Xc2139

SC2 not feeding vinyl properly

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I haven't used the cutter in a couple months but when I went to use it today, the vinyl (Oracle 651) isn't feeding in and out right so circles are coming out as jagged ovals. The blade is moving side to side fine and will cut a straight line that way, it's just the vinyl not feeding right in and out. The machine hasn't been moved. The blade hasn't been adjusted so should be the same as it was last time it was working. I looked at the blade and it seems like it should be fine. I tried adjusting the pinch rollers and cleaning them with no change and also tried adjusting the pressure and speed. I tried Siser HTV and it did the same thing. 

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Are you making sure the pinch rollers are over the grit rollers below? Does that machine have just 1 continuous grit roller or special  sections where the grit rollers are? Just use the arrows and see if the grit rollers are moving correctly.  Always have enough vinyl prefed and slack, never be pulling from the roll while cutting.  I hope you put those pinch rollers back exactly where they were,  you shouldn't mess with adjustments to pinch rollers. They are factory set. (Only to move them left or right).  With the machine off, check and make sure the set screws in the grit rollers are tight.

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This one has 2 grit rollers. They roll simultaneously but they almost seem a little tough for it to get going at first. The pinch rollers are lined up over them. I didn't touch the set screws yet but will make sure they're tight 

The pinch rollers are set back to where they were initially.

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With the machine off, turn the grit rollers with your hand, rolling them.  There is a belt that goes to the motor, that makes them turn. Also when storing and not in use, , the handle should always keep the pinch rollers off the grit rollers,  The pinch rollers can get a flat side to them, leaving them down on the grit rollers. 

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They are not going to just spin freely, but you should have no problem turning them with your hand. They are both connected on the same rod.   

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Using  the arrows, how is it operating, Smoothly or not?  Is vinyl tracking straight?  You do have the pinch rollers about an inch , 1.5 "in from the vinyl edge on both sides? 

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It seems like it rolls ok when there isn't any vinyl on it. Still maybe a little restricted on the start and I feel like it normally sounds a little higher pitched. But then if I put a piece of vinyl on it, it gets worse. 

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Maybe someone else will come along.  Or contact UScutter tech support tomorrow,  We are just volunteers here. If your pinch rollers are too tight, it could cause a strain on the grit rollers.  Pressure has nothing to do with that.  Pressure is your force of your blade down cutting.  Also I would run slow speed until you get this figured out...  Your video doesn't show up for me. I am having wifi problems here. 

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which directions are the ovals? longer front to back, or side to side.

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The oval is longer side to side. The blade is sliding just fine along the carrier. The issue is the grip rollers not feeding the vinyl in and out properly. 

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Just be sure that the center pressure (spring) roller is NOT placed at the white mark/decal affixed onto the carriage rail at the midpoint.

That spot is a "dead zone" of the lower grit rollers (a seam between them) and will cause problems.

 

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try cutting a square box and see if it gives you a rectangle.

are you able to run a test cut from the cutter control panel?

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Here is the control panel test cut. The box isn't quite right; the ends didn't connect. And the diamond is a mess. 

PXL_20230213_142211754.jpg

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Wow, this goes far beyond just a 'roller issue' ----  the machine itself seems not to be able to handle the plotting information properly through the circuits (MotherBoard). A TEST cut that ends up like this is a clue that something internal on the processor has failed.

$80 gets you a new M-B. https://uscutter.com/uscutter-sc2-vinyl-cutter-replacement-parts

While not a guarantee of alleviating your problem, I sure would invest in that, just to get up and running as soon as I could, and return back to work. Eighty bucks is like one hour's production output, and to be stuck without a functioning machine for very long is a whole lot of money lost.

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Well after a quick phone call to tech support and following their recommendation to remove the belt to see if something is blocking the rollers or if maybe an electrical issue, I think you may be on the right track with the motherboard, unfortunately. The rollers spun real nice and easy with the belt off.

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It seems like you're already well-versed in taking your machine apart, so that's an advantage when going ahead to replace an internal component like the motherboard. Why it failed (if indeed that's the culprit) is unknowable, unless you're an electronics technician with the capability to test the circuitry and evaluate each chip and transistor. Anyway, for $80, it's not a drastic expense to just swap it out, and chances are you'll have the cutter operating fine again.

I recall several years ago, when my MH unit suffered a failure (my fault, I broke the I/O port by tripping on the USB cable), and decided to get an entire spare machine when I ordered the part. At the time, the SC was on sale, so I had them ship that along with the I/O board. I ended up repairing the MH, and selling it, keeping the SC in use, and getting a LaserPoint as back-up. A friend of mine wanted to get into cutting, so I let him buy the LP, and I went ahead and obtained the SC2 that is my primary machine now (and that original SC is in the garage, just in case something happens to the SC2, so I can keep slicing&dicing along while figuring out what to do with whatever problem the SC2 may encounter).


 

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It was the motherboard. Swapped it out with a new one and it's sounds back to normal and test cut perfectly. Thanks for the help everyone!

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