Vision MaxPro Operation Manual

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Vision MaxPro

Operations Manual

Vision Engraving & Routing Systems

17621 N. Black Canyon Hwy.

Phoenix, AZ 85023

www.visionengravers.com

Table of Contents

Summary of Contents for Vision MaxPro

Page 1 Vision MaxPro Operations Manual Vision Engraving & Routing Systems 17621 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85023 www.visionengravers.com...
Page 2 Vision MaxPro © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems (A division of Western Engravers Supply, Inc.) All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without the written permission of the publisher.
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Windows XP ................................. Windows 2000 ................................. Windows 98 ................................. Configuring the Software ........................... 20 Installing Job Server ................................Installing Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT ................................Configuring Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT ................................Table setup ........................... 46 T-Slot table ................................Vice ................................Rotary ................................
Page 4 Vision MaxPro Multiple Plates ................................Scanning and Graphic editing ................................Creating Custom Vision Pro Drivers ................................Part IV Maintenance Lubrication ........................... 180 Changing the Motor Belt ........................... 184 Draining and Cleaning the Water Resevoir ........................... 185 Cleaning the vice rail and lead screw ...........................
Page 5 Chapter...
Page 6: Part I Before You Begin
About This Manual This Manual is designed to provide you with information about the "Multi Axis Professional Engraver" or "Vision Jeweler" machine (referred to as the MaxPro in this manual), beginning with unpacking the machine, setup, operations and maintaining the machine. Some previous knowledge of engraving terms and the engraving process is assumed.
Page 7: Unpacking And Taking Inventory
In the event of apparent external damage, notify your shipping carrier upon receipt, and call your sales representative or Vision immediately. Note: The shipping container is considered reusable and should be stored for use in the event of service need or upgrade.
Page 8: Specifications
Check to see that all of the items are included. Should any of the contents be missing, damaged, or of the incorrect type, please call your sales representative or Vision immediately. If the Vision Platinum Jewelry package was purchased, the items below are included also in addition to the items above. Ø1 Computer (Desktop or Laptop) Ø1 Scanner...
Page 9 110 or 220 volts, 10 amp Laser pointer: 640 nanometers, <.5 milliwatts Water system: Self contained, recirculating pump (for engraving glass) Overall Dimensions: 26 1/2” Tall x 28“ Wide x 28” Deep (673 mm x 711 mm x 711 mm) © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 10 Vision MaxPro Shipping dimensions: 41" x 33" x 39.5" (1041mm x 838mm x 1003mm) Machine weight: 150 lbs. Shipping weight: 325 lbs. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 11 Chapter...
Page 12: Part Ii Configuration
1. Make sure to tighten the two table cable tightening screws shown. Caution: Do not over tighten these screws. Connect the remaining cables per figure 2.2 below. A description of each connection is below. (Figure 2.2) The Vision Serial Controller connections © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 13 7. Number 7 in figure 2.2 is the AC fuse holder. If this fuse were to blow, replace it with a 10 amp slow blow fuse. 8. Number 8 in figure 2.2 is the on/off power switch. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 14: Configuring The Pc
PC. The IP address will need to be manually entered into the Vision controller. To do this, follow the steps below: 1. Turn the MaxPro on. After a few seconds, the machine will boot up.
Page 15: Through A Network
Using a Serial Connection If you cannot connect the Vision controller to the PC through a network connection, you can use a serial connection. Connect the 9 pin female to 9 pin female null modem cable from the Vision controller to your computers serial port shown in figure 2.3.
Page 16: Configuring Windows
When using a network connection through a network server, there is no configuration required with the PC so you can skip this section. If you are connecting the Vision controller directly to the PC using a network connection, you must configure the Windows© network settings.
Page 17 Configuration 5. Highlight the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on Properties. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 18 Vision MaxPro 6. Select “Use the following IP address:”. Enter the numbers shown below for the IP address and Subnet mask. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 19: Windows 2000
7. Click OK and the click Close. Windows 2000 1. Right click on My Network Places from the Windows© desktop and go to Properties. 2. Right mouse click on the Network Connection in the right side and select Properties. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 20 Vision MaxPro 3. Highlight the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on Properties. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 21 Configuration 4. Select “Use the following IP address:”. Enter the numbers shown below for the IP address and Subnet mask. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 22: Windows 98
Vision MaxPro 5. Click OK and the click Close. Windows 98 1. Right click on Network Neighborhood and go to Properties. 2. Highlight TCP/IP and click on Properties. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 24: Configuring The Software
Configuring the Software Installing Job Server The job server program is required to run jobs with the Vision controller. To install the job server program, follow the steps below. IMPORTANT: You must have administrative privileges on the PC that you are installing the Vision Job Server program on. If not, the program will not install properly.
