SummaSign Pro T750 Pro, T1010 Pro, T1400 Pro User Manual

*

USER’S MANUAL FOR THE

T-Series

IMPORTANT

Before you begin...
Please complete the attached Warranty Registration Card and
return it to Summa today or go through the online registration at

http://www.summa.be/registration.html. (Users outside Europe,

Africa and the Middle East should check the address on the back
of the Warranty Registration Card.)

Failure to return the duly completed Warranty Registration Card or
Online registration might delay response to your warranty and
service enquiries.

NOTE

When selecting software drivers: If the Summa name is not
mentioned in the list of available software drivers, use
Summagraphics drivers.

FCC NOTICE

The SummaSign Pro T-series cutters have been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. These cutters generate, use, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction
manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of these cutters in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense.

Caution !

Changes or modifications, not expressly approved by Summa, who is

responsible for FCC compliance, could void the users authority to operate
this equipment.

DOC NOTICE

The SummaSign Pro T-series cutters do not exceed the Class A limits for radio
noise for digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of
the Canadian Department of Communications.

NOTICE

Summa reserves the right to modify the information contained in this User
Manual at any time without prior notice. Unauthorised copying, modification,
distribution or display is prohibited. All rights reserved. All queries, comments or
suggestions concerning this and other Summa manuals should be directed to:

Americas and Asia Pacific

Summa Inc.
10001 Lake City Way NE

SEATTLE, WA 98125
USA

Tel +[phone]-1050
Fax +[phone]-1046

E-mail [e-mail]

Europe

Summa NV
Rochesterlaan 6

8470 GISTEL
Belgium

Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]

E-mail [e-mail]

 Copyright 1999, Summa N.V.

Notice

TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

3M and Scotchcal are trademarks of the 3M Corp.
Arlon is a trademark of Keene Corp.
DM/PL and Houston Instrument are trademarks of Summagraphics Corporation.
Fasson is a trademark of Avery.
Gerber is a trademark of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc.
Grafitack is a trademark of Grafityp.
HP-GL is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
IBM PC, IBM PC/XT, and IBM AT are trademarks of International Business
Machines Corp.
Kapco is a trademark of Kent Adhesive Products Co.
Macintosh, Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, and Macintosh II are trademarks of
Apple Computer.
MACTac is a trademark of MACTac Europe.
Multifix is a trademark of Multiplast Grafics.
Rubylith is a trademark of Ulano.
Tesa and Tesacal are trademarks of Tesa.

Trademark Acknowledgements

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................Page

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Introduction...................................................................................................1-1

1.1.1. Product features...........................................................................................1-1

1.1.2. SummaSign Pro T-series User Manual..........................................................1-3

1.2. Specifications ...............................................................................................1-4

1.2.1. Cutter ............................................................................................................1-4

1.2.2. Media ............................................................................................................1-4

1.2.3. Knives, balpoint pen and pouncing tool ..................................................1-6

1.2.4. Interface........................................................................................................1-6

1.2.5. Firmware........................................................................................................1-7

1.2.6. Performance.................................................................................................1-7

1.2.7. Certifications.................................................................................................1-7

1.2.8. Environmental...............................................................................................1-8

1.2.9. Electrical .......................................................................................................1-8

1.3. Cutter options, accessories and consumables..........................................1-9

1.4. Rear panel components ............................................................................1-10

1.5. Front panel controls....................................................................................1-12

1.6. Powering up the cutter...............................................................................1-14

1.6.1. Earthing .......................................................................................................1-14

1.6.2. Power-up procedure .................................................................................1-15

1.7. Installation of a knife, pen or pouncing tool ............................................1-16

1.7.1. Installing a standard tangential knife.......................................................1-16

1.7.2. Installing a knife for cutting masking stencil or heavy materials............1-20

1.7.3. Installing a drag knife.................................................................................1-21

1.7.4. Installing a ballpoint pen...........................................................................1-23

1.7.5. Installing a pouncing tool..........................................................................1-24

1.8. Loading media ..........................................................................................1-26

1.8.1 Positioning the pinch rollers .......................................................................1-26

1.8.2. Feeding and positioning media................................................................1-27

1.9. Media load procedure ..............................................................................1-31

Table of Contents TOC-i

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2. OPERATION

2.1. The control panel..........................................................................................2-1

2.1.1 The liquid crystal display..............................................................................2-2

2.1.2 The Reset/Load key......................................................................................2-2

2.1.3 The Online key..............................................................................................2-3

2.1.4 The Menu key...............................................................................................2-3

2.1.5 The Enter key.................................................................................................2-5

2.1.6 The 1 and 2 keys...........................................................................................2-5

2.1.7 The jogging keys...........................................................................................2-5

2.1.8 The Tool Up/Down key.................................................................................2-5

2.1.9 The Tool Select key.......................................................................................2-6

2.2. Normal Operation........................................................................................2-7

2.2.1 On line and off line......................................................................................2-7

2.2.2 Local operation............................................................................................2-8

2.3. The USER CONFIG menu..............................................................................2-9

2.3.1 Knife pressure..............................................................................................2-11

2.3.2 Pen pressure................................................................................................2-11

2.3.3 Pouncing pressure......................................................................................2-11

2.3.4 Knife offset...................................................................................................2-11

2.3.5 Pouncing gap.............................................................................................2-12

2.3.6 Velocity.......................................................................................................2-12

2.3.7 Overcut.......................................................................................................2-12

2.3.8 System setup...............................................................................................2-12

2.4. System setup...............................................................................................2-13

2.4.1 Concatenation...........................................................................................2-13

2.4.2 Smoothing ..................................................................................................2-13

2.4.3 Emulate ......................................................................................................2-13

2.4.4 Tool..............................................................................................................2-14

2.4.5 Menu units...................................................................................................2-14

2.4.6 Addressing..................................................................................................2-14

2.4.7 Baud rate....................................................................................................2-14

2.4.8 Parity............................................................................................................2-15

2.4.9 RTS/DTR........................................................................................................2-15

2.4.10 DM/PL errors................................................................................................2-16

2.4.11 HP/GL errrors...............................................................................................2-16

2.4.12 HP/GL origin .........................................................................................2-16

2.4.13 Media sensors.............................................................................................2-17

2.4.14 Autoload.....................................................................................................2-17

2.4.15 Tool command...........................................................................................2-17

2.4.16 LOAD ON W CMD.......................................................................................2-17

2.4.17 FLEX-CUT......................................................................................................2-18

Table of Contents TOC-ii

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.4.18 Recut offset.................................................................................................2-18

2.5. Internal test menu ......................................................................................2-19

2.5.1 Tangential knife calibration.......................................................................2-20

2.5.1.1 Adjust Origin test routine............................................................................2-22

2.5.1.2 Adjust Lat. test routine................................................................................2-23

2.5.1.3 Adjust Long test routine .............................................................................2-24

2.5.2 Cut border ..................................................................................................2-25

2.5.3 Menu plot....................................................................................................2-25

2.5.4 Confidence cut..........................................................................................2-26

2.5.5 DIN plot ......................................................................................................2-26

2.5.6 System tests ................................................................................................2-26

2.6 System tests.................................................................................................2-27

2.6.1 Language ..................................................................................................2-27

2.6.2 ROM revision ...............................................................................................2-27

2.6.3 Service plot .................................................................................................2-27

2.6.4 Sensor setup................................................................................................2-28

2.6.5 Calibration ..................................................................................................2-28

2.6.6 Tracking test ................................................................................................2-28

2.6.7 Friction plot .................................................................................................2-28

2.6.8 RS232 test ....................................................................................................2-28

2.6.9 RAM test ......................................................................................................2-29

2.6.10 Install menu ................................................................................................2-29

2.6.11 Setup coil ....................................................................................................2-29

2.6.12 LCD contrast ...............................................................................................2-29

3. MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING

3.1. Maintenance ................................................................................................3-1

3.1.1 Cleaning the drive system...........................................................................3-1

3.1.2 Cleaning the sensors....................................................................................3-2

3.1.3 Cleaning the nose piece.............................................................................3-3

3.2. Operating voltage conversion ....................................................................3-4

4. INTERFACE

4.1. Introduction...................................................................................................4-1

4.2. Interface notes..............................................................................................4-1

4.2.1 System setup.................................................................................................4-1

4.2.1.1 MS-DOS or PC-DOS generating system......................................................4-1

4.2.1.2 Windows 3.xx.................................................................................................4-2

4.2.1.3 Windows 95...................................................................................................4-2

Table of Contents TOC-iii

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4.2.2 Serial interface connector on cutter..........................................................4-3

4.2.3 Parallel interface connector on cutter ......................................................4-3

4.3. Available serial signals ................................................................................4-4

5 CONTOUR CUTTING

5.1 Introduction...................................................................................................5-1

5.2 General (see section 6 for the actual procedure details) ........................5-5

5.3 Creating the design .....................................................................................5-5

5.4 Placing the Cross-marks..............................................................................5-6

5.5 Printing the design........................................................................................5-7

5.6 Loading the cutter and setting the parameters .........................................5-8

5.7 Registrating the cross-marks .......................................................................5-9

5.8 Cutting the contour ....................................................................................5-11

APPENDIX A:

Media certification ...................................................................................... A-1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1-1 SummaSign Pro T-series cutter, rear view.................................................1-10

1-2 SummaSign Pro T-series cutter, front view................................................1-12

1-3 Earth connection........................................................................................1-15

1-4 Standard knife assembly ...........................................................................1-16

1-5 Nose piece installation ..............................................................................1-17

1-6 Knife holder insertion..................................................................................1-17

1-7 Knife depth adjustment.............................................................................1-18

1-8 Knife depth test pattern.............................................................................1-19

1-9 Sandblast knife assembly ......................................................................... 1-20

1-10 Nose piece and knife installtion for cutting masking stencils or

heavy materials..........................................................................................1-21

1-11 Drag knife assembly...................................................................................1-22

1-12 Drag knife holder insertion.........................................................................1-22

1-13 Ballpoint pen assembly .............................................................................1-23

1-14 Ballpoint holder insertion ...........................................................................1-24

Table of Contents TOC-iv

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1-15 Media positioning.......................................................................................1-27

1-16 Feeding roll media using media flanges .................................................1-28

1-17 Feeding roll media without ......................................................................1-29

1-18 Pinch roller positioning ...............................................................................1-29

2-1 SummaSign Pro T-series cutter, control panel ...........................................2-1

2-2 Configuration submenus .............................................................................2-4

2-3 Flowchart showing factory preset menu settings....................................2-10

2-4 Internal tests submenus .............................................................................2-20

2-5 Possible knife calibration grounds ............................................................2-21

3-1 Cleaning of the media drive sleeves.........................................................3-2

3-2 Location of the sensors ................................................................................3-2

3-3 Power entry module ....................................................................................3-4

LIST OF TABLES

1-1 SummaSign Pro T-series cutter specifications ............................................1-4

1-2 SummaSign Pro T-series media specifications ...........................................1-4

1-2 SummaSign Pro T-series media specifications (cont'd).............................1-5

1-3 SummaSign Pro T-series knives, ballpoint pen and pouncing tool .........1-6

1-4 SummaSign Pro T-series interface specifications.......................................1-6

1-5 SummaSign Pro T-series firmware................................................................1-7

1-6 SummaSign Pro T-series performances.......................................................1-7

1-7 SummaSign Pro T-series environmental specifications..............................1-8

1-8 SummaSign Pro T-series electrical specifications ......................................1-8

1-9 SummaSign Pro T-series accessories and consumables...........................1-9

2-1 Contents of the SummaSign Pro T-series menus........................................2-5

Table of Contents TOC-v

SECTION 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. INTRODUCTION

The SummaSign range of cutters has been designed to produce computer­generated graphic designs on cut sheet or roll vinyl media. By replacing the
knife with a ballpoint pen, these cutters can also be used to produce
inexpensive previews of new graphic designs on paper.

This manual is a reference guide for installing and operating the SummaSign
Pro T-series cutter models. These cutter models feature a tangential head
indicated by the ‘T’ prefix to the product designation.

