Ioline I/S User Guide
Contents
1. 00 18 TROUBLESHOOTING nsusssnsnnsennsennsnnunnennsunnnnnnannan 18 Troubleshooting Chart ccccccccseeecseeeeseeeeeees 18 EC OGG Se 19 Troubleshooting the Parallel Port 0 20 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ccccssseeseeseeeees 20 Replacing the Blade cccssseccseeeeeeeeeseeeees 20 Cleaning the Drive Shaft cccccecceeseeeeeeees 20 CAND AUON rnn n T 21 END NOTES congue 22 GOING Hel eesse in ctteciatemn hci 22 The FCC Wants You to KNOW 0 ccecseeeeee ees 23 Your Comments Are Requested ccccseee 23 CUSIOME SEVICE arrn A E 23 Limit of Liability StateMent cccseeeeeeseeeees 23 GEOSSARY sasina 24 INDE Kees catecetaeceeterct es arene a 26 DA S THE STUDIO A PLOTTER Thank you for purchasing an Ioline plotter To make patterns you also need a computer with design software After you have used the design software to create a pattern you will send it as a plot file to the Ioline plotter The plotter will receive the file and plot the design Check the following items before you begin making patterns e The design software which helps you design patterns must be loaded into the computer according to the installation instructions If you have any questions about the computer or the software you will need to call the dealer e The computer sends a plot file to the plotter to create the patterns The computer must be assembled and install2. Manually create and maintain a service loop in the rear See Roll Feed in the Joline Control Center section for more information Load the Material Roll on a Media Roller Testing at Ioline has revealed that loading media using a roller as an axle produces the best results A less effective option 1s to place the roll of material between the media rollers so that it is cradled on the outer diameter 1 Insert a media roller through the material roll Figure 6 Inserting a media roller through the material roll 2 Install the media roller in the rear lower notch in the leg as shown below Figure 7 Material roll hangining on a media roller in stalled in the stand 3 The material should unroll from behind the roll Figure 8 The correct material path Loading a Material Roll on the Locking Flanges Testing at Ioline has revealed that loading media using a roller as an axle produces the best results but some customers prefer to use locking flanges Note The locking flanges will support a 200 yard material roll or less To use the flanges 1 Insert the flanges into the openings at each end of the material roll Leave a gap of 1 8 Tighten the knobs until the flanges are secure in the tube Figure 9 Inserting a flange into the material roll 2 Install the locating collars on the front media roller as shown in the figure below Slide t
3. The FCC Wants You to Know This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not in stalled and used properly in strict accordance with manufacturer instruc tions it may cause interference to radio and television reception Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference re ceived including interference that may cause undesired operation If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on you are encouraged to try to correct the problem by one or more of the following measures e Use only shielded interface cables e Reorient the receiving antenna e Relocate the host computer with respect to the receiver e Move the host computer away from the receiver e Plug the host computer into a different outlet so that the host computer and receiver are on different branch circuits If necessary consult the dealer or an experienced radio television technician for additional suggestions The following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission is a helpful reference How To Identify and Resolve Radio TV Interference Problems The stock number is 004 000 00345 4 This booklet is available from U S Government Printing Office Washington D C 20402 Your Comments Are Requested Ioline Corporation is interested
4. see Start Stop above Set Origin The Set Origin key sets the initial origin or starting position for the pattern It is best to set a new origin before plotting each pat tern If a new origin is not set before sending a file to the plotter the plotter will begin at a point determined by the previous plot file The software may give the option of selecting this ending point The plotter will then treat the new file as a continuation of the previous plot This will affect the repeat function Refer to the Repeat section below To set a new origin make sure the plotter is in Stop mode with the red light on Use the Arrow keys to move the pen or blade to the intended origin of the plot then press the Set Origin key The plotter will then accept cut plot files ORIGIN POINT Figure 3 Origin Point Note Design software usually refers to the origin as lower left because it is the lower left corner of a pattern Because the plot is usually oriented as shown it is physically on the right side of the plotter Speed Use the Speed knob on the front panel of the plotter to adjust the speed Turn the knob clockwise to increase the speed or counter clockwise to decrease the speed Set the speed according to the type of plotting and material being used See the Plotting a Pat tern section of this manual Force Adjust the force by using the Force knob on the front panel Turn the Force knob clockwise to increase the force ex
5. A service loop of unrolled material is required for problem free operation Ioline recommends using the Roll Feed function enabled in the Control Center It will create the required service loop by gently pulling a set amount of material from the roll before plotting 2 Prepare a large clean area to work 3 Use the Paneling feature in the design software for long plots Paneling will restrict the length of any X axis move oline suggests an X panel size of 10 to 20 inches with no panels greater than 40 inches 4 Force Incorrect force can cause misalignment problems over the range of a long plot If the force is too high the material may skew 5 Lower Acceleration and Speed Use the Control Center program to set the acceleration to 0 5 g or less Lower acceleration will help with overall accuracy especially in the transition between frames Set the Speed knob to 50 percent or less Lower speed helps prevent the material from kink ing or buckling Power On Turn on the computer and the plotter The plotter power switch is located next to the power cord on the back The carriage will move when the power comes on Keep hands and loose clothing away from all moving parts of the plotter The red light on the front panel will come on when the start up procedure is finished Loading the Material Note If Roll Feed is not enabled in the Control Center do not allow the material to become taut between the plotter and the material roll
6. Test Plotter Port Test 3 Turn on the plotter while holding down the Test Cut key on the keypad Hold down the Test Cut key until the plotter beeps and the light flashes three times The plotter is now in Test Mode 4 Press any Arrow key on the keypad to transmit and receive characters Verify that the plotter beeps 5 Turn off the plotter at the end of the test This will exit Test Mode If this test fails the plotter port is faulty Testing the Computer Serial Port The diagnostic module is required for this test 1 Connect the diagnostic module directly to the COM port on the com puter If the computer COM port has a nine pin connector use a 9 pin to 25 pin adapter between the COM port and diagnostic module 2 From the Control Center main menu select Test Computer Port Test 3 Verify that the COM port selected is the correct one If it is not select the proper COM Port 4 Verify the CTS handshake line is on 5 Press any key on the computer keyboard and verify that the character transmitted equals the character received 6 Select the Exit button at the end of the test This will exit Test Mode If this test fails the computer port is faulty TROUBLESHOOTING If the system is not working correctly the problem could be with the computer the cable the design software or with the plotter Changes to the computer operating system or the installation of new peripherals or software might cause conflicts If the co
7. can be ordered from Ioline The plotter will not function 1f a serial cable is connected to a parallel port Select the correct port in the design software or the Control Center after the cables are correctly connected to the computer and plotter Consult the de sign software manual or the dealer for further information Important Notes 1 Always turn off the power to both the computer and the plotter before connecting any cables This will protect the equipment and reset the plotter if changing between parallel and serial communi cation 2 If connected to a parallel port an LPT port designation i e LPT 1 LPT 2 etc must be selected If connected to a serial port a COM port designation i e COM 1 COM 2 etc must be selected The choice of a port for the plotter will depend on the ports being used by other devices on the computer Consult with the dealer if a port is not available Power On Turn on the computer and the plotter to make sure they work The plotter power switch is located next to the power cord on the back The carriage will move toward the keypad side of the machine when the power is turned on Keep hands and loose clothing away from all moving parts of the plotter The red LED on the front panel will light when the start up process is finished Installing the loline Control Center The Control Center is an interface for adjusting parameters to optimize plot ter performance The plotter comes with a CD ROM
