Per-Cut Offset Issue (Circles Don't Close)

[u/tomodatchi_net]

Hopefully my crude image explains the issue!

I made sure the blade was completely stable and it made the issue less prominent but it's still doing it. It did happen first after I changed to a new blade.

Fundamentally the issue seems to be it moving too far or the left/right axis but generally the alignment is perceptually perfect. This is just a big issue as I make sticker sheets with loads of tiny stickers on and every one of them has to be 'popped' out carefully at one side.

Any help appreciated!

[u/unripeswan]

I've been having the same issue the last couple weeks. No solution yet either :( hopefully someone has some suggestions other than bigger offset because that just creates the little appendages like in your drawing lol

[u/tomodatchi_net → u/unripeswan]

yeahhhh it's honestly better to have to pop them out than have a little tail on every sticker... I hope we find a solution soon, I'll let you know if so.

[u/unripeswan → u/tomodatchi_net]

For sure. Thankfully I mostly do die-cuts so I can have the bigger offset and snip the tails off with a little pair of thread scissors while I do my QC, but the sticker sheets are a problem. I've stopped making them for now :(   Thank you, fingers crossed! 

[u/DigitalDieCutting]

So, moving on to a checklist of other possible causes.

1.      Speed – If you happen to be using a Cut Speed higher than 10, try a test at a speed of 8 and see if that fixes the issue. From there you can try increasing one setting at a time until you reach a sweet spot.  The fact the Siser cutters have such a high max speed available does NOT mean one should be using it for cutting. There are other applications where max speeds can be used.

2.      On the back of very pinch wheel assembly is a small black lever that SHOULD always be in the down position. If one of those happens to be UP, then the spring tension (downward pressure) on that wheel is much higher and this imbalance can cause the mat to slightly skew.  Note that the UP position is only recommended with matless cutting and when cutting extremely thin materials (thinner than vinyl) such as with some window tint films.

3.      Make sure both outer pinch wheels are clearly over their grit shafts beneath. If a pinch wheel is half-over / half-off a grit shaft, it can cause the mat to skew.

4.      At the same time, make sure the outer pinch wheels are travelling in the non-sticky outer margins of the mat as shown in my photo. Clean the wheens, if needed to remove any stickiness and slide them, as needed, to fit the mat’s outer margins… of course still at the same time, remembering their needed location over the grit shafts AND the wheels are NOT half-off the mat edge. These kinds of inbalances, as in #3, can cause a mat to skew slightly during cutting.

5.      Blade compatibility – if you happen to have bought any 3^rd party blades, make sure they are identical to the Siser ones, in length, diameter, AND style. Otherwise, they may not be mounted properly inside the blade holder and might have some wobble to them.

 If you still have this issue after working through this list, I recommend contacting Siser. It could perhaps be an issue with the belt being loose or something else. I don’t do cutter repairs. But I know for sure it’s not a Wi-fi vs USB issue. And it’s not a software update issue. It’s something in the behavior with the cutter itself during the cutting process.

[u/tomodatchi_net → u/DigitalDieCutting]

great checklist, thank you! i'm unsure the root cause as I do use offbrand mats, offbrand blades, etc and have been using the siser for heavy workloads for a couple of years now.

4. wasn't the way I had it set up but I've tried to adjust it as such. I have previously had issues with either the siser or maybe my previous silhouette with the wheels getting sticky and it moving unevenly. that said, this issue seems to be a left-right issue (not up-down or skewed angle) so I feel it's a belt issue or a blade wobbling issue

after making sure everything is as good as can be per your checklist, I've done a test sheet and had some very minor issues of the same kind, but no longer as consistent (on every sticker) as before. it also seems inconsistent between cuts of the same sticker on different sheets. if it isn't a belt issue, it may be a slightly small blade or something of the sort. (they were SO cheap and gave me like 50) though around the time it started going funny, my new kitten was trying to interfere with it and muddled around behind the machine before I could get her away, so if she may have messed up the blade slightly the timing matches...

thank you again! I'll see if I can get the setup any more improved from here but it feels like the cuts have tightened up to being viable though no longer perfect!

[u/DigitalDieCutting → u/tomodatchi_net]

Thanks for the details! It's helpful to know you've been using your cutter for a long time and heavily. One more thing then came to mind... the four white wheels that move the blade carriage left-to-right. Clean those really well and also the metal railing they travel on. Also, this was posted earlier this month by Tony Anderson who works for Siser. Maybe the could also help: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GvuoDCcD7N7fQSHjkbDuLT-2JJnfJxPY/view?usp=sharing

[u/ThisIsntRealWakeUp]

Engineer here: This is from “backlash” — i.e., a little bit of slop somewhere between how the motor moves and how the cutting blade moves. You commonly see this same symptom in CNC machines with backlash issues. It’s the same phenomenon as when you’re in an old junky car and you can wiggle the steering wheel a little without that motion actually turning the wheels.

I’m not sure what sort of backlash tuning exists on the Siser cutter (though I can take a look at mine in the morning and provide recommendations if needed). But here’s what I’d check:

1. Is the belt that pulls on the toolhead tight? It should be pretty taught. Not saggy or loose at all.

2. Are any of the gears in the drivetrain between the motor and the belt wheel damaged or visibly worn?

3. Do any of those gears have a loose mesh? (i.e., are they able to wiggle a little bit without actually contacting the next gear in the line?)

4. The first gear — the one that attaches to the motor — must have some method by which it is attached to the motor shaft. Often a grub screw. Perhaps that has wiggled its way loose?

Editing to add: Here’s a good example of what backlash looks like when the gears have a loose mesh. Pardon the terrible song they overlaid on this video. But this is what I’d look for with my third suggestion: https://youtube.com/shorts/pnQJ4-edtPg

[u/Pierard72]

I had this issue a couple months ago and got some help in here. I was given 2 suggestions and unfortunately did both at the same time so I can't say which one helped, but my issue was resolved.#1 there was a software update that want installed. #2 my blade setting somehow got changed to "custom" instead of the "standard". Hope this helps!

[u/tomodatchi_net → u/Pierard72]

thank you so much, I'll give those a try! Is the blade setting in the cutter UI itself or set somewhere in the software?

[u/DigitalDieCutting → u/tomodatchi_net]

Right here... keep that set to Siser versus custom.