Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Part n: AP-75025
Rev. 1.1 - 10/12/2001
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
COPYRIGHT 2001 Mutoh Europe N.V. All rights reserved.
This document may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without written
permission of the copyright owner.
This document is furnished to support the MUTOH SC Series cutting plotters. In
consideration of the furnishing of the information contained in this document, the party to
whom it is given assumes its custody and control and agrees to the following:
1. The information herein contained is given in confidence, and any part thereof shall not
be copied or reproduced without written consent of Mutoh Europe N.V.
2. This document or the contents herein under no circumstances, shall be used in the
manufacture or reproduction of the article shown and the delivery of this document shall
not constitute any right or license to do so.
FCC WARNING
This equipment complies with the requirements for a class A computing device in the FCC
rules, part 15, subpart J.
Operation of this device in a residential area may interfere with television reception or
operation of utilities.
Cutters generate weak radio signals and may interfere with television reception and
utilities. If the cutter does interfere with radio or TV reception, try the following:
Change the direction of your radio and TV reception antenna or feeder.
Change the direction of the cutter.
Move either the cutter or the receiving antenna so that there is more distance between
them.
Be sure the cutter and the receiving antenna are on separate power lines.
Dear Customer,
By purchasing an SC series cutter, you have become the owner of one of the
most versatile single-tool cutters in the market. It is fast, reliable, of the
highest quality and has been assembled with the application of the most
stringent quality checks.
But even more important, it is easy to use, as the following guide will show
you.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SC CUTTING PLOTTERS USERS GUIDE.....................................1
CHAPTER 1 INSTALLATION PROCEDURES ............................................................9
Preparing the cutting environment ...................................................................................9
Parts list .........................................................................................................................10
Unpacking and setting up the SC cutter.........................................................................11
Cutter parts & components ............................................................................................12
Control panel..................................................................................................................14
Connecting the cutter to the computer ...........................................................................15
Connecting the power cable...........................................................................................16
Installing a tool ...............................................................................................................17
Loading media................................................................................................................18
INDEX ............................................................................................................77
Installation Procedures
CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
PREPARING THE CUTTING ENVIRONMENT
The location where you set up your equipment is very important. Please see to it that it
meets following conditions :
Power supply of 100 to 120 VAC 50/60 Hz or 200 to 240 VAC 50/60 Hz.
Ambient Conditions :
Operating environment
- Temperature : 5C to 40C (41F to 104F)
- Humidity : 35% - 75% non-condensing.
Recommended environment
- Temperature : Room temperature 16C to 32C (61F to 90F)
- Humidity : 50% to 65%, non-condensing.
Variation rate
- Temperature : 2C per hour.
- Humidity : 5% per hour.
Storage environment
- Temperature : 0C to 50C (32F to 122F)
Please protect your cutter from moisture, dust, draughts and direct sunlight. It is best
to keep your machine away from open windows and air-conditioners.
See to it that there is an adequate space around the cutter so that ventilation is not
obstructed.
When selecting a place for your cutter, leave at least 90 cm in front and 90 cm at the rear,
as shown in the illustration below.
Page 9
Installation Procedures
PARTS LIST
Contents of the plotter box :
A) Plotter unit with roll support system, 2
conveyor rolls and small guiding flanges.
H) Power Cord.
Page 10
Installation Procedures
Lifting the machine out of the box should be done by two people.
Details about weight and dimensions of the units can be found in
chapter 6.
Page 11
Installation Procedures
Page 12
Installation Procedures
Part
Description
1)
Control Panel :
2)
Power Switch :
3)
Carriage Cover :
For safety reasons, the cutter will not work with the
cover open. The cover will also prevent objects from
falling into the cutting zone.
4)
5)
Conveyor Rolls :
When using roll media for cutting jobs, put the roll of
media on top of the two conveyor rolls.
6)
7)
Hold Lever :
8)
9)
Cutting Mat :
Page 13
Installation Procedures
CONTROL PANEL
Using the control panel, you can access different modes and alter several settings, in
order to fine-tune the cutter to match all your needs.
1)
2)
3)
Page 14
Installation Procedures
SERIAL INTERFACE
a) Make sure both the cutter and the computer are turned off. Connect one end of the
parallel interface cable / serial interface cable to the parallel interface connector /
serial interface connector at the back side of the cutting plotter.
Please be advised that the parallel interface only works one-way. This
means that the cutter can receive data from the computer but cannot send
any information to the computer. Consequently, software polling for media
size will not be available when using parallel communication.
Using the serial communication, your cutter will not only be able to
receive data from the computer, but will also be able to send information
to the computer (media size, ...).
For proper operation of the serial communication, it will be necessary to
match the computer settings to the plotter settings !
Page 15
Installation Procedures
Page 16
Installation Procedures
INSTALLING A TOOL
At the right-hand side of the cutter head, you will find a pivoting mounting bracket.
Opening this bracket will enable you to install a full range of cutting and drawing tools.
1)
2)
Hold back the clip of the tool head and slide the tool into position, making sure the
tool collar fits into the groove just beneath the locking screw.
3)
Page 17
Installation Procedures
LOADING MEDIA
When loading media into the cutter, it is necessary to clearly distinguish two situations.
The first situation is when you are using cut-sheet media. The second situation is when
you are using a roll of media.
2) Open the protective cover (1) and insert the media into the cutter. On the aluminium
extrusion, marker lines (4) have been affixed for alignment purposes (1). It is best to
position the media so that half of it hangs in front and half of it hangs at the back of
the cutter.
3) Adjust the position of the pressure rollers (2) so that they align well with the drive
rollers (5). Doing this you are helped by the tactile and audible click system for the left
pressure roller. The right pressure rollers movement is limited so that it can never be
malpositioned.
Always make sure that the pressure rollers are completely inside the sheet of the
media you want to load. Especially when you use a cut-sheet of which the corners are
not perfectly square, it is best to put the pressure rollers well inside the vinyl as the
width of the sheet may vary.
