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Mutoh Ultima cutter....anyone else use one ?
- Thread starter Buddy
- Start date
Urban Image
New Member
I've used the cutter a bit along side the ValueJet. Are you having issues with it?
-Zach
-Zach
Urban Image
New Member
1. I get to sample different pieces of equipment from time to time when we test them to decide whether we will offer them. The Ultima is an amazing cutter but it is somewhat tricky in the beginning.
2. I was trained by my company's technicians. Your dealer may offer training for free if you bought the printer from them but if you bought it from someone else it may be up to $1,500, depending on who you use.
2. I was trained by my company's technicians. Your dealer may offer training for free if you bought the printer from them but if you bought it from someone else it may be up to $1,500, depending on who you use.
Buddy
New Member
Our dealer does offer training on the Ultima and ValueJet that is included at no cost with the purchase. The problem is....they don't know how to operate the Ultima.....they are only up to speed on the ValueJet. Our dealer / vendor only recently purchased their own Ultima in order to familarize themselves. We're waiting on them to get training for themselves and then to pass on to us. And......that so many times is 'second hand' in that they never really get it figured out what a day in / day out high production sign shop does or does not do with their plotters. Instead they only come up with information that is general in nature and oriented to selling the equipment as compared to using it effectively. Mutoh does not offer any.......end user training. Only training to their resellers.
We're doing 'okay' when it comes to contour cutting printed images. But trying to manage the basic functions like speed........is difficult because the plotter defaults back to it's own speed setting depending on that task.
Cuts REAL fast on contour cutting prints (too fast) and if you slow it down, it converts back to default FAST anyway.
And on traditional vinyl cutting signs....it's REAL slow and if you change the speed to cut faster...........it defaults back to REAL slow before it cuts.
That plus the input at the control panel is sometimes painfully slow when you're changing settings.
thanks again,
BUDDY
We're doing 'okay' when it comes to contour cutting printed images. But trying to manage the basic functions like speed........is difficult because the plotter defaults back to it's own speed setting depending on that task.
Cuts REAL fast on contour cutting prints (too fast) and if you slow it down, it converts back to default FAST anyway.
And on traditional vinyl cutting signs....it's REAL slow and if you change the speed to cut faster...........it defaults back to REAL slow before it cuts.
That plus the input at the control panel is sometimes painfully slow when you're changing settings.
thanks again,
BUDDY
Urban Image
New Member
I'm going to take a look at it and see what your problem might be. I'm thinking it might be something pretty simple.
f3rri
New Member
Cutter help
I recently became an "Authorized reseller of Mutoh Products" well this is what I can say I am. I was in the same boat as you even after dealer training. The cutter worked there but when I got it in my shop it is a different story. The little secret that they might have not told you: "Don't use the cutter control panel." These cutters work excellently on flexi and you can change the down force as well as speed. The other thing that some dont explain or are ignorant to is the fact that if you are contour cutting you have to make sure that the correct mutoh contour is set in flexi. Finally the pinch roller position counts too. If you have a 48" unit you may need ti drop one out to the furthest most position towards the "lcd screen side" I have to say this machine looks and functions more like an industrial machine than a roland and I think that it was a good choice one you get used to it. You can cut and print more at advantage over a roland any day. If you have any questions maybe I can help.
-Chris
I recently became an "Authorized reseller of Mutoh Products" well this is what I can say I am. I was in the same boat as you even after dealer training. The cutter worked there but when I got it in my shop it is a different story. The little secret that they might have not told you: "Don't use the cutter control panel." These cutters work excellently on flexi and you can change the down force as well as speed. The other thing that some dont explain or are ignorant to is the fact that if you are contour cutting you have to make sure that the correct mutoh contour is set in flexi. Finally the pinch roller position counts too. If you have a 48" unit you may need ti drop one out to the furthest most position towards the "lcd screen side" I have to say this machine looks and functions more like an industrial machine than a roland and I think that it was a good choice one you get used to it. You can cut and print more at advantage over a roland any day. If you have any questions maybe I can help.
-Chris
Urban Image
New Member
I was toying with my demo unit and I have to say Chris is right. It is a lot easier to use it through Flexi though you are still able to change the force and speed with the control panel. I noticed that many people press "Exit" instead of "Enter" after they adjust the settings but sometimes they do it right and the speed setting still doesn't seem to change. Either way, Flexi is easier.
