Granite Impact Etcher User Manual
Contents
1. 0 0 CKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKI 000000 0 0 0 oo oo 0 0 0 0 0 0 OO e 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 doo 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 pH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 4 of 76 Thank you We would like to thank you for purchasing the Granite Etching Machine Impact Etching technology is revolutionizing the monument industry by providing monument builders with an affordable and easy to use tool for creating etchings on stone glass metal and any other hard surfaces Impact etching Machines are used by thousands of customers throughout Europe and are now available in North America We are committed to supporting you by providing consultation spare parts repair and image editing Services Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 5 of 76 About this manual This manual is provi2. Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 17 of 76 04 05 eControl software cControl is the software included in delivery of the Machine and used to control the etching process eControl is the only software the can be used with the Machine Its primary functions are e Configure etching parameters brightness contrast resolution e Identify the picture used for etching and set starting point of etching e Keep statistics of etching jobs done with the Machine e Display the progress of etching job currently being executed Use of eControl software is covered in detail in section 7 Etching process test jpg Granite im x Engraving Par metets Image Editing Service About program Image size pixels m Select Image 41116 ZY 1336 Putin engraving head kc Save position x fm H 3 v 16 342 Pasition 62 M1005e Auta 147 478 e Dociments and Settings All UsersiDesktopitest jpg eControl software does not act as image editor and you should prepare your image for etching prior to loading it into eControl For image preparation you can use any off the shelf raster editor such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Paint Shop Pro Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 18 of 76 9 Machine set up and test etching 05 01 Unpack the Machine 1 Remove the screws holding the lid of
3. I NT v 1 2 sec Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 42 of 76 Move etching head along Z axes Button highlighted below is used to move the etching head up and down You might want to move the etching head down to bring it closer to the stone during initial positioning so that you can see more clearly location of etching needle relative to the stone The Z axis indicator also highlighted demonstrates the current position of etching head within its range of its movement test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program y 1 2 sec E Danika manara man bas Raise lower etching head Following two buttons are used to raise etching head to its highest position or lower to the lowers position test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program W Power on Ely Mode Zero point set Should the gap sensor level meet the stone on its way down Machine will execute the gap setting procedure You can observe this process by placing the stone under the etching head and pushing button Once the gap has been set you can check the current reading of Z indicator Ideally 1t should be in the middle of the range If 1t 1s too close to the bottom you need to raise the stone rel ative to Machine frame and if it is close to the top you will have to lower the stone In the nex
4. Automatic gap setting Gap size MIN Z axle velocity 274 units KA af N20 100 TestGB 2 Date 3 30 20105 Start X 1 66 Material Start 101 61 Brightness af N21 100 Fragme 1 Date 3 30 20105 J Suspend when buffer is empty Start xX 3 39 Material Start 101 61 Brightness Tum off motors when job ie complete wf N22 100 Fragme Buffer and motor control a mL mia nnan F Suspend when buffer is empty this parameter controls the behavior of the Machine when its buffer becomes empty Leave it selected default setting Turn off motors when job is complete this parameter controls whether motors will be powered off after etching job is complete Every time motors are powered off you will need to repeat initialization step If you do not want to initialize Machine after each etching job keep this checkbox unchecked test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program dy Machine selection Gap sensor units 274 units IA V Automatic gap setting 4 2 Statistics Service functions Total machine use time 4h15m34s Job count 5 Ne 0 100 TestG8 bmp Date 3 30 2010 5 31 41 PM gt 3 30 2 Start X 1 66 Y 6 78 Hits 18046 Material Start 101 60 dpi Brightness 900 Contrast 10 Gap size UT Z axis velocity 8 mm sec V Es N 1 100 Fragment bmp Date 3 30 2010 5 39 25 PM gt
5. www hyatts com Granite Impact Etching Machines User Manual Document version 11 0 6 May 2010 Copyright 2010 by Economical Solutions Corp Distributor of Impact Etching Solutions for Monument and Marking Industry WWW HTTP WWW ROI ETCHING COM E mail SALES ROI ETCHING COM Phone 416 912 7019 Table of Contents DOCOMO used i HP NNT NNNPRRENIENNNACNC A 8 02 04 Connect both PC and Machine to the same outlet ee aaa aaa o o RR RR nn 8 LER ROP 0 iE D PO O 9 SPALA SMD oe he Sveta Mk IE MET MAIRE DAR AO 9 02 07 Laer ar Machimme CP model cada ko lo r nabytok un vn 10 A ao i6 ag hs iene O 12 GL A Orla vii ni me hed n e E a aa 12 0U Components lo be movided Dy YOU s onak ozn nia an rn eet ane AE 12 EERO MD Sesh ges 10 ie v u AN c OWI a 12 4 Getina to know your eteina Machine lan 13 ASI Pele o O O 13 AZ RADO S o sadil dt easier eked ii E GK AGO DAG 14 SZ RUS MM Be i ia PE WNN 15 SZ RR M Br EU POOEOONNN NANNINI ORO 16 EES a co Re Te er ee A Ren RT eI EI em ee eee mre ey aR mn ene ee 17 PMU O Te i il i O 18 Re dE WONNA 18 JR ABS a O V 18 05 03 Ground the Machine s TTAM sia za l sd kin ok 19 05 04 Install USB controller driver and eControl software sossorssssoonnnrsnonn ns o nn 20 05 05 Disable power saving features for your PC ssssccootrnsooonnnn oo en aaa aaa aaa aaa aaa RR RR RR Rn 21 05 06 Create teat O Er 22 SMB ie clay Ice per 26 LS
6. 02 1923 08 2008 A gt E Times New Rerer jj dl ZI B I Uw 2 2 s Wa TEA e 1 asken WE Z R ME 2 se EF errer IM MIN NI 111 HI Ma NIMI KN MN Hi AY Beloved Mom 1111 4111111 02 1923 08 2008 As you can see in the Layers window a new layer for text will be automatically created Select the sections of text that you would like to change and modify text font and size Important Make sure that Created as has value of Vector Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 71 of 76 f r xl B Brus Be fi T Unknown Lady Edited Ver 03 pspimage A 24 Vector _ pf xj Beloved Mom 02 1923 08 2008 x TTA I AH I A Belove d om 02 1923 08 2008 Once you are satisfied with the font type and size click ok You will be able to move the text box by selecting its center point as well as edit text by right clicking the text box and selecting Edit Text The final picture will look as follow slowed sz 02 1923 08 2008 Make sure you save it as PSPIMAGE file you will need it in case you want to return to editing of image Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 72 of 76 Save image in BMP or JPG format Once you are done with image preparation save your results in PSPIMAGE format to retain
7. 100 TestG8 grayscale bmp 1 Date 4 29 2010 6 55 15 PM gt 4 29 2010 6 58 16 PM Reset stats ven Start X 1 08 Y 17 39 Hits 14477 of 14477 Material Granite 101 DPI 101 60 dpi Brightness 1140 Contrast 650 Gamma 0 30 uj a N 3 100 Fraament ipa 02EMO900e Auto 128 023 C Documents and Settings Andrei Desktop Fragment jpg J Suspend when buffer is empty 2 Inthe Material Parameters window click Create button and enter the material name e g Test Material Material paramethers x China Black 84 DPI offset v X Delete Read only Min color used J Engrave in one direction Offset method v 0 by offset Double pass Us Engraving 145 14 dpi gt Use modified offset martix resolution 145 14 dpi v UseY axis as primary Create rename material Hit i L000 Material name ia X Cancel 3 For the new material select the engraving resolution image transformation method We recommend starting with 127 DPI and offset All other parameters including brightness and contract will have some default values Leave them unchanged Save your new material by clicking Save button and exit Material parameters screen We recommend setting the Gamma parameter to zero when doing the material configuration You can change it to non zero value once you have completed all steps 4 Go back to Engraving tab and clic
8. Hibemate E Select the power scheme with the most appropriate settings for A this computer Note that changing the settings below will modify the selected scheme Power schemes TOSHIBA Power Saver Save As Delete Settings for TOSHIBA Power Saver power scheme 4 4 Running on When computer is Plugged in p Rad Tum off monitor Ater 3 mins v Ater 3 mins Tum off hard disks After 3 mins After 3 mins System standby fee v r System hibemates Never Never _ Goa esy Power saving functions are available from Control panel window of your windows OS and might look differently depending on the version of Windows that you use Also in case you use notebook PC we recommend ensuring that it does not go into sleep mode when you close the lid This will prevent your PC from shutting down when somebody accidentally closes the lid during the etching process Power Schemes Alarms Power Meter Advanced Hibemate a 114 4 Select the power saving settings you want to use When close the lid of my portable computer Do nothing v Hibemate v Lok c my Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 22 of 76 05 06 Create test etching Test etching we create in this step might not look ideal because we have not created a material configuration yet The purpose of this ste
