Manual Mutoh

MUTOH EUROPE N.V. Part n°: AP-75025

Rev. 1.1 - 10/12/2001

AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.


AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01


AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.


AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01


AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SC CUTTING PLOTTERS USER’S 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

CHAPTER 2 CUTTER CONTROLS .......................................................................23

Understanding the control panel ....................................................................................23 General procedure to change settings on the cutter ......................................................26 Tool presets / Tooltype selection ...................................................................................27 Force selection...............................................................................................................29 Speed selection..............................................................................................................30 Acceleration selection ....................................................................................................30 Page length ....................................................................................................................31 Alignment feature to perform contour cuts .....................................................................33 Reset & clear function ....................................................................................................34

CHAPTER 3 CUTTER SETTINGS & SPECIAL FUNCTIONS .......................................37

Set-up sheet operation...................................................................................................37 General settings .............................................................................................................40 Communication settings.................................................................................................45 Language settings..........................................................................................................47 Reset-to-factory defaults ................................................................................................48

CHAPTER 4 FINETUNING YOUR CUTTER TO OBTAIN MUTOH QUALITY....................49

Adjusting the knife depth................................................................................................50 Setting the cutting pressure / Test squares....................................................................53 Offset principle ...............................................................................................................54 Offset effect....................................................................................................................54 Offset adjustment procedure..........................................................................................55 Pouncing / Punching set-up ...........................................................................................57 Performing a test cut ......................................................................................................59 Generating a parameter settings plot .............................................................................60


AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

CHAPTER 5 PLOTTER MAINTENANCE & TROUBLESHOOTING ................................61

Cleaning & Daily maintenance .......................................................................................61 Wear & Tear...................................................................................................................63 Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................66 Checking the communication settings............................................................................67 Error messages..............................................................................................................69

CHAPTER 6 SC SERIES CUTTING PLOTTERS - MEDIA COMPATIBILITY & DIMENSIONS75

SC Series cutting plotters: Media compatibility .............................................................75 What’s in the box? .........................................................................................................75 Physical dimensions SC series ......................................................................................76

INDEX ............................................................................................................77

Installation Procedures MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 9 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 : 5°C to 40°C (41°F to 104°F) - Humidity : 35% - 75% non-condensing.

�� Recommended environment - Temperature : Room temperature 16°C to 32°C (61°F to 90°F) - Humidity : 50% to 65%, non-condensing.

�� Variation rate - Temperature : 2°C per hour. - Humidity : 5% per hour.

�� Storage environment - Temperature : 0°C to 50°C (32°F to 122°F)

�� 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.

�� Avoid unnecessary vibrations and set up your cutter on a level surface. 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.


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PARTS LIST

Contents of the plotter box : A) Plotter unit with roll support system, 2

conveyor rolls and small guiding flanges. F) Set of 2 water-based fibre tip pens.

B) MUTOH SC Series User’s Guide. G) Spare cutting mat (1 pc). C) One knife holder with pre-mounted cutting

blade H) Power Cord.

D) Set of 2 spare cutting blades and 1 spring for cutting jobs (45°/ Offset 0.50 mm).

I) Optional RS-232 or parallel interface cable.

E) Blade for auto sheet-off. (1 pc – pre-installed in tool head)


Page 11 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

UNPACKING AND SETTING UP THE SC CUTTER

�� When unpacking the cutter, check whether all parts described in the parts list are included in the box. Consult your dealer if anything seems to be missing.

�� 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.

�� Protect the plotter from firm shocks.

�� Do not dismantle the unit

To unpack the cutter: 1. Lift the cutter unit out of the box and put it on a flat and stable surface. 2. Take out the accessories box. 3. Remove all plastic wrapping materials. 4. Remove the pieces of foam, protecting the tool head during transportation. 5. If you had your cutter delivered with a stand, please refer to the instructions for

mounting the stand.


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CUTTER PARTS & COMPONENTS


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Part Description

1) Control Panel : Panel with indicator LEDs and control keys.

2) Power Switch : Switches the cutting plotter ON or OFF.

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) Roll Support System : The roll support system carries the conveyor rolls.

5) Conveyor Rolls : When using roll media for cutting jobs, put the roll of media on top of the two conveyor rolls.

6) Small guiding Flanges : These flanges on the conveyor rolls will prevent the roll of media from shifting to the left or to the right when vinyl is pulled off the roll during the pre-feed cycle.

7) Hold Lever : Raises and lowers the pressure rollers. Lowering the pressure rollers will hold the media in place.

8) Platen & Grid Cover : Supports the cutting media and guides the movement of the media along the x-axis.

9) Cutting Mat : Provides a reliable cutting surface and minimizes damage to the knife tip.

10) Serial Interface Connector : RS-232 serial interface connector to connect the cutter to the host computer.

11) Parallel Interface Connector : Centronics parallel connector to connect the cutter to the host computer’s printer port for fast data transfer.

12) Power Connector : Connector for the power cord, which plugs into the main power supply of the cutter.

13) Dual Action Tool head for Cutting and Sheeting Off:

All available tools such as knife holders, drawing pens and painting pens can be secured into the head using the locking screw. The tool head moves along the Y-axis to locate the cutting position.

14) Drive Rollers : Move the cutting media along the X-axis.

15) Pressure Rollers : Hold the media against the drive rollers during cutting.


Page 14 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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) JOG-keys : Keys for manual movement of the tool head 2) ON-LINE : Key to switch between OFF-LINE and ON-LINE mode 3) ORIGIN : When this key is pressed, a new origin is set at the present location of the

tool head. Using the ORIGIN key, you can also activate the alignment function ( See Chapter 2: Cutter Controls - Alignment ).

4) PAGE : Performs auto-sheet-off or performs media pre-feed cycle and gives access to the replot / copy function

5) ENTER : To confirm changes and accept settings. The enter key, marked with a blue dot, also gives access to special functions indicated by the blue text on the control panel.

