Problems making a pounce pattern

[Jean Shimp]

Lately I have been having problems making pounce patterns on my Gerber 4B plotter. I am using SignLab software. As I'm watching the plotter perforate the paper all of a sudden the pounce wheel digs into the paper and starts cutting erratically - going way off course. This happen randomly. I can recut the same letters at different times with no problem so I don't think the file is bad. I'm not computer savvy. I'm wondering if my wireless network is somehow interfering with the signal between the plotter and the computer. Is there a way to take the computer offline? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Gino]

Send the same file to cut vinyl and use a knife or just not put anything in and see if it still does it. Keep the down pressure up. Sounded dumb, down pressure up, but you know what I mean. For our system, it's basically the same file, just we slow it down and use lotsa pressure

 

[Marlene]

isn't your plotter hardwired into the computer? the 4B wasn't very high tech compared to what's out there today so I doubt if the wireless is doing anything to cause problems. take out the paper and pounce wheel and do a dry run to see if all is OK with the info getting from your computer to the plotter. check the connections and make sure they are tight.

 

[brian oliver]

I've had this problem, too. What was happening on my 4b was that the little lever that is used to raise the stylus is worn at the point where it engages the cam rod on the back side of the carriage. The wear on the lever didn't allow the stylus to be lifted high enough to clear the paper sufficiently when the stylus wanted to move the wheel without perforating. The wheel gets caught on the paper and tears it up but good. I fixed it by putting a small piece of VHB tape on the lever where it touches the cam rod so that it will raise the stylus up high enough to clear the paper.

I hope this helps. I'm not even sure it makes sense when I read it 'cause I don't know the proper names for the parts I'm referring to.

If you like you can contact me and I'll try to talk you through it.

 

[Jean Shimp]

I've had this problem, too. What was happening on my 4b was that the little lever that is used to raise the stylus is worn at the point where it engages the cam rod on the back side of the carriage. The wear on the lever didn't allow the stylus to be lifted high enough to clear the paper sufficiently when the stylus wanted to move the wheel without perforating. The wheel gets caught on the paper and tears it up but good. I fixed it by putting a small piece of VHB tape on the lever where it touches the cam rod so that it will raise the stylus up high enough to clear the paper.

I hope this helps. I'm not even sure it makes sense when I read it 'cause I don't know the proper names for the parts I'm referring to.

If you like you can contact me and I'll try to talk you through it.

Thanks for your reply. That could be the reason why the wheel is digging into the paper but would that cause the cutting head to go way off track. Instead of stopping at the top or bottom margin, the carriage is slamming into the ends of the machine, sometimes it does this with the head in the "normal" position. And sometimes it randomly loses position. Then again, sometimes it cuts perfectly. I've gone back and tried to recut some letters that messed up. Sometimes they cut right the second time and sometimes they mess up in the same place. I've tried recreating the file and it doesn't seem to make a difference. We've opened up the machine, blown it out, oiled it and checked all connections.It's quite a mystery.

 

[Cross Signs]

My first thought is, Check the "Theta belt" if that appears to be good. There is a sensor on the Z motor so that it can find "home" when you turn the machine on. That can be cleaned well with a q-tip and some alcohol. Sometimes just blowing the dust out doesn't get it all.

 

[brian oliver]

Thanks for your reply. That could be the reason why the wheel is digging into the paper but would that cause the cutting head to go way off track. Instead of stopping at the top or bottom margin, the carriage is slamming into the ends of the machine, sometimes it does this with the head in the "normal" position. And sometimes it randomly loses position. Then again, sometimes it cuts perfectly. I've gone back and tried to recut some letters that messed up. Sometimes they cut right the second time and sometimes they mess up in the same place. I've tried recreating the file and it doesn't seem to make a difference. We've opened up the machine, blown it out, oiled it and checked all connections.It's quite a mystery.

It's a mystery, all right. I'm sorry, Jean, but I don't have a clue. I've never encountered these problems.

 

[Joe House]

Sounds like you need to clean the chrome bars that the carriage slides back and forth on. Clean with isopropyl alcohol then put a small drop of 3 in 1 oil on the bars.

Good luck

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Jburns]

Agree with Joe House

 

[Jean Shimp]

Sounds like you need to clean the chrome bars that the carriage slides back and forth on. Clean with isopropyl alcohol then put a small drop of 3 in 1 oil on the bars.

Good luck

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

That's been done. Thanks. I'm still having the same problem. Guess I need to contact the plotter doctor.

 

[Gino]

Your plotter is simply..... lost.

Possible, corrupt file. Possible signal lost. Possible software glitch.

Our old system would do the same thing every great once in a while. It was almost always a bad file. Some of those old programs couldn't handle a lotta information, but when they tried to send it to the plotter, they got interrupted or something, while trying to think. As the speed of computers got faster, the software didn't automatically keep up.

Can you make it happen using the exact same file, but asking it to cut or pen plot ??

 

[Mosh]

Theta belt might be missing some of the teeth.

 

[d fleming]

Been a while since I've noticed a post from ya Mosh, how's the soy bean business?