9. and will not allow you to start etching until this condition is corrected Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 52 of 76 07 07 Position etching head Machine always starts etching from the bottom of the picture but you can chose to position the etching head in any of the following 8 points any corner of the etching area 4 options middle point on any side of the etching area 4 options Etching area To position the etching head you can use buttons on the Machine s control console or in eControl program Use Mode button to switch control between your PC and console In most cases you will find that positioning etching head from control console 1s more convenient because you are closer to the Machine and can easily see where the etching needle 1s located You can also control the speed of etching head movement from control console Switch the console from Console to Auto mode by clicking on Mode button Use green buttons to adjust the movement speed X axis buttons for changing speed in large increments and Y axis buttons for finer increments Switch back to Console mode by pressing the Mode button again G ranite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Cor 07 08 Open the image for etching Click on Select Image button and select the picture on your computer s hard drive
10. s k S dy A ki sas AA lt kl n Dee z We Er a a s ue 57 4 17 Correct configuration Three highest lines are completely white and we can see smooth transition for the remaining ones Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 37 of 76 7 Etching process This section guides you through major steps in the image etching process We assume that e Your Machine 1s set up and connected to the PC Please refer to the previous section that covers the initial set up of the Machine if that is not the case e You use Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for image editing and scanning 07 01 Obtain the image Typically you obtain your images on electronic media USB memory stick or digital camera flash card or on paper photograph of a person or drawing In former case you do not get to choose format or quality of image provided In latter case use following guidelines for scanning the image into your computer to ensure best image quality e Scan images with resolution of 300 DPI or higher e g 600 DPI for smaller size photographs e Do not use any automated filters or transformations that come with your scanning software e Do not convert images into grayscale at the time of scanning Color images retain more information that can be useful during image editing e Save your image as BMP when possible BMP files are larger but they do not compress the pictures e If y
11. all layers in case you want to come back to editing process Then you must save your image as JPG or BMP format because those are the formats that eControl software can use My Recent Documents My Network Places Unknown Lady Edited Ver 03 bmp 7 Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 73 of 76 10 Machine maintenance Attention Make sure that Machine 1s turned off when performing any maintenance steps described below 10 01 Change etching needle To change the etching needle you will need to use two wrenches that came with the Machine 8 and 10mm Apply the wrenches as shown in the picture 8 mm wrench to the lower end of etching head and 10mm wrench to the cap that holds needle in place and unscrew the cap by rotating 10mm wrench in direction shown with the arrow T cg l gt u g 3 U 7 a 10 mm wrench 8 mm wrench a i i rotate in direction hold it firmly shown with arrow Remove the worn out needle and insert the new one When screwing the cap back in its position do not apply excessive force Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 74 of 76 10 02 Change etching head Etching head 1s designed to last for years of continuous use When the need for repairs or reconditioning of its parts arises we will mail you a replacement head and wil
12. entity and NPF Radian for use of E Control software further called Software for Granite TM series Impact Engraving Machine further http www rol etching com EMMA TOU AGREE TU BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS agreement By INSTALLING COPYING OR USING THE SOFTWARE IF YOU DO NOT AGREE DO NOT INSTALL COPY OR USE THE SOFTWARE 1 Software is distributed as part of Machine delivery and is included in the price you have paid for the machine It iz designed exclusively for controlling the Granite senes Impact Engraving Machines manufactured by NPF Radian and may not be used for ary other purposes 2 All intellectual property rights for the Software belong to NPF Radian The Software iz protected by copyright laws imn all jurisdictions where it iz Version 3 4 0 175 IA i 02EM1005e Auto 0 C Documents and Settings All Users Desktop test jpg Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 49 of 76 07 04 Identify the etching area Machine and eControl software do not impose any dependency between the size of the image file and the size of etching because the image can be compressed and expanded to fit the etching area So the only information that you need to know to start your etching 1s the location and size of an area where your etching will be placed Let us take an example of black granite monument Etching Area for texts Measure the area where etching
13. material configuration includes other parameters used for etching such as resolution and image transformation method Machine 1s capable of storing multiple material configurations You select material configuration to use when you start your etching process To set up new material configuration navigate to Parameters tab and click Materials button Fragment ipg Granite mage Editing Service About program Engraving Statistics Service functions EE Total machine use time 0h 56 m 52 s Job count T Gap sensor units 31 2 units Al X Ne 0 19 Fragment jpg 1 Date 4 29 2010 6 50 02 PM gt 4 29 2010 6 52 31 PM V Automatic gap setting Start X 1 12 Y 19 24 Hits 7626 of 38917 2d Brightness 950 Contrast 700 Gamma 0 30 Z axis velocity 7 mm sec X Ne 1 39 TestG8 grayscale bmp JJ 1 Date 4 29 2010 6 53 10 PM gt 4 29 2010 6 54 30 PM Start X 0 96 Y 21 12 Hits 5655 of 14477 Material Granite 101 DPI 101 60 dpi V Suspend when buffer is empty Brightness 1000 Contrast 650 Gamma 0 30 Tum off motors when job is complete f Ne 2 100 TestG8 grayscale bmp 1 Date 4 29 2010 6 55 15 PM gt 4 29 2010 6 58 16 PM Reset stats Start X 1 08 Y 17 39 Hits 14477 of 14477 Material Granite 101 DPI 101 60 dpi Brightness 1140 Contrast 650 Gamma 0 30 4 _N2 3 100 Fraament ipa 02EM0900e Auto 128 023 C Documents and Settings Andrei
14. not be able to see the difference between some gray colors We recommend not exceeding the value of 1 for gamma correction You typically need to use non zero values for gamma on non perfectly black stone where increased contrast typically results in better etching Material paramethers x pele s EM ee Default E za E Head onli X Delete Min color used Engrave in one direction Offset method E A by offset Double pass method Engraving 127 00 dpi gt Use modified offset martix resolution 127 00 dpi Ue r avis as primary Hit Brightness 800 Contrast 900 4 C mu mir may 1700 i Gamma corection 0 40 4 E ATA I I I I 1 I I 1 I I I i DOO mir max Intervals Hit 4 50 rec A Pause 5 32 msec A Rar Color Increase sigrie hit strength a Doe hterval 10 84 mse 92 26 hits sec Please turn to 06 06 Step by step guide to configuring material parameters section below for detailed steps for configuring new material G ranite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 30 of 76 06 04 Resolution Resolution parameter controls number of dots that Machine will create per inch of picture Resolution 1s expressed in DPIs which stands for Dots Per Inch Higher DPI values correspond to higher resolution For most black granites we recommend use of resolution in the range of 84 to 145 DPIs Material paramethers x
15. of definite manual would simply not be possible Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 58 of 76 08 03 Why editing is necessary Any image no matter how perfect requires editing to prepare it for etching Major steps in such preparation are e Adjust brightness and contrast of the picture e Highlight transitions and contours e Darken areas that are too white and brighten areas that are too dark e Add remove sparkles in the eyes Let us review an example of image editing Here is the scanned photograph as provided by the Client who wanted to etch it on the monument This portrait has following deficiencies that need to be corrected with editing The picture is somewhat blurred and lacks focus Face lacks contrast The jacket 1s too dark and will not be visible on the stone The eyes are not expressed enough to look good on the stone Photograph has wrinkles that become visible in scanned image If this picture was to be loaded into eControl program without any editing except cropping the background the etching on the stone it would look as below Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 59 of 76 After the editing has been performed improved portrait looks like this As you can see there is a stunning improvement of quality that results from proper image preparation That is why preparing images for etching 1s a m