Buddy
New Member
IMPROVEMENT 1: Did some playing around w/the Ultima today. Increased the 'force' so we could cut prints with laminate. Previously we were cutting it twice.
IMPROVEMENT 2: Slowed down the 'tool up' speed which helped a great deal with contour cutting. I don't know why they brag so much about how fast a cutter will cut. I find it genereally will not go slow enough.
IMPROVEMENT 3: Put a check mark in the box that causes it to sort the cutting sequence. This makes it where it will cut in a logical order rather than jumping around all over the print random. Much more stable cutting.
The job we were contour cutting was a digital print 4 ft x 7 ft of decals.
Huge progress / improvement today with the Ultima.
IMPROVEMENT 2: Slowed down the 'tool up' speed which helped a great deal with contour cutting. I don't know why they brag so much about how fast a cutter will cut. I find it genereally will not go slow enough.
IMPROVEMENT 3: Put a check mark in the box that causes it to sort the cutting sequence. This makes it where it will cut in a logical order rather than jumping around all over the print random. Much more stable cutting.
The job we were contour cutting was a digital print 4 ft x 7 ft of decals.
Huge progress / improvement today with the Ultima.
Graphics2u
New Member
Ultima
Glad you are having better results with your ultima. I've had a 48" for over 2 years. I did have too send it back to Mutoh last fall because the feed motor was going out but next time I will probably change that myself. It wound up costing me 1500.00 for a 200.00 motor by the time you pay freight and the ridiculous 175.00 hr labor charges!! And I told them I thought it was the motor anyway!! Oh Well Live and Learn!
The Ultima is a awesome machine! The capabilities it has with contour cutting and it's alignment system works nearly flawlessly. I have always used Flexi to control the cutter speed and pressure. I have found that if you start a cut and something is not right you can press the ready/pause button and adjust things from the control panel then press that button again and the changes stay where I changed them too. But never tried to change the settings on the Contol panel before cutting.
I have also found that you do not need as much space around the Contour registration box that is printed that the manual and mutoh tells you. I was told there needs to be at least 2 inches of vinyl around that box for it to properly align itself. But you only need a little less than an inch. I have a Falcon Outdoor Jr. so I print on 36" material. I set Flexi up so that the media width is 36.1" and the margian on the edge is 1" (which is as small as flexi will let you make it). I then print images up to 34" wide and everything works great. Doesn't leave you alot of room for the pinch rollers but as long as they are out side of the box it'll work. You do need about 1 1/2" at the bottom of print and at least 3.5 at the back for the alignment to work properly.
Glad to help if have any other questions about it.
I agree with you when it comes to the Speed thing, I don't understand why anyone would cut at the speeds that the machine will run at! Looks like overkill to me! Too many bad things can happen running that fast! But then again they get 175.00 an hour when bad things happen!
Back to work.
Glad you are having better results with your ultima. I've had a 48" for over 2 years. I did have too send it back to Mutoh last fall because the feed motor was going out but next time I will probably change that myself. It wound up costing me 1500.00 for a 200.00 motor by the time you pay freight and the ridiculous 175.00 hr labor charges!! And I told them I thought it was the motor anyway!! Oh Well Live and Learn!
The Ultima is a awesome machine! The capabilities it has with contour cutting and it's alignment system works nearly flawlessly. I have always used Flexi to control the cutter speed and pressure. I have found that if you start a cut and something is not right you can press the ready/pause button and adjust things from the control panel then press that button again and the changes stay where I changed them too. But never tried to change the settings on the Contol panel before cutting.
I have also found that you do not need as much space around the Contour registration box that is printed that the manual and mutoh tells you. I was told there needs to be at least 2 inches of vinyl around that box for it to properly align itself. But you only need a little less than an inch. I have a Falcon Outdoor Jr. so I print on 36" material. I set Flexi up so that the media width is 36.1" and the margian on the edge is 1" (which is as small as flexi will let you make it). I then print images up to 34" wide and everything works great. Doesn't leave you alot of room for the pinch rollers but as long as they are out side of the box it'll work. You do need about 1 1/2" at the bottom of print and at least 3.5 at the back for the alignment to work properly.
Glad to help if have any other questions about it.
I agree with you when it comes to the Speed thing, I don't understand why anyone would cut at the speeds that the machine will run at! Looks like overkill to me! Too many bad things can happen running that fast! But then again they get 175.00 an hour when bad things happen!
Back to work.