Summa S2T140 & Signlab 10 - skipping over while cutting

[John Oxford]

Hello! Looking for help with an issue we've never seen before and can't figure out the source of the problem. We run several summa plotters of different age and model. The newest one, bought earlier this year, is an S2 T140. We operate Signlab v10 with this particular machine. Several times a day the knife will pickup during a cut and jump over about an 1/8" but will continue with the artwork

. It doesn't happen every time but when it does it's in a predictable spot on the file. We've tried moving the artwork to a completely different file, tried recreating it from scratch, nothing seems to help. I've tried to attach a photo of the issue. Our PC's are controlled corporately so we where concerned it may be a setting/security issue.

 

[Robert Gruner]

Hello! Looking for help with an issue we've never seen before and can't figure out the source of the problem. We run several summa plotters of different age and model. The newest one, bought earlier this year, is an S2 T140. We operate Signlab v10 with this particular machine. Several times a day the knife will pickup during a cut and jump over about an 1/8" but will continue with the artwork

. It doesn't happen every time but when it does it's in a predictable spot on the file. We've tried moving the artwork to a completely different file, tried recreating it from scratch, nothing seems to help. I've tried to attach a photo of the issue. Our PC's are controlled corporately so we where concerned it may be a setting/security issue.

 

[Robert Gruner]

Need more info on this. Do you mean that it skips the cut for about 1.8"? Or does jump/move over, thus making the entire cut offset. Possibly a dirty nose-piece. Probably not a security thing, unless its hooked up via TCP/IP. Send the job via USB to eliminate that as a cause.

Never seen an issue like this be at "a predictable spot in the file".

Might indicate something about that particular file/data. Recreating the data should've corrected this.

Try update or reload the firmware. This will flash the ROM and reprogram the unit.

you might also remove the blade, holder, and nose-piece. Turn off unit, by hand, move the tool holder up and down to make sure that the shaft is moving smoothly. Not sticking. ( this will probably not be the issue)

If problem continue, call the Reseller who sold it to you and ask for their direction.

 

[John Oxford]

The plotter skips to outside of the current line about 1/8" and continues to cut, offset. The pictures attached show what it looks like. The plotter has done this since it was brand new, so we don't believe it to be a dirty nose piece. The plotter is directly cabled to the PC.

 

[depps74]

Same exact thing happened to me last year. Bought a brand new Summa because of tangential cutting feature. Did the exact same BS right out the box. Nothing and I mean nothing I did fixed it. I replaced every part possible including the carriage. Customer service was useless. They said it was the material oracal 631! I called oracal and they literally laughed. Summa basically got tired of me calling. So I returned the thing. They charged me a restocking fee and I always wondered if it would be passed on to some other unlucky soul. Sorry to hear this man. Return it if you can, get a graptech 8600 and never look back. My graptec is the best machine Ive ever run and its the 4th one Ive owned. check out my old post pics on this btw.

 

[James Burke]

Just for gits and shiggles, try manually slowing down the baud rate and see what happens....not cutter velocity, but the baud rate in your plotter settings menu.


JB

 

[cisco01]

Same exact thing happened to me last year. Bought a brand new Summa because of tangential cutting feature. Did the exact same BS right out the box. Nothing and I mean nothing I did fixed it. I replaced every part possible including the carriage. Customer service was useless. They said it was the material oracal 631! I called oracal and they literally laughed. Summa basically got tired of me calling. So I returned the thing. They charged me a restocking fee and I always wondered if it would be passed on to some other unlucky soul. Sorry to hear this man. Return it if you can, get a graptech 8600 and never look back. My graptec is the best machine Ive ever run and its the 4th one Ive owned. check out my old post pics on this btw.

I had the same issue with our plotter. I replace the cutter head.
if you can take cover off and check your ribbon cables. They could be damage.

 

[Small Lettering]

This sounds a lot like a known Summa Tangential head issue. I had the same problem with my T750 years back & the problem was found to be residual magnetism and was solved by adding a simple rubber grommet (7/16" x 5/16" x 1/16") around the shaft of the head to cushion the up movement & to keep the head from momentarily hanging. I added mine (rubber grommet) many years ago and it's been working like a charm ever since. I noticed recently that the grommet is starting to dry out so it looks like's going to have to be replaced soon. You have to really stretch the grommet to get it over the head. Soak it in hot water & use long-nose pliers to stretch the grommet. This may not be what's wrong with yours but I know it worked for my T750!