Media Clamps – pause between printing and cutting?

[Phill Fenton]

The blade will only hit the clamps if the mechanism is not fully retracting (usually as a result of becoming gummed up with dry ink)*. When everything is working properly the blade will not hit the clamps so it is safe to leave them in at all times. That said – a lot of people do prefer to leave them out to prevent any possibility of the knife being blunted. The media cutting blade is a different matter. This will hit the long media clamps (but not the short ones) so must be removed prior to doing a media cut off.

A useful tip if leaving the media clamps in all the time is to use a magic marker to colour the top surface of the clamps. Then if the blade is rubbing against it you will see fine lines appear alerting you to the fact the mechanism is not fully retracting as it should.

In answer to your question – you could try pressing the pause button – but this will not work once contour cutting is underway. Alternatively when doing a print and cut (without laminating) you could always do a print only with cutting registration marks – then when this has completed line the media up and do a contour cut just as you would have done if laminating.

*To ungum the mechanism create a file with a large series of "0"’s remove the cutting blade and run the file – this will "exercise" the cutting arm freeing off the mechanism.

[Daniel Evans]

Phil

Some great tips there.

I only mention this is due to a lengthy conversation with Harry and he tells me that I need to remove the clamps when cutting.

In terms of short and long media clamps, I only have 1 set, the longest part of the metal part is just short of 11mm, about 13mm including the white clip, I take it these are the long ones?

[Phill Fenton]

if you mean 11cm or 13cm – then yes this is the long clamp and you can’t use the media cut off knife with these clamps. But you can use the contour cut knife – so maybe we’re all talking at cross purposes and when Harry says you need to remove the clamps he’s not talking about contour cutting – he’s talking about cutting the media to remove the completed job from the roll at the end of the print and cut cycle

[Daniel Evans]

Thanks Phil

Can’t seem to find the short clamps for a vs-640i so not sure they do them for my printer.

[Chris Wool]

The vs is different from all the older machines
Short clamps not available
If the clamps are fitted you can not do a cross cut
A lot of people have the blade sticking out of the holder far too much causing it to catch the clamp which damages the tip of the blade. You will probably see the scratch mark on the clamp
When you fit the blade holder don’t push it all the way down to the shoulder have it about 1mm higher this will allow for thicker laminated jobs and use of the clamps

[Daniel Evans]

Thanks Chris

I’ll do that.

Surely though Roland could not add this directly to the machine stopping this happen?

[Chris Wool]

One of my biggest gripes about the vs is the head assembly at standard height is how close it is to the media I run mine with the head on high now all the time any loss of quality is only noticed on very fine small lettering so just go normal for that
Those heads are too expensive and I think more easily scratched damaged than the older dx4 type

[Barry Williams]

quote Chris Wool:

One of my biggest gripes about the vs is the head assembly at standard height is how close it is to the media I run mine with the head on high now all the time any loss of quality is only noticed on very fine small lettering so just go normal for that
Those heads are too expensive and I think more easily scratched damaged than the older dx4 type

Hi Chris-
how do I adjust the heads’ height on my SP300 now a "V" following upgrade?
I experience smudging due to very very slight puckering of the media.
This may solve the problem.

[Chris Wool]

Pain in the neck during damp weather do as much as you can to reduce humidity .
Don’t think that the older 300 has the adjustment have a look in the manual will stand corrected on that
Things that help is don’t let the machine pull the media off the roll allow some slack
Pre feed the material over the heater for the amount being used for that job
Don’t let the media sit loaded too long before printing

Merry Christmas

[Barry Williams]

Thanks for the tips Chris.
Have a Merry Christmas and a busy 2016 in the sign business.
Regards,
Barry (west of Ireland) storms gone for now and water levels dropping.