Page 18
Installation Procedures
In case you are using an SC-1000 or larger, you have the opportunity to use either
two or three pressure rollers, depending on the width of the vinyl you are using.
When not using the left pressure roller (i.e. when loading vinyl of a small width), the
left pressure roller should be placed at the extreme left of the cutter (that is, not on
top of a grid roller).
Please note that the middle pressure roller should always be placed on top of a
grid roller.
4) Put the hold lever (6) in the DOWN position and close the cover.
This action will initialize the media loading sequence, during which the cutter will
measure the loaded sheet. The sheet will be shuffled back and forth, enabling the
cutter to determine the media size and enabling you to verify the media transport.
5) After finishing the media loading sequence, the tool head will be parked at the origin
position and the cutter will be in ON-LINE mode, ready to receive data from the host
computer.
Do not try to move the pressure rollers when the media hold lever is in
the down position as this may cause damage to the system.
Page 19
Installation Procedures
3) Adjust the position of the pressure rollers (2) so that they align well with the drive
rollers (5) and that they can accommodate the roll of vinyl. Doing this, you are helped
by the tactile and audible click system for the left pressure roller. The right pressure
rollers movement is limited so that it can never be malpositioned. Always make sure
that both pressure rollers are at least 5 mm (0.2) inside the media. It is not
recommendable that the rollers run on the very edge of the material.
Please do not use the marker lines to align a roll of media! They are
for use with cut-sheets only! Rolls can only be correctly installed using
the EQUAL TENSION METHOD.
Page 20
Installation Procedures
In case you are using an SC-1000 or larger, you have the opportunity to use either
two or three pressure rollers, depending on the width of the vinyl you are using.
When not using the left pressure roller (i.e. when loading vinyl of a small width), the
left pressure roller should be placed at the extreme left of the cutter (that is, not on
top of a grid roller).
Please note that the middle pressure roller should always be placed on top of a
grid roller.
4) Close the protective cover.
5) It is best that you hold the front edge of the media in the middle with one hand and
with the other hand, the roll itself.
As you are holding the roll firmly into position, pull the front edge of the media
forward so that there is an even tension across the whole width of the roll. (=
Equal Tension method).
6) At this stage, put the hold lever (6) in the DOWN position. Adjust the position of the
small conveyor flanges so that they are just alongside the roll of vinyl. This action will
initialize the media loading sequence, during which the cutter will shuffle a pre-set
distance of vinyl. The media will be shuffled back and forth enabling you to verify the
media transport. The page length ( pre-feed length ) is factory-set to 1 m (40) and
can be adjusted by the user (Chapter 2 - Page Length).
7) After finishing the media loading sequence, the tool head will be parked at the origin
position and the cutter will be in ON-LINE mode, ready to receive data from the host
computer
Page 21
Installation Procedures
The default FORCE used for automatic sheet-off is 500 grams. To adjust
this force, select the TOOL-UP status and set the FORCE to the desired
value. See also CHAPTER 2 - CUTTER CONTROLS - TOOL
SELECTION
Page 22
Cutter Controls
CHAPTER 2
CUTTER CONTROLS
UNDERSTANDING THE CONTROL PANEL
The ON-LINE button is used to switch between the OFF-LINE and the
ON-LINE mode of your cutter. Each operating mode will enable specific
functions from the control panel.
In ON-LINE MODE, the host computer is able to communicate with the
cutter and the cutter software can take control of the cutting activity.
After loading media, the cutter automatically switches to ON-LINE Mode,
which is indicated by the ON-LINE LED next to the ON-LINE button.
Possible actions from the user in ON-LINE mode are : Setting a new
origin and initiating a sheet-off action. Furthermore, the user can browse
through the actual parameter settings without changing them.
In OFF-LINE mode, the user is in control of the cutter and will have the
liberty to alter the cutter settings such as : Tool Selection, Forces,
Speeds, Accelerations, Page Length ( pre-feed length ) and Origin.
Page 23
Cutter Controls
Cutter Controls
The ENTER key also carries a blue dot, indicating it can be pressed
together with another key to access one of the special functions
indicated in blue on the control panel.
The MENU SELECTION KEYS enable the user to go over the different
plotter parameters, for viewing or changing.
The available parameters are : TOOL, FORCE, SPEED,
ACCELERATION and PAGE LENGTH. Each of them is listed on the
control panel. The selected parameter is shown with an LED.
In ON-LINE MODE, the menu selection keys will allow you at any time to
verify the actual settings. You will not be able to change them.
In OFF-LINE mode, you are able to select a parameter and change the
value or the tool selection using the VALUE-keys.
The value keys can be used to alter settings or to change parameter
values. To change tools or values, you have to switch to OFF-LINE
mode. After having selected the parameter you wish to alter, press one
of the value keys to change the parameter accordingly. After having
pressed one of the value keys once, the LED-bar or LED indicating the
value or the tool will blink. The ENTER key has to be pressed to save
the new setting. Pressing one of the MENU-keys again before pressing
ENTER will exit the alteration.
Furthermore, the user is informed about the current status of the cutter by 20 LEDs. Ten
of them constitute the LED-bar on top of the control panel indicating values or showing
error messages. All the other LEDs show the ON-LINE-STATUS of the cutter, which
TOOL SELECTION is in use and which PARAMETER has been selected.
Page 25
Cutter Controls
Page 26
Cutter Controls
Tool LED
Tool 1
Tool 2
Tool 3
Tool 4
Tool Type
Knife
Knife
Pen
Pen
Page 27
Cutter Controls
When the TOOL MENU is selected (LED next to TOOL is ON), the LED-bar on top shows
the tool type.
Drag Knife
Pen
Pounce
10
m
m
20
m
30
m
m
To change the TOOL TYPE for the currently selected TOOL PRESET, proceed as follows:
1) Via the MENU keys, select the TOOL menu (LED next to TOOL must be ON). Please
make sure the cutter is OFF-LINE.