6) MENU Selection Keys : To select the parameter you want to alter. 7) Value + & - Keys : To change a parameter’s value or setting. 8) LED indicators for plotter parameter and tool selection indication 9) LED bar for value indications, error messages and function confirmation 10) ONLINE-LED indicator

Please do not use sharp or pointed tools like ball-points or pencils to press keys. The panel is to be operated with your finger tips.


Page 15 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

CONNECTING THE CUTTER TO THE COMPUTER

To make the connection between the cutter and the computer, you are offered two possibilities. The first possibility is a high-speed unidirectional 8-bit parallel Centronics interface. The second possibility is a 2-way RS-232C serial interface. Of course, it is also possible to connect two different computers to the cutter, the first one using the serial interface, the second one using the parallel interface. The cutter will automatically determine on which port data is coming in and will handle the jobs one by one.

PARALLEL INTERFACE

All you need to make this connection is a parallel printer cable.

SERIAL INTERFACE

The serial RS-232C interface enables the cutter to be connected to and controlled by an RS-232C compatible host computer system. The cutter is equipped with a standard RS-232C - DB-25P connector on the rear panel and requires a standard RS-232C dB-25S mating connector.

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.

b) Secure the lock pins to the

connector.

b) Fasten the screws to secure the connector.

c) Connect the other end of the

parallel printer cable to your computer.

c) Connect the other end of the serial cable to your computer.

�� 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 16 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

CONNECTING THE POWER CABLE

1) Make sure the plotter’s power switch is turned OFF.

2) Plug the plotter-end of the power cable into the connector at the back of the plotter.

3) Plug the other end of the power cable into an electrical outlet of the correct voltage and with a proper grounding.


Page 17 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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) Open the screw to unlock the tool head mounting bracket.

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) Fasten the screw to secure the tool into position.


Page 18 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.

LOADING CUT SHEET MEDIA

1) Close the safety cover (1), put the pressure rollers (2) in the “up” position using the media hold lever (6) and turn the power switch (3) ON. The cutter will perform its initialization routine and move the tool head to the rightmost position.

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 roller’s 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.


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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 20 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

LOADING ROLL MEDIA

1) Close the safety cover (1), put the pressure rollers (2) in the “up” position and turn the power switch (3) ON. The cutter will perform its initialisation routine and move the tool head to the rightmost position.

2) Position the roll of media onto the conveyor rolls (7). Open the protective cover and pull the media through to be able to choose the best possible position for the pressure rollers.

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 roller’s 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 21 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 22 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

STRAIGHTENING THE VINYL EDGE USING THE AUTO-SHEET-OFF UTILITY

The auto-sheet-off mechanism of your cutter can be very easily used to cut the front edge of a new roll of vinyl straight as well as to cut off a sheet of vinyl from a roll, to be used as a separate sheet.

To do this, proceed as follows:

1) Insert the media to be cut (straight) into the cutter as if you were loading either a roll or a cut sheet, as described before.

2) Make sure to leave the media hold lever in the UP position.

3) Press the PAGE key to request a sheet-off sequence. You will get visual confirmation of your request by the LED-bar which will be showing a specific LED sequence.

4) Now lower the media hold lever and close the cutter’s cover, to start the sequence.

5) The cutter will now sheet off the media, producing a neat edge.

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

Cutter Controls MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 23 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.

The cutter can only be switched to ON-LINE MODE after media has been loaded.


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The JOG-keys are always active, the cutter being ON-LINE or OFF-LINE the protective cover being open or closed. They enable the user to manually move the tool head and the media. This can be necessary in order to examine specific details of the sign or to set a new origin.

When pressing the LEFT or RIGHT JOG-key, the head will move accordingly. It will move slowly for 2 seconds and speed up afterwards. When pressing the TOP or BOTTOM JOG-key, the media (if loaded) will move accordingly. It will move slowly for 2 seconds and speed up afterwards.

The ORIGIN determines the position where the plotter can start cutting on the media. By default, the origin is located at the lower right (when standing in front of the cutting plotter). The ORIGIN key allows the user to register a new origin point, if media has been loaded. A new ORIGIN point can be set in OFF-LINE as well as in ON-LINE mode. To register a new origin point, proceed as follows : 1) Using the JOG keys, locate the tool head at the desired origin

position. 2) Press the ORIGIN key. A specific LED-sequence on the LED-bar will

confirm your action. If the tool head is located beyond the borders of the vinyl, the new origin point will be rejected, leaving the ORIGIN unchanged.

The ORIGIN key also is used to activate the ALIGNMENT FUNCTION. This procedure is explained further in Chapter 2 under the item: Alignment feature to perform contour cuts.

The PAGE key has two functions and is available only in ON-LINE mode. The first function is the immediate initiation of the AUTO-SHEET-OFF function. The position where the auto-sheet-off occurs depends of the situation. If no design has been cut at the spot where the tool head is parked when pressing the PAGE button, the cutter will auto-cut at the present location. When a design has already been cut, the tool head will move to a location 5 mm (0.2”) beyond the sign and will perform an auto-cut.

The page key’s second function is to start the automatic replot/sheet-off function of the last file, which has been sent to the cutter. This means, all data that was sent since the last INITIALISATION command (“IN”). Please proceed as follows:

a) Press the PAGE key for about two seconds. b) On the LED bar, a LED will start blinking, indicating the number of

copies to be cut.


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c) Using the VALUE +/- keys, the user can select the desired amount of copies. The factory default settings allow a maximum of 10 copies to be output.

It is possible to request up to 100 copies by changing the REPLOT MULTIPLICATION FACTOR in the plotter set-up. This way, you can activate a multiplication factor of 2, 5 or 10 (See Chapter 3 : General Settings - Replot factor).

d) Press ENTER. The cutter will immediately start cutting. An automatic sheet-off will automatically take place after every replot.