Page 25 Configuration 3. Select Job Server - Series 3 Controller and MaxPro and click Next . 4. From the Welcome screen, click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 26 Vision MaxPro 6. Select the default destination folder or select a different one and click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 27 Configuration 7. Select the installation type. Most users will select typical and click Next . 8. Select the default program file name or select a different one and click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 28 Vision MaxPro 9. Click Next from the start copying files screen. 10.Select OK from the information screen. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 29 11.Make sure that the MaxPro machine is powered on and select Add . 12. NOTE: When using Windows XP with service pack 2 or higher, the following message may appear the first time that a machine is added. Select Unblock to continue. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 30 14.The MaxPro should be detected through the network connection and shown in the Connection Name above. If you have multiple Vision systems or MaxPro machines connected on your network or PC, multiple machines will be shown in the screen below.
Page 31 Configuration 15.Select Close . 16.Select Finish . The Job Server program is now installed. Please skip items 17 through 23 and proceed to the next section. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 32 Vision MaxPro 17.If the MaxPro is connected to a serial port instead of a network, continue here. 18.Select Don't detect my Machine Tool; I will select it from a list" and click Next. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 33 Configuration 19.Select Default Machine and click Next . 20.Enter a name for your MaxPro and select the Communications Port that the machine is connected to. Click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 34 Vision MaxPro 21.Click Finish . 22.Select Close . 23.Select Finish . The Job Server program is now installed. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 35: Installing Vision Pro/Vision Pro Lt
Configuration Installing Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT The Vision Pro or Vision Pro LT program is used to create the jobs that are to be engraved. To install the Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT program, follow the steps below. Note: You must have administrative privileges on the PC that you are installing the Vision Job Server program on.
Page 36 4. If this is a new installation, please make sure that the Engraving Fonts is selected in the Select Files screen below and click NEXT . 5. Use the default folder name or select a different one and click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 37 7. Select the type of Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT security device included with the software package. The standard is a USB type security device. Click Next . 8. Select the type of Vision Pro software to be installed. This is typically either Vision Pro or © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 38 Vision MaxPro Vision Pro LT. Click Next . 9. Select Next on the welcome screen. 10.Read the license agreement and click I accept the terms of the license agreement and click Next to accept. Please note that you must agree with the license agreement to continue.
Page 39 Configuration 1. Select the default destination folder or select a different one and click Next . 11.Select Full Installation . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 40 Vision MaxPro 12.Select the default program file name or select a different one and click Next . 13.Select Yes, I would like to upgrade or install new cutting devices and click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 41 14.Select the Vision MaxPro drivers on the left side of the screen. Putting a check mark in the Vision Max Pro on the left side of the screen will install all of the MaxPro drivers on the right side of the screen. Select Next .
Page 42 18.Click Yes if you would like to install the 1100 outline fonts or No if you would not like to install them. These are not necessary fonts unless you require an outline font. They can be installed at a later time if required. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 43 19.Click OK to complete the font installation. 20.Select Yes, I want to restart my computer now and click Finish . 21.The computer will now restart. Vision Pro or Vision Pro LT is now installed completely. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 44: Configuring Vision Pro/Vision Pro Lt
Vision MaxPro Configuring Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT The Vision Pro software needs to be configured to output jobs to the MaxPro before it can be used. The configuration setting is different depending on how the MaxPro machine is connected to your PC. Their are three different configuration possibilities listed below. They are also found in the "Configuring the PC"...
Page 45 With the MaxPro Inside Ring driver highlighted, click the Port tab at the top of the screen. Change the Port Location to TCPIP raw by clicking the down arrow to the right of the port location. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 46 "Configuring the PC" section of this document. This will typically be assigned by a network administrator. The value in the Port window will always be set to 23. Click the Apply button. Next, change the Port Location back to File and click Apply. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 47 Configuration 3 The MaxPro connects to the PC through a serial cable. In this configuration, start Vision Pro by clicking on the desktop Vision Pro icon. Click OK on the plate size screen that appears. Go to the Engrave, Engraving Defaults menu item.
Page 48 Vision MaxPro Click the Setup icon to the right of the selected driver. With the MaxPro Inside Ring driver highlighted, click the Port tab. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 49 Change the Port Location to COM1: clicking the down arrow to the right of the port location. The COM port number is the serial port number on your PC. If the machine is connected to a different COM port such as serial port 3, select COM3: in the Port Location box. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 50: Table Setup
Outside Ring driver. Change the Port Location to the COM port required in the same manner that was done for the MaxPro Inside Ring driver. Do this for the remaining four drivers and then click OK two times. The Vision Pro software configuration is now complete. Table setup T-Slot table The T-Slot table is typically used for engraving larger, flat items such as plaques and name tags.