2) Press the VALUE + key to alternatively select DRAG KNIFE, PEN, PUNCHING tool.
You will notice the LED in the LED bar jump from 10% (Knife) to 20% (Pen) to 30%
(Pounce) as you press the VALUE + key.
3) Press ENTER to confirm the TOOL TYPE selection.
Please note it is possible to combine the selection of Tool Preset with changing the TOOL
TYPE of the TOOL Preset you select. To do this, first select the preset with the VALUE key, then change the TOOL TYPE with the VALUE + key and press ENTER.
Page 28
Cutter Controls
FORCE SELECTION
Tool force is the amount of downward pressure that the cutter applies on the tool.
1) Switch the cutter to OFF-LINE mode. This can be done by switching the cutter ON
without loading media or when media has been loaded before, by pressing the ONLINE button. The cutter is in OFF-LINE mode if it is switched on without the ON-LINE
LED being lit.
2) Using the MENU selection keys, select the FORCE option ( LED next to FORCE must
be ON ).
3) The actual FORCE-setting for the selected tool will now be shown on the LED-bar.
Viewing of the value can be performed in OFF-LINE as well as in ON-LINE mode.
Using the VALUE +/- keys, the user can now alter the FORCE settings. The force is
adjustable in three ranges:
15 - 100 grams, 110 - 190 grams and 200 - 500 grams.
The first range will be using the standard indication : One blinking LED to indicate the
cutting force. Increment: 10g/step
15
m
m
20
m
m
30
40
m
m
50
m
m
60
m
m
70
m
m
80
m
90
m
m
100
m
m
30 g
80 g
The second range will be indicated by blinking of the last LED of the LED-bar in
combination with one of the other LEDs. Increment: 10g/step
110
m
m
120
m
m
m
130
m
m
m
140
m
m
m
150
m
160
m
m
m
170
m
m
m
180
m
m
m
190
m
m
110 g
150 g
190 g
The third range will be indicated by blinking of the first four LEDs of the LED-bar.
Increment : 50g/step
200
200
200
200
250
m
300
m
m
350
m
m
400
m
m
450
m
m
500
m
m
200 g
250 g
500 g
All values being used or available are shown in the table at the end of this chapter.
Further we also explain the procedure on how to make a test cut. (See Chapter 4
Setting the cutting pressure / Test Squares).
Press ENTER to confirm or press one of the menu keys to exit. When media is loaded
and ENTER is pressed for 2 seconds, a test square is cut automatically.
Page 29
Cutter Controls
SPEED SELECTION
1) Switch the cutter to OFF-LINE mode. This can be done by switching the cutter ON
without loading media or when media has been loaded before, by pressing the ONLINE button. The cutter is in OFF-LINE mode if it is switched on, without the ON-LINE
LED being lit.
2) Using the MENU selection keys, select the SPEED option (LED next to SPEED must
be ON).
3) The actual SPEED setting for the selected tool will now be shown on the LED-bar.
Viewing of the value can be performed in OFF-LINE as well as in ON-LINE mode.
4) Using the VALUE +/- keys, the user can now alter the SPEED settings. Please note
that the indicated value only refers to the TOOL-DOWN speed of the selected tool.
The TOOL-UP speed can be set separately.
5) Press ENTER to confirm or press one of the menu keys to exit.
All values being used or available are shown in the table at the end of this chapter.
ACCELERATION SELECTION
1) Switch the cutter to OFF-LINE mode. This can be done by switching the cutter ON
without loading media or when media has been loaded before, by pressing the ONLINE button. The cutter is in OFF-LINE mode if it is switched on, without the ON-LINE
LED being lit.
2) Using the MENU selection keys, select the ACCELERATION option (LED next to
ACCELERATION must be ON).
3) The actual ACCELERATION setting for the selected tool will now be shown on the
LED-bar. Viewing of the value can be performed in OFF-LINE as well as in ON-LINE
mode.
4) Using the VALUE +/- keys, the user can now alter the ACCELERATION settings.
5) Press ENTER to confirm or press one of the menu keys to exit.
All values being used or available are shown in the table at the end of this chapter.
Page 30
Cutter Controls
PAGE LENGTH
This parameter is directly related to the loading of ROLL media. The PAGE length or
SHUFFLE length has to be set before a roll is loaded.
THERE ARE THREE REASONS FOR USING A PAGE LENGTH :
The length of media set for the PAGE LENGTH parameter will be pulled off the roll,
before the cutting job commences. This will prevent media from being pulled off the roll
at high speed and acceleration - up to 1000 mm/s, (40 ips) and 4.0 G. Such high speed
movements can only be achieved on condition that the media can move freely, without
having to be pulled off the roll during a job.
Before actually cutting starts the complete length of the media is shuffled back and forth
through the cutter, ensuring that the pressure rollers have a discrete path while the user
has the time to verify if the vinyl transport goes well.
Your SC-Series cutter has been equipped with MUTOHs unique AUTO-SHEET-OFF
feature, to automatically cut off media at the end of a cutting sequence. Following an
automatic PAGE command or a manual PAGE command initiated via the control panel,
the cutter will shuffle through the pre-set PAGE LENGTH of media, to ensure that there
is enough media left for a possible replot. If there is not enough media left, the cutter
will stop before the end of the assigned media length.
You can set the PAGE length or SHUFFLE length as follows:
1) Switch the cutter to OFF-LINE mode. This can be done by switching the cutter ON
without loading media or when media has been loaded before, by pressing the ONLINE button. The cutter is in OFF-LINE mode if it is switched on, without the ON-LINE
LED being lit.
2) Using the MENU selection keys, select the PAGE LENGTH option (LED next to PAGE
LENGTH must be ON ).
3) The actual PAGE LENGTH setting will now be shown on the LED-bar. Viewing of the
value can be performed in OFF-LINE as well as in ON-LINE mode.
