Expert 24 user manual
4. Basic Maintenance
This chapter explains the basic maintenance (i.e. cleaning the cutting plotter) required for the cutting plotter. Except 24 for the steps mentioned below, all the other maintenances must be performed by a qualified service technician.
4.1 Cleaning the cutting plotter
In order to keep the cutting plotter under good conditions and have the best performance, you need to clean the machine properly and regularly.
Precaution in Cleaning
Unplug the cutting plotter before cleaning.
Never use
solvents, abrasive cleaners or strong detergents for cleaning. They may damage the surface of the cutting plotter and the moving parts.
Recommended Methods
Gently wipe the cutting plotter surface with a lint-free cloth. If necessary, clean it with a water-rinsed or an alcohol-rinsed cloth. Wipe the cutting plotter to remove any residues on the cutting plotter. Finally absorb water with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Wipe all the dust and dirt from the tool carriage rail.
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean any accumulated dirt and media residue beneath the pinch roller housing.
Clean the platen, paper sensors and the pinch rollers with a water-rinsed cloth or alcohol-rinsed cloth. Finally absorb water with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Use the same method mentioned above to clean dust and dirt from the stand.
4.2 Cleaning the Grid Drum
Turn off the cutting plotter, and move the tool carriage away from the area needed to be cleaned.
Raise the pinch rollers and move them away from the grid drum for cleaning.
Use a bristle (a toothbrush is also acceptable) to remove dust from the drum surface. It needs to rotate the drum manually to clean the drum completely (Figure 4-1).
Expert 24 user manual
Figure 4-1
4.3 Cleaning the Pinch Rollers
If the pinch rollers need a thorough cleaning, use a lint-free cloth or cotton swab to wipe away the accumulated dust from the rubber portion of the pinch rollers. To prevent the pinch rollers from rotating while cleaning, use your fingers to hold the pinch rollers in place.
Use a lint-free cloth or cotton swab rinsed with alcohol to remove the embedded or persistent dust.
Expert 24 user manual
5. Trouble Shooting
This chapter helps you to correct some common problems you may come across. Prior to getting into the details of this chapter, please be sure that your application environment is compatible with the cutting plotter.
Note:
Before contacting your local dealer, please make sure that the problems are coming from your cutting plotter, not from the communication between the computer and cutting plotter or from a malfunction in your computer or software.
Why doesn’t the cutting plotter operate?
5.1 What if Expert 24 cannot operate?
If your cutting plotter doesn’t plot, please check the following items first:
Is the power cord plugged in properly?
Is the power cord connected to the power connector properly?
Is the power switch turned on properly?
Solutions: If the POWER LED lights on, the cutting plotter should be in a normal condition.
Turn off the cutting plotter and turn it on again to see if the problem still exists.
If the POWER LED doesn’t light, please call your local dealer to resolve this problem.
5.2 Light Indicators
Some of the operating problems can be identified by the lights on the control panel.
When your cutting plotter stops operating or the lights are on or flashing unexpectedly, see the following descriptions of the panel light patterns and the actions you should take.
Expert 24 user manual
5.2.1 Warning Indicators
When the ERROR LED flashes (as shown below), take the necessary actions according to the following instructions. When the problems are solved, the ERROR LED will turn off automatically. Pressing the ON/OFF LINE button can also turn off the ERROR LED.
Warning Indicators
ERROR
ON/OFF
REPEAT
LINE
DATA
CLEAR
CUT
TEST
1 Graph was clipped
2 HPGL/2 command Error
3 Lever up or no media
6
7
Width sensor error
Check media, drum or X motor
= flash = on = off
Warning 1
The graph is clipped
This condition indicates that the cutting graph is bigger than the cutting area.
You can solve the problem by:
1. Reload a wider or longer media.
2. Move the pinch rollers to widen the cutting area.
3. Re-scale the graph to a smaller size. Then send the cutting job again from your computer to the cutting plotter.
Warning
2 HPGL/2 command error
If the cutting plotter cannot recognize the commands from your computer, please check the commands applied to your cutting plotter in the HP-GL/2 or HPGL commands. Then send the same job to the cutting plotter again.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, please contact your local dealer.
Warning 3
Lever up or no media
Check that you have lowered the lever down and make sure that you load the media before cutting.
Expert 24 user manual
Warning 4
Cannot repeat cutting
There are two possibilities:
1. There is no data in the buffer: please send the job again from your computer;
2. The buffer is full: please send the same job from your computer again.
Under both conditions, press the ON/OFF LINE key to clear the warning message.