Page 51 To re-install the T-Slot table, open or close the vice until the pins in the top of the vice line up with the holes in the T-Slot table. Insert and tighten the four Allen head screws. The T-Slot table is now ready for use. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 52: Vice
A selection of fixtures are available for use with the vice. More information on the available fixtures can be found in the Vision accessory catalog or online at www.visionengravers.com. Any of the fixtures available slide over the two pins on each of the vice uprights. Pictures of various fixtures and clamping methods are shown below.
Page 53 Configuration Engraving a medallion with the seal fixture Engraving a lighter with the universal pin fixture Engraving a shape with the universal pin fixture © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 54 Next, press and release the Shift button on the hand held pendant. The green light on the button will illuminate. Then press the X left or X right arrow. The left arrow opens the vice and the right arrow closes the vice. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 55: Rotary
Wait approximately 10 seconds for the machine to initialize and press the Goto Home button. Press the Rotary Axis button on the pendant. The LCD will display the screen below. Press 1 and then ENTER . The following screen will appear. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 56 The spindle will move to the center of the vice and the light on the rotary axis button will be illuminated. Insert the tapered cone into the left side of the vice per the picture below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 57: Using Water
To engrave into glass or ceramics, the water reservoir must be filled with water. The water can then be turned on to flow over the glass or ceramic material when being engraved. Move the water tank cover off to the side per the picture below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 58: Adjusting The Flow
Remove the T-Slot table. The machine needs to be put into rotary axis mode. To do this, power the machine on. Wait approximately 10 seconds for the machine to initialize and press the Goto Home button. Press the Rotary Axis button on the pendant. The LCD will display the screen below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 59 Turning it clockwise slows the flow down and turning it counter-clockwise increases the flow. Once the flow is adjusted properly, tighten the small locking thumbscrew located under the thumbscrew that was used to adjust the flow. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 61 Chapter...
Page 62: Part Iii Operations
Starting the Job Server The Job Server program must be started in order to engrave jobs on the MaxPro machine. To start the Job Server, go to the Start, Programs, Vision Machine Tools menu and select Job Server. NOTE : When using Windows XP with service pack 2 or higher, the following message may appear the first time that the Job Server is started.
Page 63 Windows program group run the job server. To do this, follow the steps below. 1. While the Vision job server is running, right mouse click on the icon in the Windows system tray. This is the icon all the way to the left in the picture above. Click Create Shortcut .
Page 64: Hand Held Pendant
The Job Server can now be started from clicking the MaxPro icon from the Windows desktop. Hand Held Pendant Buttons The Vision hand held pendant is the interface between the computer and the engraver. It allows you to control the way the machine engraves. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 65 The feed number will display the change. The ZSpd number shows the speed that the spindle will move down into the material at. The number is in inches per second or millimeters per second depending on the setup of the © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 66 When the spindle is near the location you would like to start engraving from, press the start button. The LCD screen will say Restart Here? Press the Start button and the machine will start engraving from that position. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 67 MENU Button - The Menu button is used to access any of the menus on the LCD screen. The menus are explained in the next section of this document. ENTER Button - The Enter button is used to accept the information you have typed into the controller. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 68 GOTO HOME Button - When the Vision MaxPro machine is initially turned on, the Goto Home button is used to power up the table and move the spindle to the home position.
Page 69 Press 1 for standard round items or 2 for rings and then press ENTER . The following screen will appear. Enter the diameter of the item you would like to engrave. Use a ruler to measure the distance across the round item per the picture below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 70 Now, turning the speed knob will adjust the speed that the Z axis travels at. Pressing the Speed Adjust button again will move the arrow to the RPM on the LCD per the picture below. Now, turning the speed knob will adjust the speed that the spindle turns at. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 71 Use the Y jog up and down buttons to scroll through the list of jobs on your PC’s hard drive. Press Start when you have selected the job you would like to re-engrave. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 72: Lcd Display
LCD Display The Vision hand held pendant has an LCD display. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. When the machine is powered on, the LCD will show the items below.
Page 73 Diameter using the Y up and down jog buttons and press Enter. Using the number pad on the Vision pendant, enter the diameter of the round item to be engraved. This number will be in inches or in millimeters depending on how the controller is configured. Once the diameter has been entered, press the Enter button on the pendant.
Page 74 Goto Home button. The table will move back to the limit switches. Now go to the Set Home menu item and press Enter. The previous home position has now been cleared. Hint: From the main LCD menu, pressing the Shift button and then the Enter button will set © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 75 Define Preset Home The Define Preset Home menu item is used to save alternate home positions. The Vision machine will allow you to store up to 9 preset home positions. Move the cursor to the Define Preset Home menu using the Y up and down jog buttons and press Enter. On the LCD it will show Preset number 1 towards the right side.
Page 76 Then move the cursor to the Z Depth Increment menu using the Y up and down jog buttons and press Enter. Using the number pad on the Vision pendant, enter the depth per pass you would like to achieve. This number will be in inches or in millimeters depending on how the machine is configured.
