Small Cuts - Cutter Not Closing Shapes

[blownss 0]

Here are my details:

50" Refine Plotter

Windows XP Pro

USB Connection

CorelDraw for creating AI Files

SignCut X2 for cutting

Oracal 651 White

Fresh blade, 80lbs force

Tried speeds from 8-> 24 same result

I have the 50" Refine cutter/plotter and I recently got a request from a friend for some decals and his local car club chapter. He gave me a JPG of what he wanted and I recreated with Corel to make an AI file for SignCut. The decals are 2"x7" so the text and stuff is pretty small.

My problem is that it seems that on most of the shapes, the cutter isn't completely making a full cut, and when I go to weed, a lot of the little stuff gets pulled up because it isn't completely cut. I know the file is fine because I've done similar stuff with larger graphics and don't have a problem. It seems to just be with this smaller stuff.

So here is the picture of what I am cutting out. I am weeding out all of the black stuff.

Some of the things that always get pulled up are the little pieces of the 'F' and "E" characters. Also some of the little round headlights do too.

And it's ALWAYS the same pieces, in every cut. So that tells me it isn't just a fluke and its either the software sending the wrong commands or whatever or the hardware not working right..... any ideas? I can send someone the AI file if they want to give it a shot on their plotter.

Thanks!!!

Mike

[kenimes 42]

Try higher offset settings in SignCut.

[netfryer 0]

I'm having the same issue on my 721... if i increase the offset more than .015 then it starts rounding off corners all goofy (as it would have to if the blade were larger).

Cutting lettering less than 1" in height is the worst... especially letters with rounded sides.

I have scanned the forums and verified everything else suggested (ex: cutter head wheels in V channel, etc).

It happens on all cuts, but like the original poster stated, it's very noticable on small cuts as it lifts parts of the design when you try and weed the vinyl.  Yeah, we can sit there with an exacto knife, but i was under the assumption that this machine was made to do the cutting.  :glasses:

I am using XP, Serial interface, Flexi 7.5 (although all other programs do the same thing)

It seems to be more of an issue with how the blade initially contacts the vinyl when it begins a new cut.  If the previous cut wasy say... an EAST-WEST cut, and the next cut it sets the blade down to start is a NORTH-SOUTH cut (hope this makes sense) then the tip of the blade isnt directly on the cut path until it's been dragged a short distance to turn it.  When the plotter finishes the cut, it simply cuts to the point where it first dropped the blade, but now the blade is tracking in the correct direction so the start point and end point dont meet and you end up with a small uncut portion that has to be exacto'ed.

Any ideas?

It would be sweet if you could get the plotter to advance the end of a path like .02 beyond the endpoint following the path the start of the cut made.

[Bigmac 1]

I have the same problem, increaseing the cutter offset dose what you said. What I have started to do is set my cutter offset to .001 then set my over cut to .03 , this works most of the time, I am going keep trying to increase to cutter offset .001 at a time and play with the overcut, if you try this and it works please let us know .

Thanks    bigmac

[Guest garysigndesign]

I am having  the same problem but on my iMac. I have spent the last three days evaluating my new Keyspan serial to USB adapter and the cutter is responding the same... not following through completely on letters approx. 1/2" + or - its like it swirls off at, I believe,  the various connecting points on an object or letter more so on the smaller stuff but also on larger items. I am sending to SignCut via Illustrator CS2. The thing that really gets me is I have been trouble shooting ever since I began working with it..since { Dec of '06 } and as much as I liked the price of my MH-721 these little problems keep it from being a GREAT plotter. One thing that has me at a loss for words is a complexity test I did several months ago I cut one of if not the most time consuming designs I have ever cleaned up it is an Egyptian falcon now in vector format it is a 280 KB ai file that cut perfectly even before I had the Keyspan adapter connected  which makes me wonder what and why there are so many things keeping this plotter line down. I wish I could have been more helpful just keep with it something will be figured out probably from the manufacture. garysigndesign out...