8. not return to the original position you may need to make a mark a dot for example at the starting corner of the annotation plot Your software may move the starting corner because the plot is smaller when the cut lines are removed Plot the Annotation 1 Insert the pen and set the force for plotting 2 Set a start point If you will need to manually return to this point before cutting push the pen down to make a mark 3 Send the plot version of your file to the plotter Cut the Pattern 1 Insert the knife and set the force for cutting if necessary 2 Position the knife over the starting mark of the annotation plot Gif your software does not automatically do it Press the Start Point key 3 Send the cut version of your file to the plotter COMMUNICATION TESTING There are three communication diagnostic tests available in the Control Cen ter These tests are designed to help determine if a communication problem exists and to isolate where the problem is occurring A diagnostic module is required to run two of these tests It will work on both the computer and plotter serial COM ports It is available from oline or an authorized dealer Communication Test This test will determine if communication is working between the computer and the plotter on the parallel LPT or serial COM ports Run this test from the Control Center Test menu The diagnostic module is not required to run this test 1 Turn the plotter o
9. of the Platen The idler pinchwheels have a locking feature that will hold them off of the platen during plotting This will reduce ink smearing if using a heavy ink marker for making patterns 1 Lift the idler pinchwheels off the platen with the pinchwheel lever 2 Press on the handles at the rear of the idler pinchwheel arm 3 Flip the locking clip into position with both thumbs Make sure that the clip is under the lower tabs 4 When the pinchwheels are lowered onto the platen the idlers will stay in the up position Lower Tab Figure 15 Locking the Idler Pinchwheels Off of the Platen Installing a Pen 1 Rotate the clamp screw until there is enough room to insert a pen Make sure that the clamp is rotated up out of the way 2 If using a plotter pen slip the flange into the slot in the carriage jaw If using a regular pen position the tip 1 8 inch off of the platen when the jaw is in the up position The plotter can hold any pen with a maximum barrel diameter of 7 8 22 mm 3 Tighten the clamp screw until the pen is secure Figure 16 Installing a Pen in the Carriage Jaw DA S Guidelines for Plotting Pens Refer to the table below for recommended settings for a variety of pen types Use Test Cut to verify the best settings for the pen media combination These settings may vary due to manufacturer age and temperature of the media Force Comments grams BMI Super Lay HP style 15ms
10. 3 Press the Start Stop key to resume plotting The plotter will return to the original plotting position and continue plotting where it stopped The keypad LED will change from red to green Canceling a Plot 1 Press the Start Stop key to place the plotter in Stop mode red LED 2 Cancel the plot from the design software refer to the design software manual or consult the software dealer or from the Control Center soft ware by clicking on the Abort button in the Send File window Note If this step is skipped the plot will continue when a new origin is set 3 Press the Set Origin key to make the plotter delete the plot data it has already received but has not yet plotted Plotting Long Patterns Plotting long patterns require that the pinchwheels are correctly spaced the material is aligned properly and some Control Center settings are properly adjusted Theses suggestions are detailed below 1 Align the Material and Pinchwheels See the previous section on Align ing the Material and Pinchwheels to ensure that the plotter and material are aligned properly 2 Lower Acceleration and Speed Using the Ioline Control Center pro gram set the Acceleration to 0 5 g or less Set the Speed knob on the keypad to 50 percent or less Lower acceleration and speed will help with overall accuracy especially in the transition between frames 3 Use Roll Feed Roll Feed will gently pull a set amount of material from the roll This helps the ma
11. D on when changing system settings Press the Start Stop key and make sure the green light is on before changing any settings e The Screen Menu displays the primary settings that are adjustable The Menu Bar contains utilities and less common plotter settings e The selected changes will be in effect only after one of the Send Settings buttons is pushed Note The design software may be able to override the Control Center settings Check to see if it has by pressing the Update Display button before and after a plot is completed If the settings change use the design software to modify plotting parameters Menu Bar Features The Ioline Control Center provides comprehensive help files to explain the functions of the software options Below is a brief summary Menu Bar items File Send Cut Plot File Send a plot plt file to the plotter Open Settings File Restores saved settings files Save Settings As Allows user to save settings files Exit Exits the Control Center program Setup Plotter Setup Allows user to select the correct plotter model COM Port Setup Allows user to select the communications port Display Plotter Settings Allows user to view current plotter settings Factory Defaults Allows user to view and restore original factory settings ROM Version Displays installed ROM version Memory Buffer Displays installed memory buffer size Blade Status Displays whether or not the blade holder is installed Options Filtering All
12. POWER OM cessnesanasciedaneioiscesids r N 10 Loading the Material cccsscccseeeeeeeeeeeeees 10 Aligning the Material and Pinchwheels 11 Adjusting the Pinchwheels sscesseeeeeees 12 Locking the Pinchwheels Off of the Platen 12 INSTANING APON soneran uriene aren 12 Guidelines for Plotting Pens cccseeeeeeee 13 Sending a Plot File to the Plotter 0 13 PaAUSING FPIOUING nieiecveriatsiteriieisatieaeeiete ee 13 Canceling a Plot scssesctessasscutinarenenentuanessersuedeeiends 13 Plotting Long Patterns ccceceseeeeeseeeeeeeees 14 Adjusting GaP wacete tere gence a 14 Cutting a Pattern ccccccsesessnsseesenseecenseeeenees 15 Basic ODG ATOM essiccare nni 15 Changing the Pinch Wheels ccscsseeeeeees 15 Loading and Aligning the Material 0 15 Installing a Blade and Foot 15 Installing a Blade Holder cccccsseeeeeeeeees 15 Adjusting Blade Exposure and Force 16 Annotating Before Cutting cccccesseeeeeees 17 Perform Test Cuts and Prepare the Files 17 PIOt ING Annotation wcsctoscoseitoccon eccedecedeeicees 17 C tine Pater eeir 17 COMMUNICATION TESTING cccsseeeeeeeees 17 Communication Test cccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 17 Testing the Plotter Serial Port cccccceeeees 18 Testing the Computer Serial Port
13. USING YOUR 7oOoLiNE lt Studio A Plotter Copyright 1999 Ioline Corporation All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America Text Revision 0 PN 107055 September 1999 All Trademarks Are The Property Of Their Respective Owners Figure 1 The Ioline Studio A plotter A AT HOA NMOOD Dust Cover Carriage Rail Drive Shaft Pattern Platen Carriage Idler Wheel Pinchwheel Drive Shaft Segment Pinchwheel Lever Keypad A S a TABLE OF CONTENTS THE STUDIO A PLOTTER ccccccssssseeeeeeseeeeees 4 SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS sssseeeeeeeeeees 4 INSTALLATION 5 sisccinstictncesizdeocisieeceesaiewtadensueaeetieeseaass 5 Unpack the PIOGGE aeiirstoeniio centered ae ew 5 Assemble the Stand ccris 5 PACH ING POIO essi e 5 Prepare the Area wiistenciweaten eeceudecereryovebietei nines 5 Connect the Plotter to the Computer 5 FOWE ON sanaa 5 Installing the loline Control Center 05 5 OPERATION orcii donnine iuo aaa 6 Keypad Controls isiccccvecssicccriietretntninetetans 6 The loline Control Center c ccccssseeseeseeeees 7 Changing System Settings cccccceesseeeeeeees 8 Menu Bar Features cccccccsseeceseeeeseeeeeeeesees 8 Screen Menu Options ccccceeececeeeeeeeaeeeeeeees 8 Plotting a Pattern viveiccsisticiieiveieeiicnctwctivesiies 10 General Guidelines ccccecccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 10
