It's not the cutting that I'm having an issue with, it's the auto take up reel. I want the take up reel to function the way it does in the example video from graphtec. However, in the instructional video they created, it only says to enable the take up sensor, then execute take up before starting the job. After doing that, it still only performs the take up after the job is complete, not while it's cutting like in the video.
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FC9000 + Take up reel review
- Thread starter ikarasu
- Start date
Do you have a link to the video?
If you use segment marks... It'll cut between the marks and then take up before it reads the next marks.
I believe that's the only way, it will not take up if you're not using segments because it would be doing way too much back and forth and the take up real is not as fast as the drive shaft
If you use segment marks... It'll cut between the marks and then take up before it reads the next marks.
I believe that's the only way, it will not take up if you're not using segments because it would be doing way too much back and forth and the take up real is not as fast as the drive shaft
Example Video here showing the bi-directional operation during cutting.
If this is not a function of this take up reel, then it is horribly misrepresented by graphtec.
Years ago I used to use a super old graphtec (I think it was a fc4100 series) that had a similar system for the media input. It used a tension bar and sensor to constantly roll and unroll the media so that the plotter was never pulling directly from the heavy roll. It always ran during operation, and if they could do it back then, I don’t see why not now.
If this is not a function of this take up reel, then it is horribly misrepresented by graphtec.
Years ago I used to use a super old graphtec (I think it was a fc4100 series) that had a similar system for the media input. It used a tension bar and sensor to constantly roll and unroll the media so that the plotter was never pulling directly from the heavy roll. It always ran during operation, and if they could do it back then, I don’t see why not now.
That video shows they have cut makrs every FT... There is no way to make it roll in both directions when cutting - the take up reel is slow... think about it, if you were on 100 speed cutting, how would it handle it? No system is that way... Summa doesnt do it, the $100,000 flatbed cutters dont do it... it just physically wouldn't work out. If the old graphtec did that, it was only for feeding the media. Matching feeding and take up speeds isnt as simple as that.
If you're doing print and cut... turn on segment area. It will cut each segment, and roll it up inbetween. Doesnt matter if you have a 10 Ft, or 100 FT Print... it'll roll every 12" or whatever you set your segments to.
If you're not doing print and cut... I believe you can use the pre-feed and it should roll up after every pre feed. never tested it though, and dont know how it'd work for really long prints - its in the manual
If you're doing print and cut... turn on segment area. It will cut each segment, and roll it up inbetween. Doesnt matter if you have a 10 Ft, or 100 FT Print... it'll roll every 12" or whatever you set your segments to.
If you're not doing print and cut... I believe you can use the pre-feed and it should roll up after every pre feed. never tested it though, and dont know how it'd work for really long prints - its in the manual
Using pre-feed does not cause it to take up at each feed, however I was able to get it to take up after every 10ft of cutting. It's still annoying though as it has to stop while it performs the take up.
It most definitely SHOULD be able to take up while cutting though, as that is exactly what the video shows. What's printed on the vinyl in the example is irrelevant because it's still moving in tandem with the main drive motor, both forward and backward. Also, speed is a very easy issue to overcome if the product were engineered properly.
dypinc
New Member
Did you every get the take-up to operate like the video shows?
No, I was never able to figure it out. I still have to just let it roll up after cutting every 10ft. It’s really annoying but it’s still better than rolling up a 100’+ cut by hand, so I’ve learned to live with it.
If you’re not doing extremely large cuts or roll-to-roll cutting, I definitely would not recommend paying extra for it. I will say the cutter has been excellent though. Only a couple times have we maxed out its memory with jobs that are too big. Otherwise it usually handles everything I throw at it.
dypinc
New Member
I tried that, does not work with continuous cutting. At least not from Caldera RIP. Next job like this I will try from CM5.
It works in Onyx... and cutting master. Maybe theres a setting in Caldera? In Onyx you have to turn segment cutting on, by default it just uses 4 corners... in which case it wont cut by segment and take up, stupid that it's not on my default.
We do 10 FT segments, and onyx can do full rolls no problem on the 9000 with takeup - We constantly cut a roll or two in the day, then load a roll to cut overnight.