16. the box of the Machine shipping container 2 Open the box then locate and remove accessories that come with the Machine they should be attached to the frame a Power cable b USB Cable c 2 spare etching needles d 2 small wrenches 8 and 10 mm you will need them for changing etching needles e CD with the software 3 For CP model a Tilt the box and locate 4 nuts at the bottom on the outside and remove them using the wrench b Grabbing the Machine by the shorter bars on the top of the frame pull it carefully from the box and put onto horizontal surface Please see section 02 07 Transporting the Machine for areas of the frame that you can grip on when carrying the Machine 4 For SR and SX models At least 2 people are required to remove the Machine from the box With Ma chine upside down attach the legs to the Machine frame The wrench screws and nuts for legs attach ment should be located in the box 05 02 Position the Machine CP model CP model is designed to be put on top of the stone so in order to create a test etching you can simply put the Machine on any table and then use standard 12 x 12 granite tile to create the etching tile can be put on the table inside of Machine s frame SR and SX models The stationary models of etching Machine must be located on the solid surface ideally concrete floor If you use a wooden floor please make sure that it does not move up and down as you walk on it Ev
17. time by clicking the pause button Make sure you do not move the Machine or stone while etching is paused to avoid lines in the etching when the process 1s resumed Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 57 of 76 8 Image Editing 08 01 What this chapter is about This chapter is meant to accomplish two goals First we want to explain why it is absolutely required to edit pictures before you etch them and second we would like to cover some basic editing steps that you might find useful in your work In most of cases unsatisfactory etching results are caused by poor image preparation We encourage our clients to try editing of pictures themselves but you might find it more economical to outsource editing to us We will help you achieve the desired results for a single flat fee which will include any number of changes to the picture until you and your customer are satisfied with the result 08 02 What this chapter is not about This chapter is not meant to teach you the use of raster editing editors First there are many books on this subject and trying to repeat that information here would go beyond the scope of this manual Second we would have to base out tutorial on a specific type and version of the program or restrict you to the software of our liking neither of which 1s good Third there are multiple ways to arrive at the same result and putting some kind
18. will be located then continue with below steps Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 50 of 76 07 05 Initialize the Machine Click the power on button This will activate the step motors of the Machine You will start hearing a slight hissing sound coming from the motors That is normal z Engraving Click on Initialize button This will cause etching head to move into its home position This is the technical step that 1s always required after Machine has been turned on z Engraving Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 51 of 76 07 06 Position the Machine relative to the stone For your etching to be aligned correctly you need to ensure the axis of the Machine are parallel to your etching area After Machine is initialized you can run the etching head along the edge of the stone to ensure that it maintains a constant distance from the edge For example in case of compact Machine Incorrect alignment Machine s frame not aligned to etching area tching krea Aren folitext L ia a K_ SS Correct alignment Machine s frame is aligned with the etching area You also need to make sure that all of etching area 1s located within the Machine s working field eControl program will warn you in case your etching area goes beyond the Machine s working field
19. 3 30 2 Start X 3 39 Y 6 70 Hits 17280 Material Start 101 60 dpi Brightness 850 Contrast 951 Reset stats gf Materials 5 N 2 100 Fragment jpg Date 5 1 2010 6 01 30 PM gt 5 1 201 Start X 2 95 Y 11 39 Hits 7968 Material Default 127 00 dpi Brightness 850 Contrast 601 a N 3 89 Sauare bmp Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 47 of 76 Statistics and hit counter Statistics window displays the list of recent jobs executed by the Machine Also in the program s status bar you can see the hit counter for the Machine To reset the hit counter use Reset stats button test jpg Granite N 0 100 TestG8 bmp Date 3 30 2010 5 31 41 PM gt 3 30 2010 5 38 17 PM Start X 1 66 Y 6 78 Hits 18046 of 18046 Material Start 101 60 dpi Brightness 900 Contrast 1000 Gamma 0 40 N 1 100 Fragment bmp Date 3 30 2010 5 39 25 PM gt 3 30 2010 5 42 44 PM Start X 3 39 Y 6 70 Hits 17280 of 17280 Material Start 101 60 dpi Brightness 850 Contrast 950 Gamma 0 40 Ne 2 100 Fragment jpg Date 5 1 2010 6 01 30 PM gt 5 1 2010 6 17 24 PM Start X 2 95 Y 11 39 Hits 79689 of 79689 Material Default 127 00 dpi ightness 850 Contrast 600 Gamma 0 40 GOME M Materials button Materials button opens Material parameters window Refe
20. 4 Smoothing parameter produces more smooth curves rather than sharp points The size of Feather and Smoothing parameters depends on the resolution of your image For an image with most commonly used 300 DPI we recommend using at least 10 for Feather and 5 for Smoothing Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 63 of 76 Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 64 of 76 Adjust brightness contrast This is the most commonly used tool Most scanned images and photographs require increase of contrast and brightness Make sure that the half tones in the image do not disappear unless that is what you want to do this might sometimes be required on the granite with sparkles or non berfectly black stones Settings Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 65 of 76 Sharpen the image You can use canned sharpening tools which will automatically sharpen your picture or try more advanced unsharp mask filter available through Adjust Sharpness 1n the main menu Despite its somewhat counter intuitive name this filter actually sharpens the picture and you can select the strength of its transformation as well as fine tune the way it works Because of its flexibility the unsharp mask tool 1s the one of
21. B Ue a ee UES LGD Le 1 nc eee a eee ee ee nee ne eee eee ere eer 26 ESOS Be MT a Lek ML aI d l dal 28 LR 1 Mp Pa ES Sh ata CO ATU DA NONAME 49 1 4 mahe NT s ona ese aos eel ise aes ok 50 Image editing for different types of stones jare to use for editing NO 1 CASA 08 0 UU U U umali naro re ior O A i A A W A s z s a A m iS m z P z M z 2 5 z A 2 p M s s AN O AE e NR JS LI a a a GR vv M 1V1 WN jam 0 0 N Tin Z po 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 o A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22. Desktop Fragment jpg Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 27 of 76 In Material parameters window you can select materials from the drop down list as well as create new materials or delete rename modify existing ones Material paramethers India 112 DPI offset aa India 112 DPI offset China Black 84 DPI offset Offset method Fa 112 89 dpi m Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 28 of 76 06 02 When to configure a new material Your Machine comes with one default material setting that was used for quality control by manufacturer typically called start or default Different stones react differently to the same hit strength meaning the factory installed default material configuration may not be perfectly suitable for your stone The rule of thumb is that you need to create new material definition for each distinct combination of Stone type Resolution Image transformation method We recommend assigning names to materials that contain all 3 above components for example China Black 84 DPI offset where China black is name of the stone 84 DPI is resolution and offset is image transformation method Material paramethers x H aterial s a China Black 54 DPI offset Rename x Delete Read only Min color used Engrave in one d
23. Material TU Deia wf A Create E R ead only x Delete Min color used Engrave in one direction Offset method v jo IA by offset Double pass Engraving resolution method 127 00dpi Use modified offset martix 127 00 dp a Use Y axis as primary Brightness 800 4 gt min max Contrast 300 KIRA PETRE TEE min max Gamma correction 0 40 4 gt ay TE mir max Intervals Hit 4 50 msec A Pause 6 32 msec A Increase signle hit strength nterval 10 84 mse 92 26 hits sec Important facts to know about resolution Etching speed 1s inversely related to resolution the higher resolution the lower the speed Use higher resolution for etchings of lower size or highly detailed images Use lower resolution for etchings of large size or where detail is not an issue for example some landscapes or ornaments with low variation of halftones The harder is the material the higher resolution images you can create Whenever you change resolution you should create new material and use test image to fine tune material parameters brightness and contrast Usually contrast parameter should be decreased when you increase resolution and vice versa If you want your etching to be deep and look close to manual technique use lower resolution If you want your etching to look more like one created by the laser Machine use higher resolution All other components of m