This manual covers the following SummaSign Pro T-series cutter models :

• The SummaSign T750 Pro, which can handle media widths from 60 mm up to
762 mm (2.4” to 30”).

• The SummaSign T1010 Pro, which can handle media widths from 110 mm up
to 1020 mm (4” to 40”).

• The SummaSign T1400 Pro, which can handle media widths from 110 mm up
to 1370 mm (4” to 54”).

The term ‘Pro T-series cutters’ is used when information is provided which is
common to all members of this series. The specific model terms T750 Pro, T1010
Pro and T1400 Pro are used if information pertains only to that particular model.

1.1.1. PRODUCT FEATURES

The following are the main features of the SummaSign Pro T-series cutters.

• Variable media widths.

• User-selectable DM/PL

• Interchangeable drag knife

TM

, HP/GL

TM

and HP/GL/2 TM software languages.

General Information 1-1

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

• Interchangeable ballpoint pen for producing preview plots of sign designs

on paper.

• Interchangeable pouncing tool.

• Adjustable knife pressure (and offset settings) controlled by microprocessor.

• Communication with host computer via standard serial RS-232-C or

Centronics parallel interface.

• 12-key control panel.

• Metric or English units.

• User-addressable resolution : 0.1 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.001" or 0.005".

• Menu mode for selection of the cutter's power-up operating configuration.

• Convenient operator control via a 2-line 16-character liquid crystal display.

• Extensive internal test routines.

• Wide variety of cutting speeds (in metric or English units).

• Up to four separate user configurations stored in non-volatile memory.

• Media support system for automatic loading of media with optional

“shuffling” to guarantee tracking of longer signs.

• Automatic media pull from roll.

• Media sensing.

• Simple origin adjustment to any location.

• Concatenation and curve smoothing to obtain better cut quality.

• Multiple recut feature.

• Re-cut of last file.

• Knife depth and offset test.

• Overcut for easy weeding.

General Information 1-2

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.1.2. SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES USER MANUAL

This user manual provides the following information :

• Full technical specifications for the SummaSign Pro T-series cutters and the

media to be cut.

• A complete description of the SummaSign Pro T-series main components.

• Step-by-step instructions for knife and ballpoint pen installation and media

loading.

• Instructions for online and local mode ( ) operations.

• Instructions for USER CONFIGURATION and INTERNAL TESTS operations.

• Maintenance and cleaning instructions.

• Information about the RS-232-C and Centronics interface cables used to

inter-connect the cutter and IBM, IBM-compatible, Apple and Apple­compatible host computers.

General Information 1-3

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.2. SPECIFICATIONS

1.2.1. CUTTER

Height

Width

Depth

Weight

without stand 265 10.43 265 10.43 265 10.43
with stand 1100 43.31 1100 43.31 1100 43.31
without stand 1270 50.00 1670 65.75 2015 79.33
with stand 1270 50.00 1670 65.75 2015 79.33
without stand 550 21.65 550 21.65 550 21.65
with stand 550 21.65 550 21.65 550 21.65
without stand 31 kg 68 lbs 38 kg 84lbs 43 kg 93 lbs
with stand 46 kg 101 lbs 54 kg 119 lbs 61 kg 134 lbs

1.2.2. MEDIA

T750 Pro

with optional

stand

mm inch mm inch mm inch

TABLE 1-1 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES CUTTER SPECIFICATIONS

T1010 Pro

with standard

stand

T1400 Pro

with standard

stand

T750 Pro T1010 Pro T1400 Pro

mm inch mm inch mm inch

Width
Max width

Tracking
Performance

70 to 762 2.4 to 30 110 to 1020 4 to 40 110 to 1370 4 to 54

Sheets & rolls up to
762 mm (30”) wide
can be
accommodated

- 12 m/39 feet max. within guaranteed specifications * for media less than
750 mm (30”) wide.

- 4 m/13 feet max. within guaranteed specifications ** for media larger than
750 mm (30”).

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS

Sheets & rolls up to 1200
mm (47”) wide can be
accommodated

TABLE 1-2 :

Sheets & rolls up to
1545 mm (61”) wide
can be
accommodated

General Information 1-4

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

T750 Pro T1010 Pro T1400 Pro

mm inch mm inch mm inch

Thickness

Max.cutting/
plotting area

Min. Margin***

Unperforated
Perforated

Front Margin
Rear Margin

Sensor on
Sensor off

* Media lengths greater than 12 m (39 feet) can be handled, but compliance with
specifications is not guaranteed (will be dependent on media type, media size and other
parameters).
** Media lengths greater than 4 m (13 feet) can be handled, but compliance with
specifications is not guaranteed (will be dependent on media type, media size and other
parameters).
*** for positioning of the pinch rollers (see section 1.8.)

0.05 to

1.2

720 27.7 995 39.2 1345 53

0.002 to

0.050

25
55
25 1.0 25 1.0 25 1.0

42
30

0.05 to 1.2 0.002 to

1.0

2.2

1.7

1.2

25
55

42
30

0.050

1.0

2.2

1.7

1.2

0.05 to 1.2 0.002 to

25
55

42
30

0.050

1.0

2.2

1.7

1.2

TABLE 1-2 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS (CONT’D)

Vinyl Types

A wide range of vinyl types has been evaluated and tested on the SummaSign
Pro T-series cutters. When using duly certified media, operation in accordance
with the functional specifications of the model is warranted. Other media
should be certified by CalComp before use to ensure performance in
compliance with specifications.
For a full list of all duly certified media suitable for friction drive operation, see
Appendix A.

Plotting Paper

Bond paper (120 g/m2 recommended)

General Information 1-5

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.2.3. KNIVES BALLPOINT PEN AND POUNCING TOOL

The SummaSign Pro cutters are supplied with two standard knives (for vinyl
media), one masking stencil knife, one drag knife and one black ballpoint pen.

Tangential Knife

Standard knife
(requires a standard knife holder along
with a standard grey nose piece)

Double tip knife for high-density
reflective materials
(requires a standard knife holder)

Knife for masking stencils
(requires a standard knife holder along
with black nose piece)

Drag Knife

Standard drag knife
(requires a drag knife holder)

Pen

Ballpoint pen
(requires a ballpoint pen holder)

Pouncing Tool

TABLE 1-3 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES KNIVES, PENS AND POUNCING TOOLS

Medium Quantity

supplied

standard, reflective &
fluorescent vinyl types

high-density reflective

2 off
2 off

optional

vinyl types

masking stencils &
thick materials

1 off
1 off
1 off

standard, reflective &
fluorescent vinyl types

1 off
1 off

Colour Quantity

black 1 off

1 off

Paper optional

To order replacement knives, pens and/or pouncing tools, contact your local
dealer, quoting the part numbers listed in table 1-9. The SummaSign Pro cutters
will only perform according to specifications if a Summagraphics genuine knife,
pen is installed. Do not replace the standard knife, pen or pouncing tool with
products from other manufacturers.

1.2.4. INTERFACE

Communication

standard asynchronous RS-232-C and
Centronics parallel interface

Serial : I/O Port connector
Mating connector
Byte format
Baud rate
Parallel : I/O Port connector
Mating connector

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

DB-9P
DB-9S
8 data bits, 2 stop bits, no parity
38400, 19200, 9600, 4800, 2400 bps
Centronics female
Centronics male

TABLE 1-4 :

General Information 1-6

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.2.5. FIRMWARE

Language

DM/PL, HP/GL (758x emulation),
HP/GL/2

Supported character sets
Supported fonts
ROM-based plots

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES FIRMWARE

Standard ASCII
Sans serif (single stroke & medium)
Confidence plot, DIN plot

TABLE 1-5 :

1.2.6. PERFORMANCE

Cutting specifications on 0.05 mm (0.002") wax-backed vinyl, total media
thickness not greater than 0.25 mm (0.010")

Axial speed
Default speed
Acceleration
Addressable resolution
Default resolution
Mechanical resolution
Accuracy

Knife pressure
Pen pressure
Pouncing pressure

50 to 1000 mm/s 2 to 40 ips
800 mm/s 32 ips
3 G 3 G

0.025 mm, 0.1 mm 0.001", 0.005"

0.025 mm 0.001"

0.0127 mm 0.0005"

0.2% of move or 0.25
mm, whichever is
greater

*

0.2% of move or 0.010",
whichever is greater

0 to 600 gr. 0 to 600 gr.
0 to 600 gr. 0 to 600 gr.
0 to 600 gr. 0 to 600 gr.

*

*

Excludes differences due to media expansion, stretching, etc.

TABLE 1-6 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES PERFORMANCES

1.2.7. CERTIFICATIONS

CE Certificate
FCC Class A
Comply with UL 1950, CSA 950

General Information 1-7

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.2.8. ENVIRONMENTAL

(cutter without media)

Operating Temperature
Storage temperature
Relative humidity

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS

15 to 35° C 59 to 95° F

-30 to 70° C -22 to 158° F
35 - 85 %, non con-

densing

TABLE 1-7 :

35 - 85 %, non con­densing

IMPORTANT HINT

The use of dimensionally stable media is an essential pre-requisite to
obtaining high cut quality. Additionally, media expansion or
contraction may occur as a result of temperature variations.
To improve the dimensional stability of media, let it stabilize to the
current environmental conditions before usage, for a minimum period
of 24 hours.

1.2.9. ELECTRICAL

Mains Supply : 48-62 Hz, single phase.

Nominal line Min./Max. line Fuse

100 V AC 89 - 108 V AC 1.25 A, Slo-Blo
120 V AC 108 - 130 V AC 1.25 A, Slo-Blo
220 V AC 197 - 238 V AC 0.6 A, Slo-Blo
240 V AC 216 - 260 V AC 0.6 A, Slo-Blo

TABLE 1-8 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS

General Information 1-8

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.3. CUTTER ACCESSORIES AND CONSUMABLES

The following is an overview of the accessories and consumables available for
the various SummaSign Pro T-series models:

OPTIONS/
ACCESSORIES/
CONSUMMABLES

Cutter Stand
User’s Manual
Power Supply Cables

Serial Interface Kit,
consisting of :

- 9 pin to 9 pin cable

- 9 pin to 8 pin DIN conv

TANGENTIAL knife holder
Standard TANGENTIAL

knife (1 off)
Double tip knife
Standard nose piece
TANGENTIAL knife for

masking stencil (1 off)
Nose piece for masking

stencil
Ballpoint holder
Ballpoint pen
Holder for drag knife
Drag knife (set of 5)
2 Flanges for media roll
Manual cut-off razor
blades (set of 10)
Razor blade & holder

Pouncing tool

T750 Pro T1010 Pro

T1400 Pro

Optional 391-400 standard

MD9045

MC1184 (Europe)

MC3545(US)

423-155

391-663

390-549
390-551
391-664

390-550
391-666

391-667
391-669
391-668
391-360
391-510

391-146
391-142
391-981

TABLE 1-9 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES ACCESSORIES AND CONSUMABLES

General Information 1-9

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.4. REAR PANEL COMPONENTS

In order to get acquainted with your SummaSign Pro cutter, read the following
description of the rear panel components. Figure 1-1 shows the location of the
main components.

FIGURE 1-1 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES CUTTERS, REAR VIEW*

FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, ILLUSTRATIONS RELATE TO THE T750 PRO MODEL. ALL MEMBERS OF THE
PRO T-SERIES CUTTERS ARE SIMILAR EXCEPTING IN WIDTH.

General Information 1-10

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1. RS-232-C Port : - This DB-9P connector provides the communication link

between the cutter and a host computer. It allows bidirectional
communication between the host computer and the cutter.

2. Parallel Port : - This 36-pin Centronics connector provides a unidirectional

communication link between the cutter and a host computer. The cutter
can receive but not transmit data via this port.

Note : only one interface can be active at any one time.
The first port that receives data will be the active interface until the cutter
is reset.

3. Power ON/OFF switch : - This rocker switch sets the cutter’s power to ON or

OFF. To switch the power ON, press the “I” side of the rocker switch. To
switch the power OFF, press the “O” side of the rocker switch.