��The ENTER key has to be pressed to confirm requested changes to the plotter settings. A requested change will always be shown by one or more flashing LEDs of the parameter to be changed. Pressing ENTER will stop the flashing, indicating that the new setting has been accepted.

��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.


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GENERAL PROCEDURE TO CHANGE SETTINGS ON THE CUTTER

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 ON-LINE button. The cutter is in OFF-LINE mode if it is switched on, without the ON-LINE LED being lit.

2) Using the MENU-keys, the user selects one of the five different parameters (TOOL, FORCE, SPEED, ACCELERATION, PAGE LENGTH).

3) Using the VALUE keys, the user adjusts the settings for the selected parameter. The + key will increase the value or select the next parameter. The - key will decrease the value or select the previous parameter. A requested change will always be indicated by one or several blinking LEDs.

4) Press ENTER to confirm the requested change. The blinking will stop, indicating that the new setting has been saved. To exit without a change, the user has to press one of the menu keys.


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TOOL PRESETS / TOOLTYPE SELECTION

Your cutting plotter is capable of remembering 4 tool presets. Each of them can remember all tool settings required for a specific application : Tool Type, Speed, Acceleration, Force, Offset (knives only), punching gap (punching tool only). To take control of the Tool Presets and the Tool type selection, you need to select the TOOL Menu with the menu keys (Led next to Tool must be on). When the TOOL Menu is selected, you can do 2 things:

�� Activate another Tool Preset. �� Change the Tool Type / Toolkind for the selected Tool preset.

Activating another Tool Preset : 1) Via the MENU keys, select the TOOL option (LED next to TOOL must be ON). Please

make sure the plotter is OFF-LINE.

2) Press the VALUE - key to select: TOOL-UP, TOOL 1, TOOL 2, TOOL 3, TOOL 4. Each of those corresponds with one Tool-Preset, capable of remembering: Tool Type, Speed, Acceleration, Force, Offset and Punching gap. Tool-up (selected when all Tool LED’s are OFF) is used to control SPEED & ACCELERATION for TOOL-UP movements.

3) Press ENTER to confirm your Tool Preset Selection, also when TOOL-UP is selected (all TOOL LEDs OFF).

4) You can now switch to another MENU to change SPEED, ACCELERATION or FORCE for the selected Preset. When the TOOL-UP settings are being modified, it is not necessary to select one of the other presets to start a job. The cutting plotter will automatically re-activate the tool preset which was selected prior to selecting the tool -up preset.

Changing the TOOL TYPE of a Tool preset Your cutting plotter is compatible with knives, drawing pens and a punching (pouncing) tool. To make sure that a job is executed correctly you must be sure that the tool preset which is used is set up for the tool you want to use.

By factory default, the set-up is as follows:

Preset Tool LED Tool Type

Tool Preset 1 Tool 1 Knife Tool Preset 2 Tool 2 Knife Tool Preset 3 Tool 3 Pen Tool Preset 4 Tool 4 Pen


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When the TOOL MENU is selected (LED next to TOOL is ON), the LED-bar on top shows the tool type.

10 20 30 Drag Knife � � � Pen � � � Pounce � � �

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.

When TOOL-UP is selected, the FORCE adjustment refers to the FORCE, which will be used for automatic sheet-off.


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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 ON-LINE 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 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 � � � � � � � � � � 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

110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 � � � � � � � � � � � 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

200 200 200 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 � � � � � � � � � � 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.


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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 ON-LINE 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.


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 ON-LINE 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.




Page 31 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 MUTOH’s 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 ON-LINE 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.


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 time-saving operation, preventing that the user will have to re-cut a very complex design because of bad media alignment.


Page 32 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 33 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

ALIGNMENT FEATURE TO PERFORM CONTOUR CUTS

To perform contour cutting of images, pre-printed on cutting plotter media, the SC-E series cutting plotters have been equipped with an alignment feature. To use this feature, proceed as follows :

2

1

3

1) 2nd Reference point 2) Origin Mark 3) Media Front Edge

a) Print out the image you want to contour cut. To be able to align the image correctly in your cutting plotter, make sure 2 registration (reference) marks are printed along with your image. One is to be placed at the origin position (2), the second somewhat further away in X-direction (length of the vinyl) (1).

b) Load the media into the SC-E series cutting plotter.

c) Using the JOG keys, place the TOOL head at the desired origin point (2). Press ORIGIN to set the new origin point. A specific LED sequence will show that the new origin point has been registered.

d) Using the JOG keys, position the TOOL head at the 2nd reference point (1). Press the ORIGIN key for about 2 seconds to activate the alignment function. A specific LED sequence will show that the alignment function is activated.

e) Send the outline data to the cutting plotter.

The alignment function is automatically reset : �� When a new origin is set from the keyboard.

�� When the cutter is reset.

�� When the media is removed.

�� When the plotter is switched OFF.

REMARK: The alignment function only works correctly if your software generates data, starting in the origin position. Many professional cutting & digital printing software incorporate their own contour cutting function. In this case, the alignment function incorporated in the cutting plotter is NOT needed.


Page 34 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

RESET & CLEAR FUNCTION

In some cases it might be necessary to reset your cutter and/or clear its buffer while a cutting job is in progress. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Cancel the cutting job in your cutter software, so that the data flow is stopped.

2. Press the ENTER and the MENU DOWN KEY ( RESET ) for about two seconds.

3. A specific LED-sequence on the LED-bar will indicate that the cutter has cancelled the current job. The buffer is now empty and the cutter has stopped cutting. Resetting also sets the origin back to the default origin location.