[netfryer 0]

I see nobody from US Cutters has any input on this.  I just went to a buddy's sign shop and played w/ his roland and it had no problem cutting small letters.  I know the Roland costs more, and has the servo motors as opposed to the steppers... but it would still be nice to have our case heard and evaluated.

[Bigmac 1]

Here my two cents worth. I stoped doing any cutting about a week ago, and started a mission to find out what the problem is with these cutters. I have a mh365 and a mh721 using SignCut X2. I used the pen to make plots on both cutters using the same AI file, using a .000 cutter and overcut starting at .000 and increasing by .003 for each plot until I reached .030. You could still see where the uncut or unplotted areas were. also looking at the plots there was a big difference between the feft and right sides, the file is a butterfly the left wing side was created and then mirrored for the right side so both sides should cut or plot the same but they did not. I also did plotting rotating 90 deg. in signcut now the left side is on the right side. Anyway to make a long story short, two days ago I down loaded Signgo (free for 30 days)they have a driver for eh721. Using the same file I started ploting, and low and behold both side looked identical, I also rotated 90 deg. and saw no difference, also there was a complet different sound to the cutter. I changed over to use a cutter blade and made a cuts all looked the way they should, ended up with cutter offset of .012 and a over cut of .015, no uncut areas. I think the plotter/cutter is a 98.5 out of 100, it is the signcut software that is causing our problems not the plotter/cutter. Try down loading signgo (free for 30 days) or any other software and see what you come up with. hope this helps.

[kenimes 42]

I see nobody from US Cutters has any input on this.  I just went to a buddy's sign shop and played w/ his roland and it had no problem cutting small letters.  I know the Roland costs more, and has the servo motors as opposed to the steppers... but it would still be nice to have our case heard and evaluated.

I was the first one to give input. As for your particular situation, I would not know how to troubleshoot because Flexi is out of our scope of support. I am not trained on Flexi, so I would not know what to suggest. I have the cutters we sell on my tech bench every day, and make cut after cut, without issues. When there is an issue I cannot figure out, it usually means a part needs to be replaced.

Try different file formats, if you import in .eps and it has a problem, try .ai

Also make sure the file is good. Many times a customer complains of bad cuts with SignCut, when it is really an issue with the file being sent to SignCut. Make sure you remove any unnecessary nodes in the file, and that there are no hidden layers. This causes more issues than anything, and it is not a problem with the cutter or software.

[Streamline 1]

Im trying to figure out what looks to me like the same problems yall are having. Im trying to cut a motorcycle image out with many little cuts that need to be weeded and hardly any of them are completely cut out there seems to always be a small piece left uncut and this reeks havoc on us!

Im now using Flexi 8 program with the new Flexi drivers from US Cutter and even with all that still same issue. Im not good yet with knowing how to set the offsets settings and all that so I hope as I read yalls posting I can figure out what I need to do also!

[jimmy1234 1]

I see nobody from US Cutters has any input on this.  I just went to a buddy's sign shop and played w/ his roland and it had no problem cutting small letters.  I know the Roland costs more, and has the servo motors as opposed to the steppers... but it would still be nice to have our case heard and evaluated.

I was the first one to give input. As for your particular situation, I would not know how to troubleshoot because Flexi is out of our scope of support. I am not trained on Flexi, so I would not know what to suggest. I have the cutters we sell on my tech bench every day, and make cut after cut, without issues. When there is an issue I cannot figure out, it usually means a part needs to be replaced.

Try different file formats, if you import in .eps and it has a problem, try .ai

Also make sure the file is good. Many times a customer complains of bad cuts with SignCut, when it is really an issue with the file being sent to SignCut. Make sure you remove any unnecessary nodes in the file, and that there are no hidden layers. This causes more issues than anything, and it is not a problem with the cutter or software.

Everything sounded good until "it is not a problem with the cutter", it most likely is a problem with the cutter. If you go and take that same file and cut it out with FLEXI on a ROLAND, I will give you a 99% chance it will cut correctly. It could be "Make sure you remove any unnecessary nodes in the file, and that there are no hidden layers".