4. Power Entry Module : - The fuse box, the voltage select board and the AC

power cord receptacle are located in the power entry module.
The power-up procedure is explained in detail in Section 1.6.
For information about the conversion of the cutter's operating voltage,
see Section 3.2.

5. Roll Media Guide Bushes : - The two guide bushes serve to keep the

media roll in place when media is pulled from the roll.

6. Media Flanges : - The media flanges ensure proper routing of the media

roll.

7. Media Support Roller : - Rotating support rollers for the media roll.

General Information 1-11

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.5. FRONT PANEL CONTROLS

In order to get acquainted with your SummaSign Pro cutter, read the following
description of the front panel controls and components.
Figure 1-2 shows the location of the main components.

FIGURE 1-2 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES CUTTERS, FRONT VIEW

1. Pinch roller lever arm : - This lever is used to raise and lower the pinch

rollers (Media loading is discussed in Section 1.8).

2. Media Drive Sleeves : - The media drive sleeves move the media only

when the pinch rollers are in the ‘down’ position.
The following table lists the number of media drive sleeves installed on
each model of the Pro T-series cutters.

Number of media drive
sleeves
Short sleeve 5 6 8
Long sleeve 1 1 1

3. Tool Carriage : - The tool carriage is the mount for the tangential cutting

head.

T750 Pro T1010 Pro T1400 Pro

General Information 1-12

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4. Control Panel : - The control panel contains 12 keys. All cutter activity

can be initiated from the control panel. This includes initiating remote
mode for computer control, local mode for manual operation and menu
mode. Each control panel function is explained in Section 2.1.

5. Display : - The 2x16 character display informs the user about the current

status of the cutting process or actions which need to be taken.

6. Sensors : - The sensors detect the presence of media to avoid any

damage to the cutting strip. Upon powering up the machine, they cause
the media to move all the way to the front edge of the platen.

7. Pinch rollers : - The pinch rollers (one at each side) hold the media

clamped between the rubber rollers and the media drive sleeves.
The T1010 and T1300 units are provided with an extra low pressure roller in
the middle to keep the vinyl media flat.

8. Cutting strip : - Soft strip to avoid any damage to the knife tip when no

media has been loaded. Since cutting is done on the cutting strip it is
essential that the cutting strip remains intact.

9. Manual cut-off knife : - Upon completing a sign, move the media forward

by pressing the key. Use the manual knife to cut the finished sign off the
media roll. Leave the loaded media in place ready to start your next cut
by pressing the key again.

10. Stand : - The stand comes standard with the T1010 and T1400 units. For the

T750 unit the stand is optional.

General Information 1-13

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.6. POWERING UP THE CUTTER

1.6.1. EARTHING

!

SAFETY WARNING

An insulated earth conductor must be installed as part of the branch
circuit which supplies power to the wall outlet to which the cutter is
connected. The earth conductor must have the same size, insulation
material and thickness as the earthed and unearthed branch-circuit
supply conductors, but the insulating sheath should be green, or
green with yellow striping.

The earth conductor described above must be earthed at the
electrical distribution board, or, if power is supplied by a separate
system, at the power supply transformer motor / generator set.

The wall sockets into which the cutter is plugged must be of the
earthed type. The earth conductors serving said wall sockets must be
properly connected to earth.

CAUTION

Before plugging in the cutter's power cord to a power source, make
sure the cutter is set to the correct operating voltage (100 V, 120 V,
220 V, or 240 V AC).
(see section 3.2)

See Table 1-8 for the minimum and maximum operating voltage for the
different voltage ratings.

To check the operating voltage setting, locate the power entry module (shown
in Figure 1-1) on the cutter's rear panel. The power entry module shows four
possible voltage settings (100 V, 120 V, 220 V and 240 V). A pin next to one of
the voltage settings indicates the voltage setting currently selected for the
cutter. If this setting does not match the voltage supplied to your site, you will
have to change the voltage setting prior to powering up the cutter.

For information about the conversion of the cutter's operating voltage and the
exact fuse ratings, see Section 3.2.

General Information 1-14

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

USA

:

THREE-PIN
OUTLET

MAKE SURE THIS
IS CONNECTED TO A
KNOWN EARTH

THREE-PIN
PLUG

EARTH CONNECTION

!

IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL TIP

EUROPE:

MAKE SURE THIS IS
CONNECTED TO A
KNOWN EARTH

FIGURE 1-3 :

Your cutter must only be used with a power outlet that is properly
grounded to earth. Use of an unearthed outlet exposes the operator to
risk of electric shock and will also lead to malfunctioning of the cutter.

1.6.2. POWER-UP PROCEDURE

è To power up the cutter, proceed as follows:

1. Be sure the cutter is either placed on a flat, level and sturdy surface or

securely attached to its (optional) stand .

2. Plug one end of the AC power cord into the AC power cord receptacle

on the cutter's rear panel.

3. Plug the other end of the AC power cord into the wall socket.

4. Press the "I" side of the ON/OFF rocker switch on the rear panel to switch

the cutter ON.

5. The message "INSERT MEDIA" is displayed on the LCD if no media is loaded

and the pinch rollers are in the up position.

General Information 1-15

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.7. INSTALLATION OF A KNIFE, BALLPOINT PEN OR POUNCING TOOL

1.7.1. INSTALLING A STANDARD TANGENTIAL KNIFE

!

SAFETY WARNING

Your cutter uses razor-sharp knives. The knife blades may cause
serious personal injuries if handled without proper care. Use extreme
care when operating the cutter and when installing, removing or
handling the knife!

è To set up your cutter for TANGENTIAL knife operation, proceed as follows.

1. As shown in Figure 1-4, insert the standard knife blade p/n 390-549 into the

knife holder. Make sure the knife blade is firmly fixed into the holder. The
knife is firmly fixed when you can not remove it manually from the knife
holder.
To remove a fixed blade, when it is too blunt, push against the back of the
blade with the tip of a screwdriver. The blade will then jump out of its
holder.
This procedure is also valid for the installation of the optional double tip
blade p/n 390-551.

FIGURE 1-4 :

BLADE ASSEMBLY

General Information 1-16

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2. Insert the grey nose piece as shown in Figure 1-5 until it snaps into the

nose piece holder.

FIGURE 1-5 :

NOSE PIECE INSTALLATION

3. Gently insert the knife into the tool shaft as shown in Figure 1-5. Hold the

nose piece in place with one hand, with the other hand turn the knife
holder anticlockwise until the alignment pin fits into the small notch of the
tool shaft. Now turn clockwise until the knife holder gets grip in the tool
shaft.

FIGURE 1-6 :

KNIFE HOLDER INSERTION

General Information 1-17

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4. Holding the nose piece in place with one hand, adjust the knife depth

with the other hand by turning the knife holder clockwise until the knife tip
is just visible from under the nose piece as shown in Figure 1-7.

FIGURE 1-7 :

KNIFE DEPTH ADJUSTMENT

5. Set the knife pressure and knife depth as follows :

Load media and power on the cutter.

Press the key (MENU) key until the message 'USER CONFIG 1' is
displayed on the LCD.

↓ USER CONFIG 1
← →

Press the jogging key until the message 'KNIFE PRESS’ is displayed.

↑↓ KNIFE PRESS
← * 120 g → 1= TEST

Press the or key to modify the knife pressure.

To increase the cutting depth, turn the knife holder clockwise. To
decrease the cutting depth turn the knife holder anticlockwise while
holding the nose piece in place with the other hand.

Press the key to confirm the selection.
Press the 1 key to perform a knife depth test as illustrated in Figure 1-8 .

General Information 1-18

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

FIGURE 1-8 :

KNIFE DEPTH TEST PATTERN

The knife depth is correctly set when the test pattern is visible on the front
side of the media backing, but not on the rear side of the media backing.
In general, you should increase the knife depth and knife pressure when
using thicker types of vinyl.

NOTE

As the ideal knife pressure and depth setting depends upon the
thickness and the type of media to be cut, adjusting the pressure and
depth of the knife will require some practice. In general terms, you
should increase the pressure and depth of the knife when cutting
thicker types of vinyl . For thinner types of vinyl, you will normally have
to reduce the knife pressure and depth.

CAUTION

After setting the cutting depth and/or the knife pressure, perform a
thorough visual check of the knife blade, which can be seen
protruding from the knife holder, and test cutting results on a scrap of
vinyl media.
DO NOT OPERATE THE CUTTER if the knife blade cuts through the media
backing, as this will seriously damage the cutter's rubber cutting strip
and the knife.

General Information 1-19

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

CAUTION

For most vinyl cutting operations, the knife blade tip will be barely
visible at the bottom of the knife tool. If you can clearly see the knife
blade tip, you will probably need to readjust the cutting depth.

To prevent damage to the cutter, check the depth of the knife blade
tip and the quality of the cut each time you load a different type of
vinyl into the cutter.

1.7.2 INSTALLING A KNIFE FOR CUTTING MASKING STENCIL OR HEAVY

MATERIALS

1. As shown in Figure 1-9, insert the knife blade into the knife holder. Make

sure the knife blade is firmly fixed into the holder. The blade is firmly fixed
when you can not remove it manually from the knife holder. To remove
the blade when it is too blunt, push at the back of the blade with a
screwdriver. The blade will jump out of its holder then.

FIGURE 1-9 :

BLADE ASSEMBLY

2. Insert the black nose piece as shown in Figure 1-10 until it snaps into the

nose piece holder.
When cutting masking stencil always replace the standard nose piece
(grey colour) by the masking stencil nose piece (black colour)

General Information 1-20

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

FIGURE 1-10 :

NOSE PIECE AND KNIFE INSTALLATION FOR CUTTING

MASKING STENCILS OR HEAVY MATERIALS

3. Gently insert the knife into the tool shaft as shown in Figure 1-10. Hold the

nose piece in place with one hand, with the other hand turn the knife
holder anticlockwise until the alignment pin fits into the small notch of
the tool shaft. Then turn the knife holder clockwise until it gets grip in the
tool shaft.

4. For knife pressure and depth setting, refer to section 1.7.1 point 4 and 5.

NOTE

When cutting masking stencil or heavy materials, it can be necessary
to lower the cutting speed of the machine. Very heavy materials
should be cut at a speed of 100 mm/s (4 ips) to get no overcurrent
error caused by the drive motors. To change the cutting speed, refer
to paragraph 2.3.4.

1.7.3. INSTALLING A DRAG KNIFE

The SummaSign Pro T-series cutters can also be operated with a DRAG knife.
This feature requires a drag knife and drag knife holder.

General Information 1-21

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1. Remove the tangential knife by turning the knife holder anticlockwise

with one hand while holding the nose piece in place with the other
hand.

2. Insert the drag blade into the drag knife holder as shown in Figure 1-11.

FIGURE 1-11 :

DRAG KNIFE ASSEMBLY

3. Remove the nose piece (refer to Fig 1-12).

4. Insert the drag knife in the tool shaft as shown in Fig 1-12. Turn the drag

knife holder clockwise while holding the nose piece holder in place.

FIGURE 1-12 :

DRAG KNIFE HOLDER INSERTION

General Information 1-22

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

5. To configure the cutter for drag knife operation, press the key (tool

select).
Then press the left or right jogging key until DRAG KNIFE appears on the
second line of the LCD .
Press ENTER and an asterisk will appear next to DRAG KNIFE. This indicates
that the DRAG KNIFE is selected. The drag knife will remain selected until
another tool is selected or the cutter is powered down. To start up the
cutter in drag knife mode refer to section 2.4.5 (tool submenu of the
USER CONFIG MENU).

6. To set the pressure of the drag knife, refer to paragraph 1.7.1 point 5.

7. To set the knife offset, perform the knife offset test described in

paragraph 2.3.3.

1.7.4. INSTALLING A BALLPOINT PEN

The SummaSign Pro cutters can also be operated with a BALL POINT pen. After
replacing the knife with a ball point pen, the cutter can be used as a plotter to
draw draft plots of new or existing designs on paper.

è To install the ball point pen, proceed as follows:

1. Remove the knife by turning the knife holder anticlockwise with one

hand while holding the nose piece in place with the other hand.