Page 35 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE VALUES/SETTINGS FOR CUTTER PARAMETERS - METRIC SYSTEM

All speeds are given in centimetre per second SPEED 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% TOOL 1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 TOOL 2 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 TOOL 3 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 TOOL 4 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Tool-Up 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

All accelerations are given in G (m/s²) ACCEL. 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% TOOL 1 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 - - TOOL 2 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 - - TOOL 3 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 - - TOOL 4 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 - - Tool-Up 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 - -

All forces are given in grams (1 g = 0.01 Newton) FORCE 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Range 1 15 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Range 2 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 Range 3 200 200 200 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Defaults: TOOL 1 (Knife1) � 100 g TOOL 2 (Knife2) � 100 g TOOL 3 (Pen1) � 20 g TOOL 4 (Pen2) � 140 g Sheet-Off � 500 g

All distances are given in centimetres PAGE

LENGTH 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Length 0 40 60 80 100 200 300 400 500 1000

Remark: Factory Default Settings: TOOL 1 = Knife 1 TOOL 2 = Knife 2 TOOL 3 = Pen 1 TOOL 4 = Pen 2


Page 36 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE VALUES/SETTINGS FOR CUTTER PARAMETERS - IMPERIAL SYSTEM

All speeds are given in inch per second. SPEED 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% TOOL 1 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 TOOL 2 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 TOOL 3 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 TOOL 4 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 Tool-Up 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40

All accelerations are given in G (m/s²). ACCEL. 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% TOOL 1 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4 - - TOOL 2 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4 - - TOOL 3 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4 - - TOOL 4 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4 - - Tool-Up 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3.0 3.5 4 - -

All forces are given in grams (1 g = 0.01 Newton) FORCE 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Range 1 15 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Range 2 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 Range 3 200 200 200 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Defaults: TOOL 1 (Knife1) � 100 g TOOL 2 (Knife2) � 100 g TOOL 3 (Pen1) � 20 g TOOL 4 (Pen2) � 140 g Sheet-Off � 500 g

All distances are given in inches PAGE

LENGTH 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Length 0 16 24 32 40 80 120 160 200 400

Remark: Factory Default Settings: TOOL 1 = Knife 1 TOOL 2 = Knife 2 TOOL 3 = Pen 1 TOOL 4 = Pen 2

Cutter Settings & Functions MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 37 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 American (dimensions in inches) ENTER + JOG-DOWN

German ENTER + JOG-UP French (dimensions in metric units) ENTER + JOG-RIGHT

English ENTER + JOG-LEFT Japanese ENTER + ONLINE

�� Before entering the MENU-MODE, please see to it that you install a PEN in the tool head.

�� Verify the TOOL setting to be set to a tool defined as being a PEN ( factory default TOOL 3 & 4 ), in order to obtain good plotting quality.

�� Please have an A3-sheet (B-size) or larger available. The backing paper of some vinyl will also do a good job.


Page 38 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 LED-

indicator 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

This menu selection line will give you direct access to : �� 32 different cutter settings. �� a SHOW function which will plot the actual settings on an A3-size (B-size) sheet.

6) After having plotted this line, the user can park the tool head above any of the options using the � or � JOG keys.

7) When ENTER is pressed, there are two possibilities :

�� When ENTER is pressed with the head above SHOW , the current settings are plotted. Afterwards, the tool head is returned to the MENU-SELECTION-LINE.

�� When ENTER is pressed with the head above any of the other options, only that line is plotted with its different parameter possibilities. After this, the head will be parked above the current setting.

8) With the � & � JOG-keys you can return to the MENU-SELECTION LINE leaving the original setting unchanged.

9) With the � & � JOG-keys, the head can be positioned above the desired setting, after which the ENTER key needs to be pressed to save the new setting into memory. When ENTER is pressed, a line is drawn under the activated setting and the head returns to the MENU-SELECTION-LINE.

10) 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 39 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01


Page 40 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

GENERAL SETTINGS

The general settings parameter influences the cutter’s 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: Knife Pen Pounce 2) Toolkind Tool2: Knife Pen Pounce 3) Toolkind Tool3: Knife Pen Pounce 4) Toolkind Tool4: Knife Pen Pounce 5) SheetOff / PGmode: On/PM0 On/PM1 On/PM2 Off/PM0 Off/PM1 Off/PM2 6) Replot Factor: x1 x2 x5 x10 7) Smoothing: Off 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 menu-selection line.

�� Press ENTER to confirm this choice.

�� 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 41 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

SHEET-OFF / PAGE MODE

This is a combination of two parameters. First of all, it gives the user complete control over the automatic sheet-off feature. Secondly, it makes three possible page modes available. All possible combinations of auto sheet-off and page mode are available.

A) With the auto sheet-off part, you can enable or disable the automatic sheet-off facility. When the auto sheet-off function is disabled, no sheeting off will occur. Pressing the Page Key will then cause a relocation of the origin point, leaving a gap of 1cm in-between consecutive jobs.

B) The Page Mode part determines the cutter’s reaction to a PAGE command sent by the cutting software. The PAGE command is a command which is used to relocate the origin after a job is finished and which can take control remotely of the cutter’s automatic sheet-off feature. Sheeting-off automatically, without user intervention, is a feature which is unique to MUTOH cutting plotters and which enhances the cutter’s versatility and overall performance enormously.

A page-command looks like this: “PG;” or “Pgn;” with “n” a number in millimeters.

If the PAGE command “PG;” is sent, the cutter will automatically sheet off regardless of the Page Mode, minimizing the loss of vinyl.

If the PAGE command “Pgn;” is sent, the number mentioned after the PG command will be interpreted differently, depending on the page mode you have chosen :

�� Page Mode 0 : The number after the page command is ignored. The media will be cut 0.5 cm (0.2”) after the furthest vector and the new cutting limit will be located 0.5 cm (0.2”) from the lower media border.

�� Page Mode 1 : The new origin is located “n” millimeters beyond the last vector that was sent.

�� Page Mode 2 : The new origin is located “n” millimeters beyond the previous origin position.

A : Original origin.

