Any Humans that actually work on Summa plotters in the United States

[Dubb Wheeler]

After a year of trying I am starting to think the only way I will get any value from this Summa plotter is to film dropping it from my 40' bucket truck. Although I would much rather pay someone to get it to work. Problem is, I dont think that person exists. If anyone knows of someone please share.

 

[Boudica]

Who did you buy it from? We've actually had a tech come out twice (still under warranty). What machine specifically, and what's the problem.

 

[Boudica]

...

 

[Dubb Wheeler]

Who did you buy it from? We've actually had a tech come out twice (still under warranty). What machine specifically, and what's the problem.

I bought it from the original owner. A small shop that was closing. It is only a couple years old and looks to have had very little use. It is a D120RL. The problem is an error code "turn plotter off pinch rollers not found" and it happens 90% of the time. I have called every number associated with Summa. They send me to dealers. Dealers dont want to mess with it because they didn't sell it. It really appears that these machines are worthless to anyone other than the original purchaser. Something to consider for anyone looking at the machines listed in the "for sale" section.

 

[DL Signs]

Usually it's the sensor. Sometimes the screw just comes loose, or the connector isn't seated and they won't read, or it could be bad. It could be something else, but if it works normally when it does read, that's most likely the culprit. I've had to replace them on a Roland, Summa shouldn't be much different, they're simple to replace, just a single screw and plug the lead in. Contact this place to see if they have the one you need, it's the only US place I could find that sells sensors. This might even be the one.

Summa SummaCut Kit SC Pinch Roller Sensor (SN >= XX1111-10XXX)

Summa SummaCut Kit Sc Pinch Roller Sensor (Sn >= Xx1111-10Xxx)This is the Original Summa Part (Part No. 1NC40-67015)Compatible With:SummaCut

aaprintsupplyco.com

This is what a Roland one looks like... Not much to them

 

[DL Signs]

Usually it's the sensor. Sometimes the screw just comes loose, or the connector isn't seated and they won't read, or it could be bad. It could be something else, but if it works normally when it does read, that's most likely the culprit. I've had to replace them on a Roland, Summa shouldn't be much different, they're simple to replace, just a single screw and plug the lead in. Contact this place to see if they have the one you need, it's the only US place I could find that sells sensors. This might even be the one.

Summa SummaCut Kit SC Pinch Roller Sensor (SN >= XX1111-10XXX)

Summa SummaCut Kit Sc Pinch Roller Sensor (Sn >= Xx1111-10Xxx)This is the Original Summa Part (Part No. 1NC40-67015)Compatible With:SummaCut

aaprintsupplyco.com

This is what a Roland one looks like... Not much to them

 

[Boudica]

the summa YouTube site can be helpful, but not necessarily. A member here from Australia gave me a link to summa AU, which had the exact help I needed, which for some reason I couldn't find on the US YouTube site. In the end, there was a fault with our machine, so we got a tech out here to replace the faulty part. I assume you have tried powering it down and restarting it? Ours occasionally gets a little glitchy and turning it off usually clears up the glitch.

 

[SightLine]

If it is like our old S160T then it expects to find the pinch rollers (directly over the one of the lower friction rollers). It sounds as though yours powers on, then you load vinyl, the head goes back and forth to detect the width of the vinyl and location of the pinch rollers and simply does not see the pinch rollers at all so it throws an error. Same as what DL Signs concluded. That would lead me to think that the sensor on the head carriage that detects the pinch rollers is either failed, possibly somehow dirty or has something stuck on it, the sensor has become dislodged, or has in some way become disconnected. Of course there are things beyond that like the mainboard could have some issue but I'd start with the basics. On our S160T, if you are behind the cutter, and look through the middle at the back of the head carriage, you can see a small bit of green circuit board sticking down (about an inch wide and about 1/4" visible) with a small eraser sized sensor on that. That is what detects the pinch rollers on our S160T.

That being said - it could be quite technical to actually get to that and inspect it and if you are not a DIY tech type then you might very well need to pay a tech (from somewhere) to come out.

 

[Dubb Wheeler]

Usually it's the sensor. Sometimes the screw just comes loose, or the connector isn't seated and they won't read, or it could be bad. It could be something else, but if it works normally when it does read, that's most likely the culprit. I've had to replace them on a Roland, Summa shouldn't be much different, they're simple to replace, just a single screw and plug the lead in. Contact this place to see if they have the one you need, it's the only US place I could find that sells sensors. This might even be the one.

Summa SummaCut Kit SC Pinch Roller Sensor (SN >= XX1111-10XXX)

Summa SummaCut Kit Sc Pinch Roller Sensor (Sn >= Xx1111-10Xxx)This is the Original Summa Part (Part No. 1NC40-67015)Compatible With:SummaCut

aaprintsupplyco.com

This is what a Roland one looks like... Not much to them

Thank you. Good to know where to get them. I appreciate it. I have located and cleaned this sensor and for the money might go ahead and order one although I believe this may not be it for the following reason.... at start up the machine first returns home (all the way to the right) and then starts to "search" looking for media and pinch roller. Well when it has this problem it never moves from this "home" position"

 

[Dubb Wheeler]

the summa YouTube site can be helpful, but not necessarily. A member here from Australia gave me a link to summa AU, which had the exact help I needed, which for some reason I couldn't find on the US YouTube site. In the end, there was a fault with our machine, so we got a tech out here to replace the faulty part. I assume you have tried powering it down and restarting it? Ours occasionally gets a little glitchy and turning it off usually clears up the glitch.

Thanks, I might try and find that site. Or maybe even reach out to the corp.

