1998 Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This document may
not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without written per m ission of the copyright
owner.
This document is furnished to support Gerber Scientific Product’s
enVision plotter series
. In
consideration of the furnishing of the information contained in this document, the party to whom it
is given assumes its custody and control and agrees to the following:
1. The information herein contained is given in confidence, and any part thereof shall not be
copied or reproduced without written consent of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc.
2. This document or the contents herein under no circumstances shall be used in the manufacture
or reproduction of the article shown and the delivery of this d ocument shall not constitute any
right or license to do so.
PRINTED IN USA
GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE, GERBER EDGE, EDGE, and GerberCal are registered trademarks of Gerb er
Scientific Products, Inc. Gerber en Vision, GA, IP Plus, Gerber Vision, Gerber ImageCal , Gerber Imagecast,
Gerber Holographix, Gerber PlastiGraphix, Gerber PlastiGraphix LexEdge, GerberMag, Gerber AutoMag,
and GerberMask are trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. 3M , Scotchcal, Scotchlite, Controlt ac,
and Scotch are trademarks of 3M company. Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark and HPGL is a
trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company. Ulano is a regi st ered trademark Ulano Corp. Microso f t is a
registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the US and
other countries.
HPGL command set ....................................................................................................................... 67
HPGL test file................................................................................................................................. 68
Changing the HPGL units ..............................................................................................................69
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Gerber enVision plotter. The enVision is a stateof-the-art plotter designed for use with the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE and
other sign design systems using the HPGL command set.
The plotter is available in two models − the enVision 750, which is 30" (762
mm) wide for cutting large format jobs, and the enVision 375, wh ich is 15 " (38 1
mm) wide for cutting GERBER EDGE printed jobs.
Both enVision plotters deliver outstanding material handling performance for all
15-inch (381 mm) and 30-inch (762 mm) wide format punched vinyl films
supplied by Gerber. They achieve speeds and accelerations equal to friction
plotters while maintaining the dead-on accuracy of sprocket plotters. They offer
dependability, ease of use, minimal maintenance requiremen ts, and setup
flexibility.
1
In this manual
Note: The information in this ma nu al applies to both enVision plotter models.
Differences between the plotters are noted in the descriptions and procedures as
required.
This manual contains the following sections:
Introduction
Getting Started
and menus, load material, and install tools.
enVision Overview
introduces the concepts of tool settings, discusses using the enVision with the
GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE (GA) Plot32 program, and presents the differences
when cutting GERBER EDGE (EDGE) jobs.
Plotting Jobs
single and multiple jobs.
Choosing Tool Settings
tool settings to maximize cutting your jobs.
presents basic information about this manual.
tells you how to connect the enVision, use the control panel
describes the plotter features, the plotting process,
presents the procedures for using the enVision keypad for plotting
shows how to use either the plotter or the GA to choose
2 enVision Owner’s Guide
Advanced enVision Functions
cutting.
Troubleshooting
Maintenance
HPGL Support
support the enVision plotters.
Manual conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
Note: A note contains important information which could affect successful
completion of a task.
CAUTION: A caution statement contains information which, if not
observed, could result in damage to the equipment.
WARNING: A warning statement contains information which, if not
observed, could result in personal injury.
provides a list of error messages and possible solutions.
describes routine cleaning and replacement procedures.
presents information about using the HPGL command set to
#FQVVGFDQZCTQWPFDNKPMKPI
Customer support
If you require assistance installing or operating your enVision plotter, contact
your distributor or Gerber Field Service at:
800-828-5406 (in the USA)
860-645-2448 (fax)
The Gerber web site address is www.gspinc.com.
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KUWUGFVQKPFKECVGVJCVKVKU
Getting Started
Before sending a job to the plotter, you need to perform these preliminary steps:
Unpacking and setting up the plotter
Connecting the plotter to the computer
Turning on the plotter
Setting up the software
Using the control panel and menus
Loading material
Installing tools
Unpacking and setting up the plotter
3
For the enVision 750
, follow the unpacking instructions included with the
plotter to unpack it, assemble the stand, and mount the plotter on the stand.
For the enVision 375
, follow the unpacking instructions included with the
plotter to unpack it.
In either case, save the unpacking/packing instructions and the packaging
materials in case you need to ship the plotter in the future.
CAUTION: Always repack the plotter using the original packaging
materials. Failure to repack the enVision plotter with the original
packaging materials may result in damage to the unit during shipping.
Gerber is not liable for shipping damage due to improperly packed units. If
you do not have the proper packaging materials, contact Gerber Field
Service to obtain the materials.
4 enVision Owner’s Guide
Connecting the plotter to the computer
The enVision is equipped with a null modem serial interface cable and power
cord.
1. Connect the 25-pin connector end of the serial interface cable to the
connector on the plotter and tighten the screws.
2. Connect the other end of the serial cable (9-pin connector) to a the computer
COM port.
3. Connect the receptacle end of the power cord to the plotter.
For the enVision 750 only
4.
stand using the cable clips as shown below.
, secure both cables to the side of the plotter
Turning on the plotter
When you turn on power, the plotter performs a check and initialization
sequence. The three closely-spaced material alignment pins move to the up
position, the tool head taps the right stop, then moves about 2" (5.08 cm) to the
left. When these steps are completed, the Main Menu appears.
1. Close the bail arms.
2. Close and latch the tool clamp as shown below.
3. Close the plotter cover.
4. Plug in the plotter power cord.
Getting Started 5
5. Turn on the power switch located on the front left side of the plotter. The
Main Menu appears.
/#+0/'07
/QFG5KPING*QOG,QD5VCVWU0Q,QD
Setting up the software
After connecting the plotter to the GA or other sign design system computer,
you need to make the plotter available to the computer through your software
setup program. If you are not using GA as your sign design system, refer to your
software documentation to add the enVision to your system. If you are a GA
user, adding the enVision to your computer is a two-step process:
updating your GA software to add and support the enVision plotter
adding the enVision to the GA list of available plotting and printing devices
5GVVKPIU
6 enVision Owner’s Guide
Updating GA software
The enVision plotter is shipped with four 3.5-inch disks. One set of three disks
is service pack 3, which is used to update GA version 6.2 so that you can add the
enVision plotter and allow it to be fully supported and controlled by GA. The
single disk is a driver disk which allows you to add the enVision to your list of
available plotters if your GA is version 6.0 or earlier. The following loading
rules apply:
If you have GA
versionthen loadand the result is
6.21nothingthe GA plot program
supports and controls
the plotter
6.2the service pack disks
6.0 or earlierthe driver diskyou can add the
Loading the disks is the same for either the service pack disks or the patch disk:
1. Close all GA programs. It is also a good idea to close any Windows
programs that are running.
2. Put disk 1 of the service pack or the driver disk in the 3.5-inch drive
(usually the a: drive).
3. In Windows 95, click on Start, Run, type
Windows 3.x, click on Run in the Program Manager File menu, type
a:\setup
4. Follow the onscreen prompts while the setup p rogram loads the files.
, then press Enter.
Adding the enVision to GA
After you load the disks, the next step is to add the enVision to the list of
available plotters in the plot program. This addition is performed in the GSP
Setup program.
(GA 6.2 service pack 3)
a:\setup
the GA plot program
supports and controls
the plotter
enVision to the list of
available plotters
, then click on OK. In
1. Open the GSP Setup program.
2. Click on Setup, then click on Plotter/Router. The Add or Delete
Plotter/Router(s) dialog box appears.
3. From the Devices box, click on enVision 750 or 375 to highlight it. If more
N
than one plotter is connected to your system, highlight the enVision, then
click Preferences to set the enVision as the default plotter.
4. Click on the port to which the plotter is connected (COM1, COM2, COM3,
or COM4) in the Ports box.
5. Click on Add. The enVision appears in the Ready for Plotting list box.
6. Click on Continue and exit GSP Setup.
Using the control panel and menus
The plotter's control panel contains 10 keys that perform functions such as
positioning the tool head, starting and pausing jobs, and changing settings. The
display on the control panel changes to provide information about the status of
the plotter and offer menu choices.
Note: For an outline of the menu structure, please refer to the reference card at
the back of this manual.
The control panel consists of:
message display
control keys (ENTER and CANCEL)
menu selection keys (F1, F2, F3, F4)
slew keys
Getting Started 7
ote: Function keys are
associated with text in the
message display.
8 enVision Owner’s Guide
The message display shows menus, instructions, system and job
status, and messages. Each menu has a title (for example, MAIN
MENU). You step through menus by pressing function keys.
The F1, F2, F3, and F4 function keys select other menus and change
parameter values or settings. Their function is based on the text in
the screen associated with each function key.
Slew keys move the tool head and/or the material. The left or right
slew keys move the tool head left or right. The up or down slew keys
move the material forward or backward. Slewing speed starts slowly.
It increases when you continue to hold down the slew key for a few
seconds. Quickly pressing and releasing a slew key will move the
plotter in increments of 0.001".
Slew diagonally by simultaneously pressing the two slew keys
adjacent to the arrow that points in the direction you want to slew.
The ENTER key accepts and records settings when in a settings
menu, or returns to the MAIN MENU when in a submenu.
When a job is running, the CANCEL key stops all motion of the
plotter and terminates any job that is in the plotter, clearing it f r om
the plotter memory. When modifying a setting (such as corners,
speed, or pull down, for example), pressing CANCEL after changing
values will not save the changes nor will it cancel the job. However,
in the next menu that appears, pressing CANCEL does cancel the job
at that time.
Loading material
The enVision uses the same punched vinyl film, papers, and masks as all Gerber
plotters. Always insist on Gerber-authorized m aterials for highest quality.
Note: The illustrations for loading material depict the enVision 750 plotter.
Loading material in the enVision 375 is the same except for the first three steps
(putting the material on a vinyl ro ll shaft and installing the shaft on the plotter
stand). For the enVision 375, put the roll of material on the roll holder, then
position the holder approximately 10" (25.4 cm) behind the plotter.
CAUTION: Do not load the material with a tool installed in the tool clamp.
Loading material into the plotter with the tool installed can result in
damage to the blade or the material.
Getting Started 9
For the enVision 750 only,
1.
of material by inserting the end plug into the cardboard tube.
For the enVision 750 only,
2.
plug.
place a material end plug in each end of the roll
Material end plug
Vinyl roll shaft
insert the vinyl roll shaft tube through each end
10 enVision Owner’s Guide
For the enVision 750 only,
3.
inserting the vinyl roll shaft tube in to the slots of the stand as shown below.
4. Press F4, HOME. The three closely-spaced material alignment pins rotate to
the up position and the tool head reorients itself. These three pins match the
three closely-spaced holes in the material for perfect alignment.
position the roll of material on the stand by
Getting Started 11
5. Open the bails and the front material guide tube by simultaneo usly pulling
the bail handles forward and down away from the front of the plotter.
Bail
Front material
guide tube
Bail handle
6. Open the rear material guide tube by lifting it up. (See the illustration
below.)
7. Pull the material up toward the plotter, feeding the material from back to
front as shown in the illustration below, ensuring that the material is
underneath the front and rear material guide tubes.
Rear material
guide tube
Material
alignment pins
Front material
guide tube
8. Match the three closely-spaced holes in the material with the three material
alignment pins on the sliding sprocket at the left end of th e plotter. This
sprocket may be shifted slightly left or right to accommodate small
differences in the material width.
12 enVision Owner’s Guide
9. On the right end of the plotter, place the three closely-spaced holes on the
alignment pins of the fixed sprocket.
10. Close the rear material guide tube, then adjust (slide) th e left bail so that it
lines up with the sliding sprocket on the left side. Close the bails, which
also closes the front material guide tube, making sure that the left bail is
seated over the pins of the left sprocket.
Rear material
guide tube
Installing tools
The knife, pen, and optional pounce tools are all installed into the tool head the
same way. Before installing the knife for the first time, or af ter changing the
blade, adjust the blade exposure, then load the knife. This paragraph provides
information on:
Adjusting the knife blade exposure
Installing a tool
Changing the knife blade
Note: The GERBER EDGE eyepiece, used to align the knife with the cutter
registration mark printed on the material, is also installed in the tool head the
same way as the tools. For more information on using the plotter with the
EDGE, refer to the paragraph "Using the enVision with the EDGE.”
Adjusting the knife blade exposure
Cut quality is directly related to the correct blade exposure for the material
being cut.
The knife tool holder has hash marks around its circumference. Rotating the
adjustment cap one hash mark, extends or retracts the blade 0.001" (1 mil)
(0.0254 mm). When the blade is pointed towards the ceilin g, rotating the
adjustment cap clockwise increases the blade exposure. Turning the cap counter
clockwise decreases the blade exposure.
Getting Started 13
Adjusting the blade exposure to the proper amount is a trial and error process.
You adjust the blade exposure visually, then perform a hand-held test cut on the
material you will be cutting. Evaluate the results, adjust the blade in or out, and
perform another hand-held test cut. Keep repeating this procedure until the depth
of cut permits easy weeding without cutting the material backing.
To set the blade exposure
1. Hold the tool holder with the blade toward the ceiling. Turn the adjustm ent
cap clockwise (to extend) or counter clockwise (to retract) so that the blade
extends beyond the end of the tool holder approximately the thickness of
two sheets of paper. (Note: This is the correct setting for Scotchcal 220
material. Other materials may re quire more or less exposure.)
CAUTION: When performing the next step, do not press too hard on
the material. Too much pressure can damage the blade.
2. Place a piece of the material you will be cutting on a flat surface and,
pressing gently, scribe a circle with the tool by hand.
3. Weed the circle. If it weeds properly without cutting into the backing, the
blade exposure is correctly set for that material.
4. If the material has not been cut all the way through, turn th e adjustment cap
clockwise one or two hash marks to expose more blade. Go back to Step 2.
Repeat the procedure until the scribed circle weeds properly without cu tting
the backing material.
5. If the backing material has been cut, turn the adjustment cap counter
clockwise to decrease the blade exposure. Go back to Step 2. Repeat the
procedure until the backing material is no longer cut and the scribed circle
weeds properly without cutting the backing material.
14 enVision Owner’s Guide
Installing a tool
After you adjust or verify the knife blade exposure:
1. Move the tool head to the middle of the plotter by pressing a slew key.
2. Open the tool clamp by turning the latch fastener counterclockwise and
gently pulling the clamp open.
3. Place the swivel knife tool into the tool head, making sure that the swivel
knife tool collar fits into the groove in the tool head.
Tool clamp
Latch fastener
4. Close the clamp and secure it by turning the latch fastener clockwise.
Changing the knife blades
Blades are available in 30°, 45°, and 60° angles. The 30° and 60° blades are
designed for cutting thin and thick materials r espectively; the 45° blade is
designed for most materials.
The knife blade will dull slightly after cutting thousands of characters. Blade
wear is normal and always a gradual change. Adjusting tool settings, as
described in the next section, can extend blade life.
Getting Started 15
Because they are ground to a controlled length, the blades cannot be
resharpened. A sudden decline in cutting quality indicates that the knife blade is
chipped. Replace and discard any chipped blade.
WARNING: Handle blades carefully. Carbide blades are brittle so they can
easily chip and they are extremely sharp.
To change the blade
1. Hold the tool so the blade points toward the
ceiling.
2. Remove the adjustment cap by turning it
counterclockwise until is comes completely
off.
3. Remove the old blade by pulling it straight out
with a pair of tweezers.
16 enVision Owner’s Guide
4. Put in the new blade using tweezers. Press the
tip lightly with the flat of your fingernail to
ensure that it is all the way in.
5. Put the cap back on carefully and turn it
clockwise.
Adjust the blade further as needed by following
the directions in the previous paragraph,
“Adjusting the knife blade exposure.”
enVision Overview
Both Gerber enVision plotters have many features that make them easy and
convenient to use:
The enVision 750 draws, cuts, and pounces designs up to 27.25 inches
(692.15mm) high. Using the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE system Panel
feature, the enVision can cut text or graphics in strips up to 96 feet long (29
meters) and 27.25 inches (692.15mm) high. The enVision 375 draws, cuts,
and pounces designs up to 13.25 inches (336.55 mm) high and can also cut
EDGE print jobs.
Jobs can be controlled entirely from GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE Version
6.2. Selecting a specific material causes appropriate tool settings for that
material to be sent automatically to the enVision.
Pounce instructions can also be sent from GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE 6.2.
Tool settings and other parameters can also be set right at the plotter.
The enVision calculates the job extremities when it receives a job. If the job
will not fit on the Y axis or the starting position must be adjusted, it
displays an appropriate message.
17
Easy material loading with X axis homing which bring s th e three m ater ial
alignment pins on the sprockets up to top center for the quickest, easiest
loading possible.
Repeats (up to 9999 copies) of the last job plotted (up to 200 kb) can be run
from the enVision.
You can suspend a job, move the material for easy viewing, and resume the
job without affecting the material or job.
Allows for plotter firmware upgrade by downloading new firmware into the
plotter from the PC.
18 enVision Owner’s Guide
The plotting process
The enVision plotter uses a knife installed in the tool he ad to cut shapes in the
material (usually vinyl). After the job is cut, you remove the excess material
(called weeding the job) from the design. Cutting accuracy and weeding ease
depend on matching the tool settings to the material being cut. Tool settings are:
force
corners
speed
acceleration
Tool setting tips are described in the following paragraphs.
Tool settings
The four tool settings − force, corners, speed, and acceleration − must be
matched to the material being cut. In the back of this manual is a card with
recommended tool settings for various materials. These tool settings are startingpoint guidelines. Quality cutting is dependent on the job being cut. For example,
if a job has many long, straight lines, you can cut at increased speed and
acceleration. If a job has many corners and curves, you may want to use less
speed and acceleration. In general, the best possible cut quality is achiev e d by
using the minimum tool force that provides easy weeding.
Also note that occasional adjustments need to b e made to too l settings based on
blade wear. Changing settings up or down do not mean that there is a problem
with the plotter. For example, blade wear may require changing the settings to
maintain optimum cutting quality. Other factors, such as temperature or
humidity changes or cutting small text, may also require changing the tool
settings.
Material selection
The plotter firmware contains a table of materials (called rule sets) with
corresponding tool settings for cutting Gerber materials. When you select the
material you plan to cut in the plotter Settings Menu, you automatically set the
factory default tool settings for that material. A rule sets guide chart is provided
on reference cards in the back of this manual.
Note: There are additional rule sets built into and available in the GA plot
program as described in the following paragraph.
For more information on setting and chang ing th e rule set v a lues, refer to the
section "Choosing Tool Settings" on page 28.
Using the enVision with GA
The enVision can be completely controlled from the GA version 6.2 (and
higher) plot program by using controls in the Plotter Settings dialog box.
Use of this dialog box is explained in the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE ReferenceVolume 1 manual. Several comments specific to using the dialog box with the
enVision are explained here.
enVision Overview 19
When an enVision plotter is selected, the color and material (also called the
vinyl family) is displayed.
The GA 6.2 plot program has a rule set − as described in the previous
paragraph − as part of the program. This rule set is more comprehensive
than the rule set built into the plotter. The Plotter Setting s slid e bars display
the default settings for the material, and the settings can be changed using
the slide bars.
Note: The plot program in GA version 6.0 and earlier does not contain a
rule set. When using these versions, settings may be adjusted at the
enVision control pad.
When the Use Settings check box is turned on, the rule set for the displayed
material is transmitted to the plotter and overrid e s any r ule set turned on in
the plotter. If the Use Setting check box is turned off, the rule set in the
enVision is used to plot the job.
20 enVision Owner’s Guide
Note: There is also a rule set menu selection item in the enVision
(Operational Setup menu, System, Rules, Select Rule Usage menu). If this
menu item is set to When Received, the GA overrides the rule set in the
plotter. If this menu item is set to Never, the enVision plotter ignores the
rule set sent from the GA and uses its own rule set for the material.
The Plotter Prompts check box is used when cutting EDGE jobs. for a
description of this feature, refer to the next paragraph.
Using the enVision with the EDGE
The enVision 375 is capable of cutting EDGE printed jobs as described in the
GERBER EDGE Owner's Guide. The following additional capabilities are
provided when cutting with the enVision plotter:
When the Plotter Prompts check box is turned off in the Plotter Settings
dialog box, the job starts when you press Start Job (F1 on the enVision
control panel). If the check box is turned on, the control panel displays the
job name, vinyl color, and vinyl family. At this time, you use the EDGE
eyepiece to register the knife with the registration target. After you
complete registration, when you press F4 the job starts.
When you send a job to the EDGE for printing from the plot program in GA
version 6.2 or higher, turn on the Center Target check box. This prints the
target in the center of the Y axis and makes it easier to install the eyep iece
in the tool head.
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