Increasingly inconsistent results cutting PG materials

Problems and Support
#1

GF has started delivering inconsistent cutting of PG materials.

  1. Lenses are clean, tray is clean, material is flat, prism in head is correctly mounted, lens is correctly inserted etc, etc.
  2. Problems started with items on the far left not cutting through without two passes.
  3. Now it’s affecting the right hand side. Double cutting is an option, but it defeats the purpose, and it makes fine cuts risky.
  4. We’ve cut hundreds of these items previously with little trouble until the last week or so

IMG_0374
IMG_0374.jpeg3973×2304 1.47 MB

IMG_0373
IMG_0373.jpeg3968×2267 2.1 MB
ouble.

Anyone suffering the same problems? Did you get it resolved?

#2

Are all the copies in a single source file, or was cut & paste used to dupe any/all of them in the UI?

#3

Duplicated / Copy-Paste from one source in the GF App.

#4

Is that acrylic? It warps too. Not as badly as wood, but for a really tight design like that, it can affect the cutting in a spot or two. It’s also not as uniform in thickness as people think. Most people don’t measure in more than one spot on a sheet, but if you do, you will frequently find a surprising variance in thickness.

So you probably got some sheets from a different batch. Might be a hair thicker on one end.

You’re correct, you don’t want to cut thin plastics with two passes on a really detailed design like that one…so slow the speed down by 5 points and just do one pass. (It might take ten points, but try one with five first.) That should help with getting through the slightly out of spec spots. And if you do have to do a second cut, don’t move the backing sheet from where it sat for the first cut, send the second pass again at a much higher speed…it will take care of the last little uncut bit. :slightly_smiling_face:

(If they all start doing that, then it might be a machine issue…but intermittent problems like that are usually material related.)

6 Likes
#5

Thanks, Jules. Will try that.

Yes, it’s ⅛ proof grade acrylic. I am pressing all the sheets before use to ensure that we have them perfectly flat.

#6

Are you pinning them down? I use the honeycomb pins because they curl while the cutting is going on…I think it’s the heat.

2 Likes
#7

Yeah, I’m thinking heat might be the issue because it performs as expected when we do a handful of items rather than cutting an entire sheet. Have been using magnets, but probably not as effective as the pins.

2 Likes
#8

The pins really crank things down solid, although you do have to replace them as they wear.

2 Likes
#9

I had the same issue until I used the pins

2 Likes
#10

I cut mine out of acrylic and they’ve all lasted about a year. Broke my first or second one just yesterday!

I think you and Jules are onto something with the heat, especially with the acrylic. I’ve been alternating my cuts (changing outline color or uploading the file again in the UI), because the heat retention is high.

2 Likes
#11

I’m glad the pins help! I’m going to close this thread.

If you run into any other trouble, please start a new topic, or email us at support@glowforge.com. We’re here to help!

#12