Graphtec America Inc.

Good Tracking From Your Cutter

Tracking Setup - Things to Remember

Friction feed cutters, like everything else, must be set up properly in order to track well. There are four ways to ensure good tracking for your Graphtec cutter.

  1. The material is loaded in straight. For tips on how this can be accomplished, see "Loading the Media Straight" and "Moving the Pinch Rollers to your Advantage" .
  2. The cutter has enough slack when pulling from a heavy roll. Most users pull the material off the back of the roll manually to prevent this but there is a better way. See "Pulling from a Heavy Roll".
  3. The material is smooth and flat during cutting. Obstructions in the path of the media movement can cause the media to twist, causing the media to shift off track.
  4. Make sure the software is sending the information in a progressive order. This is discussed in "Using the Software for Better Tracking".

If you are having tracking problems, check one of the suggestions above. If poor tracking persists, see "Testing the Plotter for Good Tracking".

Pulling from a Heavy Roll without Skewing

When working with a particularly heavy roll, three methods can be used to ensure good tracking:

  • Pull slack off the roll by using the FEED* function.

The FEED function is excellent since it will not only feed the material to produce the slack, but it will also create tracks in the media backing that the wheels will accurately follow.

  • Lower the PEN UP* speed.

For FC4100 users

  • Use the SmartFeed TM function.

The Auto Pre-feed function will feed the material automatically while in operation. This enables a "hands off" operation allowing long continuous tracking.

*See the User's Manual for instructions on how operate these functions.

 

Loading the Media Straight

Tip: If you use different sizes of roll widths, it would be good to leave the right-hand side (as you are facing the cutter) roller guide permanently positioned. Since the left-hand side roller will be adjusted according to roll sizes, for easy reference, you might consider marking those positions on the panel.

To set the media straight follow these procedures:

  1. Place the roll on the stock roller and pass the film forward through the opening in the back of the cutter until the front edge of the film is about 2 feet in length.
  2. Adjust the roll so that the side edges are aligned to the appropriate grit rollers.
  3. Move the top rollers (push rollers) so that they are positioned over the edges of the film, which are situated over the grit rollers.
  4. Place one hand on the roll. Take the other hand to pull the front edge of the roll until the film is taut and there is no slack. This will produce tension on the media and force perpendicular alignment.
  5. Raise the lever, lowering the wheels to lock down the media.
  6. If available, move the back two roller guides so that they are positioned against the roll.

If you have a Accuload equipped model (e.g. the FC5100, FC4100 or FC3100 series)

The Accuload system consists of a media support bracket that holds the media rollers in the back and the Accuload cross bar in the front.When starting to align the vinyl, draw the sheet under the Accuload bar. The steps below describe how to use the Accuload system for better tracking:

  1. Place the roll on the media stock roller and pass the film forward through the opening in the back of the cutter until the front edge of the film is about 2 feet in length.
  2. Adjust the roll so that side edges are aligned to the appropriate grit rollers.
  3. Move the top rollers (pinch rollers) so that they are positioned over the edges of the film, which are situated over the grit rollers.
  4. Wrap the media under the Accuload bar back around, and align the media so the left and right edges match the corresponding edges of the media. It is the same idea as when placing paper in a typewriter for the first time where you the match the edges to ensure the paper is aligned.
  5. Lower the wheels to lock down the media.

When to align the media to the tick marks

You will notice tick marks on the cutter. Some of our customers have used these exclusively to align their film, only to find that they did not work well when cutting long signs. The rule is:

Do not use the tick marks for reference unless you are cutting a sheet of film.

What if the roll is not cut evenly?

Please see the TNC Cutting Vinyl Effectively under the heading oving the Pinch Rollers to Your Advantage. This describes how the pinch rollers can be moved further inside the vinyl without reducing the page width.

Using the Software for Better Tracking

When cutting a long sign, your sign software will cut the objects according to what was created first. For instance, let's assume you have a 20-foot long graphic with 3 lines of copy.

There is a tendency for the software to cut in a random order resulting in excess movement that inhibits proper tracking. Essentially, the tool and media is flying all over the place.


when cutting a long design, the ideal approach is to have the software cut all the objects in a progressive order from beginning to end. this prevents excessive vinyl movement. it will also cause the cutter to cut more efficiently and save time. this allows you, in the long run, to be more productive.

Many software packages offer a sorting routine. This sorting routine will have the cutter cut by object position rather than object order. Check your software manual for details.

If your software does not have this capability, then set your panel length to a distance of 3 feet or less. Since the system will cut only one section at a time, this will require the software to cut the sign progressively.

Tip: This should be tested before cutting to verify the proper results. Try using a pen with paper instead of a blade when testing.

 

Testing the Plotter for Good Tracking

Perform the following test to check the tracking performance of the cutter. If this test fails, call our technical support department for further instructions.

    1. Load the film into the cutter. Be sure that the alignment is accurate. See ">Loading the Media Straight>".
    2. Once the media has been loaded, place a piece of masking tape or application tape on the plotter, locating it directly under the corner of the film.
    3. Lay the film flat against the tape. Take a pen and draw two lines on the masking tape, outlining the corner edge of the film. Again, be sure the film is lying flat against the tape.
    4. Press PAUSE*.
    5. Press NEXT once.
    6. Press the [F3] key for FEED.
    7. Press the UP ARROW key until 120 inches (3000mm) appears.
    8. Press ENTER.
    9. At this point the cutter will slowly feed the film 10 feet and back.
    10. Once the film is back from feeding, lay the corner of the film on the tape. The edges should match the two drawn lines exactly. If you do not achieve these results give us a call at 1-888-318-3247 (USA only), or 1-949-770-6010.

*These instructions are for the FC4100 series. If you have a different Graphtec cutter, consult the User's Manual.

 

 

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