Secabo C30III, C60III, C120III Operating Instructions Manual

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

for vinyl cutters

Secabo C30III, C60III and C120III

Congratulations on purchasing a Secabo vinyl cutter!

Please read these operating instructions thoroughly to ensure that you can start production with your vinyl cutter without problems.

Reproduction of these operating instructions in any form requires written approval of Secabo GmbH. We reserve all rights to change technical data and product features without prior notice. Not liable for printing errors.

Secabo GmbH does not assume any liability for direct or indirect damage or injury resulting from use of this product.

Version 1.7 (09.06.2010)

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Table of Contents

1111 Safety Precautions

Safety PrecautionsSafety Precautions

Safety Precautions ................................

................................................................

...................................................

......................................

................... 2222

2222 Items Included

Items IncludedItems Included

Items Included ................................

................................................................

........................................................

................................................

........................ 3333

3333 Layout of Stand

Layout of StandLayout of Stand

Layout of Stand----Up

UpUp

Up----Base

BaseBase

Base................................

................................................................

..........................................

....................

.......... 4444

4444 Unit Description

Unit DescriptionUnit Description

Unit Description ................................

................................................................

......................................................

............................................

...................... 5555

4.1 Unit Parts and Their Function.................................................................5

4.2 Side Views ...........................................................................................5

4.3 Control Panel.......................................................................................6

5555 Starting Up Appliance and Software

Starting Up Appliance and SoftwareStarting Up Appliance and Software

Starting Up Appliance and Software ................................

................................................................

..........................................................

....................................................

.......................... 7777

5.1 Starting Up Appliance...........................................................................7

5.2 Start-up of the device and software ........................................................7

5.3 Installation SignCut Productivity Pro .......................................................7

5.3.1 Installation of the device driver.........................................................8

5.3.2 Installation of the Secabo cutting plotter in SignCut Productivity Pro.....8

5.4 Installation of the Illustrator Export Plugins for CS2, CS3 and CS4............8

5.4.1 Import of an .eps file into SignCut Productivity Pro .............................9

5.5 Installing and Adjusting the Blade ..........................................................9

5.6 Inserting the Blade Holder...................................................................10

5.7 Inserting cutting vinyl ..........................................................................10

5.8 Cutting Test .......................................................................................11

6666 Settings and Operation

Settings and OperationSettings and Operation

Settings and Operation ................................

................................................................

..........................................

....................

.......... 12

1212

6.1 Online/Offline ...................................................................................12

6.2 Moving the Cutting Head....................................................................12

6.3 Setting the Zero Point .........................................................................12

6.4 Changing ..........................................................................................13

6.5 Repeat Function .................................................................................13

6.6 Other Settings....................................................................................14

6.7 Limit Switches.....................................................................................14

7777 Drag knifes

Drag knifesDrag knifes

Drag knifes ................................

................................................................

...........................................................

......................................................

........................... 15

1515

8888 Technical Data

Technical DataTechnical Data

Technical Data................................

................................................................

......................................................

............................................

...................... 16

1616

9999 Troubleshooting

TroubleshootingTroubleshooting

Troubleshooting ................................

................................................................

....................................................

........................................

.................... 17

1717

1 Safety Precautions

Please read these instructions and safety precautions carefully before using your vinyl cutter for the first time!

• Do not place any magnetic objects in the vicinity of the cutting head;

otherwise uniform contact pressure is not ensured.

• Do not remove the connection cable to the computer while plotting is in

progress.

• Relieve the pressure on the pressure rollers when not in use by moving the

pressure lever up.

• Do not reach into the unit with your hands when the power is connected.

• Never open the housing or attempt to modify the unit yourself.

• Ensure that liquids and metal objects do not get into the inside of the plotter.

• Ensure that the wall socket used is grounded and protected with a ground

fault switch.

• Ensure that the connected voltage (220V) does not deviate by more than

±10%. Otherwise install a voltage stabilizer.

• Disconnect the power cord when the unit is not used for a longer period of

time.

• Never reach into the unit in the vicinity of the blade holder during the cutting

operation!

• Discontinue any printing jobs in progress before readjusting the blade holder!

• Always ensure that the vinyl cutter is out of reach of children during operation

and never leave the unit or individual parts of it switched on without supervision.