2. Remove the nose piece (refer to Fig 1-14)

3. Insert the ballpoint pen holder into the tool shaft as shown in Figure 1-14.

FIGURE 1-13 :

BALLPOINT PEN ASSEMBLY

General Information 1-23

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4. Install the ballpoint pen as shown in Figure 1-14. Insert the ball point pen

holder as far as possible by turning it clockwise while holding the nose
piece holder in place with the other hand.

FIGURE 1-14 :

BALLPOINT HOLDER INSERTION

5. To configure the cutter for ballpoint pen operation, press the key.

Press the left or right jogging key until BALLPOINT appears on the second
line of the LCD .
Press ENTER and an asterisk will appear next to BALLPOINT, this indicates
that the ballpoint is selected.

A small P (for "Pen") will be displayed in the upper right corner of the
LCD.

1.7.5. INSTALLING A POUNCING TOOL

The SummaSign Pro cutters can also be operated with a POUNCING TOOL.
After replacing the knife with a pouncing tool, the cutter can be used as a
pouncer.

è To install the pouncing tool, proceed as follows:

General Information 1-24

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1. Remove the knife by turning the knife holder anticlockwise with one

hand while holding the nose piece in place with the other hand.

2. Remove the nose piece (refer to Fig 1-14)

3. Insert the pouncing tool into the tool shaft.

4. Insert the pouncing tool as far as possible by turning it clockwise while

holding the nose piece holder in place with the other hand.

5. To configure the cutter for pouncing operation, press the key.

Press the left or right jogging key until POUNCER appears on the second
line of the LCD .
Press ENTER and an asterisk will appear next to POUNCER, this indicates
that the pouncing tool is selected.

General Information 1-25

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.8. LOADING MEDIA

The following procedures are mainly written for using roll media . When using
sheets there are two possibilities. Firstly, when using long sheets, roll the sheet up
so that the alignment is identical to that of a roll. Secondly, when using short
sheets, alignment is not so important. If the sheet is cut off perpendicularly, it
can be aligned to the front border.

1.8.1. POSITIONING THE PINCH ROLLERS

When working with cut sheet or roll media, the traction resulting from the
contact between the pinch rollers and the drive sleeves moves the media in
the X axis (forward/backward).

Proper movement of the media will only occur if the media is driven by the
pinch rollers correctly located over two drive sleeves.

The pinch rollers are lowered or raised simultaneously by means of the pinch
roller lever arm located on the right hand side of the cutter, next to the control
panel. The rollers must be lifted to facilitate vinyl loading when the media is fed
from the rear of the cutter to the front.

When in the up position, the pinch rollers can be moved manually to the left or
the right along the pinch roller shaft, so that they can be easily positioned in a
detent (click position) where they are to be lowered to ensure optimum
traction on the media.

When the pinch rollers are in the up position, the message "LOWER CAM
ROLLERS" is displayed on the LCD.

CAUTION

Always make sure that the pinch rollers are in the fully raised position
before sliding them to the left or right.

The pinch rollers MUST be positioned correctly and lowered onto the media
before an automatic load sequence is initiated. Make sure that the two pinch
rollers are positioned above the drive sleeves. The left pinch roller should be
positioned in a detent (click position). The right pinch roller should be
positioned somewhere on the long drive sleeve that only has a click position at
the beginning and at the end of the sleeve. The drive drum will move the
media only when the pinch rollers are lowered onto the sleeves.

General Information 1-26

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

Before lowering the pinch rollers, carefully check the position of the rollers in
relation to the drive sleeves. When the pinch rollers are DOWN, the two rollers
must run over the sleeves in order to ensure proper media traction. It is very
important that both media edges always rest on the sleeves in such a way that
the two pinch rollers, which are positioned 3 to 15 mm (0.1" to 0.6") from the
media edge, will run over the sleeves when lowered to the drive drum.
On the T1010 and T1400 units, two, three or more sleeves may be partly or fully
covered, depending on the media width used. To ensure precise and correct
positioning of the pinch rollers, special reference marks have been provided on
the head guide.

The central low-pressure roller on the T1010 Pro and T1400 Pro is used to
enhance media routing and keep the vinyl flat. Ideally, this roller should be

positioned halfway between the two edge rollers and above one of the drive
sleeves.
For media widths smaller than 600 mm, the central low-pressure roller on the

T1010 and T1400 unit s can be positioned in the UP position to disable it.

1.8.2. FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEDIA

The loading procedure described below has been found to give excellent
repeatability. When loading media, adhere to these step-by-step instructions
strictly.

è To load media, proceed as follows:

1. Raise the pinch rollers by means of the pinch roller lever arm located on

the right-hand side of the cutter, next to the control panel.

FIGURE 1-15 :

MEDIA POSITIONING

General Information 1-27

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2. When working with roll media proceed by inserting a media flange at

each end of the media roll and tighten the thumbscrew until the media roll
is firmly gripped between the flanges. Make sure the flanges are firmly
pressed against the roll. Place the roll of media on the media support
rollers at the rear of the machine.

3. Position the media roll with flanges on the support rollers at the rear of the

machine.
Slide the two roll media guide bushes under the media roll so that the roll
flanges run into the groove provided in the guide bushes. In this position the
media roll and guide bushes can be shifted from the left to the right.
Start feeding the media from the rear of the machine.
Position the left media edge on the left-most drive sleeve and check
whether the right media edge is positioned over the long drive sleeve. If so,
the left pinch roller can be positioned in a detented position over the left-

most sleeve and the right pinch roller is positioned somewhere over the
long drive sleeve to suit the media width. The pinch roller can be lowered

anywhere between the two detent positions of the long drive sleeve to
allow for flexibility in holding any media width.
In circumstances where the above does not work, because your media is
too narrow to reach the long drive sleeve, try positioning the left media
edge over the second left drive sleeve and position the right media edge
somewhere on the long drive sleeve. Repeat this process if the media is
found still to be too narrow, locating the left media edge on the third
sleeve from the left and adjusting the right hand position as previously
described.
Follow the same reasoning when loading media on the wider models of
the Pro T-series cutters, which have been provided with more sleeves.
In all cases, both edges of the media have to run over a drive sleeve. If this
is not the case, reposition the roll of material to comply with the above.

use the last
holes when
using rolls with
media flanges

FIGURE 1-16 :

FEEDING ROLL MEDIA USING MEDIA FLANGES

General Information 1-28

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

Use the first holes when
using rolls without media
flanges

FIGURE 1-17 :

FEEDING ROLL MEDIA WITHOUT USING MEDIA FLANGES

4. Make sure that the media follows a straight path from the roll of material.

To accomplish this, you can slide the media roll & guide bushes from the
left to the right along the media support rollers.

5. The pinch rollers should be positioned over the drive sleeves about 3 to 15

mm (0.1” to 0.6”) away from the media’s outer edges.

For wide media on the T1010 Pro and T1400 Pro units, slide the central low­pressure roller into position. Ideally, it should be half-way between the two
edge rollers and above a drive sleeve.
If the central low-pressure roller does not run over one of the drive sleeves,
you may have to turn the knob on the back of the low-pressure roller to
disable this roller.

FIGURE 1-18:

PINCH ROLLER POSITIONING

General Information 1-29

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

6. Lower the pinch roller lever to press the media firmly against the drive

sleeves. After one second the tool carriage automatically moves from the
right to the left to sense the usable media width.

NOTE

It is not necessary to unroll the media manually from the roll. The
cutter will unroll the media automatically during the load sequence.

7. The positioning and routing of sheet material is identical to that of roll

media.

8. The cutter is now ready for the actual load procedure, which may be

controlled from the control panel.

General Information 1-30

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

1.9 MEDIA LOAD PROCEDURE

SAFE OPERATION

Do not place any objects in front of, or behind, the cutter that could
interfere with cutter operation. Make sure the media is free to move
back and forth. Keep hands, hair, clothing and jewelry away from
moving parts.

Turn the power on and the following message will appear on the LCD screen :

PLEASE WAIT

LOADING...

The cutter will automatically start executing a minimal loading procedure
consisting of : - a media width measurement

- a 45° test

- media is unwound over a length equal to the width measured
between the pinch rollers

When the next display appears, the cutter is ready to receive a file :

800mm/s 120 g K
ONLINE 1

When sending a cut file , the cutter will automatically pull the required media
from the roll. The pulling is done in steps such that for each step the length
pulled off the roll is identical to the width measured between the pinch rollers.

IMPORTANT

Tracking of longer signs is only guaranteed when you
perform the full load procedure !

Proceed as follows to complete the full load procedure (recommended for
long signs) :

General Information 1-31

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

Press the key and the following message will appear on the LCD screen :

SET ORIGIN

X=0 Y=YYYY

Press the key again and the following message will appear on the LCD
screen :

LOAD

1= ROLL 2= SHEET

Press the 1 key if you want to load media from a roll. Press the 2 key if you
want to load media in sheet form.

If you choose “sheet” and the sensors are enabled, then the sheet is
automatically loaded.
If you choose “roll”, the following display will appear on the LCD :

↵

SET ORIGIN

X=0 Y=YYYY

Using the , , , jogging keys, you can position the knife (i.e. the
origin) at any location. Press the key to confirm the selected point of origin.

MEDIA WINDOW

↑↓ ↵

By pressing the , jogging keys, you can enter the length of the media
you need for your task.

MEDIA WINDOW

XXXX YYYY

The XXXX-value is the media length you define with the , jogging keys.
The YYYY-value is the cutting width of the media measured by the cutter.
Note : when the media length displayed is zero (0), the default media length
will be used.

↵

↵

Press to confirm the length and the cutter will start “shuffling” the vinyl in
order to establish a track on the vinyl.

If you pressed instead of the jogging keys for defining the media window,
the default media length is displayed :

General Information 1-32

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

DEFAULT WINDOW

↓↑ XXXX mm

An XXXX-value appears. You can change the default value by pressing the

(+10), (-10), (-100), (+100) jogging keys.

Press to confirm the length and the cutter will start shuffling the vinyl in
order to set a track on the vinyl.

After shuffling, you get the following display :

800mm/s 120 g K
ONLINE 1

The cutter is now ready to receive a file.

↵

800mm/s 120 g K
*ONLINE 1

The cutter has been selected by the computer.

When the built-in media sensors detect the end of the roll the message
END OF MEDIA will be displayed. The display will show the actual length
loaded.
If that area is sufficient, press 1 to ACCEPT.
If not, press 2 to ABORT and the media will automatically return to its
origin.

CAUTION

When you accept the loaded area in sheet mode, the cutter will clip the
sign to be cut in case of insufficient media. Compare the area loaded with
the area needed for the sign !

General Information 1-33

SECTION 2

OPERATION

2.1. THE CONTROL PANEL

Figure 2-1 shows the control panel of the SummaSign Pro T-series cutters. The
main functions of the liquid crystal display (LCD) and the control panel keys are
explained in the following paragraphs.

FIGURE 2-1:

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES, CONTROL PANEL

Operation 2-1

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.1.1. THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

The 32-character liquid crystal display (LCD) contains two lines of 16 characters
each. The LCD provides cutter status information during operations and
displays menu options for the configuration of the cutter.

The contrast of the LCD can be adjusted from the control panel in order to
ensure optimum readability under varying lighting conditions.
Instructions for adjusting the LCD contrast are given in Section 2.6.12.

The various menu and submenu items are always presented in a loop, which
means that, when the last menu or submenu item is displayed, pressing the
appropriate key will automatically take you back to the first item of the same
menu or submenu.

Next to the status messages and/or menu options displayed on the LCD, arrow
symbols representing the , , , jogging keys and key will

tell you what keys to press to go to the next menu item (top line of the display)
or to the next value for a given submenu item (bottom line of the display).

2.1.2. THE RESET/LOAD KEY

The key (RESET/LOAD) is used to move the origin, to initiate a load
sequence, to reset the cutter, to abort the cut in progress or to recut the last

file. When the key (RESET/LOAD) is pressed, the cutter goes off line,
suspends all operations in progress and displays the RESET/LOAD menu. Press
the key until SET ORIGIN, LOAD, RESET, ABORT or RECUT is displayed. To
confirm RESET, ABORT or RECUT press the key (ENTER). To execute the SET

ORIGIN instruction move the knife origin using the , , , jogging keys
and press the key (ENTER) to confirm the new origin position. To initiate the
LOAD instruction press the 1 or 2 key to initiate a load sequence for a ROLL or
SHEET respectively. Upon termination of any of these instructions, the cutter
goes on line again.