This has been another very popular problem that has to do with software/hardware controlling the stepper motors.

The good news is in flexi you can over cut:

(not sure about the other software):

Open Flexi

Open a design

Select the cut/plot icon

Goto Advanced Tab

Check Over Cut (.100 usually does the trick)

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I see nobody from US Cutters has any input on this.  I just went to a buddy's sign shop and played w/ his roland and it had no problem cutting small letters.  I know the Roland costs more, and has the servo motors as opposed to the steppers... but it would still be nice to have our case heard and evaluated.

I was the first one to give input. As for your particular situation, I would not know how to troubleshoot because Flexi is out of our scope of support. I am not trained on Flexi, so I would not know what to suggest. I have the cutters we sell on my tech bench every day, and make cut after cut, without issues. When there is an issue I cannot figure out, it usually means a part needs to be replaced.

Try different file formats, if you import in .eps and it has a problem, try .ai

Also make sure the file is good. Many times a customer complains of bad cuts with SignCut, when it is really an issue with the file being sent to SignCut. Make sure you remove any unnecessary nodes in the file, and that there are no hidden layers. This causes more issues than anything, and it is not a problem with the cutter or software.

Everything sounded good until "it is not a problem with the cutter", it most likely is a problem with the cutter. If you go and take that same file and cut it out with FLEXI on a ROLAND, I will give you a 99% chance it will cut correctly. It could be "Make sure you remove any unnecessary nodes in the file, and that there are no hidden layers".

This has been another very popular problem that has to do with software/hardware controlling the stepper motors.

The good news is in flexi you can over cut:

(not sure about the other software):

Open Flexi

Open a design

Select the cut/plot icon

Goto Advanced Tab

Check Over Cut (.100 usually does the trick)

More pot Stirring huh jimmie

[Martin 0]

well I got the same problem with my mh721 with sign blazer I seen the posts but no one talk about signblazer. but I have the same problem it wont finish the lettering  it should finish the letter on the same point that it start it  but it left a little biti space betwen the start point and the finish point and is hard to  weed all the design or just text. so let's see if ken imes can help me with this issue

my machine is only 3 months old and  just started 2 days ago I change a  diferent blade such as 45 but it was working fine with the 60 degrees  but didn't with the 45

thanx

Martin from Tucson az.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

Martin search for info on setting the offset, I think this will cure your problem

[Martin 0]

where I can find that option/ on the set up?

[Martin 0]

ok I found the option it say offset is got 0.00

[prestonservco 26]

Usually the offset should be at .25  The packaging that your blade came in should tell you the correct offset to use.

[Martin 0]

ok thanx a lot dakotagrapx I got it... offset solve my problem I  set it @ 0.03 and works perfect but is way better

I appreciate your help my friend.

[Martin 0]

thanx preston I got it I seen the blade package your right .

thanx a lot

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

glad everything worked out great - next step is to try cleancut blades in your cutter - you will be amazed at the difference in the cuts

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

2 other things that come to mind - don't forget to run a ground wire from your cutter to the stand as the refine just sits on the rubber feet and you will get static build up that will discharge thru your cutter head and cause things from erratic cuts to fried boards.  other thing is to always run your computer and cutter thru a surge supressor - spring is coming and their will inevitably be many people who get there equipment zapped by surges

[Martin 0]

thank you for the information Dakota. but my machine is stand on the big wood table.

how can I do that if  the table legs are wood? and the floor is wood also vecause it is a mobile home

thanx

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

whoops - thought you had the metal stand  - don't forget the surge suppressor though

[Martin 0]

sorry dakota but I don't  know what it means surge suppressor can you help me?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

a unit you plug your cutter and computer into that stops electric surges like from lightning or when the power coming back on from hurting your equipment

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

just an example,  can be found at Walmart etc.  hardware like Lowes. etc.  electronics,  Bestbuy etc.    and a whole lot on EBAY

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Fellowes-6-Outlets-Surge-Suppressor-99036_W0QQitemZ350224352168QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518aff83a8