Rapid Design through Virtual and Physical
Prototyping
Rapid Design through Virtual and Physical
Prototyping
You must make sure that the plotter (PNC-900) is working properly before use.
Step 1: Turn the
plotter on. Even if the plotter is already on, it is important to
turn it off and then back on. This is to ensure that any changes that
may have been made to the plotter during the previous use are cleared.
Step 2: On the
right side of the front of the plotter, press the Setup button and
then the Origin Set button. The green light above the Setup button
should briefly blink once.
Step 3: To load
the material that you will be using, press down the two levers at the
back of the plotter that are connected to the rollers. This will
raise the rollers so that the sheet can be slid into place.
Step 4: Flip the
sheet so the rough side up (this is the side with the paper or foam on
it). The longer side of the sheet (11" for the paper, 12" for foam)
should be facing the front of the plotter and guided underneath the
rollers, with the shorter side of the sheet (8.5" for the paper, 9"
for foam) facing the sides of the plotter.
Step 5: There is a
short black vertical line on the left side of the plotter. The edge
of the sheet be in line with this black line. The longer edge of the
paper should be in line with the edge of the long black line that goes
across the plotter lengthwise. This line is located near the rollers;
therefore, you must slide the sheet almost completely through to line
up with this line. Push the right roller using the lever at the back
towards the end of the right side of the sheet.
Step 6: When the
sheet is in place, lower both of the rollers by lifting on the levers
in the back. Make sure the right roller (the movable roller) is as
close to the edge of the sheet as possible. If it isn't, plotting may
not be done correctly.
Step 7: You must
test the pen pressure so that cuts are made properly for the material
that is being used. Located on the right side of the plotter is the
device to adjust the pen pressure. Normally for foam, the optimal
performance occurs at 4.
For paper, the optimal performance has been found to be 5. However, this may vary due to blade sharpness, so it is important to test before making any prototype. Simply load a spare piece of paper into the plotter and press the Test button located on the right side of the front of the plotter. A good cut is one that does not go completely through, but just through the material that will be used for layering the prototype. Just as a tip, it may be better to not make the pen pressure too great since doing so will cause the edges of the cut foam to be ragged.
If the explanation of loading the plotter has been confusing, refer to the user manual on the shelf to the right of the computer where JPSys5 is installed.