The SET ORIGIN instruction is used to move the knife origin.
The LOAD instruction is used to initiate a load sequence.
The RESET instruction performs a complete reset of the cutter.
The ABORT instruction simply cancels the cut in progress. Aborting a cut will not
reset the cutter parameters: the parameters which had been selected for the
cut remain in effect.
The RECUT instruction recuts the last file sent to the cutter (provided that it fitted
into the buffer).

Operation 2-2

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

When using the MULTIPLE RECUT FUNCTION the different copies will be cut in the
media in such a way that there is only a minimal loss of media. The distance
between the copies can be changed (See Section 2.4.18).

2.1.3. THE ON LINE KEY

The key (ON LINE) toggles between on line and off line operation. When the

key is pressed, the selected mode (ON LINE or OFF LINE) is displayed on the

LCD.

Selecting OFF LINE will suspend all operations in progress. Pressing the key
while the cutter is off line will make the cutter go on line again, resuming the
suspended operation.

While the cutter is off line, the following operations can be performed:

• Press the or jogging key to move the tool carriage to the left or

right.

• Press the or jogging key to make the media move forward

(towards you) or backward (away from you). Moving the media forward
will prove to be very practical when you require to cut the finished sign off
manually.

• Press the key (TOOL UP/DOWN) to lower or raise the active tool. If the

tool is not moved for approximately eight seconds, it is raised
automatically.

2.1.4. THE MENU KEY

The key (MENU) is used to select one of the menus. Pressing the key will
make the cutter go off line and suspend all operations in progress. Pressing the

key repeatedly will display the different menus one by one. As the menu
options are on a loop, pressing the key when the last option is displayed
will automatically return you to the first option.

The different menus are illustrated in Figure 2-2.

Operation 2-3

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

800mm/s 120g K

ONLINE 1

Menu

USER CONFIG 1

↓
←

INTERNAL TESTS

↓

→

FIGURE 2-2 :

SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES CONFIGURATION SUBMENUS

To select a menu by scrolling through the different options, press the
jogging key .

To exit from the menus and resume the previous on line operation, press the
key (ON LINE).

Under normal conditions, the cutter is on line; it may then be selected by the
host computer for a cutting or plotting operation or deselected by the host

computer. Pressing the , or key will make the cutter go off line, in
order to initiate another operation.

The contents of the different menus are summarised in Table 2-1.

Operation 2-4

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

MENU DESCRIPTION

USER CONFIG 1 (->4)

INTERNAL TEST

CONTENTS OF THE SUMMASIGN PRO T-SERIES MENUS

2.1.5. THE ENTER KEY

The key (ENTER) is used to select the item currently displayed on the LCD.

Selects a given active cutter configuration from one
of the four sets of configuration parameters stored in
the unit’ s memory

Activates one of the resident cutting plots provided
for informational purposes.

TABLE 2-1:

1 2 2.1.6. THE 1 AND 2 KEYS

The use of the 1 and 2 keys varies according to the operation in progress; their
use is displayed on the LCD as appropriate.

2.1.7. THE JOGGING KEYS

The use of the jogging keys varies according to the operation in progress.

For example, when working in the USER CONFIG menu, the or jogging
key is used to select the new user number and the or jogging key is

used to go to the previous or next menu item.

2.1.8. THE TOOL UP/DOWN KEY

The key (TOOL UP/DOWN) is used while the cutter is off line to raise or lower
the tool. Pressing the key once will lower the tool onto the media. Pressing

the key again will raise the tool.

If the tool is not moved for approximately eight seconds, it is raised auto­matically.

Operation 2-5

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.1.9. THE TOOL SELECT KEY

The key (TOOL SELECT) is used to select one of the following tools :
a tangential knife
a drag knife
a ballpoint pen
a pouncing tool

To temporarily change the tool, press the key, then press the or
jogging key until the desired tool appears on the second line o the LCD. Press
the key to confirm the tool. An asterisk * appears next to the selected
tool. When the cutter is powered on the next time, the default tool will be
selected. For setting up the default tool see Section 2.4.5.

Operation 2-6

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.2. NORMAL OPERATION

The term "normal operation" covers on line operation, off line operation and
local operation, i.e. the three types of operation for actual cutting or plotting.
They are explained in further detail in the following paragraphs.

2.2.1. ON LINE AND OFF LINE

On line and off line are two important concepts when using the SummaSign
Pro cutters. The cutter is on line only when the following message is displayed
on the LCD :

800mm/s 120 g K
.45mm(1) ON LINE 1

This display message should be read as follows :

800 mm/s = velocity
120 g = knife pressure, pen pressure or pouncing pressure
K = knife operation (K) or pen operation (P)
.45 mm(1) = knife offset - only displayed when in drag knife mode
ON LINE = cutter is ready to receive data
1 = user number

In all other cases, the cutter is off line.

When on line, the cutter can be addressed by the host computer, which
means that the cutter will execute cutting or plotting instructions issued by the
host computer’ s application software. The host computer will first issue a
SELECT sequence to the on line cutter, and the message "*ON LINE" will be
displayed on the LCD. The asterisk indicates that the host is in communication
with the cutter : i.e. the cutter is now “selected” by the computer.
When the cutter is on line and ready to receive instructions from the host
computer, it will remain deselected until actual instructions from the computer
are received. When the cutter is on line, but has not been selected by the host
computer, the message "ON LINE" is displayed on the LCD, without the asterisk.

For normal cutting operations, the cutter MUST be on line, so that it can receive
instructions from the host computer and the cutting/plotting software.

Operation 2-7

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

When the cutter is on line, but has not been selected by the host computer, the
following conditions must be met:

• The cutter must be powered ON.

• Media must be loaded. For detailed media loading instructions, see

Section 1.8 .

• The proper tool must be installed.

• The cutter must be connected to the host computer via a RS-232-C link or

a parallel interface.

• The cutter must be configured for the scheduled operation.

To put the cutter off line, press the , or key. Pressing any of these
keys will suspend the current cutting/plotting operation until the cutter is put on
line again.

2.2.2. LOCAL OPERATION

Local operation is only possible while the cutter is off line. Local operation
means that the cutter is operated directly by the operator via instructions
entered on the control panel.

è To work in local operation mode, proceed as follows:

1. If the cutter is still on line, press the key once to select off line. The

media will move forward over a certain distance.

2. To move the carriage to the left or right, press the or jogging key.

3. To make the media move forwards (towards you) or backwards (away

from you), press the or jogging key.

4. To move the tool head up or down, press the key.

5. To end local mode and put the cutter on line again, press the key.

Operation 2-8

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.3. THE USER CONFIG MENU

The USER CONFIG(uration) menu gives access to different submenus which
allow you to configure the cutter’ s operating parameters. It should be taken
into account that access to some of the submenus will be determined by the
plotting language you are using.

Four different user configurations can be saved. The selected configuration
number is displayed on the LCD next to the USER CONFIG message. These four
USER CONFIG 1(->4) menus are maintained independently.

è To select another configuration number, proceed as follows:

1. Power on the cutter.

2. Press the key until USER CONFIG 1(->4) is displayed.

3. Press the or jogging key until the desired configuration number is

displayed next to USER CONFIG.

NOTE

Before altering any of the items in the USER CONFIG menu, make sure
that you have previously selected the right configuration number in
the USER CONFIG 1(->4) menu.

Figure 2-3 shows the USER CONFIG submenus.

è To select and alter a configuration parameter, proceed as follows:

1. Power on the cutter.

2. Press the key until USER CONFIG 1(->4) is displayed.

3. Press the or jogging key until the desired submenu is displayed

on the first line of the LCD.

4. Press the or jogging key until the desired value is displayed on

the second line.

5. Press the key to confirm the selection, an * will be displayed next to

the selected setting. (An * is always displayed next to the active value. )

Operation 2-9

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

* = IN DM/PL ONLY
** = IN HP/GL AND HP/GL/2 ONLY

FIGURE 2-3 :

FLOWCHART SHOWING FACTORY PRESET MENU SETTINGS

Operation 2-10

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.3.1. KNIFE PRESSURE

The KNIFE PRESSURE submenu is used to set or modify the cutting pressure of the
knife.

The default knife pressure value is 120 grams.
The knife pressure can be set between 0 and 600 grams.
The knife pressure value is set in 5 gram increments.
On the LCD, the active knife pressure value is marked with an *.
Knife pressure setup is explained in detail in section 1.7.1.

2.3.2. PEN PRESSURE

The PEN PRESSURE submenu is used to set or modify the pressure of the ball
point pen.

The default ball point pressure value is 80 grams.
The pressure can be set between 0 and 600 grams in 5 gram increments.
On the LCD, the active pen pressure value is marked with an *.

2.3.3. POUNCING PRESSURE

The POUNCING PRESSURE submenu is used to set or modify the pressure of the
pouncing tool.

The default pouncing pressure value is 120 grams.
The pressure can be set between 0 and 600 grams in 5 gram increments.
On the LCD, the active pouncing pressure value is marked with an *.

2.3.4. KNIFE OFFSET

The KNIFE OFFSET submenu is used to set or modify the distance between the

DRAG knife blade tip and the centre axis. This routine applies to a drag knife
only.

The default drag knife offset value is .45 mm.
The value can be set between 0 and 1 mm.
Make sure that the selected knife offset value matches that of the knife. Some
fine tuning may be necessary because of the mechanical tolerances on the
knife. To verify the knife offset, a test can be cut by pressing the 1 key.
If the offset value is set too low, the rectangles will not close.
When the offset value is set too high, the rectangles will be distorted.
The offset test is illustrated below.

Operation 2-11

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.3.5. POUNCING GAP

The pouncing gap submenu is used to set or modify the distance between the
pounced wholes. This routine applies to the pouncer only.

The default pouncing gap value is 0 mm.
The value can be set between o and 50 mm.
On the LCD, the active pouncing gap value is marked with an *.

2.3.6. VELOCITY

The VELOCITY submenu is used to set or modify the velocity of the tool.
The default velocity is 800 mm/s (32 ips).
The velocity can be set between 50 mm/s (2 ips) and 1000 mm/s (40 ips).

2.3.7. OVERCUT

The OVERCUT submenu enables you to generate an overcut in order to
facilitate weeding the cut.

The default overcut is set to 1.
The overcut setting can be disabled (=0) or set to any value between 0(=off)
and 10. One unit is about 0.1 mm or 0.004 ".
On the LCD, the active value is marked with an *.

2.3.8. SYSTEM SETUP

The SYSTEM SETUP submenu covers the menu items you normally only need
when establishing the initial setup e.g. when you install the cutter in
combination with the software you use.
Press the key to access the different submenu items, which are explained in
section 2.4.

Operation 2-12

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.4 SYSTEM SET UP

Refer to Figure 2-3.

2.4.1. CONCATENATION

The CONCATENATION feature increases the speed and quality with which cut
data having a very high resolution is cut. However when changing over to
normal characters again, deactivate concatenation by setting this parameter
to 0.
On the LCD, the active concatenation value is marked with an *.

2.4.2. SMOOTHING

The SMOOTHING feature helps to cut smoother curves when curve data with
many short vectors is received from the computer.
The default setting is OFF.
On the LCD, the active setting is marked with an *.

2.4.3. EMULATE

The EMULATE submenu is used to select the active cutting/plotting language
for the cutter.
The SummaSign Pro cutters support DM/PL , HP/GL and HP/GL/2.
On the LCD, the active plotting language setting is marked with an *.

NOTE

The active cutting/plotting language MUST match the cutting
software.

Always select a language which is supported by the host computer’ s
cutting software.

Whenever possible, select the DM/PL menu option to set the active
cutting/plotting language to Houston Instrument Digital Microprocessor/Plotting
Language (DM/PL). This selection will allow the cutter to operate with DM/PL­based cutting / plotting software. This language, having special command
extensions for cutting, normally gives superior cutting performance.