• Do not touch the tip of the sliding blade to avoid injury.

• Always place the unit on a stable base to prevent it from falling down.

• Do not operate the unit during thunderstorms; it can be damaged or

destroyed by lightning.

2 Items Included

Before starting work, please check whether the following items are all present:

Item Quantity

Power cable 1

Serial connection cable

USB connection cable

Bladeholder 1

Penholder 1

45° drag knife 3

Pens 2

Secabo FlexiStarter 1

Stand-up-base

(not with C30III)

3 Layout of Stand-Up-Base

Tools required: Phillips screwdriver, 13 mm wrench,

The stand-up base for your Secabo vinyl cutter can be assembled simply using the parts supplied as shown in the exploded drawing above.

4 Unit Description

4.1 Unit Parts and Their Function

4.2 Side Views

USB-port, serial port

Power supply, fuse, switch

Blade Holder

Grid rollers

Control panel

Cutting head

4.3 Control Panel

a) Online-/Offline button b) Test button (blade test) c) LCD display d) Arrow keys for control of cutting head and for pulling in foil e) Zero point button f) Pause button (to interrupt plotting operation) g) Repeat button for repeating a job h) Menu button for appliance settings

5 Starting Up Appliance and Software

5.1 Starting Up Appliance

Ensure that sufficient space is present for the foil transport in front of and in back of the unit. The vinyl cutter should be operated only in clean and dry surroundings.

• Connect the plotter to a 220 V wall socket with the power cable provided.

• Then switch the plotter on. Caution! After switching on, the cutting head

initially moves to the right.

5.2 Start-up of the device and software

Attention!

Attention! Attention!

Attention! Please consider that smooth installation and full configuration requires

Please consider that smooth installation and full configuration requires Please consider that smooth installation and full configuration requires

Please consider that smooth installation and full configuration requires

the prior installation of SignCut Productivity Pro.

the prior installation of SignCut Productivity Pro. the prior installation of SignCut Productivity Pro.

the prior installation of SignCut Productivity Pro.

5.3 Installation SignCut Productivity Pro

Your Secabo cutting plotter is delivered along with the cutting plotter software SignCut Productivity Pro with Bundle Registration Code. Please sign in on

http://www.signcutpro.com/ under „Register Bundle“ to install SignCut Productivity

Pro. After entry of the Bundle Registration Code the licence number is created and displayed subsequently. Please state the licence number to activate the licence; SignCut Productivity Pro is then subsequently active for 12 months. Directly after licence activation you can also set the device beforehand, but it can only be controlled after the device driver has been installed. Basic requirement for the production with Signcut is common graphics software like for example Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. A simple creation of vector graphics is also possible with the Open Source Software Inkscape.

5.3.1 Installation of the device driver

• Insert the Secabo CIII Driver CD into your CD drive.

• Select the driver necessary for your Mac OSX Version (Intel or power PC) in

the folder Mac OSX/Drivers.

• Activate the .dmg file by clicking on it, and click on the FTDIUSBSerialDriver

file several times.

• Follow the installation steps by entering your user password.

• You are asked to restart your computer, subsequently the device driver is fully

installed.

5.3.2 Installation of the Secabo cutting plotter in SignCut Productivity Pro

• Open SignCut Productivity Pro, and select the button „Plotter“.

• Select the manufacturer, device type, and the device like the illustrated notice

/dev/cu.usbserial-ftE2MSR0 and click on OK.

5.4 Installation of the Illustrator Export Plugins for CS2, CS3 and CS4

• Insert the included Secabo CIII Driver CD into your CD- drive.

• Select the file Signcut.aip in the folder MacOSX/Illustrator Export Plugin .

• Copy it into Adobe Illustrator CS3/Additional modules/Tools for example

Adobe Illustrator CS3 .

• Created vector graphics can then be exported directly to SignCut with this

command.

• Subsequently the Plugin is active under the menu file/Send to Signcut (see

illustration below).

5.4.1 Import of an .eps file into SignCut Productivity Pro

• Using the menu command Open File you load a vector graphic in .eps

format into SignCut

5.5 Installing and Adjusting the Blade

• Take one of the cutting blades supplied and place it in the blade holder so

that the sharp side extends at the front. The blade is held by a magnet in the blade holder.

