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Anyone use a Summa with this feature? I've got a T750 that I'm trying to contour cut with. I've followed the instruction sheet (well, CD) to the letter (no pun) and it's still giving me error messages (sensor marking not recognized). Can anyone shed some light on what I might be doing wrong? Thanks!
Rick
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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well we do not have a summa, but we have an ultima. When we get an error, EPOS error, it is generally due to the print either not being long enough, past the cut area or the ends of the material being out of square with the cut lines. humm that sounds confusing...... but we usually fix the error by re-cutting the edges straight.
just my 2 cents
-------------------- Tom Davis Hilltop Graphics 41665 Fenwick Street Leonardtown, MD 20650 Posts: 39 | From: MD | Registered: Nov 2005
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I have a Summa plotter very similar to yours. I often have trouble getting the marks recognized. I'm guessing that you laminated the print with a gloss laminate.
I've found that gloss laminates drive the OPOS sensor nutz! What I do to combat the problem is one of two things. ONE: I put some flat Scotch tape over each mark and rub it down very well. Or TWO: I take some clear, flat Krylon spray paint and give each mark a shot of flat spray. Usually I can do this and stay outside of the live image area that I need for the job.
The marks will usually be recognized after one of these two treatments (assuming it's the gloss laminate that is the problem).
-------------------- Jim McLain McLain Studios 1203 Main Street Asbury Park, NJ 07712 jlm@mclainstudios.com Posts: 42 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Aug 2004
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It's not the gloss of the laminate, its the UV blocking. The lazer used (red) can't see throught the UV blocking in the laminate to find the marks. The only solution is to not laminate over the area near the marks or buy one of their newer plotters that use a white lazer.
If your really having problems give Summa tech a call, real people answer the phone and they can actually help!
Mark
-------------------- Mark Sheflo Renton, Washington A-Squared Signs, LLC Posts: 145 | From: Renton, Washington | Registered: Feb 2003
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Ah! Interesting thought. I'm just playing with some decals for a local baseball team to put on their helmets, so at the moment what I'm using is not laminated. But it is glossy, so James, you may be correct there. I'll try that trick with the tape. Mark, interesting about the UV trick. I never thought about the wavelength being blocked - I'll have to call Summa to see if older models (heck, it's only a couple years!) can be retrofitted with the newer color laser. Thanks!
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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It may well be the UV blocking in a laminate, but I have yet to fail using the "tape trick". So speaking from hands-on practical experience I would say that it's not JUST the UV blocking since the UV blocking would still occur with the tape. I've successfully used my OPOS through Dupont's Tedlar which is one of the absolute best UV Blocking laminates available (one of the most expensive as well).
I did check to see if my older Summa could be retrofitted with a new laser and sadly it cannot.
So I guess the Scotchtape dispenser is going to be a living next to my plotter for quite some time.
By the way Rick, make sure you carefully place the tape so that the mark is in the center of the tape. The OPOS needs a little room to "dance" around while looking for the mark. If it comes to the edge of the tape, it will read the edge of the tape where it returns to the gloss as the mark and you will still fail.
As I mentioned above, rubbing down the tape is important too. My OPOS will read any slight air pocket or uneven application of the tape as the mark. I'm guessing yours will too.
The name of the game is no gloss and uniformity of appearance around the mark.
-------------------- Jim McLain McLain Studios 1203 Main Street Asbury Park, NJ 07712 jlm@mclainstudios.com Posts: 42 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Aug 2004
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Bummer about the upgrade. Once it's out of warranty, though, anything is fair game to fool with! That's what I was wondering about the OPOS - it does it's little dance, then gives me the error. I thought I might have to have the registration markers closer together. I'm going to give the tape trick a try tomorrow if I get time. Thanks, Jim!
Rick
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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If it finds the first mark easily and is doing the dance in the area around the 2nd mark and just not finding the it, it could be that you have not loaded the material pefectly straight.
When I load my Summa, I use one of the contour lines on the metal frame as a guide to position the marks (if I were in my shop I would upload a photo for you). I try to set the front two marks pefectly on the same contour line in the metal frame. I pull the media out enough to put the left mark on what I think is the contour line. Then I use my finger to push the vinyl down and bend it a bit to make sure the edge of the mark is on a contour line. I do the same thing with the right mark. If both marks are on the same contour line, then the media should be loaded almost pefectly square. I then engage the pinch roller lever to lock the material in place.
This helps OPOS greatly. If the media is nice and square, OPOS generally comes very very close to the 2nd mark on the first try. Very little "dancing" to find it.
You might also want to check your printer. I believe all printers today are friction fed devices and without calibration prone to error. If you print out a 4 foot image, is it really 4 feet? I'm referring here to the dimension along the material feed axis. Normally the print head axis is very accurate. It's the feed direction axis that usually needs calibration. There is a limiited amount of error that OPOS will tolerate. I once had a printer that was off by about a half inch every 4 feet and OPOS would never find the marks! Once I calibrated the printer and a 4 foot print was a 4 foot print not a 47.5" print OPOS was happy again.
-------------------- Jim McLain McLain Studios 1203 Main Street Asbury Park, NJ 07712 jlm@mclainstudios.com Posts: 42 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Aug 2004
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It's hard to tell. I'll place the sensor over the first registration mark, as directed by the machine, it'll do it's dance on the mark, then advance the material forward by about 4" and dance again in widening circles. That's when I get the error. But according to the manual I don't need to have a mark that close to the first. It must be the cutting software as well - I'm not using the Summa software, but CoCut, and it does not have a provision for finding and entering the registration mark spacing. That may very well be the problem, since the manual is assuming the user is utilizing Summa cutting programs.
Rick
[ March 18, 2007, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: Rick Milne ]
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Call Summa! They support their plotters (ANY of their plotters, not just the ones bought directly from them....second hand, third hand, bought at an auction....ANY) and understand how it works with most software out there. They used to sell their plotters with Co-Cut so this problem should be a no brainer for them.
Mark
-------------------- Mark Sheflo Renton, Washington A-Squared Signs, LLC Posts: 145 | From: Renton, Washington | Registered: Feb 2003
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