Page 77 Ethernet Settings This menu will display a second menu with the ethernet settings shown below which is used to setup the network settings in the Vision MaxPro machine. Specify IP The Specify IP menu item will allow you to configure the network setting of the MaxPro machine.
Page 78 To allow for this, the Vision Job Server will flip the job automatically so that the engraving will come out properly. However, when doing this, the Vision controller needs to know the page size that is setup in programs such as CorelDRAW©.
Page 79 By default the controller uses the HPGL language which is what is used by the Vision Pro software. If you would like to run directly from the GCode language, move the cursor to the Select the Interface menu item using the Y up and down jog buttons and press Enter.
Page 80: Operations And Lessons
The Input Units menu item is used only when running the machine from programs other then Vision Pro. Some programs output metric files instead of imperial files. If metric metric units are required, go to this menu item and press the right jog button to move the cursor to metric and press Enter.
Page 81 Operations Click on the down arrow to the right of the Selected Driver near the bottom of the screen. A list of the different MaxPro drivers will appear per the screen below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 82 MaxPro Vice Rotated - Select this to engrave on items using the vice to clamp material. When using this driver, the engraving will be automatically rotated ninety degrees. Please see the picture below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 83: Holding Flat Items With The T-Slot Table
Hold down the “left” arrow key to open the vise wide enough to accept the T-slot table. Holding the T-slot table over the vise ends open or close the vise by hand if needed to align the holes in the T-slot table with the mounting pins on the vise. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 84 Several clamping devices or holding methods can be used to secure the material on the table. Slide the plate into the corner of the table and secure it using the “Quick lock vise” provided or an alternative clamping device or material like the “Multi Mat” can be used. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 85 Operations Removing the T-slot table Remove the four Allan screws that hold the T-Slot table to the machine per the picture below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 86: Lesson 1 - Engraving A Small Name Badge
Make sure the MaxPro machine is powered on, the Goto Home button has been pressed and the Job Server program has been started by clicking on the Job Server icon on the Windows desktop. Start Vision Pro by clicking the Vision Pro icon from the desktop in Windows. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 87 Driver area select MaxPro T-Slot and then click OK . In this lesson, we will use the Frame Text Compose option for placing text. Select the capital letter A shown below. This will show the flyout menu below. Click on the first letter A © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 88 After selecting this option, the screen below will be shown. The sign frame is shown by dotted lines around the sign blank and text frame will be shown in the center. The text frame is the area that the text will be entered into. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 89 Click on Close to go back to the text entry screen. The sign blank area will be highlighted with dash lines and the cursor will appear. On the Fonts Property Bar, make the following changes: Font: RomainUI © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 90 Height with the mouse and enter .15. Press Enter to accept this height. The text for the second and third lines will decrease. With the mouse, highlight just the name. Change the FONT SLANT to 12.0 in the Text Properties Bar. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 91 1/4" (6mm) below the spindle and tighten the set screw in the gold knob. With the material securely fastened to the T-Slot table, click the Engrave icon shown below. The preview screen below will be shown. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 92: Lesson 2 - Engraving Pens
Lesson 2 - Engraving Pens Make sure the MaxPro machine is powered on, the Goto Home button has been pressed and the Job Server program has been started by clicking on the Job Server icon on the Windows desktop. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 93 Operations Start Vision Pro by clicking the Vision Pro icon from the desktop in Windows. The adjustable pen fixture will be used in this lesson. Slide the adjustable pen fixture over the mounting pins shown in the picture below. Secure with the screws provided per the picture below. Position the pen in the fixture so that the cap part is located in the non adjustable part of the fixture.
Page 94 In Vision Pro, go to the File, New Job menu item. At the Plate Size dialog, you will need to measure the width and height of the engraving area on the pen per the picture below. In the Selected Driver area select MaxPro Vice Rotated and then click OK .
Page 95 Operations Select the capital letter A shown below. This will show the flyout menu below. Click on the first letter A . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 96 Vision MaxPro Change the font to Aura1 by clicking the down arrow next to the font name. Double click the Engraving Fonts folder and select Aura1. Enter the name John Smith onto the screen. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 97 Operations With the pen securely fastened in the fixture, click the Engrave icon shown below. The preview screen below will be shown. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 98 If it is in the correct position, you can now engrave the pen. Press the Start button. The LCD will display "Press Start to Go". Press the Start button and the pen will be engraved. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 99: Lesson 3 - Engraing Round Objects
Job Server program has been started by clicking on the Job Server icon on the Windows desktop. Start Vision Pro by clicking the Vision Pro icon from the desktop in Windows. Hardware setup Press the “Rotary Axis” key, the LCD will display a choice: “1 – Standard mode” and “2 –...
