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Fatboy

Copam 3050 not cutting straight lines, question not answered.

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What's that "stripping gears " sound it's making?

Sounds like something's busted internally

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antoher thought - I notice above you said you had the force at the min - try adding more force - if the blade is adjusted correctly you won't cut thru the backing and it will hold the blade down.    maybe it doesn't have enough force to allow the blade to turn as it goes thru the cut.  in either case I would call support again - some techs are better than others, maybe you got a new one last time

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That stripping gears noise you are hearing is the blade being dragged across the vinyl. It's almost like jumping

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I will try adding more force but it didn't really make much a difference. I had it at 100 pressure turned it up to 150 and same, went to 200 and still no difference.

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Then that isn't it - and it does the same thing with the oem blade holder and the copam holder correct?   again support is better if you call

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When you call ask them why the roland blades say copam comparable but when you select copam blades specifically it is a different model number - interesting

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that would seam to indicate the carriage is changing as it moves the different direction - wonder also if one of the wheels is loose, cracked, etc

just brainstorming

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I called support already, pretty much just keep sayin buyin stuff lol like the strip and holder which wasn't a fix...

I'm about to the point I should just get a new machine

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my 3050 has done the same thing since new...bought coming up on 2 years ago...try pull the blade out and run the cut. See if it still catches right to left. Mine makes the noise across the vinyl with no blade in the holder!

 

I have purchased several new holders (at $50 a pop, no less), with the same eventual result.

 

Possibly tolerances on blade holders are so bad that the depth from the shoulder of the holder to the tip is too great? I can't think of a good reason for the holder to contact the vinyl with enough force to grab it (yes, it does it even on lowest downforce setting)....ever. Blade or no blade.

 

My theory for the right to left issue...

 

Caster effect. Traveling from left to right, the blade is trailing. Never has a problem. Think of a shopping cart wheel. As soon as it accelerates left to right however, the blade is being pushed rather than pulled (blade holder is to the left of carriage) I wish there was a way to stop the acceleration. If the cut is small enough of a straight line and it never accelerates, it cuts fine. It only has the issue right to left and once the blade accelerates to the higher speed.

 

Support has said the same stuff...new cut strip, new blades, blade setup. Been operating cutters of various brands for over 15 years. Tried oil, set blades up 6 ways to Sunday...I have even polished the end of a blade holder. Nothing ever works. Guy at support even told me he had not heard of similar issues...my response was really? This issue is all over the forum.

 

I have seen the same issue posted over and over again with no solution and frankly am tired of it. I regret purchasing this machine and I am not too enthusiastic about purchasing more equipment from USC at this point. (my viewpoint could change if there was a remedy!)  I bought it as a refurbished unit from USC and can't help but wonder if the poor guy who had if before I did and they refurbed it was fighting the same issue. Warranty on the refurb is only 1 year.

 

Don't know how much noise has to be made by the Copam owners before it gets addressed.

 

Not a huge Roland fan (definitely better than the Copam), Graphtecs are great. I think Summa makes the best cutters and their support is incredible. Big $$$ though. But time is money, and I sure have wasted plenty of time trying to get this 3050 to work like it should.

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I ended up returning my Copam Plotter. They couldn't figure out the reason why it did that except for to pretty much damn near buy every replacement part they could offer. 

 

I now have a graphtec and by far it is so much better than my copam. 

 

Its almost like night and day. 

 

Just wait until your COPAM starts cutting uneven pressure. 

 

 

 Guy at support even told me he had not heard of similar issues...my response was really? This issue is all over the forum.

 

they have heard about it from numerous people, but you have to understand the training that they probably go through only allows them to say certain things. 

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Problem solved guys! Blade holder was actually worn at an angle and I guess it was dragging as the cutter pulled back. Put some 180 grit sandpaper on a block and twisted the blade holder on the corner of my workbench until it was true again. I then hit it with 400 grit then 800 grit. Cleaned the blade holder out with WD-40 then reinstalled blade with a drop of 3-n-1 oil in holder itself. Just cut 4 65 inch long by 24 inch wide graphics and they are as crisp as ever. I hope this helps ya'll out!

 

Happy cutting!

Gary

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