14. access to internal components If external mechanical adjustments are necessary turn off the plotter and disconnect it from all power sources both the computer and the wall outlet e Be careful with hair jewelry or loose clothing near the plotter They can become caught in the moving mechanical parts e Never move the carriage by hand Use the Arrow keys on the keypad and let the machine do it e Keep hands away from the carriage when the plotter is in operation The carriage will automatically move to its right end position when the power is turned on e Be careful when lifting the plotter Hold the bottom surfaces of the plotter to lift or move it e Keep fingers away from the drive shaft when the plotter is in operation e Use caution when changing a blade in the blade holder in the optional cutting kit See the Routine Maintenance chapter of this user guide for the recommended procedure e Be careful when handling the blades in the optional cutting kit They are sharp and could cause an injury if mishandled Although the blades are made of an extremely hard material they are brittle and can break if dropped or mishandled e S S INSTALLATION Unpack the Plotter Warning Do not lift the plotter by the plastic end covers the dust cover or the carriage rail This may permanently damage the plotter Use the bottom surfaces of the plotter to lift or move it Carefully remove the plotter from the box and place it on a
15. afety precautions and warnings that are described in this User Guide oline is not responsible for injuries that may occur as a result of unsafe operating procedures Joline is not responsible for substan dard operational performance as a result of failure to maintain the plotter as described in this User Guide GLOSSARY A Acceleration The rate that a plotter changes the velocity of the carriage or the media Acceleration is measured in units of g 1 g 32 2 ft s Higher acceleration can increase throughput but may degrade plot quality Arc A segment of a circle also called a curve Axis The geometric guidelines used to place a coordinate Used to deter mine pen or blade paths for plotters B Blade Refers to the carbide steel plotting tool used by pattern plotting plotters Blades are specified by offset tip distance from center and angle relative to media They are designed to work with many different materials Blade Bevel Angle of the vertical plotting edge of a blade Larger angles help the blade travel through thicker material that produce more drag be tween the blade and the medium Blade Offset The distance the blade tip trails behind the center of the blade Blade Steering Arc The arc followed by the center of the blade as it rotates around the fixed tip This is used to align the blade in the direction of the next vector so no tearing occurs C Control Panel Panel on the right side of th
16. anged repeat the Test Cut procedure to ensure that the results are satisfactory Send Settings to Plotter Permanent If Send Settings to Plotter Permanent is selected all of the displayed set tings will be sent to the plotter and will be saved for all subsequent sessions even after turning off the plotter Acceleration The factory set acceleration is 1 0 g The acceleration setting determines how quickly the pen or blade will reach full speed when starting or ending a line Use the Control Center to change the setting within a range of 0 1 to 1 0 g For long or difficult plots or when trying to achieve maximum accuracy use lower acceleration settings Up Down Delays The factory set up and down delays are both 0 milliseconds ms or 0 thou sandths of a second The delay setting controls the amount of time in milli seconds the plotter pauses after lifting or lowering the pen or blade Under normal circumstances this setting will not require adjustment Thick material e g tag board may require a delay of 25 to 50 ms Force You can change the minimum force setting for the Force control knob on the keypad The factory set minimum is 10 grams The maximum values are fixed at 175 grams when plotting with a pen or 400 grams when cutting Blade Overcut Blade overcut is the distance the blade travels beyond the end of a cut Blade overcut ensures that each cut actually reaches the point where one cut line meets and slightly ove
17. box see Figure 14 3 Precisely measure both X axis and Y axis lines Better accuracy in mea surement equals better calibration 4 Measure both sides and the top and bottom of the box Y1 x1 40 in x2 Y2 Figure 23 The Calibration Box and Measurements 5 Take the average of the horizontal Y values by adding them together and dividing by 2 Repeat this procedure for the vertical X values Example If X1 39 750 in and X2 39 700 in The sum is 79 450 in 39 750 in 39 700 in 79 450 in The average is 39 725 in 79 450 in 2 39 725 in The X calibration value is the average 39 725 in Enter the Calibration Data 1 Enter the measured values in the boxes in the Calibration window Make sure the plotter is in Start mode green LED Select the Set Calibration button 2 The plotter will send the calibration values and the new Calibration Setting will be displayed in the boxes in the window 3 Click on Done when finished END NOTES Getting Help Ioline is committed to providing the highest quality service and support to its customers If you need assistance with an Ioline plotter a number of resources are available 1 First refer to this User Guide for answers to your specific questions 2 Consult the support section of the Ioline web site www ioline com 3 For additional assistance contact your local dealer or Ioline Customer Service Contact information is listed on the last page of th
18. cing the Blade 20 Resolution 25 Return Material Authorization 22 Roll Feed 24 25 ROM Version 8 S Save Settings As 8 Scale 8 y Scale command 21 Screen Menu 8 Vector 25 Send Cut Plot File 8 Vinyl 10 12 24 Send File 13 W Send Settings to Cutter 9 Sending a Cut Plot File 13 Weeding 25 Separating 25 Windows 3 1 5 Serial 5 Windows 95 5 20 Serial Cable 5 Serial Communication 25 X Serial Communications 25 l Serial Port 18 X Axis 10 25 Serial Test 8 Y Service Loop 4 25 Set Origin 6 7 13 Y Axis 25 Setup 7 8 Signcutter 18 23 Software 5 13 14 Special Features 8 Speed 6 16 SPP 20 Stand 5 Start mode 8 21 Start Stop 6 8 16 Steering arc 9 Stop mode 6 7 13 Surge protector 5
19. ct driver setting the wrong plotter language is selected Table 3 Troubleshooting Chart DA S o If the blade tears the material or skips when cutting Possible Cause 1 The blade is dull or broken 2 The blade force is too low 3 The blade is dirty Solution 1 Replace the blade 2 Increase the blade force 3 Clean or replace the blade If the corners of the plots or cuts are not completely meeting Possible Cause 1 The material is slipping 2 The blade is dull or broken 3 The blade overcut is too low 4 The offset is incorrect Solution 1 Clean the drive shaft 2 Replace the blade 3 Use a higher blade overcut value 4 Refer to the Blade Offset section If you have difficulty weeding the completed pattern Possible Cause 1 Not enough force 2 The blade is dull or broken 3 The blade overcut is too low 4 The offset is incorrect Solution 1 Increase force setting 2 Replace the blade 3 Use a higher blade overcut value 4 Refer to the Blade Offset section If there are tracking errors Possible Cause 1 Pinch wheels are positioned on a smooth section of the drive shaft 2 Force is set too high 3 Acceleration is set too high 4 Speed is set too high 5 The material is kinked as it accumulates in the front and rear of the plotter 6 Dirty drive shaft Solution 1 Move the pinch wheels to a new location 2 Reduce th
20. e Force Incorrect plotting force can cause misalignment prob lems over the range of a long plot If the force is too high the material may skew If the blade depth is set too deep it could cut all the way through the material and or cause the material to become jammed under the blade Adjusting Gap Gap affects the size of the gap between each plotted frame in the direction of material movement X axis The gap value must be set to achieve optimal performance if the material slips during roll feed Note Most paper does not require a gap adjustment Gap 0 The gap is affected by material size and weight panel size and slightly by the size of the material roll When deter mining the frame gap value always use the same material and settings that will be used when plotting normally To determine the necessary frame gap use the following procedure 1 Check that Roll Feed is enabled in the Control Center and the plotter is updated with the Send Settings command 2 Send a pattern to the plotter that has two consecutive panels Make sure that the panels are the same size 3 Measure the frame separation or overlap in the X axis as accurately as possible 4 If the frames are separated enter the measurement as a negative number in the frame gap field For overlapping enter the measurement as a positive number in the frame gap field Example If the plot shows an overlap of 200 inches set the frame gap in the Control Center to 200 pos