Page 101 If the item is tapered then the vise has to be tilted at an angle for the area to be engraved to be as close to being perpendicular to the spindle as possible. Loosen the locking handle, adjust and lock again. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 102 Engrave the item and if needed add more pressure by turning the “Pressure Adjustment Ring” clockwise and re-engrave the item. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 103 Remove the metal nose cone and install the plastic nose cone designed to accept the feeder hose for the water supply. Install the “burnishing adaptor” and the diamond tool, exposing approximately ¼” of the tool below the nose cone. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 104 Fill the reservoir with clean water until the level indicator located on the right front side of the machine shows it to be approximately half full. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 105 Press the “Jog Mode” key, this will allow the Z axis to be moved up or down, the green LED will now be lit on the key. Using the down arrow key move the Z axis down until the diamond © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 106 “Enter” to accept. Press the “Go to Home” key. Press the “Jog Mode” key again when done. Software setup In the Vision Pro software click on the “Plate Size” icon (alternatively go to the “Layout” menu and choose “Plate Size”) © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 107 Using the arrow keys move the spindle to the upper left corner of the area to be engraved and click “Next”. The next screen appears. Now move the spindle to the lower right corner and click “Finish”. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 108 The “Plate Size” screen returns showing the dimensions as received from the “Measure” procedure. Press “OK” and the area defined by this procedure will now be displayed as the plate size on the layout screen and the job can be designed. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 109 The screen returns the same message until “Exit” is pressed. Engraving the job After the job has been designed click on the “Engrave” icon (alternatively click on the “Engrave” menu and choose “Output”) © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 110: Lesson 4 - Engraving Luggage Tags
Lesson 4 - Engraving Luggage tags Make sure the MaxPro machine is powered on, the Goto Home button has been pressed and the Job Server program has been started by clicking on the Job Server icon on the Windows desktop. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 111 Operations Start Vision Pro by clicking the Vision Pro icon from the desktop in Windows. Remove the T-Slot table before proceeding with this section. The universal pin fixture allows objects with an irregular shape to be clamped. Slide the universal pin fixture over the mounting pins shown in the picture below.
Page 112 To use the red pointer to calculate the engraving size and position, you must use the T-Slot driver in Vision Pro. From the Plate Size screen in Vision Pro, select the MaxPro T-Slot as the selected driver. Click Measure . The red pointer will turn on and the screen below will appear.
Page 113 Select Next on the screen above. Use the left, right, up and down arrows on the pendant to move the red dot to the 2nd corner shown in the picture above. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 115 You can press the ENTER button multiple times to carefully check the positioning of the engraving area. Press EXIT when you are satisfied that it is correct. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 116 Select the capital letter A shown below. This will show the flyout menu below. Click on the first letter A . Change the font to Centur2 by clicking the down arrow next to the font name. Double click the Engraving Fonts folder and select Centur2. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 117 Operations Change the font height in the text tool bar to .11" Enter the name and information shown below. With the luggage tag securely fastened in the fixture, click the Engrave icon shown below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 118 In the Cut Manager dialog box, make sure to select the Proximity sensor icon and de-select the Vacuum and Spindle icons. An icon is de-selected when there is a red cross out shown over the icon. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 119: Lesson 5 - Engraving Rings And Bracelets
Job Server program has been started by clicking on the Job Server icon on the Windows desktop. Start Vision Pro by clicking the Vision Pro icon from the desktop in Windows. Hardware setup Press the “Rotary Axis” button and the LCD will display a choice: “1 – Standard mode” and “2 –...
