Archive:Plotter
You are visiting an old member project. The information found on "Plotter" might be out of date.This device is currently not in the lab due to dust concerns. The status is therefore set to beta.
We have a new Vinyl Plotter. The plotter was bought new by Rene. If you have any questions about the plotter ask him.
| Plotter Release status: beta [box doku] | |
|---|---|
| Description | It is a plotter... It can draw and cut.... |
| Author(s) | Rene |
| Platform | Win10 |
Features
- Cutting Width: 126 cm
- Cutting Height: How long is your material?
- Up to 800 mm/s speed
- Up to 500 g of pressure
- Multiple knife angles available
Usage
Basics
There is a computer mounted to the frame of the plotter which can be accessed via RDP on 10.10.20.82. It connects to the network via Wifi.
Please note: The computer automatically boots when powered. Please shut it down gracefully before unplugging power again.
The login credentials are the same ones we use for the laser cutter.
The Software SignMaster is installed and can be used to control the plotter.
You will find a shitty video of the manufacturer how to plot on the desktop. Please don't do any of the setup steps.
You can import many file formats. Also mounted is a network share where you can store your files.
The USB-B connection (on the plotter) is kinda dodgy, you might need to un- and replug it.
If something does not fit: Inkscape is installed.
Cutting speed and pressure
Set the plot speed and pressure on the plotter display. These are values I found work well. If you find new ones, add them to the list.
| Material | Speed | Pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing | 800 | 200 |
| Vinyl | 500 | 500 |
| Poli-Flex heat transfer vinyl | 500 | 500 |
Origin
Set the origin by pressing the “Offline” button on the Plotter and then moving the utensil and material with the arrow buttons.
If you have moved to where the lower right corner should be, press origin.
Things to know
If you are cutting, you are using drag knives. They are not centered. The knives have an offset of 0.25 mm. Disable the offset when drawing with the pen.
Drawing can be useful if you want to try out different designs without wasting expensive material.
Buying Vinyl
In my experience, one of the best places to get vinyl is this particular eBay listing.
They have a great variety of colors and widths. The material is sold by the meter, so you don't have to buy those giant 50 m rolls.
They sell Avery 500 foil which has proven to be a nice universal foil.
Textiles - To put stuff on textiles you can purchase heat transfer vinyl foil. I found "poli-flex" to be both easy to cut and easy to apply. The cheapest place I found it is "tiptopcarbon" (they are also on ebay). --C22 (talk) 23:23, 22 February 2020 (CET)
To Do
- Dust cover. The cutter really needs a dust cover to protect it. We currently use the cardboard box it came in as a makeshift substitute. The cover should be 160x100x40cm