We do 10 FT segments, and onyx can do full rolls no problem on the 9000 with takeup - We constantly cut a roll or two in the day, then load a roll to cut overnight.
dypinc
New Member
I understand the cutting in segments but it is not what I was doing with this job. I was doing 24up decals on a 50" x 32" panel with barcode for continuous cutting. You would think after a panel and before it would read the next barcode the take-up reel would work, but no. If I stopped the continuous cutting the take-up reel will work. I will try this with CM5 but it is whole lot easier to set this up with the RIP than impo these in Illustrator.
But it should take it up with continuous cutting on, that's the point - in onyx I will print barcodes every 10 ft..... With the segments 2 ft apart. It'll read the first barcode... Cut the first 2 ft, roll it up, cut the next 2 ft... Roll it up, etc - it'll get to the next barcode... Continue cutting, and continue rolling up every 2 ft. It's how both onyx and cutting master 4 / cutting master 5 perform.
So if it doesn't do it in caldera.... There's either a setting, or caldera didn't design it to do it that way - I would reach out to them and ask them if there's a way to enable it or not, it could be a setting hidden deep in a menu you'd never think to look at.
And I agree - we pay good money for our rip softwares, if I had to use a free illustrator plugin to make the. Utter work the way is want, id be annoyed - if I couldn't do roll to roll cutting with take-up on it, I think I'd swap to a different rip.
So if it doesn't do it in caldera.... There's either a setting, or caldera didn't design it to do it that way - I would reach out to them and ask them if there's a way to enable it or not, it could be a setting hidden deep in a menu you'd never think to look at.
And I agree - we pay good money for our rip softwares, if I had to use a free illustrator plugin to make the. Utter work the way is want, id be annoyed - if I couldn't do roll to roll cutting with take-up on it, I think I'd swap to a different rip.
dypinc
New Member
Just tested CM5. 50" x 30" panel with barcode for continuous cutting. Reads the barcode fine cuts correctly and will advance to next panel and ready the barcode fine and start to cut but no take-up at any point. Cancel cutting and the take-up will turn.
The targets are X-Y segmented with a target in the middle at 14 to 15 inches. With cut segment by segment it will read barcode and cut fine but no take-up roll movement at any point even into the second panel and once again after cancel job the take-up roll will turn.
Is there a setting some where to set length before the take-up will work since yours worked at 2ft.
The targets are X-Y segmented with a target in the middle at 14 to 15 inches. With cut segment by segment it will read barcode and cut fine but no take-up roll movement at any point even into the second panel and once again after cancel job the take-up roll will turn.
Is there a setting some where to set length before the take-up will work since yours worked at 2ft.
It should always take up between barcodes.
For segment take up, I have "Cut segment by segment" Checked under the registration marks tab - That will make it stop and take up between each segment.
If it's not taking up inbetween barcodes... It might be a graphtec problem. Does your takeup work if you're just cutting 1 file? It uses a sensor near the floor to see if theres media, and to know when to stop - So long as the vinyl is infront of that sensor, it should trigger a take up between barcodes at the very least
For segment take up, I have "Cut segment by segment" Checked under the registration marks tab - That will make it stop and take up between each segment.
If it's not taking up inbetween barcodes... It might be a graphtec problem. Does your takeup work if you're just cutting 1 file? It uses a sensor near the floor to see if theres media, and to know when to stop - So long as the vinyl is infront of that sensor, it should trigger a take up between barcodes at the very least
dypinc
New Member
At this point it does the same thing with CM5. Don't think I need to contact Caldera.
It should definitely do it between barcodes without you having to change any settings, between segments you need to make the one tweak. Maybe theres a setting in the graphtec I don't know about... but i'm not sure why there would be one to not work in continious mode. Graphtecs pretty good at getting back, but if they don't I'd try to update to the latest firmware as well as do a full reset. it's a pain, but theres been a few graphtec bugs that have fixed for me by a factory reset.
dypinc
New Member
It has the latest firmware installed. I will check about the factory reset.