Need Help Using Flexcut for multiple decals

[SlikGRFX]

We just got our Summa S2 T140 installed. Everything is set up and ready to go but I have a question about setting up the FlexCut.

Let's say I have a single decal with a simple contour cut and a square FlexCut around it and I want to print 100 on a sheet. If I nest them together, edge to edge, will the Summa perform the FlexCut twice on the edges that are adjacent/on top of each other? If so, I imagine this will cause a problem when the second cut goes through the media so I don't want to try it.

I guess the alternative would be to set up a file containing 100 decals and create a grid for the flex cut, but this seems time consuming, especially if I want to change quantities etc. I thought it might be smarter than that.

Any advice is welcome. Cheers!

 

[AF]

Leave a gap between the decals to prevent the decals pulling apart prematurely and ruining the job. Set up an outfeed table so that the flex cut material doesn't bend close to the cutter head which could cause problems. Just set your file to repeat in your rip and center the layout on the media. I find that leaving about an inch of margin on each side never has issues with cutting or registration mark recognition. Play around with flex and full cut lengths to get the best results for the media you are using. My preference is to have the stickers not fall out on their own but also to not leave perforation tabs on the perimeter of the decals. You will need to make sure the knife is extended far enough to cut through the material. I set up our files to avoid paneling and break a large job into smaller jobs that reduce media movement. Auto cutoff, if your rip offers it, is great for large flex cut jobs since you can avoid using the takeup reel.

 

[SlikGRFX]

Thanks for the info! I think we have the pressures and blade extension worked out. The decals just hold on but pop out easily. I'll set up an outfeed table this weekend and see how it goes. We've been getting scratches on the media too, even with the up-speed turned right down, so a table should help.

If you repeat a job in the RIP, how much space do you leave between each decal? The manual says around 10mm, but that wastes a lot of space, and even then it seems to be time consuming popping out all the individual decals because it's tricky to fold them upwards to break the tabs. It works better with a grid between the decals so it only makes one flex cut between each row/column of decals, but then I have to spend the time manually drawing the flex cut in Illustrator. I'm saving time for the guy who does the finishing, but I'm spending the time doing the setup instead.

What's the longest length you would recommend to flex cut without panelling?

 

[bigben]

I always leave 3mm if they are small cut or 6mm if they are larger cut between the flexcut. I try to keep the job within 5 feet to have better precision, but I've done around 20 feet of material in the past without any problem for parts that was around 8 inches X 8 inches. If they are printed decal with the barcode option, it's very easy to put 10 times 5 foot long job on the same roll and have an accurate finish product. I wish I had a take up on my cutter. it would have helped alot.

 

[AF]

I don't like to use the takeup reel with flex cut since it is more productive and less risky to do batches that auto cut off. While the machine is cutting the next batch I can separate the previous batch. For cut only jobs, the takeup is a real must have. Again, you should split your job into sections since the takeup only kicks in after a job is finished.

 

[F80M3]

We just got our Summa S2 T140 installed. Everything is set up and ready to go but I have a question about setting up the FlexCut.

Let's say I have a single decal with a simple contour cut and a square FlexCut around it and I want to print 100 on a sheet. If I nest them together, edge to edge, will the Summa perform the FlexCut twice on the edges that are adjacent/on top of each other? If so, I imagine this will cause a problem when the second cut goes through the media so I don't want to try it.

I guess the alternative would be to set up a file containing 100 decals and create a grid for the flex cut, but this seems time consuming, especially if I want to change quantities etc. I thought it might be smarter than that.

Any advice is welcome. Cheers!

I know this is an old post but I solved this issue for you.

If using Flexisign you can check mark the box that says "Eliminate Line Segment Overlap" and it will cut those lines that overlap only once!

 

[SlikGRFX]

I know this is an old post but I solved this issue for you.

If using Flexisign you can check mark the box that says "Eliminate Line Segment Overlap" and it will cut those lines that overlap only once!

Thanks! I'll give that a try. Is your screen grab from winplot?

 

[F80M3]

i'm using Flexisign.