Cutting Small Characters; Cutting Small Characters (Under -In.) - Ioline SmarTrac I/S Series User Manual

5. Lower Acceleration. Using the Ioline Control Center, set Accel-
eration to 0.5 g or less. Lower acceleration will help with overall
accuracy, especially in the transition between Frames.
6. Use Autoloop. Autoloop will gently pull a set amount of mate-
rial from the roll. This helps the material feed into the cutter
more accurately and keeps it from "jerking" from the roll.
Autoloop also helps to set up the drive track in the backing of
the material, which helps keep the material aligned. Autoloop
is enabled in the Control Center. Set Autoloop to ON and set
the Loop Size to the default of 30 inches. Setting the Panel
Size in the design making software to the same length as the
Loop Size might help tracking accuracy. If Autoloop is OFF,
maintain a service loop of material behind the cutter to prevent,
"jerking," material from the roll.
7. Speed. Set the Speed knob to 50 percent or less. Moving the
material at a slower speed helps to keep it more stable and
prevents it from kinking or buckling.
8. Force and Blade Depth. Incorrect cutting Force and Blade
Depth can cause misalignment problems over the range of a
long plot. If the Force is too high, the material may skew. If the
Blade Depth is set too deep, it could cut all the way through
the material and/or cause the material to become jammed un-
der the blade.
9. Let the software help. Use the Automatic Sorting, Ordering or
Contour Ordering feature in the design software (some soft-
ware programs automatically handle this process). This will
reduce the number of time consuming back and forth and side
to side movements. Wear on the material backing (as well as
the material itself) is decreased, which will improve tracking.
The more complex the file, the more difficult the problem.
10. Use the Paneling feature in the design software. Paneling will
restrict the length of any X-axis move. Ioline suggests a Panel
Size of 10 to 20 inches. With most design making software,
the Paneling feature allows the placement of a panel between
characters.
Cutting Small Characters (Under
For cutting small characters or intricate detail in various material, it
is necessary for the cutter to be calibrated properly and to make sure
the pinchwheels are spaced correctly. Also, some of the system set-
tings should be adjusted to achieve more accurate detailed cutting.
This is done by making changes in the Ioline Control Center and by
adjusting the dial controls on the front panel. The following is a list
of adjustments that should be made:
1. Lower Force. The lowest blade force possible is the best for
small, detailed cutting. Start by making test cuts with one
quarter Force. Gradually increase the Force until the material is
completely cut.
2. Slower Speed. The Speed knob should be set halfway or less.
3. Foot Adjustment. After setting the lowest cutting Force, adjust
the Foot downward until the cut is not complete, then back
it up just enough to get a complete cut. Since some Force is
/ -in.)
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Chapter 2: Operation 37