4) Using the VALUE +/- keys, the user can now alter the PAGE LENGTH settings. The
available values for PAGE LENGTH are
0-40-60-80-100-200-300-400-500-1000 cm. (0, 16, 24, 32, 40, 80, 120, 160,
200, 400). Each of them corresponds with the indications shown on the LED-bar.
The default PAGE LENGTH is
1 m ( 40 ). Please set the PAGE LENGTH to a value, which is at least as large as the
sign you want to cut.
5) Press ENTER to confirm or press one of the menu keys to exit.
Please note that the use of the PAGE LENGTH should not be regarded
as a loss of time. If the shuffle movement is executed without difficulty,
the user can be convinced that the sign to be cut will be executed with
very little risk of media tracking problems. As such, it will result in a timesaving operation, preventing that the user will have to re-cut a very
complex design because of bad media alignment.
Page 31
Cutter Controls
REMARK: Please note that the cutting range is not limited by the Page Length
which you have set. In case a design which exceeds the shuffle length is sent to the
cutting plotter, the cutter will react as follows:
The first vector, which exceeds the limit, will be cut using reduced speed for the
distance exceeding the limit.
An additional 20 cm ( 8 ) of media will be pulled off the roll in order to eliminate any
possible snagging at the roll.
After the additional (20 cm) pre-feed the cutter will continue at the requested speed
until the new limit is exceeded.
However, this should not be a reason for you not to change the page length at all, as by
omitting to change it, you will be inhibited to check the full vinyl transport before the job is
launched.
Page 32
Cutter Controls
Page 33
Cutter Controls
Page 34
Cutter Controls
100%
100
100
50
100
100
ACCEL.
TOOL 1
TOOL 2
TOOL 3
TOOL 4
Tool-Up
10%
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
100%
-
FORCE
Range 1
Range 2
Range 3
SPEED
TOOL 1
TOOL 2
TOOL 3
TOOL 4
Tool-Up
20%
1
1
1
1
1
PAGE
LENGTH
Length
10%
0
60
80
100
200
100%
100
500
Sheet-Off 500 g
90%
-
300
400
90%
100%
500
1000
TOOL 1 = Knife 1
TOOL 2 = Knife 2
TOOL 3 = Pen 1
TOOL 4 = Pen 2
Page 35
Cutter Controls
10%
4
4
2
4
4
ACCEL.
TOOL 1
TOOL 2
TOOL 3
TOOL 4
Tool-Up
10%
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
20%
1
1
1
1
1
FORCE
Range 1
Range 2
Range 3
90%
36
36
18
36
36
100%
40
40
20
40
40
90%
-
100%
-
PAGE
LENGTH
Length
10%
20%
16
32
40
80
120
100%
100
500
Sheet-Off 500 g
80%
90%
100%
160
200
400
TOOL 1 = Knife 1
TOOL 2 = Knife 2
TOOL 3 = Pen 1
TOOL 4 = Pen 2
Page 36
CHAPTER 3
CUTTER SETTINGS & SPECIAL FUNCTIONS
SET-UP SHEET OPERATION
INTRODUCTION
Most of the frequently-used settings are available directly from the keyboard. However,
when setting up the cutter, it is always necessary to fine-tune the cutter to match the
computer set-up. Furthermore, the MENU-MODE operation gives access to some other
special functions which will not be used frequently, but still offer the user enough flexibility
so that the cutter can always match his requirements.
You will find hereafter information on how to enter the MENU-MODE, and how to proceed
to change settings.
It is possible to change the user language of your cutter, thus changing the set-up sheet
language. Changing the set-up language can be done by pressing two keys
simultaneously during power-up. See table below for an overview.
LANGUAGE
KEY COMBINATION
ENTER + JOG-DOWN
ENTER + JOG-UP
ENTER + JOG-RIGHT
ENTER + JOG-LEFT
ENTER + ONLINE
Page 37
MENU-MODE OPERATION
1) Install a PEN in the tool head. For optimum plot quality, set the tool selection to a tool
defined as being a PEN ( factory default TOOL 3 & 4 ).
2) Load an A3-size ( B-Size) sheet of paper or larger into the cutter (short side first). The
backing paper of a sheet of vinyl will also do fine.
3) Switch the cutter to OFF-LINE by pressing the ONLINE button. The ONLINE LEDindicator should be OFF.
4) Now you can enter the MENU-MODE by pressing: ENTER & (SETUP).
5) The cutter now plots a MENU-SELECTION LINE (example below).
MENU: xx.xx:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 SHOW
The cutter will return to its normal operation mode by putting the media hold lever
in the up position and removing the SET-UP SHEET from the cutter.
Please remember that switching the machine OFF will NOT undo
any changes which have already been saved, even when switching the
machine off when the cutter is still in MENU-MODE OPERATION.
To reset the machine to factory defaults, there is a special key code
sequence. (See Chapter 3, Reset-To-Factory-Defaults).
Page 38
Page 39
GENERAL SETTINGS
The general settings parameter influences the cutters reactions to commands given by
the computer or initiated via the control panel. In the general settings menu, seven
parameters are available: TOOL-TYPE SETTINGS, SHEET OFF / PAGE MODE,
SMOOTHING and REPLOT FACTOR.
In the Set-Up sheet, they can be found in the first seven lines :
1) Toolkind Tool1:
2) Toolkind Tool2:
3) Toolkind Tool3:
4) Toolkind Tool4:
5) SheetOff / PGmode:
6) Replot Factor:
x1
7) Smoothing:
Knife
Knife
Knife
Knife
Pen
Pen
Pen
Pen
Pounce
Pounce
Pounce
Pounce
x2
Off
x5
x10
On
TOOL-TYPE SELECTION
The Toolkind selection possibility in the set-up sheet offers the user the possibility to
redefine the tool-type of each of the available tool settings. By factory default TOOLS 1 &
2 are defined as being knives, while TOOLS 3 & 4 are defined as being pens.
