HP 54 Basic Cutter User Manual

HP 54 Basic Cutter User Manual

Latex cutter series

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HP Latex Cutter Series
User Guide

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Summary of Contents for HP 54 Basic Cutter

  • Page 1 HP Latex Cutter Series User Guide...
  • Page 2 Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered L.P. change without notice. trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Adjust cutting parameters ..............................18 Perform length calibration ..............................20 Change the user ..................................21 4 Cut the substrate ....................................23 Introduction ..................................... 23 HP barcode ....................................23 Automate tasks ..................................23 Job types ....................................26 Calibrations ..................................... 26 Change the origin ................................... 27 Extended load ..................................
  • Page 4 Cutting quality is not satisfactory ............................47 Substrate is drifting and you have tracking issues ......................47 Substrate jams ..................................47 Cutter cannot detect HP barcode or registration marks ....................48 8 Accessories ......................................49 Order accessories ................................... 49 Set the tool type ..................................50 9 Specifications ......................................
  • Page 5: Introduction

    Introduction Welcome to your cutter ● Cutter models ● Documentation ● Safety precautions ● Main cutter components ● Turn the cutter on and off ● Connect the cutter to a computer ● Front panel ● ENWW...
  • Page 6: Welcome To Your Cutter

    Your cutter is a drag-knife contour cutter designed to cut flexible substrates accurately. Some major features of the cutter are shown below: Optical Positioning System (OPOS X) and HP Barcode System for precise and unattended cutting ● Different cutting modes, with the ability to cut completely through some substrates ●...
  • Page 7: Safety Precautions

    This equipment is not suitable for use in locations where children are likely to be present. General safety guidelines There are no operator-serviceable parts inside the cutter except those covered by HP's Customer Self ● Repair program (see http://www.hp.com/go/selfrepair/). Refer servicing of other parts to qualified service personnel.
  • Page 8 Do not use a power strip (relocatable power tap) to connect the power cord. Use only the power cord supplied by HP with the cutter. Do not use a damaged power cord. Do not use the ●...
  • Page 9: Main Cutter Components

    Warnings and cautions The following symbols are used in this manual to ensure the proper use of the cutter and to prevent the cutter from being damaged. Follow the instructions marked with these symbols. WARNING! Failure to follow the guidelines marked with this symbol could result in serious personal injury or death.
  • Page 10: Front View

    Front view Pinch roller (the number of rollers depends on the model) Front panel Pinch roller lever Substrate drive sleeves (the number of sleeves depends on the model) Tool carriage and OPOS sensor Cutting strip Substrate sensor Screws to secure the cutter base Substrate basket Chapter 1 Introduction ENWW...
  • Page 11: Rear View

    Rear view Pinch rollers Pinch roller lever Fuse box Power on/off switch AC power socket USB port LAN port Screws to secure the cutter base Casters Substrate basket Roll guide bushes ENWW Main cutter components...
  • Page 12: Turn The Cutter On And Off

    Ensure that you have administrative rights on the computer, and that User Account Control is deactivated or set to its lowest level. Click Install USB driver, and wait for the driver to install. The HP FlexiPrint and Cut RIP is also installed automatically.
  • Page 13: Front Panel

    Keep fingers and other body parts away from the cutting area, where there are hazardous moving parts. Keys ● Press to reach the most common menu items quickly. ● Press to read the HP barcode. ● The use of the arrow keys , and depends on the context and what appears on the screen. ●...
  • Page 14: Useful Links

    When you need help In most countries, support is provided by HP support partners (usually the company that sold you the product). If this is not the case in your country, contact HP Support on the Web as shown above.
  • Page 15 HP's Customer Self Repair program offers our customers the fastest service under either warranty or contract. It enables HP to ship replacement parts directly to you (the end user) so that you can replace them. Using this program, you can replace parts at your own convenience.
  • Page 16: Load The Substrate