Operation 2-13

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

Select the HP/GL menu option to set the active cutting/plotting language to
HP/GL. The cutter will emulate an HP model 758xB plotter (with selectable
origin, see 2.4.12).

2.4.4. TOOL

The TOOL submenu is used to select the default tool at power up.
To configure the cutter for TANGENTIAL KNIFE cutting operations, select the
TANG. KNIFE option.
To configure the cutter for PLOTTING operations, select the BALL POINT option.
To configure the cutter for DRAG KNIFE cutting operations, select the DRAG
KNIFE option.
To configure the cutter for POUNCING operations, select the POUNCING TOOL
option.
To select a tool other than the default one temporarily, see section 2.1.9.

2.4.5. MENU UNITS

The MENU UNITS submenu allows you to select English or metric menu units for
DM/PL. In HP/GL & HP/GL/2 the menu units are always in metric.

For models sold in the US, English units are the default setting.
For models sold in Europe, metric units are the default setting.
On the LCD, the active menu units setting is marked with an *.

2.4.6. ADDRESSING

The ADDRESSING submenu is used to select the cutter’ s default DM/PL user­addressable resolution. In HP/GL & HP/GL/2 the addressing is fixed at 0.025
mm.
The default addressing resolution is 0.025 mm (Europe) or 0.001" (US).
The user-addressable resolution can be set to 0.025 mm or 0.001" or 0.1 mm or

0.005".
On the LCD, the active resolution value is marked with an *

2.4.7. BAUD RATE

The BAUD RATE submenu is used to set or modify the operating baud rate for
RS-232-C serial communications between your cutter and the host computer.

The default baud rate is 9600 bps.
The baud rate can be set to any of the following values: 2400 bps, 4800 bps,
9600 bps, 19200 and 38400 bps.
On the LCD, the active baud rate value is marked with an *.

Operation 2-14

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

NOTE

The baud rate setting of your cutter MUST match the host computer’ s
baud rate setting.

2.4.8. PARITY

The PARITY submenu is used to set or modify the byte format and parity type for
RS-232-C serial communications between your cutter and the host computer.

The default parity setting is bit 8 = 0 (8 data bits, no parity, the 8th bit being a
low bit). The parity can be set to any of the following values:

LCD information Parity setting Remarks
BIT 8 = 0
BIT 8 = 1
EVEN
ODD

8 data bits, no parity bit 8 = low (0)
8 data bits, no parity bit 8 = high (1)
7 data bits, 1 parity bit parity bit = even
7 data bits, 1 parity bit parity bit = odd

On the LCD, the active parity setting is marked with an *.

NOTE

The parity setting of your cutter MUST match the host computer’ s
parity setting.

2.4.9. RTS/DTR

The RTS/DTR submenu controls the Request To Send (RTS) and Data Terminal
Ready (DTR) signals of the cutter’ s RS-232-C serial communications interface
for hardware handshaking.

The RTS/DTR default value is TOGGLE.
RTS/DTR can be set to TOGGLE (hardware handshaking) or HIGH (software
handshaking).
On the LCD, the active handshaking setting is marked with an *.

Operation 2-15

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.4.10. DM/PL ERRORS

The DM/PL ERRORS submenu is used to determine whether or not different
DM/PL errors, such as illegal plot commands, invalid parameter ranges or
communication errors, will be displayed on the LCD. This menu will only be
displayed if PLOT LANGUAGE is set to DM/PL.

The DM/PL ERRORS submenu can be set to REPORTED or IGNORED.
On the LCD, the active setting is marked with an *.
The feature is activated by selecting REPORTED. It is normally used only when
attempting to debug a communication link between the cutter and the host
computer.
After the communication link has been debugged, select IGNORED to disable
the feature.

2.4.11. HP/GL ERRORS

The HP/GL ERRORS submenu is used to determine whether or not different
HP/GL errors, such as illegal plot commands, invalid parameter ranges or
communication errors, will be displayed on the LCD. This menu will only be
displayed if PLOT LANGUAGE is set to HP/GL.

The HP/GL ERRORS submenu can be set to REPORTED or IGNORED.
On the LCD, the active setting is marked with an *.
The feature is activated by selecting REPORTED. It is normally used only when
attempting to debug a communication link between the cutter and the host
computer.
After the communication link has been debugged, select IGNORED to disable
the feature.

2.4.12. HP/GL ORIGIN

The HP/GL ORIGIN submenu will only be displayed if the PLOT LANGUAGE is set
to HP/GL. (See Paragraph 2.4.4.) The HP/GL ORIGIN submenu is used to set the
origin in the centre (see HP/GL 758x) or the bottom-right corner (see HP/GL

7475) of the loaded media.

The HP/GL ORIGIN option can be set to RIGHT_FRONT or CENTRE.
On the LCD, the active setting is marked with an *.
If the cut is found to be incomplete, and is wholly located in the upper left
corner of the media then modify the HP/GL ORIGIN setting to RIGHT FRONT. If
the cut is found to be incomplete, and is wholly located in the lower right
corner of the media then change the HP/GL ORIGIN setting to CENTRE.

Operation 2-16

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.4.13. MEDIA SENSOR

The MEDIA SENSOR submenu is used to activate or deactivate the media
sensors. On the LCD, the active setting is marked with an *.
The sensors detect whether media is loaded or detect the end of media. The
sensors prevent damage to the cutting strip and knife tip.

2.4.14. AUTOLOAD

The AUTOLOAD option enables the user to the change the vinyl unroll
proceedings. When AUTOLOAD is ON , the cutter will automatically unroll the
vinyl when needed. When the AUTOLOAD option is OFF, the operator himself
should unroll enough media before starting to cut.
The default setting is ON. The best results and performance are guaranteed
when using this setting. On the LCD display, the active setting is marked with
an *.

2.4.15. TOOL COMMAND

The TOOL COMMAND is used to determine whether the DM/PL and HP/GL
pen/knife-select commands (the P and SP commands respectively) are
ignored or accepted.
When the TOOL COMMAND option is set to “ACCEPT”, the P or SP commands
will change the selected tool in the cutter according to the suffix that follows
the pen/knife command. The cutter’ s LCD will, e.g. prompt the user with the
following message: “INSERT PEN” when a P2 command is sent. When the TOOL
COMMAND option is set to “IGNORE”, the pen/knife commands are ignored.
On the LCD, the active setting is marked with an *. The default setting is
“ACCEPT”.

2.4.16. LOAD ON W COMMAND

The LOAD ON W CMD submenu will only be displayed if the PLOT LANGUAGE is
set to DM/PL (See Paragraph 2.4.4.). The LOAD ON W CMD determines, when
receiving the DM/PL Window-command (W-command), whether aside from
the scaling function, media is loaded or not. Besides scaling, the W-command
is also very useful when cutting long signs. With the W-command, media
loading will go smoother. Sufficient media will be pulled off the roll at once.
Even when AUTOLOAD is off, there is no need anymore to unroll the media
manually.

Operation 2-17

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.4.17. FLEX-CUT

FLEX-CUT can be set to OFF, to Mode 1 or Mode 2. When the cutter is set to
mode 1 or mode 2, it will alternately cut one length with full pressure, and one
length with reduced pressure. The feature FLEX-CUT offers the advantage that it
cuts completely through the material, yet allowing the material to stay
together by means of the small media bridges.

MODE 1 is the quickest mode, but it is less precise because the pressure
changes during the cutting. MODE 2 is a lot slower, but at the same time it is
much more precise, as the cutter stops at every change of pressure. Pressing
the 1 key will activate the configuration menu, which allows you to set the
cutting pressure and the cut length.

1. CUT LENGTH
This parameter determines the length that is cut with full pressure. By pressing
the 1 key, the FLEX-CUT test pattern will be cut.

2. FLEX-CUT LENGTH
This parameter determines the length that will be cut with reduced pressure or
without pressure. By pressing the 1 key, the FLEX-CUT pattern will be cut.

3. FLEX PRESSURE
This parameter determines the pressure of the FLEX-CUT LENGTH. By pressing the

1 key, the FLEX-CUT test pattern is cut.

2.4.18. RECUT OFFSET

The recut offset submenu is used to set or modify the distances between the
drawings when making multiple recuts.

The default recut offset value is 0 mm.
The distance can be set between o and 255 mm.
On the LCD, the active recut offset value is marked with an *.

Operation 2-18

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.5 INTERNAL TEST MENU

è To access any internal test, proceed as follows:

1. Power the cutter on.

2. Load cutting or plotting media.

3. Install a knife or a pen.

4. Press the key until INTERNAL TEST is displayed and press the jogging

key.

5. Press the or jogging key until the desired internal test is displayed.

6. To perform the test, press the key.

To exit from this menu and go to another menu, press the key until the
desired menu is displayed.

To exit from the menus and put the cutter on line again, press the key.

Figure 2-4 shows the different INTERNAL TEST submenus.

Operation 2-19

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

FIGURE 2-4 :

INTERNAL TESTS SUBMENUS

2.5.1. TANG. KNIFE CALIBRATION

The purpose of the knife calibration routine is to detect and, if need be, to
correct problems related with the concentricity of the TANGENTIAL knife blade.
This routine should only be run when required. When noticing cut quality
problems with a new knife, perform a knife calibration test as described in the
following paragraphs.

During the knife calibration routine, the cutter will cut a series of test patterns
which will allow you to identify errors in knife rotation and concentricity.
Corrective measures can be taken using the control panel keys.

Knife calibration errors may be due to any of the following causes (see Fig. 2-5):

Operation 2-20

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

• Concentricity misalignment. The knife tip is slightly rotated in relation to its

theoretical 0° angle. This error can be corrected by means of the ADJUST
ORIGIN test routine.

• Horizontal misalignment. The knife tip deviates from its theoretical

longitudinal centre. This error can be corrected by means of the ADJUST
LONG. test routine.

• Vertical misalignment. The knife tip deviates from its theoretical lateral

centre. This error can be corrected by means of the ADJUST LAT. test
routine.

ORIGIN deviation

Theoretical 0º
angle of the knife

Theoretical centre

of the knife

LATERAL deviation

FIGURE 2-5:

POSSIBLE KNIFE CALIBRATION GROUNDS

LONGITUDINAL deviation

The calibration settings entered during the knife calibration routine are
automatically stored in the cutter’ s memory and will be maintained after
power down.

NOTE

Prior to knife calibration, load vinyl and install a knife to avoid
damage to the cutting strip.

Operation 2-21

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.5.1.1. ADJUST ORIGIN test routine

↓ INTERNAL TESTS
↑ CALIBRATE KNIFE

Press to select the ORIGIN test.

ADJUST ORIGIN
↑↓ 0

Press to execute the ORIGIN test.

This is the correctly cut test pattern.

Weed out the ring and compare the circle pattern cut in the vinyl with the
circle pattern illustrated above. If you obtained this kind of pattern, increase

the value displayed on the LCD by pressing the jogging key to correct
closing of the circles cut. To repeat the test, press the key.

Press the key to go to the next step of the calibration procedure

However if you obtained the kind of pattern illustrated above, then, decrease
the value displayed on the LCD by pressing the jogging key to correct

closing of the circles cut.

To repeat the test, press the key.
Press the key to go to the next step of the calibration procedure

Operation 2-22

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.5.1.2. ADJUST LAT. test routine

ADJUST LAT
↑↓ 0 1

Press to execute the LAT test.

1 runs from the horizontal line at the bottom to the centre.
2 runs from the horizontal line at the top to the centre.
3runs from the centre to the horizontal line at the top.
4runs from the centre to the horizontal line at the bottom.

Carefully check the alignment of the different cuts: the two vertical lines should
meet seamlessly precisely in the middle, without any gaps.

Weed out the rectangle and if you obtained the kind of pattern illustrated
above, decrease the value displayed on the LCD by pressing the jogging

key to correct closing of the lines cut.
To repeat the test, press the key.

Press the key to go to the next step of the procedure.

Operation 2-23

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

However, in case your cut resembles the pattern illustrated above, increase the
value displayed on the LCD by pressing the jogging key to correct closing

of the lines cut.
To repeat the test, press the key.