• Adjust the cutting depths by turning the front cap.

• The depth is initially set correctly when you can carefully move your fingertip

across the blade and feel only a light scratching. Since the depth adjustment for the blade depends on the material, it may be necessary to change it later (as a rule 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm).

• Press the pin on the rear of the blade holder to remove and replace the blade

at any time. Caution – Injury hazard!

The various material thicknesses require different blade settings or even special blades; it may therefore be necessary to repeat the adjustment described above.

5.6 Inserting the Blade Holder

• First turn the clamping screw for the blade holder on the cutting head until it

is open wide enough.

• Then insert the blade holder from the top and press down against the stop in

the hole on the right side and retighten the clamping screw

5.7 Inserting cutting vinyl

• Always insert the material to be printed into the unit from the rear.

• Pull the foil up to the cutting bar in order to correctly set the zero point.

Details on setting the zero point are given under Point 6.3 in these instructions.

• If you use a roll of foil instead of foil sheets, the foil can be rolled off cleanly

with the aid of the roll holder supplied.

• When inserting, ensure that the foil is inserted straight to prevent it from

distorting during transport. When the foil is inserted at an angle of only a few millimeters, this can lead to the foil running highly off center during long plotting jobs.

Blade holder

Knurled screw

• You can insert the foil into the plotter at any desired point as long as the

pressure rollers are located in the areas of the yellow arrows on the crossmember.

• Fixieren Sie die beiden Anpressrollen durch Umklappen der Spannhebel an

den Außenkanten der Folie (ca. 2cm eingerückt), damit die Folie gerade transportiert wird und ein maximaler Schneidebereich gewährleistet ist.

5.8 Cutting Test

• To perform the cutting test in the offline mode, press the Test button; the

plotter then cuts a rectangle in the inserted foil at the currently stored zero point.

• You can check the adjustment of the blade holder as well as the contact

pressure with this cutting test. The material inserted should be cut cleanly and straight during the cutting test; the backing material should not be damaged.

• If the backing material has been cut through, either the contact pressure is set

too high or the blade or blade holder is adjusted incorrectly. Change these adjustments and perform the cutting test again.

• Also readjust if the foil was cut imprecisely or to an insufficient depth.

6 Settings and Operation

6.1 Online/Offline

After switching on the unit a reset is performed and the unit switches to the online mode. You can switch back and forth between the online and offline mode by pressing the Online button on the control panel. During the cutting operation, the vinyl cutter must generally be in the online mode, to change the configuration settings, the unit must be offline.

6.2 Moving the Cutting Head

In the offline mode, the cutting head can be moved to the right and left by pressing the arrow keys and the foil can be moved forwards and backwards. The corresponding X and Y coordinates are shown on the display.

6.3 Setting the Zero Point

Move the cutting head and foil so that the blade is at the front right corner of the foil to set the correct starting point for plotting. Then confirm this zero point by pressing the crosshair symbol in the middle of the control panel.

Online

OnlineOnline

Online-Status

Offline

OfflineOffline

Offline-Status

6.4 Changing

You can make the following changes in the online mode by pressing the corresponding buttons:

Increase speed

Reduce speed

Increase pressure

Reduce pressure

The cutting speed and contact pressure cannot be changed while a plotting job is in progress.

6.5 Repeat Function

After conclusion of a job it can be repeated without having to transfer the data from the computer again. For this purpose ensure that the vinyl cutter is in the offline mode and press the Repeat key.

6.6 Other Settings

It is possible to scroll through other configuration menus in the offline mode by pressing the menu key a number of times.

In the settings menu it is possible to adjust the idle speed of the cutting head (Ur), as well as the Baud rate (Br). The Baud rate set must be identical with the Baud rate set on the computer. This value must be set to 38400.

The vinyl cutter can be calibrated correctly in the scaling menu (Set Per). Correction may be required here due to wear to the mechanical parts. The X and Y scaling of the data can be changed by changing the Xp and Yp values. If, for example, an object entered with a length of 100 cm on the computer is cut on the vinyl cutter to a length of only 98cm, it is necessary to correct the corresponding scaling value on the plotter.

Otherwise, these values should not be changed.

