Gemini FlexiPen 120, FlexiPen 165 User Manual

User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
Plan

Gemini Cad Systems
www.geminicad.com

Plotter Flexipen 120/165

User guide

WARNING!

rev 3.0

Before using plotter read carefully this user guide!!!

© 2007 Venus Technologies Provider ITN 0040 rev 02.2007

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User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
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Contents:

Plotter Flexipen 120/165

1

General specifications.....................................................................................................

1.1 Technical Data.......................................................................................................

1.2 Technical specifications.................................................................................................

1.3 Other recommendations.................................................................................................

1.4 Steps to be taken for the plotter’s first installation.......................................................... 4

2

Plotter description and plotter assambly..............................................................

2.1 Plotter components........................................................................................................ 5

2.2 Plotter assembly............................................................................................................. 5

3

Plotter Charging..............................................................................................................

4 Control panel...................................................................................................................... 7

5 How to mount the paper.................................................................................................... 9

5.1 How to arrange the paper roll on the feed bar ............................................................... 9

5.2 How to fix paper on the recovering bar.......................................................................... 10

6 Printing head...................................................................................................................... 11

6.1 Refill device.................................................................................................................... 11

6.2 How to put on the refill inside the device..................................................................

6.3 How to put on the 3 ml “JUMBO” refill inside the device ...........................................

7 Installing and use the software......................................................................................... 13

7.1 Installing the Gemini PLT Spooler program for plotter................................................... 13

7.2 Using the Gemini PLT Spooler program...................................................................

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3

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4

5

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7.2.1 General presentation............................................................................................. 14

7.2.2 The program main window.................................................................................... 14

7.2.3 Configuring ( setting) the program......................................................................... 15

7.2.4 Plotter calibrate..................................................................................................... 18

7.2.5 Plotting.................................................................................................................. 19

8 Maintenance....................................................................................................................... 20

8.1Lubricating....................................................................................................................... 20

8.2 Cleaning......................................................................................................................... 20

8.3 Recalibrate..................................................................................................................... 20

8.4 Check the plotting quality............................................................................................... 20

9 Troubleshooting................................................................................................................. 21

9.1 Common ttroubleshooting ............................................................................................. 21

9.2 General ttroubleshooting............................................................................................... 22

9.3 Plotting quality troubleshooting...................................................................................... 22

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User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
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Chapter 1:

General specifications

1.1 Technical parameters:

Technical data Flexipen 120 Plotter Flexipen 165 Plotter
Voltage 220 v , 50 Hz 220 v , 50 Hz
Power supply 120 w 150 w
Overall dimensions ( L x l x H ) 1650 x 700 x 1200 mm 2100 x 700 x 1200 mm
Max. plotting speed 100 ÷ 600 mm/s 100 ÷ 800 mm/s
Maxim deviation between lines 0,1 mm 0,1 mm
Active plotting width 1200 mm 1600 mm
Maxim paper roll diameter

200 mm
Internal diameter for paper roll 76 mm 76 mm
Pen preassure

0 ÷ 500 g
Buffer 1 ÷ 4 MB*

Compression Storage
CPU dual CPU, parallel

processing
Mechanical resolution 0,025 mm/step 0,025 mm/step
Language format HPGL ( PLT )

compatible
Interface type RS-232 (serial port) RS-232 (serial port)
Origin coordinate Adjusted as needed Adjusted as needed
* Relative to the model

1.2 Technical specifications:

- Computer:

Minim: CPU P2-350Mhz, 64 MB RAM, 10 G HD, CD ROM drive;
Recommended: CPU P4-1,7Ghz, 256 MB RAM, 40 G HD, CD ROM drive.

- Operating System:

Windows 2003, Windows XP.

- Work environment moisture:

Temperature: 10 ÷ 30°C

Values out of range may cause low performances for the plotter;

Humidity: 35 ÷ 75%;
Avoid vibration, strong electromagnetic interference, and place of heavy dust.
Install the plotter to a plane surface which is stabile and larger than the plotter;

if the plotter is unstable, the plotting performance would be influenced.

200 mm

0 ÷ 500 g
1 ÷ 4 MB*
Compression Storage
dual CPU, parallel
processing

HPGL ( PLT )
compatible

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User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
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1.3 Other recommendations:

- Use for the plotter voltage charging an UPS of at least 500w;

- Serial cable must have a length of maximum 4 meters;

- The paper rolled on the recovering paper reel spindle must not have more than 50

m length;

- The plotter must be connected directly to the computer’s serial port. If the port is

password protected (antivirus program) the cable must be plugged into another
serial port (without password protection).

- Antivirus programs are not recommended to be installed on the computer, because

it might cause the plotter to malfunction.