21. e force 3 Set the acceleration to 5g 4 Reduce the speed to 50 or less 5 Make sure the material remains smooth flat and square during loading Clear the media path in the front and rear of the plotter 6 Clean the drive shaft Table 3 Continued Troubleshooting Chart LED Codes If the front panel green light is blinking once Possible Cause Solution Turn off your plotter and clear away any debris or jammed material The carriage is jammed If the front panel red light is blinking once Possible Cause Solution Turn off your plotter and clear away any debris or jammed material The drive shaft is jammed If the front panel red light is blinking twice Possible Cause Solution Buffer overflow or communication Perform the diagnostic tests or call problem your dealer If the front panel red and green lights are blinking alternately Possible Cause Solution 1 Make sure the correct driver is selected 2 Recreate file 1 Plotter language syntax error 2 Bad or corrupted file Note if any yellow lights are visible on the keypad take note of how many times the light blinks and contact Ioline Customer Service immediately Io line contact information is available at the end of this manual Table 4 LED Codes Troubleshooting the Parallel Port If the computer communicating with the plotter is on a network it is common for LPT 1 to be captured If a port is captured the data is redir
22. e is inserted to allow adjustment of the tag board settings The default settings will produce good results with most patterns Changing the Pinch Wheels Heavier pinchwheel pressure is required for cutting tag board 1 Raise the pinch wheel lever on the right side of the plotter 2 Set the outer pinchwheels to 24 pounds cam slot is vertical following the procedure in the Adjusting the Pinchwheels section 3 Set the inner idlers to 4 pounds cam slot is horizontal following the procedure in the Adjusting the Pinchwheels section Loading and Aligning the Material The method for loading tag board is the same as is described in the Plotting a Pattern section Ioline has determined that hanging the tag board roll on a media roller using the roller as an axle will produce the best results when using a roll of media Make sure the pinch wheels are positioned correctly Installing a Blade and Foot Note Using a hard surface to insert the blade may damage it A blade and a blade holder are included in the accessory kit The blades are sharp and brittle and the tips can chip or break Be very careful when handling the blades 1 Remove the foot from the assembly by unscrewing it counterclockwise 2 Slide the blade into the hole in the blade holder until it bottoms out The blade should spin freely 3 Screw the foot onto the shank clockwise as shown Stop before the blade emerges Foot Figures 17 Insta
23. e machine where primary plotter functions are accessible Also called the Keypad Coordinate A point that can be referenced by its position on the X or Y axes of a plotter The use of line or arc segments to connect coordinates creates paths for pens and knives to follow when plotting Cut Sheet A single piece of material that is loaded into the plotter but is not pulled from a roll D DM PL Programming instructions language used to connect a plotter with a computer DM PL is used in the plotter drivers of some pattern programs Drive Shaft The motor driven shaft that moves material through a friction feed plotter The drive shaft has a rough surface that grips the material F File Name Extensions In MS DOS and Windows based programs the three letters after the period in a file name In pattern files the three letters denote a file type such as the vector and bitmap based Encapsulated Post script EPS and the vector based Hewlett Packard Graphics Language PLT Flange The projecting rim around the edge that holds the pen or blade holder to the tool carriage The plotter automatically recognizes when a pen or blade is installed and changes plotting parameters accordingly Font Refers to the style and width of a particular design of letters numbers and symbols such as Helvetica Bold or Times Roman Force In plotting the downward pressure exerted on a pen or blade tip to ease plotting through materials Addi
24. e minimum angle for which the machine will perform a blade steering arc O Offset The distance the tip of the blade trails behind the center of the blade Origin Point marking the zero 0 coordinate on the X and Y axes Used as a starting reference by plotters for pen or blade paths Overcut Distance the blade travels beyond the end of each cut vector Overlap Amount of material plot in one panel or tile that duplicates what is done in the previous panel or tile The overlapped image allows for align ment when assembling and installing a large image P Panel Production area of a plotter Plotters have a size limit along the Y axis a few inches less than the width of the plotter and the X axis If a job exceeds the production area consecutive panels must be set up by the pattern soft ware Also called tiling Paneling a long plot will increase accuracy Parallel Communications Method of sending information from a computer to a plotter by sending 1 byte 8 bits at a time through a cable This method is faster than serial communication The parallel port on a PC is a female small holes connector Plotter A device that uses coordinates and vectors to create images In electronic pattern making plotters recreate vectors on material with a set of coordinates stored in a computer file Pinchwheel Wheeled roller tensioned by springs that clamps material be tween it and the drive shaft for transporting the mater
25. ected to the network instead of flowing out of the parallel port on the back of the com puter Ending the capture will allow data to flow normally from the computer to the plotter Note These instructions may vary depending on the Windows version 1 Click the Start button select Settings and then click Printers to open the Printers window 2 Right Click the printer icon for a network printer and select Properties 3 Click on the Capture Settings or Details tab 4 Click on End Capture Select LPT 1 and click OK 5 Assign the network printer path to another parallel port designation like LPT 3 Set the printer to use that port or select a network print que path BIOS settings can also have an effect on parallel port performance The plot ter supports only SPP parallel port communication ECP and EPP modes are not supported These instructions include editing the PC BIOS to ensure that the port is in the proper mode prior to staring Windows 1 Click the Start button select Settings and then click Control Panel to open the Control Panel window 2 Double Click the System icon to open the System window and then click the Device Manager tab 3 Remove the parallel port by clicking Ports selecting the port and click ing the Remove button 4 Shut down Windows 5 Restart or Reset the computer 6 Enter the PC BIOS setup This is usually done by hitting the DEL key or ESC key during the boot sequence Cons
26. ed correctly before you connect it by cable to the plotter e The plotter will plot the pattern exactly as you have designed it The pattern will be plot from the material that you have loaded into the plotter e There is a specialized software program that comes with the plotter called the Ioline Control Center You can load this software utility into a PC compatible computer and use it to adjust plotter settings and perform system diagnostics Most design software provides drivers for Ioline plot ters Contact Ioline customer service if you need assistance with drivers SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS Please read these safety guidelines before beginning operation of the plotter The plotter uses a very sharp blade when cutting with the optional cutting kit loline P N 107057 The carriage drive shaft and media can move quickly Always observe the following safety precautions e Do not allow the material to become suddenly taut between the plotter and a roll of material during plotting A service loop of unrolled material is required for problem free operation Using the Roll Feed function enabled in the Control Center will create the required service loop by gently pulling a set amount of material from the roll before plotting Joline recommends using the Roll Feed function when plotting on a roll of material e Do not try to repair the machine without factory authorization Only qualified service personnel should attempt any disassembly or
27. erted on the pen or blade See the section on Plotting a Pattern for the recom mended settings The range of force available at the knob is ad justable in the Control Center The available range is 1 400 grams Note Using too much force can cause excessive drag damage the pen or blade or tear the material Test Cut Test Cut Wen pressed this button will cut or plot a test pattern to help determine the proper force for knives or pens and blade exposure for plotting patterns The test cut will also show the effect of the blade offset and overcut settings in the Control Center See the section on Plotting a Pattern or Cutting a Pattern for details on adjusting force and blade exposure The Control Center section has details about blade offset and overcut 1 Make sure that material is loaded in the plotter that the blade holder is installed in the carriage Position the blade over the material near the right side of the plotter 2 Check for the red light Press the Start Stop key if it is not on 3 Press the Test Cut key for one second The plotter will cut or plot a small test pattern consisting of a circle within a square 4 Adjust the force and blade exposure up or down with the Force knob and the blade foot Repeat the test cut until the desired line quality is obtained See the section on Plotting a Pattern for details on adjusting force and blade exposure 5 Successive test plots will be automatically aligned to