    Load the substrate IMPORTANT: You are strongly recommended to load the substrate before preparing the job on the computer. The loading process is the same, whether the job is a print-and-cut job or just a cut job. You can load both rolls and sheets of substrate into the cutter. Sheets can be loaded from the front or the rear; rolls must be loaded from the rear.
  • Page 17 Position the left substrate edge on the leftmost drive sleeve and check that the right substrate edge is positioned over the long drive sleeve. NOTE: If you have the HP 54 Basic Cutter, load the substrate as shown in the table below. ENWW...
  • Page 18 HP 54 Basic Cutter loading positions Position Substrate width in mm (inches) Margin width in mm (inches) 1372 (54) 24 (1.0) 1220 (48) 23 (0.9) 1000 (40) 23 (1.2) 914 (36) 25 (1.0) 762 (30) 21 (0.8) 610 (24) 20 (0.8) 500 (20) 23 (1.1)
  • Page 19 Position the left substrate edge on the leftmost drive sleeve and check that the right substrate edge is positioned over the long drive sleeve. NOTE: If you have the HP 54 Basic Cutter, load the substrate as shown in HP 54 Basic Cutter loading positions on page...
  • Page 20: Position The Pinch Rollers

    Position the pinch rollers over the drive sleeves about 3 to 15 mm (0.1 to 0.6 in) away from the substrate’s outer edges (1). Lower the pinch-roller lever to press the substrate firmly against the drive sleeves. After one second the tool carriage automatically moves from right to left to measure the usable substrate width.
  • Page 21: Calibrate The Substrate

    Calibrate the substrate Substrate calibration ensures that the sensor is able to recognize the HP barcode and the markers. OPOS is calibrated at the factory to work on a wide range of substrates. However, certain substrates—such as those with a high gloss, or translucents—may not work with the default settings.
  • Page 22: Adjust Cutting Parameters

    IMPORTANT: In most cases, substrate calibration is not recommended for OPOS. If you perform the calibration and results do not improve, reset the substrate calibration value to its default setting of 30 (see below). Turn on the cutter and load the substrate with the calibration plot. Press Press .
  • Page 23 WARNING! Each icon below can initiate an internal test or movement of the head or substrate. Keep fingers and other body parts away from the cutting area, where there are hazardous moving parts. Press Press . Current knife pressure appears on the screen. Press again.
  • Page 24: Perform Length Calibration

    Set the cutting speed The speed at which the tool moves is determined by four different parameters: speed and acceleration while the tool is down; speed and acceleration while the tool is up. These four parameters have been represented by just one parameter so that you can change the speed quickly and easily.
  • Page 25: Change The User

    Press . System setup appears on the screen. Press Press to scroll through the menu until you reach Calibrations. Press Press to scroll through the menu until you reach Cal. length. Press Press again. The cutter reloads the substrate and starts the length calibration. Take out the substrate and measure the length of the cut line.
  • Page 26 Change parameter values for a user Turn on the cutter. Press Press . System setup appears on the screen. Press Press to scroll through the menu until you reach Configuration. Press Press to scroll through the menu until you reach User. Press Press again.
  • Page 27: Cut The Substrate

    HP barcode The HP barcode is the group of elements printed on the substrate to be cut, that allow the OPOS sensor to identify what cuts should be made and where.
  • Page 28 The complete procedure is normally started from the computer. The cutting software usually has a button or a command called Scan a barcode. First make sure the substrate is loaded. Using the arrows, place the carriage before the HP barcode. Chapter 4 Cut the substrate...
  • Page 29 If there are different jobs on the same sheet or roll, with different justifications, the carriage should be placed as shown below. You can start the procedure from the computer or from the cutter’s front panel. ENWW Automate tasks...
  • Page 30: Job Types

    When you start a direct-cut job, the cutter will start to cut immediately, so make sure you have the substrate loaded before sending it to cut. Print-and-cut jobs include an HP barcode as part of the print. This is read by the OPOS to find out where the cuts should be made. See...
  • Page 31: Change The Origin

    NOTE: Although the OPOS sensor has been calibrated in the factory, HP recommends doing a test to determine how well the factory-set parameters work with the materials you are using. If the accuracy is not satisfactory, then do the OPOS calibration.
  • Page 32: Cut Types