- Other damages that can be caused by the antivirus programs regarding the plotter:

o it may cause incorrect transfer data from the computer
o the marker can be drawn discontinue, with horizontally and vertically

gap,

o the pieces from the drawn marker might be drawn resized

In case you will need, for some reasons, to install an Antivirus, you will have to

uncheck the option for the background scan of the computer activity.

- The CST of the computer’s serial port must be functional.

- If the computer does not have a serial port an USB to serial port adapter must be

used; the adapter must work with RTS and CTS.

1.4

Steps to be taken for the plotter’s first installation:

- Identify all components and then find how to join together all parts (see Chapter 2)

- Familiarize with the control panel, the keys and the meaning of all light indicators

(see Chapter 3)

- Familiarize with the plotter power charging (see Chapter 4)

- Learn how to arrange the paper roll (see Chapter 5)

- Identify the printing head and learn how to mount the refill ( see Chapter 6);

- Learn how to use and how to install the software (see Chapter 7);

- Learn how to maintain the plotter (see Chapter 8);

- Familiarize with the most frequent troubleshooting, and learn how to fix them (see

Chapter 9)

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User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
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Chapter 2:

Plotter description and instalation

2.1 Plotter components:

2.2 Intallation:

The Flexi Pen 120/165 plotter is delivered in two packages; one contains the
plotter’s pillars, the girders of lower/upper bracket, the feed paper reel spindle, the
recovering paper reel spindle, the slide bars, the connections machine frame, the
universal wheel, the charging wire and the serial transmission cable; the second
packages contents the main frame of the machine.

To assembly the plotter you must follow the following steps:

- Open the package and check all components

- Fix the girders of lower and upper bracket between the plotter pillars, using bolts.

Install according to the serial number of parts.

- Mount the plotter wheels, the universal wheels with brake in front and the free ones

in the back.

- The connection machine frame will be placed on the left pillar using bolts.

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User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
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- Place the main frame of the machine on the up side of the pillars and fix it with

bolts.

- The recovering and the feeding paper reels spindle will be mounted with one side

on the engine couple and with one side on the stand supports.

- Plug the sensor jack from the girder of lower bracket and the engine jack on the

connecting machines frame, than plug the power jack of the machines frame to the
plotter. The label from the plug jack must match to the label from the socket jack.

- Make sure the plotter is leveled using a level measuring instrument. If the plotter is

not leveled adjust it by screwing up the reels bolts, or by unscrewing them.

- Plug the serial wire jack in the plotter jack and fix it using bolts;

- The other serial wire jack will be plugged in the computer port and it will be fixed

with bolts.

Chapter 3:

Plotter charging

- The power cable must be plugged in a socket which has reliable ground conductor.

- The power in the cable must not vary more than 5%;

- To prevent power variation use a UPS source of minimum 500w.

- Be sure that the On/Off button is in the off position before you plug in the charging

cable.

- Turn on the plotter. The display will be activated and you will be able to see the

following message: “Welcome to use CAD Plotter”, in the mean time the pen will
go in the park position on the right side of the plotter. After about 5 seconds the
plotter status message “LEAVE”, the writing speed and the pen pressure will be
displayed.

If you turn off the plotter from the back side button, before you turn it on again you

will have to wait for about 10 seconds.
Power variations might cause important plotter damages.
We recommend connecting both plotter and computer in the same socket.
As long as the plotter is plugged in, do not connect the serial wire to the computer.
First unplug the plotter and then connect the wire to the computer, and after that you
may turn the plotter back on.

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User guide – Plotter Flexipen 120/165
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Chapter 4:

Control panel

LED LED
(green/red) (red)

• Display:

The display (1) shows the current state of the plotter:
LEAVE: in this state you can move the printing head (dolly) on the left/right side or you
can move up/down the paper feed reels (using up, down, left, right key).
CONNECT: in this state the plotter is ready to plot, and now you can change the
writing speed and the pen pressure.
In this state you can see on the display the writing speed and the pen pressure.

• Keys:

The Off/On key (2): the plotter will switch between the status of offline (LEAVE-
green light) and online (CONNECT-red light) if this key is pressed.
The Pause key (3): when plotting, if pause is needed press “Pause” key, the
plotting will stop immediately and will resume after press the key again.

Do not remove the printing head (dolly) when the plotter is in the Pause state.

The Location key (4): after moving the pen dolly and paper using the direction
keys, press the Location key to set the current point as starting point.
If you press this key the plotter will pass automatically in the CONNECT state,
and it waits for the computer command.
The Test key (5): by pressing this key the plotter will automatically create a
drawing. Thus you may verify that the plotter works properly.
The Reset key (6): when plotting, if current operation needs to be terminated,
and reset to original status, you can press the Reset key to terminate the program.

After you reset the plotter you must send one more time the files to be plotted.

The P- key (7) has the following functions:
In LEAVE state: moves to the right side the printing head (dolly);
In CONNECT state: declines pen pressure (the decreasing pen pressure value
is shown on display).

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