u/SheepherderWood

Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing an intermittent cutting issue with my vinyl cutter while cutting window film, and I'm hoping someone here has seen something similar before.

The main problem is that some contours are not closing properly. The start and end points of the cut don't always meet, leaving a small uncut section.

To troubleshoot, I ran several tests:

• I cut a straight strip measuring 1400 mm x 20 mm twice.
• Both cuts were perfect from start to finish.
• The blade cut cleanly through the film without damaging the liner.
• There were no uncut sections anywhere along the strip.

However, when I continued with additional test cuts, the results became inconsistent:

• Some cuts closed perfectly.
• Others showed the same issue, where the contour did not fully close.
• The problem appears random rather than constant.

Because the long straight cuts were accurate, I'm unsure whether the issue is related to:

• Blade holder play
• Mechanical backlash
• Tracking accuracy
• Stepper/servo positioning
• Software or communication errors
• Offset calibration

Has anyone experienced intermittent contour-closing problems like this?

Any suggestions for additional tests or possible causes would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/34rjvu6iow8h1.jpg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9261eb9324e054aea46909bf21d598f803bf4f3

https://preview.redd.it/kogby6hlow8h1.jpg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=715e0c1cc65caa70565947a590ea37b203ac9f17

https://preview.redd.it/s8por6hlow8h1.jpg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=105cd8c4858d29ff6da3f3ba4681dc067cd27f65

https://preview.redd.it/in7vc7hlow8h1.jpg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffa7f196ac66d4ac7dc7360ebb725fa320a058f0

https://preview.redd.it/a55tm7hlow8h1.jpg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db41e91905480bc59a371699926b428344d5b82e

https://preview.redd.it/9dzrfvhlow8h1.jpg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31d06b8b90ae75eca129dc2415adb228764c1a6e

https://preview.redd.it/e1m6zvhlow8h1.jpg?width=1599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d300c3d5ca09fd002de3b1489fa3fb959c70a080

Hi everyone,

I'm having a strange issue with my dual-head cutting plotter and I'm running out of ideas.

When I run the machine's built-in test cut, the square does not come out correctly. Instead of sharp 90° corners, the corners become rounded and the shape looks distorted.

This issue occurs on both cutting heads, which makes me think it may not be related to a single blade holder.

So far I have already tried:

• Different blade holders
• Different blades
• Different blade exposure settings
• Different cutting forces
• Different offset values
• Multiple test cuts

What I noticed is that the problem seems to happen mainly when I perform a full cut-through (die cut). When I do a normal kiss cut and leave the liner intact, the cuts look much better and the distortion is minimal.

I've attached photos of the test cuts for reference.

At this point I'm wondering if the issue could be related to:

• Excessive blade drag?
• Mechanical play in the carriage?
• Incorrect downforce during through-cutting?
• Cutting strip condition?
• Firmware or motion settings?

Has anyone experienced something similar or have any suggestions on what I should check next?

Thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/yl380qo24q4h1.jpg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1bde0c133d730c4b531519c77ea60eb0bc0f03c

https://preview.redd.it/wsjbhpo24q4h1.jpg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0727cd1494f0078fff99881f771eba762e9a8437