6.7 Limit Switches

If a plotting job is sent to the vinyl cutter accidentally which is larger than the maximum cutting width of the plotter, the cutting head is stopped automatically by a sensor at the left and right sides. In this case, the vinyl cutter is reset and it is necessary to transfer the job to the plotter again.

38400

7 Drag knifes

Drag knifes are sensitive, sharp and dangerous precision tools.

• Always keep the blades away from children!

• Exercise care when handling blades to prevent injuries.

• Treat the cutting blades carefully and always store them with the associated

protective cap when not in use. If the tip of a blade hits against a hard material such as glass or stone, tiny chips can be broken out of the tip rendering the blade unusable.

Please observe the following notes to prevent unnecessary wear to your blades and achieve the maximum possible service life.

• Always avoid cutting into the backing material on the foil. The wear to the

blades is increased when it is necessary for them to cut deeper into the material used.

• Adjust the cutting depth of the blade so that the material is just cut through

cleanly. Further extension of the blade reduces its service life and does not improve the cutting results at all

• Use specially designed blades for thicker material (e.g. flock blades for flock).

• Ragged edges after cutting the foil indicate that the blade is dull. Always

replace dull blades immediately!

8 Technical Data

Model C30III C60III C120III

Type Desktop unit Unit including

stand-up base

Unit including standup base

Max. medium width 415mm 720mm 1300mm

Max. cutting width 305mm 610mm 1220mm

Connections RS232C, USB

Display Back-lighted, 4-line LCD display

Plotter languages HP-GL, DMPL

Memory Unit has 1MB internal memory

Max. speed 600mm/s

Max. medium thickness 1mm

Contact pressure 50g – 500g

Mechanical resolution 0.025mm

Repetition accuracy < ± 0.1mm

Power supply 90V AC – 240V AC/ 50Hz – 60Hz

Ambient conditions + 5C - +35C / 30% - 70% humidity

Weight without packing 9kg 12kg 18kg

Weight with packing 11kg 16kg 39kg

Dimensions (W x H x D)

585mm x 265mm x

270mm

890mm x 265mm x

270mm

1465mm x 265mm

x 270mm

9 Troubleshooting

Vinyl cutter terminates job with Pause on display and does not react when buttons are pressed.

In this case, it is necessary to restart the vinyl cutter to eliminate the error.

Possible causes:

Possible causes:Possible causes:

Possible causes:

• Job transferred in wrong format (too large).

• Settings changed during transfer operation.

• Plotter set to pause during plotting operation to change contact pressure or

speed.

Jobs are always output too large:

Possible causes:

Possible causes:Possible causes:

Possible causes:

• Resolution incorrectly adjusted (increments in mm)

• Output size greater than 100%.

An imported job (EPS) is plotted a number of times at the same position.

Possible causes:

Possible causes:Possible causes:

Possible causes:

File may be corrupted and should be checked.

Straight lines are cut zigzag

Possib

PossibPossib

Possible causes:

le causes:le causes:

le causes:

Blade adjustment and/or contact pressure incorrect and should be checked.

Curves are not cut properlay

PPPPossible causes:

ossible causes: ossible causes:

ossible causes:

The curve quality setting in the job standard settings in the production manager

is not set to high.

Konformitätserklärung

Statement of Conformity

Hiermit erklären wir in alleiniger Verantwortung, dass das unter „9. Technische Daten“ genannte Produkt mit den Bestimmungen der folgenden EG-Richtlinien und Normen übereinstimmt: We herewith declare under sole responsibility that the under „9. technical data“ mentioned product meet the provisions of the following EC Directives and Harmonized Standards:

EG-Richtlinien / EC Directives:

2006/95/EG Niederspannungsrichtlinie

2006/95/EC Low Volatge Directive

98/37/EG Maschinenrichtlinie (2006/42/EG ab 29.12.2009)

98/37/EC Directive on machinery (from 2009-12-29: 2006/42/EC)

Norm / Standard:

EN 60204-1:2006

Technische Dokumente bei / Technical documents at:

Secabo GmbH, Hochstatt 6-8, 85283 Wolnzach, Germany

Dipl. Ing. Fabian Franke Dipl. Ing.(FH) Bernhard Schmidt

Secabo GmbH, www.secabo.com, Hochstatt 6-8, 85283 Wolnzach, Germany

Secabo C30III, C60III, C120III Operating Instructions Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual