Summa D140 - Irregular Cutting

[Goatshaver]

I've been having much success with doing full cut out stickers on my summa with a 2-pass setup. I've cut a few thousand and have had minimal problems. I had to change my blade, and got it back to where it needed to be and it was cutting good but I go to cut these squares with rounded corners and for some reason it has a really hard time cutting through every side...I'd say 60% tear the backing because the cut isn't deep enough...if I go an cut a different shape or more complex it cuts fine....this is driving me nuts. I can't seem to get these to work smoothly no matter what I do.

 

[P Wagner]

Are you running the Summa Flex Cut (perf cut), or multiple (2) kiss cuts to completely cut through the backer?

 

[Goatshaver]

Are you running the Summa Flex Cut (perf cut), or multiple (2) kiss cuts to completely cut through the backer?

2 kiss cuts.
I had cut a bunch of lightning bolt shapes a day before and they came out nice and clean.

 

[Goatshaver]

I changed my cutting strip this morning to see if that would resolve my issue and it did not make much difference at all.

I'm just beating my brains out trying to understand why I can cut a complex shape with no issues but a circle or square is the hardest thing for it to do.

The only thing I can possibly think of is that it's something to do with my laminator. The outer edges of the rollers don't have quite the same pressure as the center...which is also strange in itself as rollers wear the opposite way from what I've seen.

And the outer edges are the spots where I'm having the most difficulty cutting.

 

[Goatshaver]

I don't think I'll ever understand why this cutter cuts the way it does.

Squares are difficult for it to cut...Top, bottom and right of the stickers are cut fine but the left side never cuts as deep as the other 3 sides. Even when I do the pressure test the left side of the square is always not cut as deep.

I wish someone could give me some help....this still doesn't make any sense to me why it does this. Is it a blade holder issue? A cutting head issue...? This is so frustrating to have bought something that is sold as one of the best cutter brands and yet has problems cutting a simple square.

 

[eahicks]

I don't think I'll ever understand why this cutter cuts the way it does.

Squares are difficult for it to cut...Top, bottom and right of the stickers are cut fine but the left side never cuts as deep as the other 3 sides. Even when I do the pressure test the left side of the square is always not cut as deep.

I wish someone could give me some help....this still doesn't make any sense to me why it does this. Is it a blade holder issue? A cutting head issue...? This is so frustrating to have bought something that is sold as one of the best cutter brands and yet has problems cutting a simple square.

I think these Summa cutters really need to come with more pinchwheels. I see issues like this in the cut between the pinch wheels....the vinyl tends to bunch up just enough that the cut can't make it all the way through like it can closer to a pinch wheel. I know you can add more to it, just wish it already had them. I cut TONS of stuff on 54" material so spanning only 4 across the material leaves wide areas that can bunch upwards.

 

[Goatshaver]

I think these Summa cutters really need to come with more pinchwheels. I see issues like this in the cut between the pinch wheels....the vinyl tends to bunch up just enough that the cut can't make it all the way through like it can closer to a pinch wheel. I know you can add more to it, just wish it already had them. I cut TONS of stuff on 54" material so spanning only 4 across the material leaves wide areas that can bunch upwards.

I cannot add any more pinch rollers to the model i have. It's not an option on the base models.

 

[jerry369]

Squares are difficult for it to cut...Top, bottom and right of the stickers are cut fine but the left side never cuts as deep as the other 3 sides. Even when I do the pressure test the left side of the square is always not cut as deep

The left side is cut by pushing or pulling the media? To avoid problems, for example, Flexcut is always performed by pulling the media, never pushing it. To do that, the plotter enables directional sorting before a flexcut job.

 

[Goatshaver]

The left side is cut by pushing or pulling the media? To avoid problems, for example, Flexcut is always performed by pulling the media, never pushing it. To do that, the plotter enables directional sorting before a flexcut job.

I'm not doing Flexcuts but it it pushing to cut that side. Guessing that is the issue? that it's pushing the cut instead of pulling it.

 

[Goatshaver]

Couple of thoughts:
Can you break the vector apart and reclose it at a different corner? In corel/graphtec, this can change the starting point of a cut, as long as sorting "none" is selected.
Can you mirror the squares so that the vectors run in opposite direction? Going from clockwise to counter clockwise?
Dumb but simple idea, turn all of your squares 45 degrees. If it is cutting more complex shapes better, perhaps this would work?
In the past I've layered two different circles, one going clockwise, one going counter clockwise, to get the plotter to fully cut through backing. In your case, you could have an initial cut, a second cut, then a singular line making up a third cut on the left hand side. This is only if the summa will allow you to run open shapes.
Sort of like this, I spaced all of the redundant endpoints out for clarity.
View attachment 151197

Maybe if the start point was different possibly? Not really sure what determines the start points in the cut path.
Yeah I've got no issues with complex shapes. Maybe I'll try doing 45 deg as I've got to reprint some of them.

I think I know what you mean...in that last part...just having an extra cut line on that side if I'm understanding you correctly.
Right now I've got two rounded corner square cuts on top of each other and for 99% of stuff it works great except circles and squares it seems to have difficulties with.

 

[Todd Jelle]

I had the nearly the same isuue , one day ( 2 moths ago) the head completely quit lifting & stays down unless manualy picking it up. then it wont go down. Ordered a new head from summa ($420.00) no parts yet, they say the head has to come out of Belgium, & don't know when it will arrive. ??? what the hell? are they out of business & not telling anyone or do they just do this to get me to buy a new plotter.
I have always loved this plotter until recently. beginning to have doubts about SUUMA

 

[balstestrat]

I had the nearly the same isuue , one day ( 2 moths ago) the head completely quit lifting & stays down unless manualy picking it up. then it wont go down. Ordered a new head from summa ($420.00) no parts yet, they say the head has to come out of Belgium, & don't know when it will arrive. ??? what the hell? are they out of business & not telling anyone or do they just do this to get me to buy a new plotter.
I have always loved this plotter until recently. beginning to have doubts about SUUMA

You know if you have seen what's going on around, there's global supply issues it's not just summa or their resellers..... Happening to everyone lately.