 

[Dubb Wheeler]

If it is like our old S160T then it expects to find the pinch rollers (directly over the one of the lower friction rollers). It sounds as though yours powers on, then you load vinyl, the head goes back and forth to detect the width of the vinyl and location of the pinch rollers and simply does not see the pinch rollers at all so it throws an error. Same as what DL Signs concluded. That would lead me to think that the sensor on the head carriage that detects the pinch rollers is either failed, possibly somehow dirty or has something stuck on it, the sensor has become dislodged, or has in some way become disconnected. Of course there are things beyond that like the mainboard could have some issue but I'd start with the basics. On our S160T, if you are behind the cutter, and look through the middle at the back of the head carriage, you can see a small bit of green circuit board sticking down (about an inch wide and about 1/4" visible) with a small eraser sized sensor on that. That is what detects the pinch rollers on our S160T.

That being said - it could be quite technical to actually get to that and inspect it and if you are not a DIY tech type then you might very well need to pay a tech (from somewhere) to come out.

Actually it does not "go back and forth" it goes into failure mode before it gets that far. I read somewhere that it could be the OPOS sensor causing that. Yes I located it (or the bottom portion of it) but I am not sure how to remove and replace it. I would gladly pay someone to service it but there does not seem to be anyone in my area. Thanks for the help.

 

[DL Signs]

Thank you. Good to know where to get them. I appreciate it. I have located and cleaned this sensor and for the money might go ahead and order one although I believe this may not be it for the following reason.... at start up the machine first returns home (all the way to the right) and then starts to "search" looking for media and pinch roller. Well when it has this problem it never moves from this "home" position"

Yeah, it can be like chasing your tail sometimes, especially when you can't get proper mfgr or dealer support. Good luck with it, hopefully you can get it running or find a service tech. keep us updated.

 

[cornholio]

Actually it does not "go back and forth" it goes into failure mode before it gets that far. I read somewhere that it could be the OPOS sensor causing that. Yes I located it (or the bottom portion of it) but I am not sure how to remove and replace it. I would gladly pay someone to service it but there does not seem to be anyone in my area. Thanks for the help.

This sounds like the (optical) sensor is interrupted. I've seen it before. The head moves to the right, until it "bumps" into the home position.
Then it starts moving to the left, waiting for the sensor to be interrupted by the pinch roller holders. If it's already interrupted at the home position, it throws a error because that can't be the the pinch roller.
Once, there was a small piece of backing paper blocking the sensor, once it was a defective sensor. But it could of course also be a cable, connection or the mainboard.
To reach the sensor, you need to unmount the head. Mark the exact position(height) of the head, if you don't have the mounting jig.

 

[Dubb Wheeler]

This sounds like the (optical) sensor is interrupted. I've seen it before. The head moves to the right, until it "bumps" into the home position.
Then it starts moving to the left, waiting for the sensor to be interrupted by the pinch roller holders. If it's already interrupted at the home position, it throws a error because that can't be the the pinch roller.
Once, there was a small piece of backing paper blocking the sensor, once it was a defective sensor. But it could of course also be a cable, connection or the mainboard.
To reach the sensor, you need to unmount the head. Mark the exact position(height) of the head, if you don't have the mounting jig.

when you say "optical sensor" are you referring to the pinch roller sensor or the OPOS sensor? sounds like the same problem you are referencing.

 

[SightLine]

I think he is referring to the OPOS sensor. Ours did get a bit of vinyl stuck to the bottom of it once but on ours (different model) it just prevented it from finding any OPOS marks on printed vinyl. But maybe that also is used to detect that little ramp at the far right end. Never really know why the little ramp is there - the OPOS sensor hits that and tilts up a tiny bit and the ramps mounting holes are slotted to allow for some adjustment of the position of the ramp. I wonder if that is something that could cause potential issues? They put that little ramp there for something. I've also seen where the OPOS sensor can get hung up a bit sort of stuck up further than normal (it swivels up and down some).

 

[Dubb Wheeler]

I think he is referring to the OPOS sensor. Ours did get a bit of vinyl stuck to the bottom of it once but on ours (different model) it just prevented it from finding any OPOS marks on printed vinyl. But maybe that also is used to detect that little ramp at the far right end. Never really know why the little ramp is there - the OPOS sensor hits that and tilts up a tiny bit and the ramps mounting holes are slotted to allow for some adjustment of the position of the ramp. I wonder if that is something that could cause potential issues? They put that little ramp there for something. I've also seen where the OPOS sensor can get hung up a bit sort of stuck up further than normal (it swivels up and down some).

I think it might be related. when the head moves all the way to the right and the little ramp raises the OPOS sensor... the sensor does not come back down when it starts to move off of the ramp. about an 1/8th of an inch off the ramp it stops and logs the code.

 

[cornholio]

when you say "optical sensor" are you referring to the pinch roller sensor or the OPOS sensor? sounds like the same problem you are referencing.

The pinch roller sensor.

 

[cornholio]

I think it might be related. when the head moves all the way to the right and the little ramp raises the OPOS sensor... the sensor does not come back down when it starts to move off of the ramp. about an 1/8th of an inch off the ramp it stops and logs the code.

The Opos sensor is only lowered onto the medium during mark recognition.

 

[brdesign]

try contacting https://www.airmark.com/ they are a summa dealer and offer tech support

 

[SightLine]

I think it might be related. when the head moves all the way to the right and the little ramp raises the OPOS sensor... the sensor does not come back down when it starts to move off of the ramp. about an 1/8th of an inch off the ramp it stops and logs the code.

The Opos sensor is only lowered onto the medium during mark recognition.

I think you might be onto something there. When it goes to the ramp it is already up some (in its normal running position), the ramp just lifts it a little more but it does drop back down to the prior running position once it comes back off the ramp. It does only lower all the way to the media when detecting marks. I wonder if it is just binding up some or maybe there is a positional sensor for the current angle of the OPOS sensor.