28. ference point for plotters Associated with carriage movement on the plotter INDEX Symbols 9 to 25 pin adapter 5 A Abort 13 Acceleration 9 14 24 Accessory kit 5 15 Accuracy 21 Arc 9 24 Arrow Keys 6 Autoloop 4 8 10 14 Automatic sorting 14 Axis 24 B BIOS 20 Blade 4 6 7 9 15 16 20 21 24 Blade Bevel 24 Blade Exposure 7 16 Blade Foot 15 Blade Holder 4 7 8 10 12 15 20 21 Blade Offset 7 9 24 Blade Overcut 9 Blade Status 8 Blade Steering Arc 9 24 Blank 9 Box 5 Buffer 7 C Cable 18 Calibrate 8 Calibrate Plotter 8 Calibration 21 Calibration Box 21 Calibration window 21 Cam 12 Canceling a Cut 13 Carriage 2 4 5 12 13 15 24 Carriage Jaw 12 15 Carriage Rail 2 5 CD ROM 5 Clamp 12 15 Clamp screw 12 15 Cleaning agents 20 Cleaning the Drive Shaft 20 Communication port conflicts 7 Communication Test 17 Computer 4 5 7 18 23 Computer Port Test 8 Contour ordering 14 Control Center 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 14 16 17 21 Control Panel 6 24 Coordinate 24 Customer Service 23 Cut 9 Cut Sheet 24 D Delays 9 Design software 4 5 10 13 14 18 Display 8 DM PL 24 DOS 5 Drive Shaft 4 20 24 Drive Shaft Marker 2 11 Drive Shaft Segment 2 Drive Track 14 Dust Cover 2 5 E ECP 20 End cover 5 EPP 20 Exit 8 F Factory Defaults 8 File 8 10 File Name Extensions 24 Filtering 8 Flange 24 Font 24 doline 2 Foot 16 20 F
29. ff Connect the plotter to the computer with either a serial or parallel port cable See the section Connect the plotter to the Computer in the Installation chapter for more details 2 Start the Ioline Control Center Select Test Communication Test from the menu bar at the top of the window 3 Turn on the plotter while holding down the Test Cut key on the keypad Hold down the Test Cut key until the plotter beeps and the light flashes three times The plotter is now in Test Mode 4 If testing the serial COM port press the Start Stop key on the plotter and verify that the handshake line CTS status displayed on the com puter screen toggles On Off Leave the handshake line On This is not necessary for the parallel LPT port 5 Press the Repeat key to switch the plotter into Echo mode The green light will come on 6 Press a key on the computer and verify that the character transmitted equals the character received If the characters match then the connection between the plotter and computer is working properly 7 Select Exit after the communication test is complete 8 Turn off the plotter at the end of the test This will exit Test Mode 9 The next two tests are not necessary if serial COM port testing is suc cessful Joline P Testing the Plotter Serial Port The diagnostic module is required for this test 1 Connect the diagnostic module directly to the plotter COM port 2 From the Control Center main menu select
30. flat stable surface This procedure requires two people Save all packing materials and the box Check the packing list to ensure that all of the accessories are present Assemble the Stand Assemble the stand according to the Quick Start Guide included in the acces sory kit Attach the Plotter Attach the plotter to the stand The Quick Start Guide in the accessory kit has details about attaching the plotter Make sure that the media rollers are prop erly installed Prepare the Area Prepare a large clean area to work Make sure the floor is clean and clear of any obstacles Pull the plotter away from the wall so the material can move freely Connect the Plotter to the Computer Note Make sure the computer and the plotter have the power turned off Ioline recommends using a surge protector power strip for the plotter and the computer Connect the plotter to the computer with either a parallel or a serial cable A parallel cable is provided in the accessory kit Standard serial cables are available at a computer store or from Ioline if a serial computer connection is necessary A serial connection to the plotter is required with Windows 3 1 or DOS based software The parallel port receptacle on the computer is a 25 pin female receptacle The serial port is either a 9 pin or 25 pin male receptacle If the computer has a 9 pin serial port a 9 to 25 pin adapter is necessary Adaptors are inexpensive and available at computer stores or
31. he collars apart until they are the width of the material roll and the right collar is roughly an inch from the right stand leg i Figure 10 Sliding the locating collar on the media roller 3 Insert the flanges on the material roll into the locating collars Make adjustments as necessary The material should unroll from behind the roll Figure 11 Positioning the flanges in the locating collars with the paper unrolling from behind the machine Aligning the Material and Pinchwheels It is important to align the material roll with the platen before plotting Use the Typewriter Method described below 1 Lift the pinchwheels with the pinchwheel lever on the right side of the plotter Thread material under the pinchwheels and through the machine Pull down enough material to reach the media rollers on the stand 2 Roughly align the roll and material so that the edges are overlapping the wide right drive shaft segment and one of the smaller segments Use the drive shaft markers on the carriage rail to find the drive shaft segments when they are covered by material 3 Position the outer pinchwheels on the material about one inch 2 5 cm from the edges Use the drive shaft markers on the carriage rail to find the drive shaft segments when they are covered by material s Drive Shaft Marker Drive Shaft Segment lt gt Figure 12 Using the markers to find drive shaft segments 4 Slide the idler wheel
32. ial R Resolution The smallest distance that a plotter can move the material or the carriage Plotter resolution affects the accuracy that a plot file is reproduced on the material Roll Feed A method of pulling material from a roll for plotting and plotting Works in conjunction with panels S Separating Process of pulling extraneous material away from a cut pattern leaving only the sections representing the intended design Serial Communications Method of sending information from a computer to a plotter by sending 1 bit at a time through a cable The serial port on a PC is a male small pins connector Service Loop Slack material between the material roll and the plotter T Tag Board A heavy material usually 150 pound that is used in the apparel industry for plotting patterns and stencils Throughput The speed at which a plotter completes a job Represents the ability to process information and produce an image V Vector In computerized pattern making a line segment between two coordi nates on which a pen or blade path can be created for plotting W Weeding Process of pulling extraneous material away from a cut pattern leaving only the sections representing the intended design X X Axis Theoretical horizontal line providing a lengthwise reference point for plotters Associated with media movement over the platen on the plotter Y Axis Theoretical vertical line providing a longitudinal re
33. in comments on our documentation and prod ucts Please send corrections or suggestions to IOLINE CORPORATION 14140 NE 200th Street Woodinville WA 98072 USA Voice 425 398 8282 Fax 425 398 8383 www ioline com ioline ioline com This User Guide is provided for informational purposes only The contents are subject to change without notice and Ioline Corporation assumes no respon sibility for any errors that may be contained herein No part of this User Guide may be copied disseminated or distributed without the express written con sent of Ioline Corporation Customer Service Ioline Corporation is committed to providing quality service and support to our customers If you need assistance with an Ioline product contact your local dealer or Ioline authorized service center You may also contact the Ioline Customer Service Department Monday through Friday 7 00 A M 5 00 P M U S Pacific Time Voice 425 398 8282 Fax 425 398 8383 techsupport ioline com www ioline com Ioline has many years of experience working with pattern makers and design ers Feel free to contact us if you have questions or to share information Limit of Liability Statement It is the responsibility of the operator of the plotter to monitor the perfor mance of the plotter and maintain it in proper working condition by follow ing the instructions in this User Guide It is the responsibility of the operator of the plotter to follow all s