24. When carrying the Machine only grab it by the parts of its frame that do not have the rails of linear drives attached to them In below photograph the parts of the frame that are ok to grab are highlighted Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 11 of 76 When putting down the Machine make sure that you use either of two positions e Normal position shown in above photographs e On the side position as shown in below photograph Never put the Machine on the side with protruding step motors Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 12 of 76 3 What you need to begin etching 03 01 Components included in delivery Following components are included in delivery of the Machine l Granite etching Machine USB cable for connecting Machine to the PC CD with eControl software 2 spare etching needles in addition to one installed in the Machine 8 and 10 mm wrenches for changing the etching needles Manual this document CAE dk add 03 02 Components to be provided by you In order to start etching you will need to acquire l Battery back up device with surge protection function 2 Flatbed Scanner to scan paper photographs 3 PC to control the Machine and to prepare images for etching 4 Grounding cable for Machine frame grounding is optional for CP model and highly recommended for SX and SR models 03 03 R
25. achine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 39 of 76 07 03 Run eControl program Start the program In your start menu locate Granite group and from it run eControl program or use the shortcut on your PC s desktop In case eControl program has successfully established connection with the Machine your screen should look as below Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 40 of 76 In below sections we will describe all controls and fields of eControl program Engraving tab Engraving tab is where you will spend most of time when working with the program Power and Initialize buttons In order for Machine to work its step motors need to be powered and Machine has to be initialized Power on and Initialize buttons are used for such operations test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program pre Zero point set gt Initializ E LF i Power on and Zero point set indicators These indicators display the current state of the Machine In our example they show that step motors had been powered green color but Machine has not yet been initialized red color test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program Zero point zet W Power on oly Mode E Initialize Grani
26. ajor contributor to successful use of any etching Machine Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 60 of 76 08 04 Image editing for different types of stones The less perfect the stone the more bright and contrast should the picture be By perfect we mean ideal black stone without any imperfections or sparkles The image produced by the Machine can have up to 255 gradations of white color On a perfect stone you will be able to see all gradations On a stone with imperfections our eye will mostly recognize the difference between dark color of polished stone and while color of the etching For less perfect stone the color schema of the entire image should be shifted towards more bright white colors and contract should be higher 08 05 Software to use for editing You can use any commercial licensed shareware or freeware raster editor We recommend using the editor that supports layers While layers are not a mandatory requirement it makes editing of pictures much easier and will in the end save you a lot of time and frustration Currently there are two commercial Raster Editors that have all the functionality that you will need to edit your pictures e Adobe Phone Shop any version e Corel Paint Shop Pro any version There are number of shareware and freeware raster editors some of them with layers support For example Gimp available for free
27. anite that 1s comparable in texture to your monument This will help prevent any surprises with the final etching Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 62 of 76 08 09 Image editing steps This section covers basic editing steps required to prepare image for etching Note that learning the use of raster editor requires a significant investment of time You can acquire that expertise by attending training classes or reading books on the subject Image editing steps are demonstrated using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 software Adobe Photoshop has similar functions and you will be able to execute the same steps using Photoshop although navigation might differ Crop the image The most commonly used way of cropping the picture consists of selecting the section of the Image you want to crop and then promoting the selection into a new layer We recommend using the freehand selection tool in the point to point mode LIE Prest q P a Selection type v Anti sliss Peint to point T r Use all layers Mode Festher Range Replace Ul 10 Selection Freehand Selection Magic Wand Feather parameter 1s responsible for the Transition effect that will be created edges of the selected picture 7 dreamstime_2742142 ver 03 pspimage 100 Promoted Selection 4 l ja dreamstime 2742142 ver 03 pspimaae 100 Promoted Selection
28. at Machine s gap sensor considers to be a zero point This is the technical parameter used in configuring the Machine You should not change it With Automatic gap sensor parameter turned on the value in Gap sensor units should be in 260 300 range Gap size this 1s the value of the gap automatically maintained during the etching process Default value 1s 0 010 Advanced users can experiment with this value but we do not recommend changing it when you are just starting to use the Machine test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program Statistics Service functions E Machine selection Total machine use time 4 Jab count 5 Gap sensor units 274 units A af N2 0 100 Testes 2 Date 3 30 20105 Start X 1 66 Y Gap size DIE A Material Start 101 60 Brightness 2 axis velocity A mm sec af N21 100 Fragme 1 Date 3 30 20105 Start X 3 39 Y Material Start 101 60 J Automatic gap setting G Z axis velocity ranite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Cor 2010 Page 46 of 76 This slider controls the speed of Z axis movement during the positioning operations You can change it to any value test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program Machine selection Statistics Service functions Total machine use time 4 Job count 5 Gap sensor units
29. aterial configuration being equal increase of resolution typically required decrease of brightness parameter For example when you increase resolution from 84 to 145 DPIs you will likely need to decrease brightness parameter to prevent images from losing the halftones and vice versa Page 31 of 76 right Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Co Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Two photographs below demonstrate the same image etched with different resolutions barat a sy M s A eat ART Phir feel pee eB ia A ZR A i KSW ANA v es fel ELF Vial i ARENE CNA lu r Ail Siy sz EN Sde Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 32 of 76 06 05 Image transformation method Granite Machines support 3 methods for image transformation e Offset e Floyd Steinberg e Ordered Dither Material paramethers x Material fF Create China Black 84 DPI offset z Del elete Read only X Offset method z method Flayd Steinberg method Use modified offset martix Ordered dither method Min color used Engrave in one direction Offset method w lo A by offset Double pass Use axis as primary Offset is the most commonly used method and we recommend that you use it for your first etchings You can later experiment with other 2 methods and decide whether you like to use them for particular typ
30. choice for portraits editing but you will need to read specialized literature on use of this filter s 3 parameters Radius Strength Clipping Threshold I Preview on Image Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 66 of 76 Brighten darken areas of an image Quite often you will have to darken or brighten some spots on the picture or entire selections Typical examples include e Add sparkles to the eyes e Improving contrast between the parts of the face costume e Lighten the dark hair darken the white hair The 3 application is quite important for persons with dark hair Unless you make the hair area brighter it will not be visible on the etching In our example the area of the beard has become over exposed and will come out as a white spot unless we darken it and add lines to show the hair o o s KARTE RA AN Create oval selection Often you will need to enclose the portrait in an oval like shape This can be done by selecting the portion of the portrait and promoting it into a new layer p U 6 U U Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 67 of 76 When performing such selection make sure that the feather parameter is sufficiently high you can use values as high as 50 or 100 this will ensure smooth edges of selected picture ad szron fr 4 v i Preset
