm doing it too.


Hey man thanks for helping (again) and your time, Adhesive vinyl (a roll that's supposed to be decent, but I'm thinking its not, brand Kemica, italian). I thought area could have something to do with it, since at first I noticed it only with smaller prints (decals), but after a lot of tests I'm now positive it happens with all prints no matter how big or small, it was just that I hadn't notice it before since I leave more excess for bigger decals/stickers, we are talking here anywhere from 1/2 feet to usually no more than 14 feet.
Type 2 registration marks if I'm not mistaken (don't have flexi with me), the ones that make a rectangle if you were to draw a line between them (as opposed to the ones that point outwards). I noticed this first after I decreased their size in flexi while adjusting the colors strip width too, but after coming back to default size the error was still there.


Do you guys think before trying anymore stuff I should just try resetting it first though? thinking something in the settings could've been screwed by me while trying to adjust it, I mean since just a couple of days ago everything was working perfectly under the exact same conditions.

So if your using flexi, you should be able to to the plotter tab and change them to have more detection marks. Works best with anything over 48". It will be one of the last selections for the plotter marks. I will try to remember to take some screen grabs tomorrow when I'm work.

 

[Brennen]

Check the mark sensor to blade distance calibration. There's a whole ritual described in the manual. If this is not set properly all of the cuts will be off.

This is definitely the first thing I usually try. We have this happen all the time. We have had techs try and figure out why it is off so often and they never really know. Doing this should help but you will probably have to do it at least a month. We've had ours 2 years now and still have this issue.

 

[bob]

This is definitely the first thing I usually try. We have this happen all the time. We have had techs try and figure out why it is off so often and they never really know. Doing this should help but you will probably have to do it at least a month. We've had ours 2 years now and still have this issue.

The distance, once set, should never change. Just like blade offset, it never changes. The physical distance between sensor and blade should remain constant. Especially since both the sensor and the blade are part of the tool carriage and their physical locations relative to each other do not change. I set mine many years ago and it's the same today as it was on the day it was set. It hasn't been touched in lo these many years. If the distance setting has to be periodically redone then something is wrong somewhere.

 

[Brennen]

Sorry I was thinking of the blade offset. That we do constantly have to adjust. Our techs have been no help in this area. We also cannot cut mult copies along the x axis but can cut mult on the y-axis. The Graphtec 8600 has had issues for us ever since we got it. I try to use our Mimaki for crop mark plotting if possible.

 

[nico]

hey guys, just an update:

Apparently the problem is the middle pinch roller, it was not securing the media properly and that's why the cutting was always off in the middle, sounds kind of obvious now, wish I thought about it sooner but well there's always a couple of things to look into when troubleshooting the machines so.
Anyways the thing is being replaced and that should solve the problem.

I really appreciate everyone's help!

EDIT: trying to add "Solved" to the thread title, but couldn't found out how to edit the title.