Offset values and correction routines are applied only if a tool is selected which is defined
as being a knife. The pouncing gap is only adjustable and active if a tool is selected which
is defined as being a pouncing tool.
By altering the factory default settings you can set-up the cutter to remember any
combination of 4 different tool parameter settings thus controlling speed, force,
acceleration as well as offset value (knives only) and/or gap (pouncing tool only). This will
enable you to swiftly change to a different media type or application without having to
change any of the settings.
The TOOL-TYPE SELECTION can be set as follows :
Using the JOG-keys, position the pen above the selection 1,2,3 or 4 in the menuselection line.
The cutter will plot the following line (in case 1 is selected)
1) Toolkind Tool1:
Knife
Pen
Pounce
after which the tool head will be parked above the current setting. The factory
defaults are: TOOL1 = Knife, TOOL2 = Knife, TOOL3 = Pen, TOOL4 = Pen
With the & JOG-keys you can return to the menu-selection line, leaving the
original setting unchanged.
By pressing or , you can move to the desired setting.
When pressing ENTER, the new setting will be saved and underlined and the tool
head will return to the menu selection line, allowing a new selection.
Page 40
Page 41
Using the JOG-keys, position the pen above the selection 5 in the menuselection line.
On/PM1
On/PM2
Off/PM0
Off/PM1
Off/PM2
after which the tool head will be parked above the current setting. The factory
default is Sheet-Off ON / Page Mode 0.
With the & JOG-keys you can return to the menu-selection line, leaving the
original setting unchanged.
By Pressing or , you can move to the desired setting.
When pressing ENTER, the new setting will be underlined and the tool head will
return to the menu selection line, allowing a new selection.
Page 42
REPLOT FACTOR
Using the replot factor, it is possible to request more than 10 copies when the automatic
replot and sheet-off utility is used. The replot factor indicates the multiplication factor the
cutter will use to determine how many copies are requested.
EXAMPLE : If the replot factor is (TIMES) 5 and the third LED is selected to indicate the
number of copies, a total of 15 copies will be generated.
Using the JOG-keys, position the pen above the selection 6 in the menu-selection
line.
Replot Factor :
x1
x2
x5
x10
after which the tool head will be parked above the current setting. The factory
default is times 1.
With the & JOG-keys you can return to the menu-selection line, leaving the
original setting unchanged.
Pressing or you can move to the desired setting.
When pressing ENTER, the new setting will be underlined and the tool head will return
to the menu selection line, allowing a new selection.
Page 43
SMOOTHING
Smoothing can be set ON or OFF. Depending on your choice, cutting of obtuse angles
will be dealt with differently by the cutter.
If the complementary angle between two consecutive vectors A & B is larger than the
smoothing angle, the cutter will slow down and cut a sharp corner (1). If the angle is
smaller, the cutter will maintain its speed and cut a rounded corner (2). The optimum
smoothing angle is calculated internally.
When smoothing is turned off, all corners will be cut sharply.
Using the JOG-keys, position the pen above the selection 7 in the menu-selection
line.
OFF
ON
after which the tool head will be parked above the current setting. The factory
default is ON.
With the & JOG-keys you can return to the menu-selection line, leaving the
original setting unchanged.
By pressing or you can move to the desired setting.
When pressing ENTER, the new setting will be underlined and the tool head will return
to the menu selection line, allowing a new selection.
Remark: The cutting plotter will work significantly slower when smoothing is OFF.
Page 44
COMMUNICATION SETTINGS
In order for your cutter to be able to communicate well with your host computer, the
communication settings on both machines have to match exactly. Please refer to the
manual of your software to determine which communication settings will be used by your
software. Your cutter is able to be set up to use any settings necessary.
In the factory, several commonly used settings have been preinstalled. For your
convenience, however, we have included the possibility to alter any of the settings
necessary.
Factory default settings are: 9600 baud, No parity, 8 Data bits, 1 Stop bit, X-on X-off
protocol. This setting is used as a default by windows as well as by practically all cutting
plotter software.
To change settings, you can proceed in two ways :
1) You can check which of the 5 possible defaults matches your software and enable
this particular default setting.
2) You can set all communication parameters yourself. In this case, for
communication, select USER DEFINED.
In the Set-Up sheet, they can be found in lines 8 to 16 :
8.
Communication
DEFAULT 1
DEFAULT 2
DEFAULT 3
DEFAULT 4
DEFAULT 5
USER
DEFINED
9.
BAUDRATE
9600
9600
9600
9600
9600
Adjustable
10.
DATABITS
Adjustable
11.
PARITY
EVEN
NONE
EVEN
NONE
EVEN
Adjustable
12.
STOPBITS
Adjustable
13.
SOFTWARE
HANDSHAKE
OFF
OFF
Xon/Xoff
Xon/Xoff
OFF
Adjustable
14.
DTR-Pin
ON
ON
OFF
OFF
ON
Adjustable
15.
CTS-Pin
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
Adjustable
16.
RTS-Pin
ON
ON
ON
ON
ON
Adjustable
Page 45
BAUDRATE
DATABITS
PARITY
STOPBITS
HANDSHAKE
DTR
CTS
RTS
DEFAULT
1
9600
7
EVEN
1
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
DEFAULT
2
9600
8
NONE
1
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
DEFAULT
3
9600
7
EVEN
1
X-ON
OFF
OFF
ON
DEFAULT
4
9600
8
NONE
1
X-ON
OFF
OFF
ON
DEFAULT
5
9600
8
EVEN
2
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
To set the communication settings, choose one of the defaults or the user- defined
possibility under option 8. In case of selecting the user-defined option, alter the settings
one by one until they match the desired value.
Using the JOG-keys positions the tool head above the selection 8 up to 16 in the
menu-selection line.
With the & JOG-keys you can return to the menu-selection line, leaving the
original setting unchanged.
Pressing or you can move to the desired setting.