31. ded for users of the Granite brand Impact Etching Machines models CP SR and SX referred to as Machine in present manual With the exception of some sections this manual applies to both stationary SR SX and compact CP models Model specific sections contain the name of the model to which they apply While this manual covers some image editing techniques use of raster image editors is not covered You can turn to specialized literature on digital image processing techniques as applicable to the version of the software you are using Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 6 of 76 Terms and conditions Parties covered e Owner of the Machine referred to as Buyer e Economical Solutions Corporation referred to as Seller 1 Warranty a Seller provides the warranty for 1 year from the date of purchase that the Machine will perform its function Etching of halftone pictures on hard surfaces During the warranty period Seller will provide free of charge any repairs oe parts required to keep Machine working This warranty covers any break downs caused by regular use of Machine including any mechanical or electrical break downs that can be attributed to the design of the Machine The warranty does not cover replacement diamond tips which are a consumable item b Warranty does not cover damage or break downs caused by dropping the Machine Machine being hit wi
32. dimensions that you measured in step 2 Enter width into X field and height into Y field G Start engraving job O X Va ie Original image Preview Steitengr ving E A wie Material Fosifion and size ik X f2187 VA Y j 10 585 Aka ja Engiaving head position ielative to the image Fr Upper left Starling point offset x an Ibe image FR sae keene oa aa iw Backgid ndzalor L Black 6 Ber Sel ihih 7 facenamraaemc l N A N 1115 71338 Hits 340 335 c Click the Start button and the etching will begin Do not push lean over the Machine table stone when etching is in process this can dislo cate Machine relative to the stone and cause lines in the etching Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 26 of 76 6 Configure material parameters 06 01 About material configuration Your etching Machine creates pictures by hitting stone with a diamond needle It calculates the strength of hits based on the Material Configuration that 1s used for each etching job Machine is capable of etching 256 different grayscale colors Each color on that 256 color scale from completely black to perfect white has the hit strength assigned to it Material configuration stores the dependency between the color and hit strength required to create that color on stone Also
33. en small movements of the floor under the Machine while etching is in process can result in its shifting against the stone and cause visible lines and discolorations in the etched image If the Machine must be installed on a wooden floor avoid walking around it during the process of etching Using adjustable screws at the bottom of Machine s legs level the Machine and make sure that 1t does not wobble on its legs Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 19 of 76 05 03 Ground the Machine s frame Grounding Machine s frame is required for SX and SR models and recommended for CP model Machines have a grounding connector with the screw welded to their frame For SX and SR model grounding wire screw is located at the bottom of one of its legs Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 20 of 76 05 04 Install USB controller driver and eControl software 1 Keep the etching Machine turned off and USB cable disconnected at this point 2 Put the CD that came with Machine into your PC 3 Execute program CDM20600 exe from the CD It will install driver for Machine s USB controller 4 Plug Machine into the power outlet making sure that you use grounded power outlet for powering the Machine 5 Connect USB cable to the Machine 6 Turn on power switch on the back of Machine s control module 7 Plug other end of USB cable into
34. engraving head ta Save position x e 311 Ed w 16 342 Position 02EM1005e Auto 147 478 In this example the etching head has been positioned in the top left corner of the etching area You might want to lower the etching head to see its position relative to stone more clearly Do not allow the gap sensor lever or etching needle to touch the stone Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 25 of 76 10 Once the etching needle is positioned select the picture for etching Click on Select Image button and select the picture on your computer s hard drive or memory card We recommend using the picture called test jpg that has been installed on your computer s desktop by the installation program testipg Granite x Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program m Image size pixels 36 1115 1338 Position sngraving head keh Save postion xem I OZ 342 Pi Tiin l ZEM1005e Auto 147 478 C Documents and Settings All Users Desktopltestjpa 11 Click Engraving button In the engraving screen a In the engraving head position relative to image select the corner of the picture into which you have put the etching needle in this illustration 1t is top left b Click Resize image to button and enter the dimensions of the etching for example 6 5 by 5 5 use your own
35. equirements for PC configuration To control the etching Machine you will need any PC capable of running Microsoft Windows any version EControl software used to run the etching process does not require significant resources so any modern computer will suffice for controlling the etching Machine If you however intend to use the same PC for editing of pictures then you must ensure that it has enough memory relatively powerful graphic card and fast processor We recommend the PC that has at least 2 GB of RAM and relatively fast video card At the time of writing this manual April 2010 most modern PCs sold in computer stores will be powerful enough for image editing Do not use netbooks for image editing as their low end processors and low memory will likely result in poor performance Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 13 of 76 4 Getting to know your etching Machine 04 01 How does it work Your Machine is based on the most recent achievements of the CNC Computer Numeric Control technology Its main part is the etching head that is moved in all 3 directions Etching head vibrates which results in etching needle hitting the stone and creating the image Machine uses an automatic gap sensor which maintains the optimal distance between the etching head and the material 4 ZAW PAS ln JE U a ZZM i Etching Needle Gap Sensor Lever Gap sens
36. es of etching jobs Below table shows the same picture etched using 3 image transformation methods all 3 pictures made in low resolution of 84 DPI to better demonstrate the texture of the etching Floyd Steinberg Ordered dither N s TB t A y le a 37 oe Z E 4 x r 4 Mia ht 4 oe i E ERIO aie alata ini Ge i A Aly 16 WPP LA WOT A Mai 2117 the take WIM Dot z ej SU au ie r ng er ome Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 33 of 76 06 06 Step by step guide to configuring material parameters 1 Navigate to Parameters tab and click Materials button g mage Editing Service About program f Statistics Service functions dy Machine selection Total machine use time 0h56 m52 s Job count 7 Gap sensor units 31 2 units A X N 0 19 Fragment jpg 5 1 Date 4 29 2010 6 50 02 PM gt 4 29 2010 6 52 31 PM V Automatic gap setting Start X 1 12 Y 19 24 Hits 7626 of 38917 Gap size 0 010 A Material Start 101 60 dpi 5 Brightness 950 Contrast 700 Gamma 0 30 Z axis velocity 7 mm sec X No 1 39 TestG8 grayscale bmp PJ 1 Date 4 29 2010 6 53 10 PM gt 4 29 2010 6 54 30 PM PET kone ona Start X 0 96 Y 21 12 Hits 5655 of 14477 Material Granite 101 DPI 101 60 dpi WE Brightness 1000 Contrast 650 Gamma 0 30 Turn off motors when job is complete V Ne 2
37. et ADNE D JEA window 10b a X Cancel v Blan 2010 Page 53 of 76 G ranite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 54 of 76 In Position and size tab Depending on the place where you positioned the etching head select the value in Engraving head position drop down startengravingjob IE Driginal image Preview c Mille 1338 Hits 8933 Then enter the size of your etching BEMMEENGIEAr MU Startengraving Material Position snd size C Absolute coordinates a Match to the image ize C Resize picture to X 273 A y 1054 A V Lock aspect ratio Engraving head position telative to the image fe Upper lett r Upper lett Upper center i Upper right Center of right side Lower right Lower middle IE Lower lett w Center of left side Black C White iv Duzpiay preview window during jab execuli X Cancel of Start You can let program calculate the etching size based on its size in pixels and resolution match to the image size but unless you have prepared your computer image accordingly it will likely not result in your desired etching size In most cases you will need to select Resize picture size to option and enter the height and width of your etching height corresponds to Y parameter and width