A complementary test has been added to fine tune the LAT. adjustment.
Press the 2 key to perform the vertical test shown above. All the squares should
be identical.

Press the key to go to the next step of the procedure.

2.5.1.3. ADJUST LONG. test routine

ADJUST LONG
↑↓ 0 1

Press to execute the LONG test.

The test pattern is similar to the LAT-test.
Check the quality of the cuts: the end of the vertical cuts should coincide
precisely with the horizontal cuts, without any gaps.

Weed out the rectangle and if you obtained a pattern as illustrated above,
decrease the value displayed on the LCD by pressing the jogging key to

correct closing of the lines cut.

Operation 2-24

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

To repeat the test, press the key.
Press the key to repeat the calibration procedure or press the key to

interrupt the routine.

However, if you obtained a pattern as illustrated above, increase the value
displayed on the LCD by pressing the jogging key to correct closing of the

lines cut.
To repeat the test, press the key.

Press the key to repeat the calibration procedure or press the key to
interrupt the routine.

A complementary test has been added to fine tune the LONG. adjustment.
Press the 1 key to perform the horizontal test; all the squares should be
identical.

2.5.2. CUT BORDER

The CUT BORDER submenu is used to cut the border of the media area which
was defined during the load sequence. This function is particularly useful if you
want to verify the exact cutting area.

2.5.3. MENU PLOT

The MENU PLOT is a hard copy of the present cutter configuration, i.e. the items
selected in the USER CONFIG submenus described in Section 2.3. The plot is
organised by menu categories to show the current values for the various USER
CONFIG 1(->4) configurations. To run this plot, load a sheet of plotting paper
and install a pen.

Operation 2-25

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

NOTE

It is strongly recommended to produce a MENU PLOT hard copy
each time you alter the cutter configuration. The resulting plot should
be kept with the cutter documentation in order to provide other users
with details of the actual configurations of the unit.

2.5.4. CONFIDENCE CUT

The CONFIDENCE cut performs an electrical and mechanical test of the cutter
to make sure that the cutter is fully operational. A media sheet of at least
A3/A- size should be used for this plot.

2.5.5. DIN CUT

The DIN CUT also performs an electrical and mechanical test of the cutter, in
order to check the cut quality, but also provides the user with feedback on
knife setting, knife pressure, knife offset and cutting depth.

This cut is always run as a DIN A4 portrait/A-size image, regardless of the actual
size of the media loaded. If the media loaded is smaller than DIN A4/A-size,
part of the outer box will be clipped (not cut). This cut is always executed in the
sequence prescribed by the ISO DIN standard.

2.5.6. SYSTEM TESTS

The SYSTEM TESTS submenu covers the menu items you only occasionally need
to adjust the cutting process.

Press the ENTER key to access the different submenu items which are explained
in section 2.6 below.

Operation 2-26

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.6. SYSTEM TESTS

The SYSTEM TESTS menu is a special set of procedures which are not required for
normal cutter operation. Field service personnel, however, will use the SYSTEM
TESTS menu occasionally. When in SYSTEM TESTS, the cutter is fully operational
and performs as described in this manual.

2.6.1. LANGUAGE

The MENU LANGUAGE submenu is used to set or modify the dialogue language
on the LCD. Press the or jogging key until the desired language is

displayed on the LCD and press to confirm.
The information on the LCD can be displayed in English, French, German,
Dutch, Spanish or Italian.

2.6.2. ROM REVISION

Selecting the ROM REVISION option, by pressing the key will furnish the
details on the cutter’ s ROM revision. This information is often helpful to
technicians when diagnosing problems over the telephone.

2.6.3. SERVICE PLOT

The SERVICE PLOT provides information about the cutter, which is helpful when
requesting service for your cutter. The SERVICE PLOT is always plotted at the
same size and should be performed with a pen on paper.

The plot shows the cutter model number, the revision numbers of the installed
ROM (Read Only Memory) circuits, the selected baud rate, the resolution and
buffer (memory) size.

CAUTION

The following test routines are normally restricted to Summa Field
Service Personnel.

Operation 2-27

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2.6.4. SENSOR SETUP

The SENSOR SETUP option is a useful routine to check whether or not the front
and rear media sensor are functioning properly and whether the switching
levels of these sensors are correctly set.

2.6.5. CALIBRATION

Calibration allows the length of the lines cut to be adjusted to within the
specifications.
For instance, if a cut line should measure 100 mm exactly, the cutter can be
adjusted for any discrepancy.

2.6.6. TRACKING TEST

This test allows the tracking quality of the machine to be verified.

2.6.7. FRICTION PLOT

This test routine must be performed with a pen and is used to detect problems
with the cutter. The FRICTION PLOT is automatically scaled to fit the currently
installed paper size. This test should only be performed by qualified service
personnel.

2.6.8. RS232 TEST

The RS232 TEST routine verifies the cutter’ s RS-232-C serial communications
(transmit data, receive data, and hardware handshaking) circuits. This test does
not require pen, knife or media to be loaded.

è To run the RS-232-C test, proceed as follows :

1. Unplug the RS-232-C data cable from the rear panel of the cutter.

2. Use a loopback test cable to connect pin 2 of the cutter’ s data

connector to pin 3 and pin 7 to pin 8.

3. With RS232 TEST displayed, press the ENTER key. The cutter will start

transmitting and receiving data at all available baud rates and parity
settings. The length of the transmissions will vary because of the different
baud rates used. The unit then checks the hardware handshake lines.

4. Upon completion of the test, remove the loopback test cable from the

cutter rear panel RS-232-C connector.

Operation 2-28

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

5. Plug the RS-232-C data cable into the connector.

2.6.9. RAM TEST

This test completely checks the RAM bit for bit.
When running this test the cutter will not respond. After this test, power the
cutter off, then on .

2.6.10. INSTALL MENU

The INSTALL MENU routine restores the factory-defined menu settings in all four
USER CONFIG menus. This test routine can be performed without a tool and
without media.

2.6.11. COIL SETUP

This test is used to calibrate knife and pen pressure and to set the knife and pen
“landing”.
After adjustment, the value is saved in the system’ s non-volatile RAM.
To execute this test a tension gauge of ± 100 gr and ± 500 gr is required.
In the upper line of the display the desired pressure appears and in the bottom
line of the display the value that has to be sent to the head to reach this
pressure (this value is between 0 and 127).

2.6.12. LCD CONTRAST

The LCD CONTRAST submenu is used to adjust the contrast (or intensity) of the
liquid crystal display on the control panel.

Press the or jogging key to increase or reduce the contrast and press

to confirm.

Operation 2-29

SECTION 3

GENERAL INFORMATION

3.1. MAINTENANCE & CLEANING

The SummaSign Pro cutter range has a number of sliding surfaces made of
smooth metals and plastics. They are virtually friction-free and require no
lubrication. They will, however, collect dust and lint which may affect the
performance of the cutter. Keep the cutter as clean as possible by using a dust
cover. When necessary, clean the unit with a soft cloth dampened with
isopropyl alcohol or mild detergent. Do not use abrasives.

3.1.1. CLEANING THE DRIVE SYSTEM

After a time, the sleeves of the drive drum may become clogged with
accumulated residue from the media. This situation may affect traction as the
media will tend to slip between the pinch rollers and the drive sleeves.

è To clean the drive sleeves, proceed as follows:

1. First disable the sensors by covering them, or via the configuration menu
(see 2.4.12 Media Sensor).

2. Place the cutter in local operation. (See Section 2.2.2.) Local operation
will allow you to use the control panel jogging keys, even when no media
is loaded.

3. Remove the backing from a piece of vinyl. Place the vinyl with the tacky
side down between one of the pinch rollers and a drive sleeve. Lower the
pinch roller arm.

4. Use the and jogging keys to move the piece of vinyl backward
and forward several times, until all residue is removed from the drive
sleeves.

5. Raise the pinch roller arm and remove the piece of vinyl media.

Maintenance and Cleaning 3-1

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the other drive sleeves.

7. Set the cutter's power switch to OFF.

VINYL STRIP PINCH ROLLER

TACKY SIDE ON BOTTOM

SLEEVE

FIGURE 3-1:

CLEANING OF THE DRIVE SLEEVES

3.1.2. CLEANING THE SENSORS

After a certain time, the sensor may become dirty with accumulated residue
from the media. This situation may cause malfunctioning of the cutter.

è To clean the sensor area, proceed as follows:

1. The sensors are located on the cutter’s right side. One sensor is located on

the front platen the other sensor is located on the rear platen.

FIGURE 3-2:

LOCATION OF THE SENSORS

Maintenance and Cleaning 3-2

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

2. To keep the sensors clean, it is sufficient to wipe them out now and then

with a cotton swab.

3.1.3 CLEANING THE NOSE PIECE

The nose piece may become dirty with accumulated residue from the vinyl
and will result in poor cut quality.

è To clean the nose piece, proceed as follows:

1. Gently take out the knife or ball-point pen by turning the knife holder

anticlockwise.

2. Observe the orientation of the nose piece first and then push it out of its

holder.

3. Remove any remaining vinyl residue using a brush or a pair of tweezers.

4. Place the nose piece back .

5. Install the knife or ball-point pen holder as described in section 1.7.

Maintenance and Cleaning 3-3

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

3.2. OPERATING VOLTAGE CONVERSION

The power entry module cover shows four possible AC voltage settings (100 V,
120 V, 230 V and 240 V). The pin in one of the holes indicates the cutter's active
voltage setting. If this setting does not match the voltage supplied to your site,
you must change the voltage BEFORE powering on the cutter.

When changing the voltage setting, you will also have to change the fuses as
appropriate to the voltage.

To change the fuse(s), remove the fuse(s) from the fuse box behind the cover
plate of the power entry module.

For 100 or 120 V AC operation use only a 1.25 A Slo-Blo fuses.
For 230 or 240 V AC operation use only a 0.6A Slo-Blo fuses.

NOTE

Always make sure that you are using the correct fuses for your
voltage selection.

FIGURE 3-3

POWER ENTRY MODULE

Maintenance and Cleaning 3-4

SECTION 4
INTERFACE

4.1. INTRODUCTION

This section describes the signal connections for RS-232-C serial communication
between your cutter and the host computer. When connecting the cutter to
the host computer, always proceed as follows:

1. Refer to the cutting/plotting application software documentation and
check the recommended cabling specifications.

If your cutter is not specifically listed, use the cabling specified for the
Houston Instrument DMP-60C cutters.

2. If the documentation of the cutting/plotting software does not contain
specific cabling instructions, use the Summa cable specifications
recommended for your computer.

4.2. INTERFACE NOTES

4.2.1. SYSTEM SETUP

4.2.1.1. MS-DOS or PC-DOS operating system

è To set up your system, proceed as follows:

1. Boot up the operating system.

2. If the cutter is to be connected to serial port #1 (known as COM1) the
port must be configured by entering the following command at the
system prompt: MODE COM1:9600,N,8,2,P.

3. If the cutter is to be connected to serial port #2 (known as COM2) the
port must be configured by entering the following command at the
system prompt: MODE COM2:9600,N,8,2,P.

Interface 4-1

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4. To redirect the output to serial port #1, enter the following command at
the system prompt: MODE LPT1:=COM1:.

5. To redirect the output to serial port #2, enter the following command at
the system prompt: MODE LPT1:=COM2:.

6. The computer end of the cable must be plugged into the serial port
defined as COM1 (or COM2). The cutter's baud rate must be set to 9600,
with parity NONE and RTS/DTR mode set to TOGGLE.

4.2.1.2. Windows 3.xx.

è To set up your system, proceed as follows:

1. Select “Main group” in the Program Manager. Select “Control Panel’,
then “Ports” and then the port that is connected to the cutter. Press the
“Settings” Button to see the port settings.

2. The default settings of the cutter are as follow:

• Baudrate : 9600 (see 2.4.7.)

• Data Bits : 8

• Parity : none (see 2.4.8.)