Page 120 1 ½” inches are exposed from the upper part of the bracket and lock it in position with the thumb screw. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 121 Place the ring or bracelet to be engraved against the ring attachment center. Remove and mount the holding pegs in a hole on each jaw respectively that closely corresponds to the inside of the ring or bracelet when engraving the outside and the opposite when engraving the inside. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 122 12 o’ clock position. If the ring attachment needs to be rotated to align the peg press the Shift key again and use the left or © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 123 Slide the ring or bracelet over the three pegs simultaneously and place it in the “V” grooves on the pegs. Taking care not to over tighten the ring attachment, slowly start opening it by turning the locking handles clockwise until the ring or bracelet is securely held in place. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 124 “Pressure Adjustment Ring” clockwise and re-engrave the item. Software setup In the Vision Pro software go to the “Engrave” menu and choose “Ring Engrave” The following screen appears: © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 125 Operations Choose the appropriate option from the drop down menu to either engrave the inside or outside of the ring by clicking on the down arrow to the right of the name. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 126 Measure the ring size with the ring size tool and enter the corresponding number on the tool in the “Size” field Measure the width of the ring with the calipers provided and enter the number in the “Width” field i.e. 0.125 © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 127 Operations Click “Next”. In this screen a predetermined engraved area on the ring is created by entering the corresponding numbers into the “From” and “To” fields. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 128 Vision MaxPro Click “Next”. The “Text” entry screen is used to enter or modify the text information to be engraved. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 129 Operations Click in the field “Font name” to access the available fonts loaded and choose the desired font to be used. Enter the text to be engraved. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 130 For example if the ring width entered in the first screen was 0.250” and “10” was entered in this field then the margins will be .025”. Take note that the total of the margins and the Font size can not exceed the ring width. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 131 (red surrounding border must not be showing) and click on the “Spindle” icon to send the job to the engraver. If a 2nd line of text needs to be entered follow these instructions continuing from the instruction. Check the box next to “Line 2” © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 132 Vision MaxPro Click in the field “Font name” to access the available fonts loaded and choose the desired font to be used © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 133 1st line of text. For example if the 1st line of text is 50% of the ring width (0.250”) which is 0.125” then entering a number of “100” will result in this line also being 0.125”, entering 50% will be 0.0625”. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 134 “150” will result in the spacing being 0.0625”, entering “200” will be 0.125”. The “Line Spacing” is considered the character height of the 1st line plus the spacing in between the lines. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 135 Operations Click “Finish”. On this next screen ensure that the “Prox” button is depressed (red surrounding border must not be showing) and click on the “Spindle” icon to send the job to the engraver © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 136 Vision MaxPro After the job is sent to the engraver the following screen appears By clicking “Yes” the program returns to the “Ring dimension” screen and a new can be started. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 137 Operations If “No” is clicked the program returns to the “Flat plate” dimension screen © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 138: Advanced Text Options
Advanced Text Options For most engravers, the text tools will be the most important portion of the Vision Pro program. Fortunately, Vision Pro has a wide range of tools and features that will make your text composition, editing, and layout both easy and productive. Vision Pro has the tools to allow you to do more with text than is possible with any other traditional engraving software.
Page 139 A text frame is visible in Free Text as a blue dashed rectangle, and the frame simply grows as you type the text on screen. Accessing the Text Module New text in Vision Pro is accessed by pressing the text icon in the left side toolbar. When © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 140 If you are entering Frame Text, the frame will be aligned with the sign blank, so you will need to click outside the sign blank. The text toolbar will be replaced with the normal Vision Pro status bar and the text object will have the selection rectangles visible on the newly added (or edited) object.
Page 141 Entering Text Once you have entered text edit mode in Vision Pro, you can simply begin typing much like you would in any other text editor. If you are editing text in Free Text mode, the text will begin where you clicked the text cursor and will be placed on the screen using the last font and letter height entered.
Page 142 Edit menu. Editing Text in Text Mode Vision Pro offers a great deal of power and flexibility when editing and modifying text. You can change fonts, letter heights, line spacing, slant, kerning, and many other options during text entry.
Page 143 Text Options and Settings Each time you enter text mode in Vision Pro, the standard editing toolbar is replaced with a text toolbar similar to the one shown below: As you can see, the text toolbar consists of two rows of icons and edit boxes that control virtually all text manipulation functions in the software.
Page 144 Group option, the following dialog will appear: The Current Group (right column) is the group you wish to edit. The Source Group is the group you will be selecting fonts from. Normally this will be the All Fonts group since all © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 145 Keep in mind that when you create a new group or add new fonts to an existing group, the changes do not appear in the font list until you exit and restart Vision Pro. You do not have to shut down the PC, only the Vision Pro software to see the new fonts displayed.
Page 146 Keep in mind that you must first install any TrueType fonts in Windows before you can install them into Vision Pro. The other font types can be accessed by Vision Pro directly and can be on the hard drive or on a CD-ROM. If you install fonts to be accessed directly from a CD-ROM, the CD will need to be in the CD-ROM drive when running Vision Pro.
Page 147 Backspace to remove the blank line and the retype the lost text. If you are working on a slow PC and have selected many lines to change, it might take a few moments for the screen to update with the new character height. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 148 Kern Percent of 120 for single line fonts, 115 for multi-line fonts, and 106 for outline fonts. These values have worked well for me over the years and should provide a reasonable starting point for your text spacing. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 149 Line Spacing (as well as most other values), and the current setting might not be correct if you previously set a very large line spacing value to make room for a logo or clipart image in your layout. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 150 You can also change a text object from fixed frame to or from free text, and set the default text mode when entering text objects. When you left click on the Frame Properties icon, the following dialog will display: © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 151 2 ½” x 2 ½” of area to place your text. It is also important to remember that like almost all other parameters in Vision Pro, the last margin values used become the default values for the next text object. This means that if you create a large plaque with ½”...
Page 152 The text will be left justified (against the left margin), centered within the frame, or right justified (against the right margin), depending on the current selection. You can change the justification option after typing, but I have found it best to select all the © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 153 There are several methods of text compression that can be used by Vision Pro. They are: · None – The text is not compressed at all with this option. Since something must be done to fit long text when the width exceeds the frame width, when this option is selected the Word Wrap option is automatically selected.