38. faint etching in the 3 line If you see more than 2 completely black lines increase the brightness parameter If you see less than 2 completely black lines decrease Brightness For example The lowest two lines are not completely black Reduce brightness ZEMAN USER AGA Z A Es x Bazar sagang 7 lowest lines are completely black Increase brightness AGG tat ESERSE b EL ESES A a Correct configuration Two lowest lines appear black and we can see color appearing in the 3 line Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 36 of 76 9 Set Contrast parameter In the previous step you have identified correct value of brightness parameter All changes to the etched image in this step must be achieved by changing contrast only Do not change brightness in this step Change contrast to achieve the following conditions a The two or 3 lines at the top of test picture must appear as completely white with little or no variation on color b For the remaining lines excluding the 2 black ones at the bottom you should see the smooth change in color Values of correct contrast parameter usually lies between 600 and 700 so start your test with contrast value from this range The white color does not reach full saturation by the top line Increase contrast 7 or 8 top lines have the same color Decrease contrast Br a er BEE RE
39. from http www gimp org Our experience has been that it is better to avoid such programs They seem to work when all you want to do 1s some basic image editing steps but in most case such programs drop the ball when you require advanced editing We have tried most freeware and shareware programs available today and still recommend using commercial product from Adobe or Corel Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 61 of 76 08 06 Optimal hardware for editing You will need a computer with at least 1 Gigabyte of memory 2 Gigabytes or more recommended in particular if you use Windows Vista or Windows 7 We recommend using PC with discrete graphic card not integrated with PC s chip set PCs with integrated graphics processors IGPs use computer s own memory for image processing which sacrifices performance because computer s own memory has lower speed vs memory that comes with the more advanced graphic processors 08 07 Using proofs Before you etch the picture on the monument we recommend etching the image on a smaller size or less expensive stone create a proof etching Proof can help you with the following 1 Ensure that the image to be etched has satisfactory quality 2 Demonstrate the image to the customer to make sure that he she 1s happy with the result You can use granite tiles available for purchase from most tile and flooring stores Select the gr
40. irection E A by aig Double pass metho Use asis as primary Engraving 84 67 dpi gt Use modified offset martix resolution 84 67 dpi Hit 4 Brightness 1090 b Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 29 of 76 06 03 Brightness and contrast Brightness and Contrast are the most important parameters of material configuration Brightness and contrast determine the shape of the graph representing strength of hits as function of color being etched 1 Brightness controls the strength of all hits When you change this parameter the entire graph moves up or down This is equivalent to increasing overall brightness of your etching 2 Contrast controls the slope of the graph This parameter determines the difference in hit strength between colors Changing contrast increases the strength of hits on the right side of the color scale When contrast is set too low the white color from the color scale will not appear as perfect white on etched test image 3 Gamma correction adds curve to the graph thus making distribution of hit strength non linear with brighter colors etched with even more hit strength than the rest of color scale Typically setting gamma to non zero value increases the contrast of etched picture without the risk to over expose bright areas It may however result in loss of some depth for colors in the middle of color scale you may
41. k Select Image Open image named TestG8 grayscale bmp from your desktop it has been put there by eControl installation This is the test image that we will use for configuring material 5 Initialize your Machine if required and position the etching head over the material Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 34 of 76 6 Click Engraving button In Position and size tab select Match to image size In Material tab make sure that material you are testing is selected 7 Start engraving job Resume engraving 7 Create the etching Test image consists of 16 rows and as many columns Each row has a tiny white notch against it so that even if row is not visible too dark you can still see its would be position Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 35 of 76 8 Set Brightness parameter In the beginning of this step check that contrast parameter is between 400 and 1000 If it is not within a range of 400 and 1000 set it to 600 otherwise leave unchanged From this moment on do not change contrast All changes to the etched image in this step must be achieved by changing brightness only Check how many lines from the bottom are not visible appear completely dark You need to achieve the effect when the lowest two lines are not visible and you are starting to see some
42. l ask you to send your etching head back to us Follow these steps to remove the etching head e Power off the Machine Detach the etching head cable by unscrewing the fixating nut and pilling the cable out Loosen the screw that holds the etching head 1n place then pull it upwards from the socket a ad a e i 4 lt r mu g a m Install the replacement etching head following above steps in reverse sequence Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 75 of 76 10 03 Clean lubricate the Machine CP model This maintenance step applies to CP model only SX and SR models do not require any lubrication For CP model this step has to be repeated approx every 20 hrs of Machine use The only allowed lubricant is mineral oil based lubricant compliant with NLGI 2 or DIN 51825 standards DO NOT use any non mineral oil based lubricants such as graphite based ones Remove 4 screws and lift the protective lid from Y axis linear drive Take a clean tissue and apply some lubricant to it then wipe the gliding surfaces and screws paying special attention to surfaces with accumulated stone dust usually closer to the end of each screw When all dust is removed leave a thin layer of lubricant on corresponding surfaces Places to lubricate are highlighted in below picture screws and rails Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyrigh
43. low rules covered by this section can damage the Machine and will void your warranty 02 01 Always use properly grounded electric outlet Please make sure that your electric outlet is correctly grounded You can use the 3 Wire Circuit Analyzer to confirm that At the time of writing this manual such analyzers are available at Home Depot for around 10 02 02 Ground the Machine frame We recommend that you also ground the Machine s frame to prevent electric potential from disrupting the signals of USB interface Grounding the Machine frame is a separate measure that does not substitute using a grounded electric outlet There is a connector for grounding located on Machine s frame close to control console for CP model and at the bottom of one of the legs for SR and SX models 02 03 Use battery back up UPS We recommend using a battery back up device with surge protection when connecting your etching Machine and PC used to control it Surge Protector will protect Machine s electronic circuits from your local grid s power surges and failures When both Machine and PC are connected to the battery back up device etching process will continue in case power completely goes out Battery back up devices can be purchased at your local computer store They are rated by the capacity of the battery We recommend to look for a device in 100 price range and purchase the one with highest VA rating VA Volt Ampere parameter which i
44. mage to the etching head sensor or other parts of the Machine Another scenario where this could happen is when you move the etching head in lowered position and it hits the stone on its side Situations described above should be avoided Any damage resulted from hitting the stone on the side with etching head will void your warranty We will still gladly repair your Machine and provide spare parts but it will be at owner s cost To prevent such situations ensure that e You measure and correctly enter the size of etching prior to pushing start button e When positioning the etching head raise it to its highest position z axis before starting to move along X and Y axes 02 06 Do not obstruct Machine s moving parts Objects obstructing the movement of Machine s components can damage the Machine Never leave any objects in the working field of the Machine or in the areas that would obstruct flexible electric cable conduits Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 10 of 76 02 07 Transporting the Machine CP model The compact CP Machine is designed to be put on the top of the stone It can also be transported between work sites Machine weighs around 62 Pounds or 28 Kg and can be carried by one or two persons Whenever transporting the compact Machine please follow the rules below 1 Disconnect USB cable and power cable from control box prior to transporting 2