34. ing and 2000 mils for tag board The maximum is 4000 mils for pouncing and 5000 mils for tag board The minimum is 40 mils for pouncing and 50 mils for tag board Blank The Blank value is the length in thousands of an inch mils that the blade will not cut when plotting the segmented line for tag board cutout The default length is 600 mils 6 inches for pouncing and 60 mils for tag board The maximum is 4000 mils for pouncing and 5000 mils for tag board The minimum is 40 mils for pouncing and 50 mils for tag board Update Display Note The design software may override the Control Center settings Check to see if it has by pressing the Update Display button before and after a plot is completed Check the plotter setup screens in the design software to make adjustments if necessary Selecting this option will update all of the screen values with the current settings stored in the plotter For example using Update Display after a blade is inserted in the carriage will update the Control Center and allow access to the Tag Board Cutout parameters Send Settings to Plotter Temporary After changing any setting the changes must be sent to the plotter If Send Settings to Plotter Temporary is selected all of the displayed settings will be used for the current session When the plotter is turned off these settings will be lost and the previous permanent settings will be in effect when the plotter is turned on again If any settings are ch
35. is User Guide Any warranty servicing of this product not specifically described in this manual must be authorized in writing by Ioline Customer Service You may obtain service by calling or faxing Ioline Customer Service The technicians will help you determine the nature of the problem If factory repair is necessary you will receive a RMA Return Material Authorization Please gather the information indicated in the next column before contacting Ioline or your dealer 1 Carefully package the plotter in its original container or equivalent You may purchase shipping containers from oline by contacting Ioline Cus tomer Service Ioline is not responsible for any damage due to inad equate or improper packaging 2 Carefully wrap and secure all items in the shipping container to prevent damage Seal the container and note the RMA near the address block 3 Ship the container using FED EX or another approved carrier COD SHIP MENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED You will be contacted prior to the start of work with an estimate of repair cost All repairs are warranted for 90 days before contacting loline or the dealer for technical support Name Company Name Phone Number Fax Model Serial Number Date of Purchase Dealer Type of Material Used Type of Computer Type of design software New Software or Peripherals Service History if any Note Ioline Customer Service contact information is listed on the last page of this section
36. itive If the plot shows a gap of 200 set the frame gap in the Control Center to 200 negative 5 With the plotter in Start mode green LED send settings with the Tempo rary or Permanent screen options CUTTING A PATTERN With the optional cutting accessory kit Joline P N 107057 you can perform cutting as well as plotting Typical material for cutting patterns is 150 pound tag board Lighter as well as slightly heavier materials can also be cut Before you cut a completed design turn your plotter on load it with tag board install the knife assembly and set a start point These steps are out lined below As with plotting on paper you may send the plot file from the design software or from the Ioline Control Center The Plotting a Pattern section outlines sending pausing and cancelling plot files Basic Operation Tag board is handled differently than paper because higher pinchwheel pres sure and more blade force is required When the blade is inserted the plotter detects it and will automatically cut a segmented line The segmented cut line keeps the pattern pieces in place during plotting When cutting is complete the pattern is easily separated The dashed line pattern can be changed with the Control Center This is useful for adjusting cut lengths for very large or very small patterns Adjust ment can also make removing the patterns easier The Control Center must be updated with the Update Display button after a knif
37. lling the Blade and the Blade Foot in the Holder Installing a Blade Holder 1 Rotate the clamp screw until there is enough room to insert the blade holder or pen Make sure that the clamp is rotated up out of the way 2 Slip the flange into the slot in the carriage jaw 3 Tighten the clamp screw until the blade is secure Figure 18 Installing a Blade Holder in the Carriage Jaw Adjusting Blade Exposure and Force Properly adjust blade exposure and force to achieve good plotting results Adjusting Blade Exposure z r e ar F a zF er ee aF ee er ee ee ee el ee ee Se on er ee ee WT er 5 li h Figure 20 Turning the foot to add more blade exposure 6 Continue increasing the blade exposure and making test plots The test pattern will cleanly separate from the surrounding material except for the small blanks connecting the pattern and remaining material when enough blade is exposed Figure 19 Proper blade exposure that barely cuts through the tag board Force Adjustment For 150 pound tag board cuts are generally made at or near maximum force 400 grams You should use the following method if you want to minimize force or if you are using a more easily cut material pd NO Make sure that the maximum force setting in the Control Center is 400 grams see the section on Changing System Settings for more details Turn the Force knob on the keypad clockwi
38. mputer or the design software cause a problem con sult the computer or software manuals or call the manufacturer or dealer If the problem is with the plotter begin by making sure power is on and that the cable between the machines is connected correctly Test the connection with the methods described in the Communication Testing section Consult the following chart for more detailed troubleshooting techniques Troubleshooting Chart If your plot does not start at the correct point on the material Possible Cause Solution 1 The origin selected in your 1 Select them so they coincide usually software is different than the one lower left which is on the right side of you selected on your plotter the plotter see Figure 3 2 You have not set an origin 2 Set an origin If pressing the Repeat key does not repeat the previous plot Possible Cause Solution 1 Buffer Overflow File size 1 See the Operation chapter Repeat exceeds buffer size section If you have sent a plot file but nothing happens Possible Cause Solution 1 Your plotter is in Stop mode 1 Press the Start Stop key to put your plotter in Start mode 2 A communication problem has 2 Perform the diagnostic tests or call occurred your dealer 3 You have not set an origin 3 Set an origin If you have sent a plot file and the output is erratic Possible Cause Solution 1 You have sent the plot file with 1 Make sure the corre
39. ned files exceed the buffer size repeat will be disabled THE IOLINE CONTROL CENTER The Ioline Control Center is a utility program that does three things e It allows adjustment of settings to tailor output from the computer e It allows a completed plot file to be sent to the plotter e It includes several diagnostic tests for troubleshooting Note To avoid communication port conflicts do not simultaneously run more than one application that is communicating with the plotter PlotterList Super 8852 Studio 40 Studio A Plotter 600 1S Plotter 28 1S loline Plotter 600 Plotter Present Pie Es Ocom ipti ok iCom2 Lpt2 iComs Lpts C Com 3 User Figure 4 Control Center Setup Screen 7 Studio A Control Center File Setup Display Options Calibrate Test Help Measurement Units Panel Size A Puig Cin Axis fin 3 ap mils Feed O Roll Feed i Cut Sheet Special Features C Tag Board Cutout Cut mili Blank milz grams ful ax grams Settings Update Display Seng Temporary Settings to Fermanent Studio A Feed media as sheets Blade Steering Arc Blade Offset 175 mils Minimum 30 Angle deg Pile Es Owvercut 10 milz K Figure 5 Control Center Main Menu A S e Changing System Settings A variety of settings are adjustable to fit specific needs e The plotter must be in Start mode green LE
40. ntrol Center if you are plotting on a roll of media When you send a plot with roll feed enabled your plotter will automatically pull the amount of media that is set in the design software for the X axis frame size from the roll and create a service loop in the rear Use the Cut Sheet option if you are plotting on a single sheet of material The Panel Size can be set to the sheet size so that the plot does not leave the media If Cut Sheet is selected when plotting from a feed roll you will have to manually pull enough material off the roll to create a service loop behind your plotter Do not allow the material to become taut between the plotter and the feed roll during plotting Cut Sheet is enabled as the default setting Special Features See the Cutting a Pattern section for more details on using the Tag Board Cutout feature Tag Board Cutout Tag Board Cutout is automatically enabled in the plotter when a knife is inserted in the carriage The Control Center however cannot automatically recognize when a tool is changed Pressing the Update Dis play button see below with the plotter in Start mode green LED on will update the knife status The Cut and Blank parameters are adjustable once the Control Center is updated DA o Cut The Cut value is the length in thousands of an inch mils that the blade will cut when cutting the segmented line for pouncing or tag board cutout The default length is 40 mils 04 inches for pounc