Page 154 Also not recommended for the same reasons as discussed for Kerning Compression. The “Applies To” list box tells the Vision Pro how the use the compression option with the text in the paragraph. You have three choices for this: ·...
Page 155 Operations Try each option and you will quickly see how this is used by Vision Pro. This option is set for all text in the paragraph and cannot be set for individual lines. The Vertical Compression dialog is used to set certain vertical spacing and compression defaults in Vision Pro.
Page 156 Spell Check – This is a very useful and easy to use function in Vision Pro. You can spell check the entire paragraph or selected text that is highlighted. If no text is highlighted, the entire paragraph will be checked.
Page 157 Add button below the Word not found field. If the word is not in error but simply not found in the Vision Pro dictionary, click the Ignore or Ignore All button to leave the word as entered.
Page 158 The icon will be grayed out any time you have one or more characters highlighted. While this appears to be inconsistent with the rest of the program, on-screen kerning is always applied to the entire paragraph at once; so highlighting specific characters is not required. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 159: Multiple Plates
It is extremely important to be able to quickly, easily, and accurately create these jobs in the software for engraving. Vision Pro offers a very easy to use and powerful multiple plate feature that makes this type of layout quick and easy to create.
Page 160 Vision MaxPro The basic steps required to create a multiple plate job in Vision Pro include: 1) Create the original single plate layout of the job you wish to duplicate. 2) Select the entire job and select the Multiple Plate option 3) Enter the multiple plate options such as the material size, number of copies, desired margins, and text to merge in the Multiple Setup dialog.
Page 161 The box must completely enclose the objects you wish to select. After the desired objects are selected, access the multiple plate feature by clicking on the Multiples icon shown above or through the Vision Pro menu system at Layouts / Multiples. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 162 With the text and/or graphics selected that you wish to include, start the Multiples command by selecting the Multiples icon from the icon bar at the top of the screen or from the Vision Pro menu system at Layouts / Multiples . Note that you MUST have something highlighted to be able to access the Multiples command.
Page 163 Use Score Lines - With this option checked, Vision Pro will draw borderlines around each plate that can be used to score the material for later cutout. If you are engraving plastic material, you can use this option to instruct Vision Pro to cut out the individual plates from © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 164 Use Plate – This is an important option to understand when using multiple plates in Vision Pro. With this option checked, Vision Pro will create the multiple plates based on the size of the original sign blank of the master job. This way if you create a 1” x 3” tag, the program will duplicate the sizes as 1”...
Page 165 To move from field to field in this dialog, click with the mouse or press <Enter> to move to the next field. The <Tab> key DOES NOT move the cursor to the next field. The <tab> key © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 166: Scanning And Graphic Editing
Scanning and Graphic editing Vision Pro allows the user to scan and vectorize a wide variety of artwork for use on Vision engraving systems. Vision Pro includes a full suite of editing tools designed to make the scanning and editing process fast and straightforward. The software is designed to include all the features needed to lay out the final job and engrave it directly to the engraving system, without the need for outside software.
Page 167 These will be discussed in greater detail in this chapter. 1) Scan the image from Vision Pro to get a bitmap file. 2) Use the AccuScan feature in Vision Pro to trace outlines around the bitmap so you have vectors to work with.
Page 168 Vision MaxPro The Trace Setup dialog is used to adjust the setting used by Vision Pro Scan to create the outlines around the bitmap image. The Trace Setup icon is the one with the arrow pointing to it in the picture above. Adjusting these settings to fit the artwork will result in a better quality trace with fewer control points, allowing for easier cleanup of the traced vectors.
Page 169 If you do not save the settings, then Vision Pro will add an entry to the list called “Current Settings” with the values entered. You can select this entry and use it just like any other setting in the list.
Page 170 For smaller images the trace can occur very quickly. When the trace is completed Vision Pro will remain in the AccuScan module with the “scanning” dialog displayed. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU EXIT THE SCANNING DIALOG AS SOON AS YOU HAVE RUN THE TRACE.
Page 171 Many other graphic editing functions are available in Vision Pro. More complete information on all graphic editing tools is available in the Vision Pro 7 User’s Guide found on the Vision All Products CD. Some of the more useful tools include: Adding a control point (useful for smoothing or changing the shape of a line segment): Just double click on the line at the point you wish to insert a control point.
Page 172 Typically most logos will need to be filled before engraving. Before the image can be filled, we need to instruct Vision Pro that the collection of vectors that appear on screen are in fact part of the same object and not unrelated images. This is done by selecting all the vectors that comprise the image and selecting the Make Path command from the Arrange menu.
Page 173 Tool Path/Fill command from the menu or access the Fill command from the Tool Path Tools flyout menu along the left edge of the Vision Pro screen. When you access the Fill command, you will see a dialog box that looks similar to the one shown below: ©...