    Cut types The cutter is designed to make two kinds of cut: Kiss cut: This cuts only the substrate, and not the liner ● Cut through (called FlexCut in the cutter’s front panel): This cuts all the way through the substrate and liner. ●...
  • Page 33 Change the OPOS settings manually Turn on the cutter. Press Press . System setup appears on the screen. Press Press to scroll through the menu until you reach Configuration. Press Press to scroll through the menu until you reach OPOS parameters. Press Press to choose the parameter to be changed or checked.
  • Page 34 Cut through The cutting-through functionality is focused on cutting simple shapes (such as rectangles). It is mostly used in combination with contour cutting. An interrupted cutting line (with small bridges) enables the substrate to stay together. When the job is finished, the cut pieces can be torn out.
  • Page 35 Check that the result is satisfactory. If not, change one of the above parameters. Reducing the velocity can improve the result. You are recommended never to use cutting speeds greater than 400 mm/s (16 ips) with cutting pressures above 170 g. NOTE: It is not always easy to find the correct balance between cutting deep enough (ensuring that the pieces can be taken out easily) and not cutting too deep (ensuring that the substrate keeps its strength...
  • Page 36: Detailed Operation Of The Cutter

    Detailed operation of the cutter Introduction This chapter contains a detailed list of all parameters that can be changed and tests that can be initiated from the cutter’s front panel. The commonly used front-panel operations have already been described in this guide. This chapter may be used as a reference to locate a particular parameter setting or test, including the less frequently used items.
  • Page 37 ENWW Introduction...
  • Page 38: Main Menu

    Main menu Pressure Pressure is preceded by its tool name. This parameter is explained in Set knife depth and pressure on page Knife offset This parameter is explained in Change the drag knife offset on page Pounce gap This parameter applies to an optional accessory. The pouncing gap submenu is used to set or modify the distance between the pounced holes.
  • Page 39: System Setup

    There are five typical FlexCut parameters: Full pressure: This parameter determines full pressure, used during FlexCut mode. ● Full pressure cut length: This parameter determines the length that is cut with full pressure, usually the ● length that will be cut all the way through. Flex pressure cut length: This parameter determines the length that will be cut with reduced pressure or ●...
  • Page 40 Media alignment Align load is a special loading procedure to register markers, so that pre-printed jobs can be contour-cut. This parameter is explained in Register the markers on page Settings Velocity This menu groups all the parameters that affect the throughput of the cutter. The velocity and acceleration settings are explained in Set the cutting speed on page Overcut...
  • Page 41 TurboCut TurboCut increases throughput by speeding up the drag movement but without raising the overall speed of the cutter. The cutting time reduction is significant, especially when cutting small, detailed designs. However, some thicker materials may not cut well with this feature turned on. Press the TurboCut button, then use to activate or deactivate TurboCut.
  • Page 42 Calibrate media Substrate calibration helps the sensor to recognize the markers. It is explained in Calibrate the substrate on page Calibrate length Length calibration allows the length of the cut lines to be adjusted within specifications. For instance, if a cut line should measure 100 mm exactly, the cutter can be adjusted for any discrepancy.
  • Page 43: Media Sensor

    Press . Use to select the units of measurement. Press to confirm or to cancel. The default units are chosen when the cutter is turned on for the first time. Firmware revision This option allows you to view the cutter’s firmware version number, which is often helpful to technicians when diagnosing problems over the telephone.
  • Page 44 The cutter stops during the loading procedure or while it is cutting as soon as the rear sensor detects the end of the substrate. Press . Use to turn the sensor On or Off. Press to confirm or to cancel. The sensor is On by default.
  • Page 45: Maintenance

    Maintenance Clean cutter surfaces The cutter has a number of sliding surfaces, made of smooth metals and plastics. They are virtually friction-free and require no lubrication. They will, however, collect dust and lint that may affect the cutter’s performance. Keep the cutter as clean as possible by using a dust cover.
  • Page 46: Clean The Substrate Sensor