Warning 5
Communication error
Check that the serial/USB/parallel cable has been connected to the cutting plotter and computer properly.
If so, then check whether the interface settings are correct. Check that the communication settings in your PC are the same as the ones on your cutting plotter (for example – 9600bps, no parity, 8 bits, 1 stop bit). Then, press ON/OFF Line key to switch back to On Line mode.
Warning 6
Width sensor error
Check that the pinch rollers are positioned above the grid drum and reload the media again.
Note:
In order to identify the warning messages easily, please stick the warning sticker (in accessory box) on the side cover of your cutting plotter.
5.2.2 Error Indicators
If some mechanical problems occur during the operation, the ERROR LED will turn on. Please follow the instructions below to solve the problem. If the cutting plotter still cannot work, please contact your local dealer and tell him or her about the error indicator.
ON/OFF
REPEAT
LINE
DATA
CLEAR
CUT
TEST
3
4
Check media, drum, or X motor
Check media or Y motor
= flash = on = off
Error 1 and 2
Please contact your local dealer to replace SRAM or DRAM.
Expert 24 user manual
Error 3
Check the media, drum or X-motor (Drum driven motor)
This message indicates that there might be a problem on the X-axis.
Please check that the drums are working normally and see that the media is well loaded. Then turn on the power and reboot the cutting plotter.
Error 4
Check the media, or Y motor (carriage driven motor)
This message indicates that there might be an obstruction to the carriage relating to a problem on the
Y-axis
.
Please clear the obstruction and check that the carriage can move smoothly. Then turn on the power and reboot the cutting plotter.
5.3 Cutting Quality Problems
Check pen installed correctly and the blade holder fastened securely
Yes
Is the blade broken?
Yes
Replace a new blade
No
No
Please refer to
Chpater 2.
Check tool force setting
Yes
Is there any dirt adhered to the blade
Yes
Remove the blade and clean it
No
Please refer to 3.23 "
Cutting Test" to adjust the tool force.
No
Please contact customer service persionnel for technical support
Expert 24 user manual
5.4 USB Connection Problems
Symptom:
1. Some customers report that the USB cannot be detected by computer when the USB cable is connected and the plotter is turned on.
2. The USB port can only accept the original port that USB driver was installed. If user connects USB on other USB port, then the computer cannot recognize it or will ask to install driver again.
Solution:
Make sure that users install latest GCC USB driver. The latest USB driver can be downloaded from GCC Club. After installation, computer can detect USB connected when plotter is on and the USB cable is connected to computer.
When the USB driver was installed on one USB port and then the USB cable is re-connected to another USB port on the same PC next time, most of computers will show the icon and will ask user if they want to install USB driver again.
(In the bottom right corner of the screen by the clock (list of programs running) you will find this icon below:)
But sometimes for some computers (laptop mostly), there is no reaction when the USB cable is connected and the icon cannot be found in the bottom right corner of the screen. From GCC experience, these computers may have hardware problem or the computer has virus and cannot detect some new USB components.
If there is no reaction when the USB cable is connected, you can follow below steps to install the GCC cutter.
Expert 24 user manual
1: Select “Start” → ”Control Panel” → “Add Hardware”
2: Click “Next”.
3. It will take a few minutes to detect the USB port.
Expert 24 user manual
4. Connect GCC cutter and select “Yes, I have already connected the hardware.”
5. Select “USB-PRINTER” and click “Next”
Expert 24 user manual
6. Finish
7. Choose “ Install the software automatically(Recommended).
Expert 24 user manual
8. Wait a few minutes.
9. Now you can drive GCC cutter.
Expert 24 user manual
Appendix - Expert 24 Specification
Model
Max. Cutting Width
Max. Media Width
Material Thickness
Max. Cutting Force
Max. Cutting Speed(Diagonal)
Software Resolution
Repeatability
EX-24
600mm (23.6")
719mm (28.3")
0.8mm
250g
400 mm /sec (15.7"/sec)
0.025 mm
±0.1mm
500 Kbyte
USB & RS-232
Re-plot Memory
Interfaces
Commands
Configurable Origin
HP-GL, HP-GL/2
Yes
Control Panel
Stand
6 LEDs/10 Keys
Optional
Operation
Temperature
15°C~30°C / 60°F~86°F
Environment Humidity
25% ~ 75% z The above specification is subject to change without prior notice.
Appendix A-I
