versacamm needing new blades every couple of weeks

[Peter Normington]

Mo
just my own experience, (15yrs) of using plotters, original blades always last longer than 3rd party replacements, and in the long term work out cheaper.

Peter

[Martin Pearson]

Regardless of peoples opinion of smart/original blades and costs the simple fact is that the blades should last a lot longer than yours seem to at the moment Mo.

What are you cutting ??

Materials such as reflective will dull a blade relatively quickly and because of this I keep a separate blade for cutting reflective. I don’t own a print and cut machine so have no experience with contour cutting laminated prints but might be worth trying a separate blade for this work to see if your blades last longer cutting vinyl on its own. Are you using the right blade angle for the materials you cut.

A phone call to Harry might be a good option but make sure you are sitting down first with a cup of tea or two and have plenty of free time :lol1: :lol1:

[John Thomson]

Smart Blades/ Knives have a preset blade protrusion…..taking one of the variables out of setting your plotter up…..the only one left being the blade cutting force………..that is their main selling point?

I may be wrong but as far as I am aware no plotter manufacturer makes their own blades? ( same as car manufacturers do not make car tyres….they buy them in)……….and as over 90% of the worlds tungsten carbide originates in China…..chances are that is where your blade came from regardless of who you bought it from or how much you paid for it.

I have 2 interchangeable blade setups……..1 for normal vinyl…….1 ( with more blade protrusion) to cut laminated /metallic vinyl.

I have never had a problem with premature wear or weeding.

john

[George Elsmore]

Hi Mo, if you look at your clamps can you see a mark across the clamp where it looks like the blade has dragged across it?

[Gary Birch]

As George has said, sounds like the tip of the blade is catching the media clamps. We had this with one of our machines and new media clamps has solved the problem. (Touch wood)

Cheers

Gary

[Phill Fenton]

As George has said – the blade is most likely hitting the media clamp.

You will be able to tell by examining the media clamp next to the print head – Stick some black vinyl onto the media clamp and examine it periodically looking for a scratch which will indicate the knife is hitting the clamp.

Over time the blade mechanism become a bit sticky which means the blade may does not always fully return to the upright position. I was advised of this by Edward Mathias and it turned out to be 100% true in my case. The fix was to temporarily remove the blade holder and run a dummy plot which involves a high number of raising and lowering of the blade in quick succession – e.g plot a large number of full stops which will exercise the mechanism and loosen it off again.

[George Elsmore]

lots of small number 8’s without the blade in obviously 🙂

[Mo Gillis-Coates]

thanks guys, I will try that. no media clamp damage at all, in fact the guy from Roland said the I shouldn’t be cutting at all with the clamps on, he recommended taking them off for cut jobs.

I think the blade up down motion will be what I look at next. I use sewing machine oil in the blade holder.

The heaviest cutting I do is laminated, but I don’t think even that should be at 225g force, I occasionally cut vinyl backed static cling….. Roland where about as much use as a chocolate tea pot!

[Mo Gillis-Coates]

Phoned xpres, they recommend exactly what you guys say about freeing up the mechanism, so going to try that tonight and see how I get on. He recommended leaving it over night to do about 1000 cycles……?

[Gert du Preez]

Hi, Mo,

I’ve had the same problem with a cheaper knock-off blade that my supplier sells. About half the price of original Roland.

The blade cuts brilliantly. But after a day or 2, and in one case on just the 3rd job, the tip chips, and cutting is horrible.

Get another brand of blade….

[Mo Gillis-Coates]

Thanks Gert, but these arn’t 2nd rate knock off blades, they are recommended by Roland and cost about £30 each if you don’t recycle your old ones, they should last 12 months at least….

I think Phill and George are on the money…… Roland agree also

[Mo Gillis-Coates]

Guys what font size should I use for the fig 8 phantom cut run?

[Chris Windebank]

i just use about 12pt for the figure 8’s but lots of them