When pressing ENTER, the new setting will be underlined and the tool head will be
returned to the menu selection line, allowing a new selection.
Page 46
LANGUAGE SETTINGS
Your cutter is able to understand two different graphic languages. These two languages
are MH-GL/2 (HPGL/2 - compatible) and MC-GL (Calcomp Compatible). In order to be
able to fully use these languages, all necessary settings are available in the cutter set-up
mode.
In the set-up sheet, the language settings can be found in lines 17 up to 32.
17) Command Set
MH-GL/2
18) Origin
19) Plot Unit
20) VS,AS,FS
:
:
:
Center
0.025mm
Ignore
21) FORMAT
22) PLOT UNIT
23) SYNC Count
24) SYNC Code Hundred
25) SYNC Code Ten
26) SYNC Code One
27) Sum Check
28) Radix Hundred
29) Radix Ten
30) Radix One
31) EOB Code Ten
32) EOB Code Ten
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
907 PCI
0.010mm
1
2
0
1
0
1
0
1
No
Yes
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
MC-GL
L. Right
0.010mm
Accept
L. Left
0.0125mm
0.025mm
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
U. Right
U. Left
Please note that when MH-GL/2 is activated in menu option 17, the menu
options 21-32 will NOT be available.
Please note that when MC-GL is activated in menu option 17, menu
options 18-20 will NOT be available.
The first choice to make is the language type : MH-GL/2 or MC-GL. The factory default is
MH-GL/2. This is the language used by all popular sign cutting packages.
When using MH-GL/2, three settings are available :
1.
Default Origin : Center, Lower Right, Lower Left, Upper Right & Upper Left. Lower
Right is factory default.
2.
Plot Unit : 0.025 mm or 0.01 mm. Factory default is 0.025mm. Some cutting
software packages use 0.01mm. If these values are not set correctly, all your jobs
will be 2.5 times too large or too small.
3.
VS-AS-FS : Several cutting software packages enable the user to send SPEED,
ACCELERATION and FORCE commands to the cutter. The cutter can be set up to
ACCEPT or IGNORE these commands.
When using MC-GL, twelve settings are available. Please refer to your software manual
to look for the necessary values if this language is needed.
Page 47
Using the JOG-keys positions the pen above one of the selections 17 up to 32
in the menu-line.
The cutter will plot the corresponding line, after which the tool head will be parked
above the current setting.
With the & JOG-keys you can return to the menu-selection line, leaving the
original setting unchanged.
Pressing or you can move to the desired setting.
When pressing ENTER, the new setting will be underlined and the tool head will
return to the menu selection line allowing a new selection.
RESET-TO-FACTORY DEFAULTS
In some cases it might be necessary to return your cutter to its factory default settings.
This is possible by switching the cutter on while simultaneously pressing the ORIGIN
and the PAGE keys. The reset to factory default can also be initiated by pressing
ENTER & MENU (INIT).
Visual confirmation of this action is given by the LED-bar. The LEDs will show a running
light from the outside to the inside several times.
Please note that using this function will fully re-initialize your unit. All
previously stored language and communication settings will be reset.
In case of doubt, first plot out a set-up sheet using the show option of
the menu selection line.
Page 48
CHAPTER 4
FINETUNING YOUR CUTTER TO OBTAIN
MUTOH QUALITY
In order to help you to obtain perfect quality our engineers have developed a step-by-step
method for the beginning user. Once you have more experience with your cutter, you will
be able to fine-tune your cutter in a trice.
There are several knife types available, each of them meant for specific cutting media.
Cutting Blade 1
Cutting Blade 2
Cutting Blade 3
Top Angle
45 (Red cap)
30 (Yellow cap)
60 (Blue cap)
Typical Offset
0.50 mm
0.50 mm
0.50 mm
Default Speed
50 cm/s (20/s)
50 cm/s (20/s)
50 cm/s (20/s)
Default Force
100 g
100 g
100 g
Default Acceleration
3.0 G
3.0 G
3.0 G
There are three factors that have to be taken into account when setting up your cutter to
execute a demanding cutting job :
1) The knife depth
2) The cutting pressure
3) The offset
Page 49
1. Knife Holder
2. Vinyl
3. Backing
4. Cutting blade
Page 50
Page 51
The upper scale lines make it possible to change the knife depth over 0.05 mm
(0.002).
The lower scale (nonius) makes it possible to change the knife depth over 0.01 mm
(0.0004).
- 0,05 mm
+ 0,05 mm
- 0,01 mm
+ 0,01 mm
Page 52
Select the FORCE menu. Press MENU / until FORCE LED is ON.
Using the JOG-keys you can select the position where to cut the test square.
When not using the JOG keys, each new test square you cut will be positioned,
starting at the origin.
Press the ENTER-key for about two seconds. The cutter will cut a test square.
Page 53
OFFSET PRINCIPLE
One of the most important factors to obtain good quality, but unfortunately also one of the
factors that is easily forgotten, is the offset.
1: Cutter blade
2: Theoretical Offset
2
As you can see in the above figure, the knife offset (2) is the distance between the
knife centre and the knife tip.
Accurate measurement of the OFFSET to be used is very difficult and requires
specialised equipment. You should therefore adjust the offset (2) by checking real
cutting results on the media you will use. MUTOH helps you doing this by way of a
semi-automatic offset adjustment routine, which has been integrated into your cutter.
OFFSET EFFECT
The selected Offset value is LARGER
than the optimum knife offset.
Page 54
Make sure that the cutter is switched ON and that a sheet of vinyl with a minimum
width of about 25 cm (10) is loaded.
2)
Select a tool of which the tool type is set to knife. (Tool 1 and Tool 2 are defaulted to
tooltype knife). Switch the cutter to OFF-LINE MODE by pressing the ONLINE
button. The ONLINE LED-indicator should be OFF. When a TOOL is set to PEN 1
or PEN 2, the cutter will not react, as this function is only useful using the knife
settings.