B : End point last vector

C : New origin with Page Mode 1

D : New origin with Page Mode 2


Page 42 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

The SHEET-OFF / PAGE-MODE can be set as follows :

�� Using the �� JOG-keys, position the pen above the selection 5 in the menu-selection line.


�� The cutter will plot the following line:

5) SheetOff / Pgmode: On/PM0 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 43 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.




6) 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.



Page 44 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.

To change the smoothing settings, proceed as follows :




7) SMOOTHING : 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.


Remark: The cutting plotter will work significantly slower when smoothing is OFF.


Page 45 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 7 8 7 8 8 Adjustable

11. PARITY EVEN NONE EVEN NONE EVEN Adjustable

12. STOPBITS 1 1 1 1 2 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

The factory default settings are shown in Bold-face.

Please note that menu selections 9 up to 16 will only be available if the parameter USER DEFINED is selected in line 8.

When using one of the default settings, all other communication parameters will be automatically set.


Page 46 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

DEFAULT

1 DEFAULT

2 DEFAULT

3 DEFAULT

4 DEFAULT

5 BAUDRATE 9600 9600 9600 9600 9600 DATABITS 7 8 7 8 8

PARITY EVEN NONE EVEN NONE EVEN STOPBITS 1 1 1 1 2

HANDSHAKE OFF OFF X-ON X-ON OFF DTR ON ON OFF OFF ON CTS OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF RTS ON ON ON ON 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.


�� The cutter will plot the corresponding line, after which the tool head will be parked above the current setting. The factory default setting is default 4.


�� 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 47 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 MC-GL

18) Origin : 19) Plot Unit : 20) VS,AS,FS :

Center L. Right L. Left U. Right U. Left 0.025mm 0.010mm Ignore Accept

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 0.0125mm 0.025mm 1 2 0 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 No Yes 0 1 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

☞ 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 48 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

To change language settings, proceed as follows:

�� 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.


�� 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.

Finetuning your cutter MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 49 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 45º (Red cap) 30º (Yellow cap) 60º (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 50 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

ADJUSTING THE KNIFE DEPTH

Two types of high quality knife holders are available for the SC cutters.

No matter which type of knife holder you are using, adjusting the knife depth is a very important parameter when it comes to making high quality outputs. Always make sure that the knife blade protrudes enough, but not too much out of the knife holder.

1. Knife Holder 2. Vinyl 3. Backing 4. Cutting blade

TO ADJUST THE KNIFE DEPTH, PROCEED AS FOLLOWS :

STANDARD KNIFE HOLDER OPTIONAL KNIFE HOLDER WITH NONIUS 1) Hold the body (2) in one hand and

adjust the depth by using the set screw (3).

1) Loosen the base part of the cutting knife. To do this, take the base part in your left hand and twist the ring slightly.


Page 51 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

STANDARD KNIFE HOLDER OPTIONAL KNIFE HOLDER WITH NONIUS

2) Turning the set screw (3) clockwise will make the blade protrude out of the edge of the base part (1). Turning the set screw (3) counterclockwise, will retract the blade. For a first test, turn out the blade until it protrudes about 0.2mm (0.008”) out of the base part

2) Take the base part and the ring in your left hand and twist the shaft until the knife point protrudes about 0.2 mm (0.008”) out of the edge of the base part.

Tighten the ring firmly against the base part. This will prevent the cutting blade from coming loose during cutting.

3) Make a manual test-cut on a small piece of media, of the same type that you will be using. Adjust the depth until the top layer is cut completely and that you can see a slight scratch on the backing when peeling off. At no times you should be able to see a scratch at the back side of the media.

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the correct depth is obtained.


Page 52 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

FEATURES OF THE OPTIONAL KNIFEHOLDER

For some applications it might be convenient to be able to very accurately change the depth of the cutting blade. For those applications, MUTOH can provide you with an optional knife holder, featuring a nonius (vernier) with which it is possible to adjust the depth of the knife in increments of 0.01 millimeter (0.0004”)

�� 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 53 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

SETTING THE CUTTING PRESSURE / TEST SQUARES

The procedure how to adjust the cutting pressure was described in Chapter 2. Here, we merely want to point out that you have to try to cut your design with the lowest possible pressure that gives no trouble to weed. Some cast media require only 15 grams to be cut completely through. In that case there is no need to apply 100 grams of pressure. Too much pressure can cause a decrease of quality.

You can cut a small TEST SQUARE using the current force settings as follows:

�� Make sure the cutter is OFFLINE. Online LED should be OFF.

�� 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 54 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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

2

1: Cutter blade

2: Theoretical Offset

�� 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.

The selected Offset value is SMALLER than the optimum knife offset.

In this case, a square corner will be cut as follows :

In this case, a square corner will be cut as follows :

The cutting direction is indicated by the arrow. The corners are not well formed. The cutter cuts too far in the angular points.

The cutting direction is indicated by the arrow. The corners are not well formed. The cutter did not cut far enough in the angular points.


Page 55 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

OFFSET ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE

The user-friendly MUTOH offset adjustment procedure can be initiated as follows :

1) 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”).

� � � � � � � � � �

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) Press ENTER to confirm the BASE-OFFSET value. 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 56 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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 user’s choice. The factory default settings are: TOOL1 = Knife, TOOL2 = Knife, TOOL3 = Pen, TOOL4 = Pen. Please refer to selecting a tool.

1) Inaccurate offset setting may cause :

�� POOR cutting quality. �� 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 57 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

POUNCING / PUNCHING SET-UP

Your SC cutting plotter can very easily be set up to perform pouncing applications. To perform a pouncing job please proceed as follows:

1. For optimum quality, MUTOH recommends to use the optionally available soft cutting mat for punching applications. This cutting mat allows a better penetration of the pyramidically shaped punching pin.

2. You can use one of the following two methods: a) Pen-Up / Pen-Down sent by cutting software:

�� Set the tool settings to a tool of which the tool kind is set to PEN. By factory default TOOL3 and TOOL4 are defined as PEN1 and PEN2.

For more details refer to: CHAPTER 2 : CUTTER CONTROLS: Tool-Type / Toolkind selection.

�� The FORCE can be varied in the range of 15 - 500 grams.

b) Use the incorporated punching / pouncing capability:

�� In the cutter set up, set the TOOLKIND of the tool of your choice to POUNCE. The factory defaults are shown below:

1) Toolkind Tool1: Knife Pen Pounce 2) Toolkind Tool2: Knife Pen Pounce 3) Toolkind Tool3: Knife Pen Pounce 4) Toolkind Tool4: Knife Pen Pounce

For more details refer to: CHAPTER 2 : CUTTER CONTROLS: Tool-Type / Toolkind selection.

�� The POUNCING GAP can be adjusted using the OFFSET routine :

1. Press ENTER & JOG RIGHT. 2. Select the desired gap using the VALUE + /- keys.

10% 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. Confirm your choice by pressing ENTER. 4. All other settings such as speed, acceleration and force will react

similarly as for the other tool kinds.

�� The FORCE can be varied in the range of 15 - 500 grams.


Page 58 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

3. Tool Adjustment.

�� Turn the positioning screw (3) until the punching pin is about to protrude the holder.

1

32

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 59 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

PERFORMING A TEST CUT

In order to enable the user to check if the cutter is fully functional, without needing a computer, MUTOH has integrated a demo testcut into the SC series of cutters. To perform this demo cut, proceed as follows:

1) Load some vinyl ( cut-sheet or roll ) into the cutter.

2) Make sure that a tool is selected which is defined as being a knife (by default tool 1 & tool 2 are set to be knives).

3) Make sure that a knife with well adjusted depth is mounted into the tool head.

4) If you have not yet performed the offset adjustment routine for the current knife and/or vinyl, first perform this routine in order to obtain perfect quality.

5) Switch to OFFLINE MODE by pressing the ONLINE KEY. The ONLINE LED should be OFF.

6) Start the test-cut by pressing ENTER and TEST (JOG-UP �) simultaneously. The test-cut will be scaled automatically to fit the vinyl size. In case of a roll of vinyl, only the width of the roll is taken into account. The cutter assumes that there is enough media on the roll to perform a full width test cut. The user can determine the size of the testcut by adjusting the position of the pressure rolls.


Page 60 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

GENERATING A PARAMETER SETTINGS PLOT

MUTOH offers you the possibility to plot out all of your cutter’s internal information ( MACHINE TYPE, EPROM & EEPROM version ) as well as all the user definable settings such as tool speeds, accelerations, forces offset values,... .

This kind of output can be very useful to have at hand when you have to contact one of our authorised dealers or service centres in case you need support.

The plot can be performed as follows: 1) Load a sheet of A3 ( B-size) paper or larger into the cutter. 2) Verify that a tool is selected which is defined as being a pen. 3) Make sure that a pen is mounted in the tool head. 4) Switch the cutter into OFFLINE mode by pressing the ONLINE key. ONLINE LED

should be OFF. 5) Start the plot by pressing ENTER & SETTINGS ( JOG LEFT�) simultaneously.

EXAMPLE OF AN SC SERIES SETTINGS PLOT

Please notice the FORCE under Pen-Up selection is the FORCE used to perform the automatic sheet-off.

Plotter Maintenance & troubleshooting MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 61 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.

�� How to pinpoint and check out problems that might occur.

CLEANING & DAILY MAINTENANCE

Your cutting plotter, knives and pens will work better and last longer if you keep them clean and perform a few simple daily maintenance tasks.

CLEANING THE GRID ROLLS :

The figure below shows you this part of the plotter that might require your attention.

�� The pressure rollers (2) press the vinyl firmly against the friction drive rolls (5). For this reason it is possible that, after some time, the friction drive rolls (5) become clogged with accumulated residue from cutting media. This can cause slippage of the material, resulting in inaccurate cuts or incorrect vinyl transport.

�� Therefore it is a good habit to clean the drive rolls regularly.

�� To do this you can use a brush and rotate the rolls manually to make sure that they are thoroughly cleaned.


Page 62 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

CLEANING THE CUTTER BLADE Use following procedure to remove small vinyl particles in the base part of the cutting blade holder.

STANDARD KNIFE HOLDER KNIFE HOLDER WITH NONIUS

�� 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.

CLEANING THE CUTTING PLOTTER

�� Use a soft cloth to clean paper dust and particles off the platen, the grid cover the cutting mat and the carriage cover.

�� Use a cotton swab to clean the media sensors..


Page 63 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

WEAR & TEAR

Although all materials used for your cutter have been chosen to ensure good durability, it will be necessary, in order to maintain high quality output, to replace some parts, which are liable to wear and tear.

REPLACING THE CUTTING MAT :

To replace the cutting mat, proceed as follows:

Step 1 : First of all, remove the worn cutting mat by pulling it out, together with the underlying strip of vinyl.

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.

12

1) cutting mat / 2) Strip of vinyl


Page 64 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

REPLACING THE KNIFE BLADE :

To replace a blade, please proceed as follows:

STANDARD KNIFE HOLDER KNIFE HOLDER WITH NONIUS

�� Step 1: Hold the body (2) into one hand and unscrew the base part (1)

�� Step 1: Take the body into one hand and remove the base part

�� Step 2: Remove the spring (3) and the cutting blade (4).

�� Step 2: Pull the old blade out of the holder and insert a new one

�� Step 3: Slide the spring over the new cutting blade

�� Step 3: Place the base part on top of the holder assembly and twist it tightly.

�� Step 4: Place the new blade with its spring into the base part and screw the whole assembly onto the body.


Page 65 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

REPLACING THE AUTO SHEET-OFF KNIFE :

When you frequently use the auto-sheet-off utility, it is a good practice to regularly clean the knife and to replace it when it starts to wear.

