I have one client who requires all they delivery vehicles to be done in reflective vinyl. Some of the graphics are almost the full length of the truck, and when doing long runs with reflective the material can start to drift a bit.
The solution I found was as follows. Set up the pinch rollers as normal (appx.1/4" in from the edges) Hit the setup button to allow the cutting head to sense where the rollers are. Before cutting, lift the pinch rollers and move them inboard a bit more. The machine thinks they are in the original position, but if the material drifts too far, there is less likelihood of drifting right off the rollers.
Also, If I have 4 or 5 long stripes nested, I will cut them one at a time. Less chance of major drift running back and forth several times.
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
That ees a good teep mohn, but what sort of cutter will let you do that?
Along those lines, I did something recently that really helps long cuts. I took a metal shelf bracket deal and clamped it to the table that my cutter is on (the one "arm" sticks straight up in the air). I carefully positioned it so that I use it as one of the two alignment points to get the vinyl straight before I clamp down the rollers. It took a few re-adjustments, while rolling the vinyl back and forth in the machine, but once positioned, I haven't needed to move it.
10 foot long cuts are fairly easy now. Not long compared to what some of you folks do, but I used to struggle with 6 foot long cuts.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
James..mine is a Roland.
Posted by Joanna Barnett (Member # 6544) on :
WOW Thanks Dave.. i have had that problem way more then once! I have a big reflective job this week and i'll try it out! I'm sick of pullin my hair out.. this may solve the problem of becoming bold!! I also Run a Roland Gx-24
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
I'm not one for telling lies but I fib to my equipment all the time. "Lying to the Roland" is a standard part of every setup around here and everyone knows what the term means. We let the machine do its little thing and then we move the pinch rollers in.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
I find that with Flexi, and I assume most programs, I can tell it to cut all the long stuff insegments of any length I select. I can define that I want it cut in 24" lengths and the cutter does the first 24", then the next and so on until completed and I don't see any lap cuts.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Rick, where's the setting for that option, please?
