plotter is going off course

[Jeremy_S]

If anyone can provide help it would be appreciated. Our Mimaki Plotter isn't cutting where it should be. It is cutting boxes around stickers, but when it starts it looks okay, but then as it goes further it puts the boxes a like a quarter inch off of where it is supposed to be. Does anyone know what'sgoing on or how to fix it?

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Make sure you have your prints loaded right into the cutter, if you put them in differently then whats on your monitor thats how they will end up cutting.

 

[Jeremy_S]

it's all correct

 

[k.a.s.]

How long is the sheet you are trying to cut? The first thing the tech told me is that the plotter does not track very well, I try to keep stuff 8' or less long and have had good success.

Kevin

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

I dont belive 8' is all you can do, I did contour cuts on almost full rolls and it never goes haywire.

 

[Temujin]

I have trouble with my Mimaki CG-160 FX if I let the rollers and blade get too close to the edge of the roll. I've had mine get off by as much as 1.5 inches over 16'. When I do have to make long cuts I keep the outer rollers at least 1" from the edges 1.5" if possible. That usually solves any issues I have. I also run the roll out for the full length I need to cut, run it back and run it out again just to make sure it's tracking right. I usually only do that for cuts longer than 10'.

 

[sh6037]

We were having a similar issue, everything was setup, sheet was loaded as straight as it ever was, but would just start going off the farther it went. What we discovered was that one of the wheels on the bars on the back of the machine was broke. The rollers on the back of the machine where you put the vinyl roll has a wheel on the left and right. The wheel on the right of one of the bars had busted. We were able to cut a replacement wheel out of some plexi on the laser engraver. Might be worth checking.

 

[tanneji]

we had an issue with the same and our pinch wheel had gotten loose ever so slightly. doesnt take much to royally mess it up

 

[Jeremy_S]

thanks, i'll check the pinch wheels

 

[rdm01]

I never like to contour cut anything past 10 feet. In my opinion you are asking
for trouble and misalignment. Maybe not every time, but the odds are greatly
increased.

 

[Malkin]

Agreed, I think you are asking for trouble with long runs of contour cutting with pinch rollers, although congrats to the people that have pulled it off.

On a system that uses sprocket fed vinyl, it's more bullet-proof.

 

[OldPaint]

you not gona like whati gota say.....but the way you phrased it...it begged for this:
DID YOU CHECK ITS ON BOARD GPS SETTINGS??????))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

 

[threeputt]

Don't know if the Mimaki machine is anything like ours, but on ours there is a command in the operating menu called "perform environmental match".

We run this command (takes 20 seconds) everytime we're about to cut printed work that's been out of the machine and laminated and put back in the machine.

That command insures that the carriage carrying the print heads and cutter head is responding to accurate information. ie: the sensor strip is sensitive to contraction and expansion. And it has to "read" correctly so the cutter knows where the printed image is.

Maybe it's cooler in the shop today than yesterday. Maybe it's more humid, etc. That's why we run the "environmental match".

You probably knew all of this already.

 

[threeputt]

Also, aside from the foregoing, if your printed laminated work is glossy, the pinch rollers can slip some. Especially with a drag knife set at 135 grams downward force. (laminates are thick)

Also, be sure the print isn't dusty. Also, you can wipe the pinch rollers with alcolhol to free them of dust or anything that may make them lose their purchase on the media. Also, try slowing the cut speed, it may help.

That's about all I've got. Good luck.