• Stop Bits : 2

• Flow Control : Hardware or Xon / Xoff

4.2.1.3. Windows 95/98

è To set up your system, proceed as follows:

1. Press the “Start” Button and select “Settings”, continued by “Control
Panel”. Press on the “System” icon and select the “Device Manager” tab.
Select the port that is connected to the cutter and click on the properties
button. Select the “Port Settings” tab to set the port settings.

2. Analogous to 4.2.1.2.

Interface 4-2

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4.2.2. SERIAL INTERFACE CONNECTOR ON CUTTER

RS-232C Serial Interface Connector

Pin n° Signal Description

1 NC Not Connected
2 RXD Receive Data
3 TXD Transmit Data
4 DTR Data Terminal Ready
5 GND Signal ground
6 NC Not connected
7 RTS Request To Send
8 CTS Clear To Send
9 NC Not Connected

4.2.3. PARALLEL INTERFACE CONNECTOR ON CUTTER

The use of a shielded parallel cable is required.

Parrallel interface Connector

Pin n° Definition Pin n° Definition
1 -Data Strobe 19 Ground
2 Data 1 20 Ground
3 Data 2 21 Ground
4 Data 3 22 Ground
5 Data 4 23 Ground
6 Data 5 24 Ground
7 Data 6 25 Ground
8 Data 7 26 Ground
9 Data 8 27 Ground
10 -Acknowledge 28 Ground
11 Busy 29 Ground
12 Paper End 30 Ground
13 Select 31 -Input Prime
14 Not Connected 32 -Fault
15 Not Connected 33 Not Connected
16 Logical Ground 34 Not Connected
17 Chassis Ground 35 Not Connected
18 Positive 5V 36 Not Connected

-Negative true logic

Interface 4-3

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

4.3. AVAILABLE SERIAL SIGNALS

If you are making your own cable, only a few of the cutter pins will actually
need to be connected to the host computer. To ensure optimum results, the
cable length should not exceed 4.8 m (16 feet). It should be taken into
account that your computer or cutting software may also require additional
loopback connections at the host computer's end of the data cable.

• Connect the Transmit Data (TXD) pin of the computer to pin #2 of the
cutter.

• Connect the Receive Data (RXD) pin of the computer to pin #3 of the
cutter.

• For hardware handshaking, connect the Clear To Send (CTS) pin of the
computer to pin #4 or pin #7 of the cutter. Connect the Request To Send
(RTS) pin of the computer to pin #8 of the cutter.

• Connect the ground (GND) pin of the computer to pin #5 of the cutter.

Interface 4-4

5. Contour cutting on the SummaSign Series cutters

5.1 INTRODUCTION

The SummaSign Series cutters have accurate alignment methods to
guarantee precise contour cutting.

Depending on the selected alignment method, the cutters can
counterbalance the following irregularities:

1. ROTATED DESIGN : If the printed design is not loaded straight into the unit,
the contour can be rotated equally to fit the printed graphic.

2. SKEWED DESIGN : If the X and Y axes of the printed design are not
perpendicular, the contour can be skewed to fit the printed design.

3. INCORRECTLY SCALED DESIGN : If the print size is different from the original
design in your software due to media expansion or shrinkage, or due to
printing inaccuracies, the contour can be scaled to fit the printed graphic.

Contour Cutting 5.1

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

NOTE : The scaling can only be adjusted by a few percent.

à Any combination of the three above irregularities can be handled too.
The parameter SPECIAL_LOAD in the user configuration menu determines

which alignment method is used. This parameter can be changed with
Summa Cutter Control or with the control panel.

• Using Summa Cutter Control to select the desired alignment method:

Contour Cutting 5.2

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

• Using the control panel to select the desired alignment method:

Press the key (MENU) until the message 'USER CONFIG 1' is displayed
on the LCD.

↓ USER CONFIG 1
← →

Press the jogging key until the message ‘SYSTEM SETUP’ is displayed.

↑↓ SYSTEM SETUP

↵

Press the jogging key until the message ‘SPECIAL LOAD’ is displayed.

↑↓ SPECIAL LOAD
← * X- ALIGN.

Press the or key to modify the special load parameter.
Press the key to confirm the selection.

→

The alignment methods are based on the principle of cross-marks that are
printed together with the drawing. These cross-marks can be of any type.

There are three alignment methods.

Contour Cutting 5.3

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

NOTE

The SummaSign Series cutters can also be equipped with an Optical
POsitioning System (OPOS). This automatic system guarantees precise
contour cutting. The use of the OPOS is explained in a separate manual
(MI9981).

Alignment methods:

1. X-Alignment : counterbalances a “rotated design” problem. For this
method, the origin and one point along the x-axis must be specified. This
method only rotates the contour. It does not require any distance
parameters. This is the fastest and easiest method. It is advised to use this
method with small sheets (up to A3 (11” x 17”)).

X-Axis point

Two cross-marks
indicating the
origin and the X-

Origin point

axis.

2. XY-Alignment : counterbalances the “rotated design” and “skewed
design” problems. For this method, the origin, one point along the x-axis
and one point along the y-axis must be specified. This method rotates and
skews the drawing. It does not need any distance parameters. This method
is the most precise method without using any distance parameters.

X-Axis point

Three cross­marks indicating
the origin, the X­axis and the Y­axis.

Y-Axis point

Origin point

3. XY-Adjustment : counterbalances the “rotated design”, “skewed design”
and “Incorrectly scaled design” problems. For this method, the origin, one
defined point along the x-axis and one defined point along the y-axis must
be specified. This method rotates, skews and scales the drawing. It requires

Contour Cutting 5.4

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

two parameters (x_distance and y_distance). These distances define the
position of the two points along the axes . This is the most accurate manual
alignment method.

X-Axis point

Y-Axis point

Origin point

Three cross­marks indicating
the origin, the X­axis and the Y­axis.

5.2 GENERAL

For accurate Contour Cutting with the alignment methods, proceed as
follows:

• Create the design on which you want to perform the contour cut.

• Place cross-marks around your design.

• Print out the design with the cross marks.

• Load the printed design in the cutter and set the cross-mark parameters in

the cutter (only when using the XY-adjustment method ).

• Execute the special load procedure.

• Cut out the contour.

5.3 CREATING THE DESIGN

• Create in your software the design you want to print and Cut:

• Define the Contour:

⇒ Do not define the contour exactly on a printed line. This way it will not

catch the eye if the contour has moved a little during cutting.

Contour Cutting 5.5

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

⇒ Place the contour on a separate layer, assign a unique color to it,

etc. (refer to your software documentation), so that it is easy to select
the contour or the design.

NOTE

Most dedicated sign-making software will provide some easier ways to do
all this. Please contact your dealer.

• Make multiple copies if necessary (of both the design and the contour):

5.4 PLACING THE CROSS-MARKS

• Place two cross-marks indicating the X-axis.

Origin cross-mark

♦ Make sure that the origin cross-mark is situated completely at the

left side and below all the contours that will be cut.

♦ Make sure that the two cross-marks are situated exactly at the

same height.

X-Axis point

♦ The cross-marks may be of any type.
♦ The exact distance between the two points that are indicated

by these cross-marks must be known (only when using the XY­adjustment method). Do not measure these distances on the
print out but measure them in the software!

Contour Cutting 5.6

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

⇒ Place the markers as far as possible from each other for maximum

accuracy.

⇒ Place the cross-marks on a separate layer for easier handling.

• Place the cross-mark indicating the Y-axis (only when using the XY-

Alignment and the XY-Adjustment method):

Y-Axis point

♦ Make sure that the cross-mark is placed exactly above the origin

marker.

♦ The exact distance between the two points that are indicated

by this marker and the origin must be known (only when using
the XY-Adjustment method). Do not measure these distances on
the print-out, but measure them in the software.

⇒ Place the markers as far as possible from each other for maximum

accuracy.

5.5 PRINTING THE DESIGN

• Print the markers and the design with your printer.

• When printing on a roll, make sure that the orientation is as follows:

X-Axis point

Y-Axis point

♦ Make sure that there is at least 1 cm, preferably 2cm margin

(0.4”, preferably 0.8”) on each side.

• When printing on sheets or cutting off your print from the roll, make sure
that there is a margin of at least 8 cm (3.15”) at the end of the sheet:

Origin point

Contour Cutting 5.7

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

X-Axis point

Y-Axis point

Origin point

5.6 LOADING THE CUTTER AND SETTING THE PARAMETERS

• Load the print out in the cutter as described in the User’s Manual. Make

sure that the cross-mark indicating the origin is situated at the front right.

X-Axis point

Y-Axis point

Origin point

• If you have selected the XY-adjustment method (see above), then open

Summa Cutter Control and select OPOS in the Configuration menu.

Contour Cutting 5.8

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

♦ Fill in the values for the marker distances and press OK:

5.7 REGISTRATING THE CROSS-MARKS

• Before proceeding, make sure all the cutting parameters are correct

(pressure, velocity, …). See User’s Manual.

• Press the key until the message 'SPECIAL LOAD' is displayed on the

LCD.

SPECIAL LOAD

↵

• Press the key.

DIGITIZE ORIGIN
X = 0 Y = 0 ↵

• Position the knife tip exactly above the origin-marker using the ,

, jogging keys.

,

During this entire procedure, make sure that the knife does not rotate, which

may cause an offset error.

Indicate the cross-marks with extreme accuracy because it directly

influences the result.

Contour Cutting 5.9

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

• Press the key.

DIGITIZE POINT
X = 100 Y = 0

• Position the knife tip exactly above the mark indicating the X-axis.

↵

• Press the key. If the X-axis-alignment method has been choosen, the

special load procedure will stop here. For the two other methods: position
the knife tip exactly above the cross-mark indicating the Y-axis. Press the

key .

DIGITIZE POINT
X = 0 Y = 100

↵

Contour Cutting 5.10

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

5.8 CUTTING THE CONTOUR

• Follow the specific instructions for contour cutting in your software. If there
are no such instructions, follow the explanation below.

• Move the entire design (cross-marks and contours included) in your
software so that the origin mark is situated in the lower left corner of the
cutting area (In most sign-making software the orientation is landscape. If
not, you will have to rotate everything).

• Select the contours and cut them out:

♦ Make sure that only the contours are cut.
♦ Make sure that the origin of the cutting area is used.

⇒ Some software will shift the selected contours to the origin when

cutting. This can be avoided by adding a small rectangle that has its
lower left corner right in the origin. Select this rectangle together with
the contours.

Contour Cutting 5.11

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’s Manual

IncorrectCorrect

Origin

Origin

Contour Cutting 5.12

APPENDIX A
MEDIA CERTIFICATION

Types of media

A wide range of vinyl types has been evaluated and extensively tested on the
SummaSign Pro T-series cutters. To ensure operation in compliance with the
functional specifications of the T-Series cutters as listed in Section 1 of the User’s
Manual, only duly certified media should be used.

An alphabetic list of all duly certified media is included below. Before using
other media, please contact your local Summa representative for advice.

Manufacturer Type
3 M

APA
ARLON

FASSON

GRAFITACK

KAPCO

MACTAC

Scotchcal Series 100
Scotchcal Series 3480
Scotchcal Translucent Series 3630
Scotchcal Special Effects 210
Controltac Series 170
Controltac Series 180

Series 2100
Series 2500

Economy
Fascal 900 High Performance
Fascal 4500 Translucent
Fascal 8800 Intermediate
Rubyscreen

Economy
100 Series
200 - 300 Series
Transparent

High Performance Cast Vinyl
Intermediate K5000

MaCal 8900
MaCal 9700
MaCal 9800

Appendix A-1

Summasign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

MULTIFIX

MULTISTIQ

PMF
TESA
X-FILM

Series 1000
Series 5000
Series 7000

Series 4500
Series 4600
Series 4700

Series 500 - 600 - 700
Tesacal 4196
Economy

Appendix A-2

SummaSign Pro T-series Cutters User’ s Manual

SUMMA ADDRESSES

Americas and Asia Pacific

Summa Inc.
10001 Lake City Way NE

SEATTLE, WA 98125
USA

Tel +[phone]-1050
Fax +[phone]-1046

E-mail [e-mail]

Europe

Summa NV
Rochesterlaan 6

8470 GISTEL
Belgium

Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]

E-mail [e-mail]

Addresses