Page 174 Depth: The depth field is used when Vision Pro needs to tell the engraver to move the tool deeper into the material than the surface position set by the controller. For depth nose engraving in Plastic the depth should be left at 0.
Page 175: Creating Custom Vision Pro Drivers
0. Fill Style: Important Field - Vision Pro offers 6 unique fill styles to choose from. This determines the path the cuter will take while creating the fill. For engraving, 2 of the choices...
Page 176 Vision MaxPro In Vision Pro, go to the Engrave and Engraving Defaults menu item. Click on the Setup button. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 177 Operations Left mouse click on the MaxPro Vice Rotated driver in the Installed Drivers list to highlight it. Click on the "Create custom copy of selected driver" button. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 178 Vision MaxPro Change the name to say Pen Fixture and click OK . Left mouse click on the Pen Fixture driver in the Installed Driver list to highlight it. Click Apply and then OK . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 180 Make a note the X and Y coordinates that are shown on the hand held pendant. These numbers will be entered into the Plot screen in the X and Y move area. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 181 When you want to engrave with the custom driver, you can now skip the section in Lesson 2 where you need to jog the cutter out over the material and set the home offset position. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 183 Chapter...
Page 184: Part Iv Maintenance
The machine can be turned on if needed in order to make it easier to move the X and Y axis during this operation. If the lead screw or rail needs cleaning before lubricating a brush or cloth and some alcohol © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 185 Move the gantry left and right to clean and lubricate the lead screw. The front “linear bearing” requires grease to be applied via the grease nipple using a grease gun. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 186 The grease to be used is Lithium-based grease. In order to access the Y axis, move the engraving head all the way to the front using the Y © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 187 Open the spindle housing cover to access the Z axis. Clean the lead screw and linear bearing if needed and apply a thin layer of silicon lubricant to the lead screw. The linear bearing requires the same Lithium- based grease as used for the X axis. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 188: Changing The Motor Belt
Vision MaxPro Changing the Motor Belt Open the spindle housing cover to access the belt. Pull the belt off from both pulleys per the picture below. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 189: Draining And Cleaning The Water Resevoir
Place a small container under the level indicator and swivel the indicator downwards to allow the water to drain. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 190: Cleaning The Vice Rail And Lead Screw
Apply a light layer silicon lubricant on the lead screw. Partially close the vise by holding down the “right” arrow key to access the ends of the lead screw and repeat the procedure. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 191 Chapter...
Page 192: Part V Troubleshooting
1. Login to Windows as the different username. 2. Make sure that the MaxPro machine is powered on. 3. Go to the Windows Start, Programs, Vision Machine Tools, Machine Connections and click Add . NOTE: When using Windows XP with service pack 2 or higher, the following message may appear the first time that a machine is added.
Page 193 4. The MaxPro should be detected through the network connection and shown in the Connection Name above. If you have multiple Vision systems or MaxPro machines connected on your network or PC, multiple machines will be shown in the screen below.
Page 194 Vision MaxPro 5. Select Close . 6. Please proceed to step 13. 7. If the MaxPro is connected to a serial port instead of a network, continue here. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 195 Troubleshooting 8. Select Don't detect my Machine Tool; I will select it from a list" and click Next. 9. Select Default Machine and click Next . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 196 Vision MaxPro 10.Enter a name for your MaxPro and select the Communications Port that the machine is connected to. Click Next . 11.Click Finish . © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 197 13.Go to the Windows Start, Programs, Vision Machine Tools, Machine Connections and click Job Server. 14.While the Vision job server is running, right mouse on the Job Server icon in the Windows system tray at the lower right corner of the screen and select DNC .
Page 198 Vision MaxPro dots to the right. Select the C:\Vision Machine Tools\Outbox\ folder per the picture below. Click the X in the upper right corner of the DNC screen to close it. 16.Right mouse on the Job Server icon in the Windows system tray at the lower right corner of the screen and select HotWatch .
Page 199 C:\Vision Machine Tools\JobHistory.mdb per the picture below. Change the “Project File” by clicking the three dots to the right. Select the file called C:\Program Files \Vision Machine Tools\Files\ProjectFileVis.etc. Add plt to the HPGL File Extension box. Add cnc to the CNC File Extension box.
Page 200 Vision MaxPro 20.Click OK. 21.Reboot the PC. The Job Server is now configured for the new Windows username. © 2006 Vision Engraving Systems...
Page 201: Index
Index Index - I - Installing Job Server - A - Installing Vision Pro/Vision Pro LT - J - Adjusting the flow Advanced Text Options Job Server - B - - L - Buttons LCD Display - C - Lubrication...

Vision MaxPro Operation Manual

Part III Operations

Part IV Maintenance

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