To do this, proceed as follows:

1) Unscrew the ring (1), which secures the auto-sheet-off knife.

2) Take off the ring (1) and take the knife assembly (2) out of the tool head.

3) Make sure to leave the spring (3) located in the tool head into place.

4) Clean the sheet-off knife, removing any material residues that might be clogged to the blade. In case the blade is worn, use a new knife assembly to proceed.

5) Place a new (or the cleaned) knife assembly (2) into the tool head. The knife assembly has a flat side. Make sure that it is correctly oriented (flat side to the right) (see figure below). You can easily check this by trying to push the knife downward manually until it touches the cutting mat. This should be possible without any trouble.

6) Screw the ring (2) back on the tool head, over the knife assembly, to secure the knife into place.

7) Check again if the knife can be moved smoothly and if it returns into its original “up” position when you release it.


Page 66 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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.

�� Is the cutter’s cover closed? �� Is the power cable connected to the cutter ? �� Is the cutter connected to a power outlet with the specified voltage ?

2) Media is loaded, but the cutter does not operate.

�� Is the cutter’s cover closed? �� Is the media hold lever lowered ? �� Is the media properly loaded ? �� Are the paper sensors clean ?

3) Data is being sent from the computer, but the cutter does not react.

�� Is there a proper interface cable connected ? �� Is the cutter in ON-LINE mode ? �� Do the interface conditions on the host computer match those set on the cutter ?

(Chapter 3 – Communications settings).

4) Data is sent from the computer but errors occur on the cutter’s side.

�� 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 ).

5) 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 67 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

CHECKING THE COMMUNICATION SETTINGS

Communication problems are the most frequent errors which occur. Therefore we have included a step-by-step procedure to check out your configuration’s communication settings and assure that your cutter is working fine.

1) Boot-up your computer. 2) Switch on the cutter. 3) After the initialization routine is finished, install a knife or pen in the head, select the

proper tool and load a sheet of media, which is at least 12 x 12 centimeters. 4) Make sure the cutter shuffles the media and verify that the cutter is ON-LINE. 5) On the host computer go to the DOS-prompt (c:\> ).

If another environment (for example : windows) is automatically loaded after booting up, quit this application before continuing.

6) Check with which of the host computer’s communication ports your cutter is connected ( COM1, COM2, LPT1, … ) to.

7) If your computer and cutter are linked with a serial interface (COM1 or COM2), type following command. MODE COM1: 96,n,8,1,p then press <ENTER> or MODE COM2: 96,n,8,1,p then press <ENTER>

The command above will change your computer’s serial communication settings to match the cutter’s factory default communication settings.

These settings are : 9600 BAUD, NONE parity, 8 data-bits, 1 stop bit.

8) Using any text editor, create a file called TEST.PLT with the following contents: ( To start the DOS editor you can type : edit TEST.PLT <ENTER> ) IN; SP1; PA0,0; PD0,4000,4000,4000,4000,0,0,0; PU2000,2000; CI2000; SP0;


Page 68 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

9) Save this file onto a floppy or on your hard-disk. 10) Exit the text editor and return to the DOS-prompt. 11) Make sure you are in the directory where the file is located. 12) Type following command :

copy TEST.PLT COM1 f your cutter is connected to COM1 )

copy TEST.PLT COM2 f your cutter is connected to COM2 )

copy TEST.PLT LPT1 ( If your cutter is connected with the parallel printer port )

13) Then press <ENTER>. The file you have created will now be sent to the cutter, causing it to cut/draw a square of 10 by 10 cm. And a circle with a radius of 5 cm.


Page 69 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

ERROR MESSAGES

�� RECOVERABLE SYSTEM ERRORS

ERROR CODE

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

IMPOSSIBLE AUTO- ON-LINE RECOG (S02)

�

G. LANGUAGE NOT CORRESPONDING (S03)

� �

MEDIA DETECT ERROR (S05) � �

ROLL MEDIA END (S06) � �

CANNOT AUTO-CONNECT (S07) � � �

AUTO CUT ERROR (S08) �

CHANGE MEDIA (S28) � � �

KANJI ROM SUM ERROR (S29) � � � �

POSSIBLE CAUSE & SUGGESTED ACTION

S02 Communication difficulties – Check cables.

S03 Select other graphics language. (Chapter 3 - Language Settings )

S05 Media detection impossible. Too much or too little light, incorrect pressure roll position.

S06 Load a new sheet or roll.

S07 Communication difficulties – Check cables.

S08 Error during auto-sheet-off sequence. Check media and auto-cut knife.

S28 Change or reload media.


Page 70 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

�� COMMUNICATION ERRORS Communication errors are caused by a problem in the communication between the cutter and the host computer. They can be caused by errors related to the communication conditions, errors due to a defective handshake or command format errors in the ESCAPE sequences.

ERROR CODE 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

ERROR ON-LINE FRAME (C01) � �

ERROR ON-LINE OVERRUN (C02) � �

ERROR ON-LINE PARITY (C03) � � �

ERROR BIAS VALUE (C04) � �

ERROR SUM CHECK (C05) � � �

ERROR DATA BLOCK (C06) � � �

FEW PARAMETER ESC (C07) � � � �

FEW PARAMETER ESC (C08) � � �

COMMUNICATION BUSY (C09) � � �

UNDEFINED ESC (C10) � � � �

ILLEGAL ESC (C11) � � �

ERROR VALUE ESC (C12) � � � �

MANY PARAMETERS ESC (C13) � � � �

COMMUNICATION ERROR (C14) � � � � �

BUFFER OVERFLOW (C15) � �

POSSIBLE CAUSE & SUGGESTED ACTION C01 A framing error occurred. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3. C02 Overrun error. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3. C03 Parity error. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3. 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 Not enough ESC-parameters. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3. C08 Not enough ESC-parameters. Check the communication settings. Chapter 3. C09 Change the computer program to prevent the cutter from returning double data. C10 Undefined ESCAPE sequence. Check the ESCAPE command setup. C11 Illegal character used for MH-GL ESC-sequence. Check the ESCAPE command setup. C12 Illegal character in ESC-sequence parameter. Check the ESCAPE command setup. C13 Too many ESC-sequence parameters. Check the ESCAPE command setup. C14 Communication error. Restart the cutter. C15 Buffer overflow. Restart the cutter.