45. or lever glides over the surface of the stone Machine is controlled by a personal computer running Windows operating system Note that Machine has to be connected to PC at all times during the etching process Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 14 of 76 04 02 System of coordinates Below picture illustrates Machine s system of coordinates X axis corresponds to the picture s width Y axis corresponds to picture s height Z axis 1s corresponds to etching head s up and down movement On the compact Machine CP model axes are oriented as below Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 15 of 76 04 03 Image orientation Image etched by the Machine will be oriented as shown below For CP model For SR and SX models Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 16 of 76 04 04 Control console Z axis raise lower etching head Mode button X axis Machine s control console is mainly used to position the etching head in the starting point of your etching The indicator on the console displays various parameters pertaining to the etching process such as time remaining to complete the etching job Note that functions of control console are duplicated in eControl program You can position etching head using either control console or your PC
46. or memory card Position engraving head k Save poslin xem pd S yfae Pi Tin test jpg Granite x Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program p Sy Image size pixele m Select Image 1116 Y 1338 TE EnqravinQ i IS2EM100Se Auto 147 478 G Bocuments and Settings All Users Desktop testjpa 07 09 Set etching parameters After image for etching 1s selected click Engraving button to select the etching parameters test jpa Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program na inma Nem Vs OS I tisfiez 44 04 j 11 4 U MO ONIN U 1 Position engraving head k Save position 3201 v 17 354 feel V 20 set Image size pixele TITE AT 1338 02EM10Q5e Console 0 C Documents and Settings All Users Desktop test jpg Start engraving job window will open Start with selecting material configuration in the Material tab Original image Preview zip xl Start enoraving Material Position and zize GE i Resolution 127 00 dpi Min color used by offset method 0 Use modified offset martix No Engrave in one director No Double pasz No Use Y axis a primary No Increase signle hit strength No PenmEenNgemi i IO SS M Backgr wnd cola IM Black J 2 Black Set Jite Tea tAktditonii
47. ou want to use JPG format please use options dialog when saving the file and ensure that the compression factor when saving image is no higher than 20 JPG files utilize compression with information loss and using high compression will result in lower image quality Location of advanced options function for JPG images differs by the program you use Below screenshot represents such window for Corel Photo Paint program Save in 3 Download G amp Eo E BLUE bd oe JA Save Options i x Encoding Type Standard encoding V Save EXIF information Compression _ Options Lowest compression Highest compression best quality lowest quality Chroma Subsamplina YCbCr 1x1 1x1 1x1 None ICC Profile V Embed ICC Profile sRGB Color Space Profile _ Cancel Hep Bun Optimizer ja gt JPG JPEG jpg jif jpe jpeg Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 38 of 76 07 02 Prepare image for etching For best result every image needs to be prepared for etching Image preparation process usually includes many steps from cropping the background to improving overall quality of image to adding texts and ornaments Please refer to section 8 Image editing for more details For creating test etching you can use the file test jpg that has been put on your desktop by the installation program Granite Impact Etching M
48. our PC s desktop Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 23 of 76 5 After eControl program has successfully established connection with the Machine your screen will look as below 4e ga gt Engang check that Machine is turned on and connected to your PC via the USB cable 7 Click the power on button This will activate the step motors of the Machine You will start hearing a slight hissing sound coming from the motors That is normal G ranite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Cor 2010 Page 24 of 76 Click on Initialize button This will cause etching head to move into its home position This is the technical step that 1s always required after Machine has been turned on Image size pixels Select Image a Engraving Position engraving head td Save position X jea v 15 342 Pasition 02EM1005e Auto 147 478 Now position your etching head in either corner of the future picture using the buttons with green ar rows of eControl software You can also use buttons on the Machine s control box To switch controlling etching head between PC and console push Mode button in eControl program on control console Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program BEE Image se ek ee A Engraving Position
49. p is to create any etching so that you can be sure that Machine is connected to the PC correctly and works fine l Locate the granite tile or other piece of polished stone that you can use for this test etching Since this is just a test use either inexpensive 12 x 12 tile that can be purchased at any home improvement store or tile shop or some scrap stone that you can discard afterwards 2 On your tile or slab identify an area where you would like your etching to appear You might want to draw the outline of that area with the special pencil In below photograph such area is marked with masking tape for better visibility Measure the etching area s width and height 3 Position the stone within Machine s frame a For compact models 1 If you use the granite slab that is larger than the Machine s frame put the Machine straight on the stone Make sure that Machine sits solidly on the surface of the stone and does not wobble 11 If you use the granite tile put it on the table inside of Machine s frame as shown in above photograph b For stationary models 1 Puta stone on the dolly and wheel it into the Machine s frame making sure that the surface of the stone 1s within 1 2 inches of the Machine s lower bar c Put pieces of wood or other stones under your slab tile to achieve proper height 4 In your start menu locate Granite group and from it run eControl program or use the shortcut on y
50. r to the section 6 Configure material parameters for detailed description of this window and the process of material set up Service functions This tab contains various service functions used to configure the Machine at the factory or diagnose it in case of any issues Please do not change any settings in this tab test jpg Granite bak 2 Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 48 of 76 Image editing service tab This tab contains the information about image editing services offered by Economical Solutions Corporation test jpg Granite x Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program we offer image editing services to prepare pictures for etchina for low flat fee Inquire at sales roi etching com 02EM1005e Auto 0 C Documents and Settings All Users Desktop test jpg About program tab In this program you see the version of the eControl software and end user licensing agreement Please read it carefully test jpg Granite x Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program Copyright MPF Radian Ltd 2005 2010 All rights License Agreement reserved Granite Granite CP Granite SR and Granite 52 are trademarks of HPF Radian Ltd LLL NPF Radian Nikolaev Ukraine http ay radian mk Ua Distributed in US and Canada by E a This License Agreement is a legal agreement between you individual or
51. s Sason typ Moder Festhers Create the halo Creating halo is usually required when person has dark hair Without halo the silhouette of the head is not visible because the transition between dark hair and dark stone disappears Select the middle layer containing the black background Both middle and top layers should be visible Then on the top in Presets toolbar select the parameters as shown below Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 68 of 76 Click the mouse button and move the brush along the edges of the portrait The resulting picture should look as below Before adding the halo After adding the halo G ranite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Cor 2010 Page 69 of 76 NN M i U BU M 7 JA Hin M I il Ni i W A U i NN U JA Ni NR A MAJ N NN WENN MBAR AN AA l AN ih Neal ME Cea T NONI U U MIN MAU i U I WY j M NI IN i oa W I M I NAN W N IU W W mi M U Wil ROLL AA R NN M I Ni ui N NN NU M NW I Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 70 of 76 Adding texts Click on the Text tool Then click on the place in the picture where you would like to place the text Text box appears there Type any text there for example Beloved Mom
52. s corresponds to X parameter Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 55 of 76 07 10 Start the etching process Click Start button to begin your etching process Regardless of the initial etching head position Machine will always do the following 1 Move etching head to the bottom of the picture the first line that has any non black color 2 Execute the automatic gap setting procedure Machine will lower the etching head until needle touches the stone This position will be registered as zero for gap sensor and then etching head will be raised to reach the gap pre set in eControl software 3 Start the etching R Job execution ancrease signie ht strength E Pause i cos CE tems ono mos When etching 1s in progress you will see the current position of etching head and completion status in the left panel The time remaining to complete etching will be displayed 1n the status bar at the bottom of the window as well as in the indicator on control console During etching you can adjust brightness and contrast Note that such adjustments will only be applied to the current etching job and will not be saved into the material configuration that is being used Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 56 of 76 07 11 Stop pause etching When etching 1s in progress you can pause and continue at any