41. orce 6 9 12 14 16 24 Friction Feed 24 G Gap 24 Getting Help 22 H Help 8 HPGL 8 24 HPGL 7475 24 HPGL 7596 24 HPGL Setting 8 I Idler Wheel 24 Install New Firmware 8 Installing a Blade 15 Ioline Corporation 23 J Jaw 12 15 K Keypad 2 16 19 24 L LED Codes 19 Limit of Liability Statement 23 Line quality 7 Locating Collar 11 Locking Flange 11 24 Loop Size 14 LPT 17 20 M Main Menu 7 Material 10 13 14 Material Roll 25 Material slide 14 Measurement Units 8 Media Roller 5 11 Memory Buffer 8 Menu Bar 8 Metric 8 Mil 24 Minimum Angle 9 24 O Offset 25 Open Settings File 8 Operating system 18 Options 8 Ordering 14 Origin 6 10 24 25 Overcut 9 25 Overflow 7 Overlap 25 P Panel 25 Panel Size 8 Paneling 10 14 Paper 12 Parallel 5 Parallel cable 5 Parallel Communications 25 Parallel Port 20 Pausing Cutting 13 PC BIOS 20 Pen 7 9 12 15 Pinchwheel 2 12 14 25 Pinchwheel Lever 2 11 Platen 2 12 Plot quality 20 Plotter 25 Plotter Port Test 8 Plotter Settings 8 Plotter Setup 8 Plotting Pens 13 Port Setup 8 Power cord 5 20 Power On 5 Power strip 5 loline 28 Power switch 5 T R Tag Board 8 9 15 16 17 24 25 Tag Board Cutout 8 9 Temperature 13 Test 8 Test Cut 7 13 16 Throughput 24 25 Troubleshooting 18 Troubleshooting the Parallel Port 20 U Update Display 7 8 9 Radio frequency energy 23 Repeat 6 7 Repla
42. ows user to toggle Filtering on and off HPGL Setting Allows user to select HGPL language Install New Firmware Installs new firmware into the plotter Calibrate Calibrate Plotter Allows user to calibrate plotter Test Serial Test Allows user to test serial communications Computer Port Test Allows user to test computer port Plotter Port Test Allows user to test plotter port Help Contents Lists contents of help files About Provides Control Center version information Screen Menu Options Measurement Units English or Metric units are available when adjusting settings Panel Size The Panel Size is the maximum area the plotter can use for plotting The factory set and maximum X axis panel length is 838 inches long 2129 cm The maximum Y axis panel size is 40 inches The material moves along the X axis the carriage moves along the Y axis When plotting on a Cut Sheet the panel values should be adjusted to less than the sheet size The Gap setting is used to set the gap correction between panels The maxi mum range for setting gap is 1 inch See the section on Adjusting Gap for more details Scale The factory set Scale is 100 The plotter will produce a plot in the exact size of any plot file that is sent If the scale is 50 the plotter will produce a plot that is half the intended size The scale of the plotter can range from 1 to 999 Note Both X and Y axes are set independently Feed Select Roll Feed in the Co
43. pen up Flat or equivalent ballpoint 15ms pen high quality bond down delays BIC Round 180 200 Stic ballpoint Sanford Sharpie HP style Medium fiber tip Plastic tip Not Recommended Ceramic tip Not Recommended Liquid ink a Not Metal tip Recommended Table 2 Plotter Pen Guidelines Sending a Plot File to the Plotter Always load the plotter and make test plots to determine the correct settings before sending any files See the Adjusting Blade Exposure and Force sec tion for more details Important Make sure that the carriage and material are in the proper position and that an origin is set by pressing Set Origin on the keypad LED is green Send the file directly from the design software following the directions in the documentation Or From the Ioline Control Center 1 From the menu bar select File Send cut Plot File 2 Either enter the path and file name of the plot or select the file from the directory file lists in the dialog box For example the path might be C VIOLINE lt filename gt plt 4 Select OK Pausing Plotting Warning Do not turn the material roll or pull material tight between the drive shaft and the material roll while plotting is paused If the material becomes suddenly tight the machine will jam 1 Press the Start Stop key to place the plotter in Stop mode red LED 2 When plotting is interrupted the carriage and material can be moved with the keypad Arrow keys
44. r Pay special attention to keeping the drive shaft bearings free of all liquids Clean the drive shaft regularly to make sure the plot lines remain accurate To clean the drive shaft 1 Turn off the plotter and disconnect the power cord 2 Remove any accumulated dust and residue with a stiff bristle brush 21 Figure 22 Cleaning the Drive Shaft Calibration Over time plotters may require calibration to account for normal wear and tear Typically the accuracy of a plot is within 0 2 overall By using the calibration feature the variance can be adjusted to within 0 05 Note The Scale command does not effect the calibration values Prepare the Plotter 1 Open the Ioline Control Center program Put the plotter in Start mode green LED 2 Load the plotter with material that is greater than 30 inches wide and a minimum of 48 inches long Install a blade holder use media material or pen use paper material in the carriage Enable Roll Feed or manually create a service loop of material 3 Move the carriage and material with the Arrow keys so that the blade or pen is about one inch from both the right and front edge of the material Set an origin See the Operation chapter for more details on preparing to plot Gather the Calibration Data 1 Select Calibrate Calibrate Plotter from the Control Center menu bar 2 Select Calibration Plot to plot the factory stored calibration plot The plotter will Draw a large
45. rlaps another cut line This ensures that all of the pieces of the pattern will be cut completely with no undercuts The factory set blade overcut is 10 mils This setting is ignored when a pen is installed in the carriage Blade Steering Arc Blade Offset The blade offset is nominally 15 mils or 47 mils on some blades but specific blades can vary within a tolerance For close work making some tiny test plots at several settings then picking the best one can improve accuracy This setting is ignored when a pen is installed in the carriage Minimum Angle This is the minimum angle for which the plotter blade will perform a blade steering arc For a very tiny plot a small or zero angle can be specified For larger plots a greater angle of up to 45 degrees is best The factory set value works well with most files Adjusting this setting for small plots may improve performance This setting is ignored when a pen is installed in the carriage PLOTTING A PATTERN Before plotting a pattern turn the plotter on load it with material install a pen and set an origin These steps are outlined below In most cases the design files are sent directly from the design software to the plotter If neces sary use the Ioline Control Center software to send design files adjust set tings and test plotter communication General Guidelines 1 Never let the material become suddenly tight between the plotter and a roll of material during plotting
46. s so that they are evenly spaced between the outer wheels while remaining over a drive shaft segment 5 With the pinchwheels up align the edge of the material with the edge of the roll Lower the pinch wheels Figure 13 Aligning the material with the edge of the roll 6 Warning Do not let the material become suddenly tight between the plotter and material roll Check alignment by using the arrow keys to move the material forward and back Observe the material edge to make sure it is running straight Adjusting the Pinchwheels The plotter has pinchwheels with adjustable spring force This allows maxi mum force 24 lbs for holding tag board which requires more force for better tracking or less force 8 lbs for lightweight materials like paper The pinch wheels can also be set in a position that keeps them completely off the surface so that the inner pinchwheels will not interfere with pen plotting 1 The force is adjusted by turning a cam on the back of the pinchwheel 2 Insert a flat screwdriver into the slot and turn the adjustment cam 90 degrees When the slot is vertical on the outer wheels the force is 24 Ibs A horizontal slot indicates 8 lbs of force The inner pinchwheels are adjustable to 12 Ibs vertical setting or 4 lbs horizontal setting Low Force Position High Force Position Cam Slot Vertical Cam Slot Horizontal Figure 14 Adjusting Pinchwheel Pressure Locking the Pinchwheels Off
47. se to maximum Set the Speed to 50 with the keypad knob Check that the blade tip is barely visible when viewing the blade from the side This technique approaches the correct blade exposure from too little with no chance of having too much which could damage the blade Press the Start Stop button on the front panel until the LED is red Move the carriage until the blade is near the right edge of the material Press the Test Cut key for one second The plotter will cut a test pattern There is no cutting if the initial foot adjustment was correct Turn the foot 1 8 turn upward clockwise from below Press the Test Cut key Note Successive plots will automatically be positioned to the left of the previous test cut The material should have a light cut pattern on it 1 Turn the force knob down slightly about one mark and repeat the test cut If the test cut does not cut completely full force should be used 2 If the test cut is complete turn the force down again and repeat the test cut Continue until the cut is incomplete This indicates that there is not enough force to push the exposed blade fully into the tag board At this point turn the force knob up one mark which is just enough Verification 1 Press the Test Cut key for 3 seconds The plotter will plot a 1 9 inch x 7 1 inch design 2 If the pattern does not separate cleanly try another 1 8 turn upward counter clockwise from above of blade expo