    Clean the substrate sensor Over time, the substrate sensor may become dirty with accumulated residue from the substrate, which may cause the cutter to malfunction. Clean the sensor by wiping it with a cotton swab. Clean the Y-guide rail There are two V-shaped areas on the Y-guide rail on which the tool carriage slides from left to right. The areas are on the top and on the bottom of the front of the Y guide.
  • Page 47: Replace The Knife

    Replace the knife WARNING! The cutter uses razor-sharp knives. To avoid serious injury, be careful when installing, removing, or handling the knife. Remove the drag knife Loosen the head clamp screw (1), swing the clamp arm back, and remove the knife holder from the clamp (2).
  • Page 48 Insert the knife holder into the head clamp and push it all the way down (1). Tighten the clamp screw (2). WARNING! Take care not to cut yourself. After installing a new knife, you should set the knife offset (see below) and recalibrate the OPOS sensor (see Calibrate the OPOS sensor on page 48).
  • Page 49: Change The Fuse

    IMPORTANT: Do not turn off the cutter during the firmware update process. Ensure that you have HP Cutter Control installed. It is installed automatically during Print and Cut setup; if you have uninstalled it, you can download and reinstall it.
  • Page 50 In HP Cutter Control, search for the cutter. The application searches the LAN by default; if that fails, you can connect by USB cable. The cutter details should appear in the Machine Info screen. Click Actions > Upgrade firmware. Download the firmware update file.
  • Page 51: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting Cutting quality is not satisfactory Perform the confidence test, and check whether quality issues are also visible in this internal test. If not, perhaps the problem is in the file. Perform the knife pressure test, and replace knife if it is worn out. For regular vinyl, the knife pressure should be around 60–80 g for kiss cutting.
  • Page 52: Cutter Cannot Detect Hp Barcode Or Registration Marks

    Your jobs may be too long, causing problems in the basket. Try dividing jobs into shorter segments, such as one-meter panels. Cutter cannot detect HP barcode or registration marks Ensure that you position the cutting head correctly when the cutter prompts you to do so. Carefully read the instructions on the cutter’s screen when starting a cutting job.
  • Page 53: Accessories

    This kit contains five blades and a cutting strip. HP Latex 2-in Media Holder Kit HP Latex 2-in Media Holders are available for loading rolls of substrate. This kit contains a set of two holders, one for each side of the substrate roll.
  • Page 54: Set The Tool Type

    NOTICE: The cutter will perform as specified only if a genuine HP tool is installed. Do not replace the standard knife with products from other manufacturers. Turn on the cutter.
  • Page 55: Specifications

    Specifications Cutter dimensions HP 54 Basic Cutter HP Latex 54 Cutter HP Latex 64 Cutter Height 1145 mm (45.1 in) 1145 mm (45.1 in) Width 1750 mm (68.9 in) 1980 mm (77.9 in) Depth 680 mm (26.8 in) 680 mm (26.8 in)
  • Page 56: Performance

    30 mm (1.2 in) Margin to cut off 30 mm (1.2 in) HP 54 Basic Cutter, HP Latex 54 and 64 Cutters Tracking performance Up to 8 m (26 ft) within guaranteed specifications for substrates less than 762 mm (30 in) wide...
  • Page 57: Firmware

    Firmware Language DM/PL, HP-GL (758x emulation), HP-GL/2 Supported character sets Standard ASCII Supported fonts Sans serif (single stroke and medium) ROM-based plots Confidence plot, DIN plot Environment These specifications are for the cutter without substrate. Operating temperature 15 to 35°C (59 to 95°F) Storage temperature −30 to 70°C (−22 to 158°F)
  • Page 58: Index

    18 substrate calibration 17 components of cutter 5 knife replacement 43 support services connection to a computer 8 HP Customer Care 10 Customer Care 10 labels, warning 5 Customer Self Repair 11 LAN connection 8 cut through 28...

This manual is also suitable for:

Latex 54 cutterLatex 64 cutter

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