AllenCAD Material Bunching

Issue:

The vinyl material used in the Allen DataGraph Plotter is bunching up on one side of the machine.

Cause 1:

If the blade has been used for a log period of time, it can become dull. If this is the case, the blade can actually pull the vinyl instead of score it. This will cause a bunch up of the vinyl usually on the right side of the plotter.

Solution 1:

1. Unscrew brass knob on the blade holder
2. Remove blade assembly
3. Take note as to how much of the blade is protruding from the assembly
4. Spin the black cap and remove it from the assembly
5. With a pair of needle nose pliers, remove the blade
6. Replace the blade with a new one
7. Spin the black cap back on and leave the same amount of the blade sticking out of the assembly
8. Insert the blade assembly back into the holder
9. Tighten the brass knob

Cause 2:

The plotter is cutting material clockwise. If the plotter is cutting the vinyl clockwise, sometimes while doing long runs, the material will bunch up on the left side. This as to do with the amount of force the plotter is able to push down on the vinyl as it passes through the pinch wheels.

Solution 2:

1. With a job open in AllenCAD, select a piece of the job and click Tile
2. Click OK on the Drawing Conversion Options window
3. Click Properties on the AllenCAD AutoTile Counter Top window
4. Look for the line that reads Loop Control and make sure it is set to All CounterClockwise
5. If it is not set to All CounterClockwise, click on it and select All CounterClockwise
6. Click OK

Cause 3:

On longer runs, the plotter should have the vinyl feed out the material first to make sure it has enough material to plot the job and secondly to make sure it is not pulling off the roll while plotting. Pulling vinyl off the roll while plotting will increase the tension on the material and if the roll slides to one side or the other, it can cause a bunch up of material.

Solution 3:

1. With a job open in AllenCAD, select a piece of the job and click Tile
2. Click OK on the Drawing Conversion Options window
3. Click Properties on the AllenCAD AutoTile Counter Top window
4. Look for the line that reads Unroll media Before Plot Count and make sure it is set to 1
5. If it is not set to 1, click on it and select 1
6. Click OK

Cause 4:

If the plotter is not sitting on level ground, the roll can slide from left to right  while plotting. This will increase the tension on the material and  can cause a bunch up of material.

Solution 4:

1. Put a level on the ground that the plotter is sitting on
2. Check for level
3. If it is level, put the level on the top of the plotter
4. Check for level
5. If it is not level, loot to make sure the plotter’s stand is assembled correctly and that the 4 rubber feet on the bottom of the plotter are sitting in their holes on the top of the stand