48. sure and a very slight increase in force Joline PA ANNOTATING BEFORE CUTTING The plotter can annotate a tag board pattern before cutting it out You can change from plotting to cutting by simply changing tools and 1f necessary adjusting the Force knob If you plan to switch between cutting and plotting it is best to do both test cuts and test plots before starting The Fisher pens that Joline provides work well with 150 175 grams and cutting generally works well with 300 400 grams It is not unusual to cut and plot using the same Force knob setting because the range adjusts automatically for a pen or knife Other pens usually require much lower force so adjust the force knob when switching to plotting from cutting Perform Test Cuts and Prepare the Files Always load your plotter and make test plots and test cuts to determine the correct settings before sending any files See the Cutting and Plotting sec tions for more details Some design software will make a single file that will pause for changing tools If this feature is not available 1 Prepare two versions of your file one containing only the lines you want plotted the annotation plot and the other containing only lines you want to cut the cut file 2 If your software lets you control the ending position have the annotation plot return to its starting position when plotting is finished Then you will be correctly positioned to begin the cut file If your plot does
49. terial feed into the plotter more accurately and keeps it from jerking from the roll Roll Feed also helps to set up a drive track in the material which helps keep the material aligned Roll Feed is enabled in the Control Center Set Roll Feed to ON and set the Loop Size to the same length or longer as the Panel Size in the design software This will help tracking accuracy If Roll Feed is OFF manually maintain a service loop of material behind the plotter to prevent jerking material from the roll 4 Use the Paneling feature in the design software Paneling will restrict the length of any x axis move Ioline suggests a panel size of 10 to 20 inches With most pattern making software the paneling feature allows the placement of a panel between characters 5 Let the software help Use the automatic sorting ordering or contour ordering feature in the design software some software programs auto matically handle this process This will reduce the number of time con suming back and forth and side to side movements Wear on the material backing as well as the media is also decreased which will improve tracking The more complex the file the more difficult the problem 6 Build a material slide Cut two cardboard pieces that are the width of the stand and large enough to lean against the plotter stand legs This pre vents the material from going under the machine and buckling or tan gling with material on the roll 7 Excessiv
50. the left of the last test cut 6 If the Test Cut key is pressed for three seconds the plotter will cut or plot a 1 9 in x 7 1 in pattern Repeat Pressing the Repeat key will generate one copy of the most re cently created pattern The plotter must be in Stop mode red LED to use the Repeat key To start the plot in a new location move the pen or blade to a new position with the Arrow keys before press ing the Repeat key Repeat will do the following 1 Individual files are repeatable until the Set Origin key is pressed and any new data is sent to the plotter This includes updating settings with the Update Display function 2 If plot files are sent without setting an origin between them they are stored in memory continuously as if part of one file This allows the user to repeat multiple files as a single group Pressing Repeat will plot all files sent since the last origin was set as long as the buffer size is not exceeded see below 3 If the file s sent exceed the capacity of the buffer 1 megabyte before an origin is set the repeat function is disabled This feature allows the plotter to handle files of limitless size When the buffer has overflowed it no longer holds a complete file so repeat would produce unpredictable results Note If an origin is not set between files two possible unintended results can occur if the combined plots do not exceed the buffer repeat will cause them all to be replot or if the combi
51. tional force can be added by adjusting the Control Center Force settings and updating the plotter Increasing the force will darken pen lines or aid in plotting thicker materials like tag board Friction feed Process where the material is fed through a plotter by placing it between a motor driven drive shaft and tensioned pinchwheels G Gap The space between consecutive panels in a segmented plot Gap can be corrected by setting the Gap value in the Control Center Roll Feed must be enabled to set Gap H HPGL Setting The plotter supports three industry standard plotter lan guages HPGL 7475 HPGL 7596 and DM PL Most design software uses DM PL or HPGL 7475 which have a lower left origin DM PL cannot be selected in the Control Center because the plotter will automatically recog nize it HPGL 7596 uses a center origin so plotting begins at the center of the intended plotting area I Idler Wheel Secondary wheels that help keep wide material flat during plotting K Keypad Panel on the right side of the machine where primary plotter func tions are accessible Also called the Control Panel L Locking Flange Plastic rim inserted into a paper roll to support it during plotting Locating Collar Plastic cylinder mounted on a media roller to support a locking flange M Mil Thousandths of an inch or milliinches For example 75 mils is the same as 075 inches 1 mil is equal to 025mm Minimum Angle This is th
52. ult the computer manuals or contact the manufacturer for more information about entering BIOS setup 7 Find the parallel port setup options and set the port to be SPP not ECP or EPP Also make sure there is no DMA activity on the port 8 Save the BIOS settings and exit setup 9 Restart the computer and allow Windows to start up Windows should find the port and install it using the new settings ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Replacing the Blade Note The blade tip is sharp and fragile be careful when handling it Blades are supplied in the optional cutting kit If cut quality suddenly de grades the blade might be dull or broken The tip of the blade is very fragile and can chip or break if dropped It is difficult to see when the blade is damaged A magnifying glass can be helpful To replace the blade 1 Remove the adjustable blade foot by unscrewing it counterclockwise 2 Remove the old blade with a pair of needle nose pliers and discard it 3 Slide the new blade into the blade until it bottoms out The blade should spin freely 4 Screw the foot onto the blade holder clockwise Stop just before the blade tip emerges Figure 21 Replacing the Blade 5 Perform test plots as described in the Plotting a Pattern section before continuing to use the plotter Cleaning the Drive Shaft Warning Do not use any cleaning agents beside alcohol water or brushes with metal bristles to clean parts of the plotte
53. which has the Microsoft Windows 95 98 and NT 3 51 or greater version of the Ioline Control Center program 1 Turn on the power to the computer Start Windows Insert the Ioline CD ROM into the CD ROM drive usually D 2 3 4 Select the Start button 5 Choose Run 5 Type D SETUP substitute the correct letter 1f the CD ROM drive letter is not D and Click OK 6 Follow the instructions that appear on the screen 7 The Operation chapter of this manual has details on using the Ioline Control Center software OPERATION KEYPAD CONTROLS The keypad allows access to the main plotter functions WA start Stop G Le Test Cut Repeat Start Stop Figure 2 The Plotter Keypad Start Stop The Start Stop key connects or disconnects communication be tween the computer and the plotter If the Start Stop key is pressed during plotting Stop mode the machine will stop when the cur rent vector is finished The Arrow keys are active when in Stop mode When the Start Stop key is pressed again Start mode plotting will resume exactly where it stopped START green light Arrow keys inoperable plotter online ready to receive instructions STOP red light Arrow keys operable plotter offline not ready to receive instructions Arrow Keys Pressing the Arrow keys moves the material back and forth or the carriage from side to side The arrow keys will not work unless the plotter is in Stop mode
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