Page 71 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

�� 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 cutter’s 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% 100%

UNDEFINED XX (E01) � �

ERROR PARAMETER (E02) � �

ERROR VALUE (E03) � � �

UNKNOWN CHAR (E05) � � �

BUFFER OVERFLOW (E07) � � � �

POSSIBLE CAUSE & SUGGESTED ACTION

E01 Undefined MH-GL command. Verify computer and cutter language settings.

E02 Incorrect number of parameters was transmitted.

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 72 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

�� UNRECOVERABLE SYSTEM ERRORS 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% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

ERROR CODE 0 �

WATCH DOG TIME OUT �

BUS TRAP ERROR � �

ADDRESS TRAP ERROR �

ILLEGAL INSTRUCTION(MC68020) � �

ZERO DIVIDE � �

GENERAL PROCESSOR FAILURE � � �

EPROM CHECKSUM ERROR �

KANJI ROM CHECKSUM ERROR � �

SRAM FAILED I/O TEST � �

DRAM FAILED I/O TEST � � �

INTERRUPT FAILURE � �

X IS OUT OF SYNC � � �

Y IS OUT OF SYNC � � �

INPOSITION TIME OUT FOR X � � � �

INPOSITION TIME OUT FOR Y �

OVER CURRENT X � �

OVER CURRENT Y � �

X ENCODER FAILED � � �

X ENCODER FAILED � �

POSITION TIME OUT MOVING COIL � � �

POSITION TIME OUT PEN MOTOR � � �

OVER CURRENT MOVING COIL � � � �

OVER CURRENT PEN MOTOR � �

OVER FORCE MOVING COIL � � �

OVER FORCE PEN MOTOR � � �

MOVING COIL A/D FAILURE � � � �

PEN MOTOR A/D FAILURE � � �

CURRENT TIME OUT MOVING COIL � � � �


Page 73 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

ERROR CODE

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

CURRENT TIME OUT PEN MOTOR � � � �

POWER FAILURE � � � � �

DRIVER IS OVER HEATED �

FAN FAILURE � �

MEDIA BROKEN � �

Y ORIGIN NOT FOUND � � �

REFILL TANK FAILED � �

LOST HEAD � � �

1010 CPU ERROR � � �

1111 CPU ERROR � � � �

PEN CHANGE ERROR � �

EEPROM ERROR � � �

CUTTER ERROR � � �

EXTENDED RAM ERROR � � � �

Y EDGE ERROR � � �

MEDIA HANGER ERROR � � � �

X OVER LOAD ERROR � � � �

Y OVER LOAD ERROR � � � � �

UNKNOWN ERROR � �

UNKNOWN ERROR � � �

UNKNOWN ERROR � � �

INTERLOCK ERROR � � � �

MOVING COIL ENCODER FAILURE � � �

PEN MOTOR ENCODER FAILURE � � � �

DRIVER FAILURE � � � �

ILLEGAL MAIN BOARD REVISION � � � � �

ILLEGAL PANEL BOARD REVISION � � �

MAINBOARD TYPE ERROR � � � �

ILLEGAL OPTIONAL I/F BOARD REVISION

� � � �

UNKNOWN OPTIONAL I/F BOARD � � � � �

ILLEGAL MECHANICAL REVISION � � � �

MECHANICAL TYPE ERROR � � � � �

XY CONNECT FAILED � � � � �

PROM TYPE MISMATCH �

EEPROM IS NOT RESPONDING � �


Page 74 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

Media Compatibility & Dimensions MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 75 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

CHAPTER 6 SC SERIES CUTTING PLOTTERS -

MEDIA COMPATIBILITY & DIMENSIONS

SC SERIES CUTTING PLOTTERS: MEDIA COMPATIBILITY

SC-650 � Desktop Model (Stand available) � Maximum Media width: 750 mm Roll / 850 mm Cut-Sheet � Maximum cutting width : 630 mm

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

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

�� SC plotter unit with roll support system, 2 conveyor rolls and small

guiding flanges �� Cutting plotter stand (optional for SC-650) �� Mutoh SC Series User guide �� Knife holder with pre-mounted cutting blade �� Set of 2 spare cutting blades + spring �� Set of 2 water-based fibre tip pens �� Spare cutting mat �� Power Cord �� RS-232 interface cable

Media Compatibility & Dimensions MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 76 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS SC SERIES

SC-650 SC-1000 SC-1300

Length 1205 1605 1775

Width 535 (DT�) / 670 670 670

Height 335 (DT�) / 1175 1175 1175

Weight 35 kg 42 kg 45 kg

�Desk-Top model : All dimensions are given in millimetres.

Index MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 77 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

INDEX

- 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

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

Index MUTOH SC Series Cutting Plotters User’s Guide

Page 78 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

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

MUTOH SC Series Special & Hidden Functions: Overview

Page 79 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

KEY / SWITCH COMBINATION

��User Language English �� Imperial Units

��User Language German ��Metric Units

��User Language French ��Metric Units

��User Language English ��Metric Units

��Reserved for Future Use ��Metric Units

Reset to Factory Defaults

Set-Up Sheet

Settings Plot

Demo Cut With Auto Scaling

Offset Adjustment Routine


Page 80 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

KEY / SWITCH COMBINATION

Start REPLOT RESET & CLEAR BUFFER

ORIGIN

ALIGNMENT


Page 81 AP-75025 Rev 1.1. - 10/12/01

Documents

Manual Mutoh