3)
Press the ENTER & OFFSET ( JOG ) keys simultaneously. This will put the cutter
into the OFFSET test mode.
4)
The flashing LED on the LED-bar now shows the OFFSET BASE VALUE.
Depending on the LED which is flashing, the base value can range from 0.1 mm
(0.004) to 1 mm (0.04).
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
0.1mm 0.2mm 0.3mm 0.4mm 0.5mm 0.6mm 0.7mm 0.8mm 0.9mm 1mm
5)
Using the VALUE +/- keys, adjust the base value to match the offset value of the
blade installed in your knife holder. The base offset value is indicated on the box in
which the blades are packed. For the blades which come with the cutter, this value
is 0.5 mm (0.02).
6)
7)
The cutter will now be in OFF-LINE mode. The ONLINE-LED indicator is OFF. This
gives you the opportunity to adjust any settings necessary (SPEED,
ACCELERATION, FORCE).
8)
Press the ONLINE key to switch the cutter into ONLINE mode.
9)
The cutter will now generate a set of test patterns, each of them with a different
offset.
If the base offset is set to 0.5 mm (0.02), the generated offsets will vary from 0.46
mm (0.018) up to 0.55 mm (0.022).
10) When the test cuts are completed, the cutter will advance the vinyl for you to check
the patterns and to determine which of them gives best quality.
Especially look for good quality of the corners, closure of the circles and easy
weeding.
11) Using the JOG-keys & you can move the TOOL HEAD digitally to indicate the
square with the best quality. You will find an LED of the LED-bar move according to
your choice. When the head is moved, the vinyl is partially retracted, but in such way
that the test squares remain visible for the user.
Page 55
12) Press ENTER to confirm your choice. The cutter will now be in OFFLINE mode.
13) If needed, you can now restart the offset setting routine to experiment with a different
force, speed and/or acceleration. Refer to item 3) to do this.
14) If you are satisfied with the new setting, you can set the cutter ONLINE by pressing
the ONLINE key. ONLINE LED should be ON.
15) Now press PAGE to sheet-off the test squares.
In order to obtain good quality, MUTOH recommends you to perform this routine each
time you change cutting blades or switch to another type of media.
To be able to change swiftly from one application or media to another, your cutter can
memorise 4 sets of tool parameters. Each of the TOOLS can be defined as being a
knife, a pen or a pouncing tool, depending of the users choice. The factory default
settings are: TOOL1 = Knife, TOOL2 = Knife, TOOL3 = Pen, TOOL4 = Pen. Please
refer to selecting a tool.
Difficult weeding.
2) In case the offset adjustment routine is aborted, the cutter will
continue working with the value prior to launching the
adjustment routine.
Page 56
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1 mm
2 mm
3 mm
4 mm
5 mm
6 mm
7 mm
8 mm
9 mm
10 mm
3. Tool Adjustment.
Turn the positioning screw (3) until the punching pin is about to protrude
the holder.
1. Punching pin
2. Holder
3. Positioning screw
Turn back the positioning screw (3) one full turn. The punching pin (1) will
then be about 1 mm inside the holder (2).
Page 58
Page 59
Please notice the FORCE under Pen-Up selection is the FORCE used to
perform the automatic sheet-off.
Page 60
CHAPTER 5
PLOTTER MAINTENANCE &
TROUBLESHOOTING
In this chapter, you will learn :
How to keep your cutter in good shape and prevent problems by regularly
performing some easy, daily maintenance.
Page 61
Step 1
Take the body (2) into one hand and
unscrew the base part (1).
Step 1
Take the ring in your hand and remove
the base part.
Step 2
Blow away the vinyl particles
accumulated in the top of the base part
Step 2
Blow away the vinyl particles
accumulated in the top of the base part
Step 3
Remove the spring from the cutting
blade and remove any residual material
from the blade tip
Step 3
Remove any residual material from the
blade tip
Step 4
Place the spring back over the cutting
blade and tightly screw the base part on
the holder.
Step 4
Place the base part back on the holder
and twist it tightly.
Use a soft cloth to clean paper dust and particles off the platen, the grid cover the
cutting mat and the carriage cover.
Page 62
Step 2 : Cut a strip of vinyl ( Width : 8 mm (0,3) / Length : depending on the size of your
cutter.) Stick this strip into the cutting groove.
Step 3 : Complete this procedure by sticking the new cutting mat into the cutting groove.
1
2
Page 64
Page 65
TROUBLESHOOTING
In this section you will find a summary of problems that might occur during day-to-day use
of your cutter and some hints how to determine the cause of the problem.
1)
Power switch is turned ON, but the cutter does not operate.
2)
3)
4)
5)
Are the output settings correct on the host computer and in the cutting software ?
Do the interface conditions on the host computer match those set on the cutter ? (
Chapter 3 Communications settings ).
Does the command mode on the host computer match the command mode on
the cutter ? ( Chapter 3 Language Settings ).
Some parts of the design are not well cut.
Check whether the knife tip is not clogged with material residues.
Examine the knife blade with a magnifier to see if the tip is not damaged or
broken.
Perform the offset adjustment routine to check cutting quality.
(Chapter 4).
Perform the internal test cut and check its quality (Chapter 4).
Page 66
Page 67
Page 68
ERROR MESSAGES
90%
100%
S03
S05
S06
S07
S08
S28
Page 69
COMMUNICATION ERRORS
70%
80%
90%
100%
50% 60%
C02
C03
C04
Bias is less than EOB code. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3.
C05
Check-sum difference cutter vs. host. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3.
C06
Data between bias and EOB too large. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3.
C07
C08
C09
Change the computer program to prevent the cutter from returning double data.
C10
C11
Illegal character used for MH-GL ESC-sequence. Check the ESCAPE command setup.
C12
C13
C14
C15
Page 70
LANGUAGE ERRORS
Language errors occur when command data entered from the host computer does not
match the data format of the command mode currently activated on the cutters side. The
error can be caused by a difference in command type or by a syntax error.