53. s usually printed on the box and looks like 650 750 1000 etc 02 04 Connect both PC and Machine to the same outlet Make sure you connect both PC and the Machine to the same power outlet or ideally same battery back up device Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 9 of 76 02 05 Prevent damage to the Machine Your Machine is equipped with advanced automatic surface tracking sensor This means that Machine will automatically set and maintain constant clearance gap between the etching head and stone by moving the needle up and down as necessary during the process of etching This technology significantly improves quality of etching but can result in issues if etching needle or gap sensor lever leaves the surface of the stone during the etching process Etching Needle Gap Sensor Lever It would typically happen if your picture size 1s set to be bigger than the surface of the stone Should the gap sensor lever leave the surface of the stone the surface tracking algorithm will lower the needle to ensure the correct gap As a result the etching head will go down until it reaches its lowest position or finds another surface Machine s control software is designed to identify such situations and stop the etching process In some rare cases this protective measure can fail or not react fast enough which can result in the etching head hitting the stone on the side causing da
54. t Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 76 of 76
55. t screenshot the position on Z indicator is acceptable not too close to either end of the range Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 43 of 76 test jpg Granite Min and Max indicators Indicators highlighted below show whether etching head is positioned within the Machine s control range for Axes X and Y When indicators are green you are ok to start etching from the current position If indicators are yellow which means the etching head is too close to the end of Machine s control range or red which means that etching head has reached the end sensor you need to move your etching head away from the end of axes until all indicators are green again test jpg Granite Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 44 of 76 Etching head positioning using exact coordinates Highlighted indicators and controls are used to display the current position of etching head and to move it to the selected position Save position button saves current position for X and Y axes so that you can later move the etching head into that position by pushing position button test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program 1 Power on M ode Zero point set x E Ime Position engraving head k Save positions x 6 201 FA 3 s 83547 Position Stop button Stop bu
56. te Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 41 of 76 Move etching head along X and Y axis Following buttons are used to move the etching head 1n horizontal plane along axis X and Y test jpq Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program Power on Mode Zero point set x E G Initialize Min Max 17 19 2 0 sec In above screenshot some of the buttons are inactive because Machine has not been yet initialized After Machine is initialized by pressing Initialize button the same screen will look as below test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program W Power on Er Made I Speed of etching head movement X and Y axis Control highlighted below is used to change the speed of etching head movement for X and Y axis Note that this control only changes the speed of etching head movement during initial positioning This control does not impact the etching speed which only depends on etching resolution You can set the control to high speed to move etching head quickly and then reduce speed for more precise positioning closer to the starting point Higher position of slider corresponds to higher movement speed test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program Zero point set x Power on Gy Mode a ee 6 63 LG 7 87 i 0 00
57. th objects electrical shocks chemical spills or any other kinds of actions that are not included 1n the expected use of the Machine c Buyer shall provide regular maintenance by cleaning and lubricating its moving parts when applicable for CP model Any damage or break down caused by lack of such care is not covered by the warranty 2 Limitations of Parties liability a All information regarding the Equipment is from sources deemed reliable but no warranty or representation 1s made as to fact promise information or the like regarding condition use or description of the Equipment unless confirmed explicitly in writing by the Seller in this Agreement b The Buyer irrevocably and unconditionally waives any claim the Buyer may have against the Seller Manufacturer NPF Radian due to any deficiency or lack of conformity of the Equipment or any unit or part thereof including conformity to government health and safety regulations certification requirements etc c The Buyer agrees that it will not hold The Seller or Manufacturer NPF Radian their directors shareholders or employees responsible for any personal property business reputation or other types of damage that might result from use of Machine This includes any kind of personal injury as well as damage to the materials or any other harm that can directly of indirectly be caused by the Machine 3 Intellectual Property Protection a Certain components of the Machine ma
58. tton is used for interrupting any operation such as initialization or moving etching head to the top bottom of Z axis Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 45 of 76 Parameters tab Machine selection button This button is used to select the Machine you are currently working with You will only have to use it in case you have more than one Granite Machine connected to your PC test jpg Granite Engraving Parameters Image Editing Service About program dy Machine selection Gap sensor units 278 units Al V Automatic gap setting Gap size 0 01 n r Z axis velocity 8 mm sec PONO Statistics Service functions Total machine use time 4h0 Job count 5 va Ne 0 100 TestG8 bm 2 Date 3 30 2010 5 31 Start X 1 66 Y Material Start 101 60 dr Brightness 9f wf N2 1 100 Fragment l 1 Pate 33M2MN 5 30 Machine Selection x Automatic w a connection Serial Number Description i Usable 02EM1005e Impact Engraving Machine PA aaa aana anawa aaa a 0000 Bytes packets received 70074 1379450 Bytes rejected 40 Impact Engraving Machine 335 x 595 NPF Radian Ltd e mail sales roi etching com Bytes packets sent 8298 206878 Transmission failures 1 Code 2 Receiving failures 1 Code 8 Gap sensor controls Gap sensor units parameter displays the gap sensor units th
59. y be protected by Ukrainian and International patents b Buyer agrees not to engage or allow 3rd parties to engage in any of the following activities 1 Reverse engineering of mechanical or software components of the Machine by means of disassembly tracing the software or any kind of activities in general that would be aimed at identifying the working principles of the Machine 11 Creating copies of software provided with the Machine Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 7 of 76 Where to get help This manual has been thoughtfully prepared to provide you with comprehensive information required to use the Machine For any questions and issues our support policy assumes that you will first contact the company you have purchased the Machine from Should your question require intervention from manufacturer NPF Radian or North American Distributor Economical Solutions Corp your vendor will contact these parties 1 Personal Safety You should exercise the usual pre cautions when working with the Machine e Bealert e Do not expose your limbs or hair to any moving parts of the Machine e Avoid inhaling dust created during the etching e Wear appropriate hearing and eye protection Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 8 of 76 2 Protect your Machine Please read this section before starting to use the Machine Failure to fol
60. your PC Wait a minute or so for your PC to find and activate the USB driver that you have installed in step 3 8 On the CD find Econtrol enu exe program and run it to install eControl software Follow the instruc tions provided during the program installation until 1t is complete 9 Installation program will do the following a Install the eControl software on your PC and put a shortcut to it on your desktop and new pro oram group called Granite in your Start menu b Econtro 1 Uninstall EControl l ti sl E ontrol b Put the test image for configuring material parameters on your desktop file named TestG8 grayscale bmp c Install the sample image that you can use for testing the Machine file Test jpg Granite Impact Etching Machine User Manual Copyright Economical Solutions Corp 2010 Page 21 of 76 05 05 Disable power saving features for your PC Personal computer used to control the etching process must be connected to the Machine and turned on at all times Before using your PC with etching Machine please make sure that you disable the power saving functionality that would turn off your PC after some period of inactivity or put it into sleep or suspend mode Typically value of Suspend Sleep Hibernate Standby and other similar parameters should be set to Never like in the screenshot below Power Schemes Aas Power Meter Advanced
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