ERROR CODE
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
UNDEFINED XX (E01)
100%
E02
E03
Parameter out of range was transmitted. Verify computer and cutter language
settings.
E05
Character unknown to MH-GL was sent. Verify computer and cutter language
settings.
E07
Polygon and character buffer overflow. Verify computer and cutter language
settings.
Page 71
Unrecoverable errors may be caused by some part of the cutting plotter, which is
malfunctioning. In case of an unrecoverable error, most of the time the cutter will be
completely blocked and all the LEDs will be flashing. Press ENTER to display an error
code on the LED-bar.
ERROR CODE
10% 20%
ERROR CODE 0
OVER CURRENT Y
X ENCODER FAILED
X ENCODER FAILED
POSITION TIME OUT MOVING COIL
100%
Y IS OUT OF SYNC
INPOSITION TIME OUT FOR X
90%
INTERRUPT FAILURE
X IS OUT OF SYNC
80%
70%
60%
ZERO DIVIDE
GENERAL PROCESSOR FAILURE
50%
40%
30%
Page 72
10% 20%
CURRENT TIME OUT PEN MOTOR
POWER FAILURE
30%
40%
50%
MEDIA BROKEN
Y ORIGIN NOT FOUND
CUTTER ERROR
EXTENDED RAM ERROR
Y EDGE ERROR
MEDIA HANGER ERROR
UNKNOWN ERROR
UNKNOWN ERROR
UNKNOWN ERROR
INTERLOCK ERROR
DRIVER FAILURE
ILLEGAL MAIN BOARD REVISION
XY CONNECT FAILED
90% 100%
80%
70%
60%
Page 73
Page 74
CHAPTER 6
SC SERIES CUTTING PLOTTERS MEDIA COMPATIBILITY & DIMENSIONS
SC SERIES CUTTING PLOTTERS:
MEDIA COMPATIBILITY
SC-650
SC-1000
Stand Model
Maximum Media width: 1100 mm Roll / 1250 mm Cut-Sheet
Maximum cutting width : 1030 mm
SC-1300
Stand Model
Maximum Media width: 1320 mm Roll / 1420 mm Cut-Sheet
Maximum cutting width : 1200 mm
Page 75
SC-650
SC-1000
SC-1300
Length
1205
1605
1775
Width
670
670
Height
1175
1175
Weight
35 kg
42 kg
45 kg
Page 76
Index
INDEX
ON-LINE button, 23
ON-LINE LED, 23
ON-LINE MODE, 23
online-led, 14
origin, 14
ORIGIN key, 24
page, 14, 22
PAGE key, 24
page length, 21
PAGE length, 31
PAGE LENGTH, 25
Page Mode, 41
PAGE-MODE, 42
PARALLEL INTERFACE, 15
Parallel Interface Connector, 13
PARAMETER SETTINGS PLOT, 60
PARTS LIST, 10
Physical Dimensions, 76
Platen, 13
POUNCING / PUNCHING SET-UP, 57
POWER CABLE, 16
Power Connector, 13
Power supply, 9
power switch, 18
Power Switch, 13
pre-feed length, 21
pressure rollers, 18
Pressure Rollers, 13
RECOVERABLE SYSTEM ERRORS, 69
replace a blade, 64
replace auto-sheet-off knife, 65
replace the cutting mat, 63
replot factor, 43
RESET & CLEAR FUNCTION, 34
RESET-TO-FACTORY DEFAULTS, 48
roll media, 20
Roll Support System, 13
SERIAL INTERFACE, 15
Serial Interface Connector, 13
SHEET-OFF / PAGE MODE, 41
SHOW function, 38
SHUFFLE length. See PAGE length
Small guiding Flanges, 13
Smoothing, 44
SPEED, 25, 30
TEST SQUARE, 53
testcut, 59
TOOL, 25
TOOL SELECTION, 27
Toolkind, 40
- key, 26
+ key, 26
ACCELERATION, 25, 30
ADJUST THE KNIFE DEPTH, 50
ALIGNMENT FUNCTION, 24
auto sheet-off, 41
auto-sheet-off, 22
Carriage Cover, 13
Centronics interface, 15
CLEANING & DAILY MAINTENANCE, 61
CLEANING THE GRID ROLLS, 61
Communication errors, 70
Communication problems, 67
communication settings, 45
Control Panel, 13
CONTROL PANEL, 14
conveyer rolls, 20
Conveyor Rolls, 13
CUT SHEET, 18
cutting mat, 57
Cutting Mat, 13
drive rollers, 18
Drive Rollers, 13
Dual Action Tool head for Cutting and
Sheeting Off, 13
enter, 14
ENTER key, 25
environment, 9
Equal Tension method, 21
FORCE, 25, 29
general settings, 40
Grid Cover, 13
Hold Lever, 13
hold-lever, 19
jog-keys, 14
JOG-keys, 24
Language errors, 71
LED-bar, 25
LOADING MEDIA, 18
marker lines, 18, 20
MC-GL, 47
media hold lever, 18
MENU SELECTION KEYS, 25
MENU-MODE, 37, 38
MENU-SELECTION LINE, 38
MH-GL/2, 47
OFF-LINE mode, 23
offset adjustment procedure, 55
OFFSET BASE VALUE, 55
on-line, 14
Page 77
Index
TOOL-TYPE SELECTION, 40
tool-up, 22
TROUBLESHOOTING, 66
UNPACKING, 11
Unrecoverable errors, 72
USER DEFINED, 45
user language, 37
value keys, 25
VALUE keys, 26
wear and tear, 63
Page 78
KEY / SWITCH
COMBINATION
User Language English
Imperial Units
Set-Up Sheet
Settings Plot
Page 79
KEY / SWITCH
COMBINATION
Start REPLOT
ORIGIN
ALIGNMENT
Page 80
Page 81