Pens skip/drag, or not touch media; Setting pen force/speed; Will not Size media
Pens are skipping, dragging or will not touch media;
Setting the pen force/speed;
Will not size the media.
A. Verify that CalComp pens are being used. Pens specifically designed for
this plotter include: Plastic Tip Pens (WPP, WFP), Liquid Ball Pens
(WLB), and Liquid Ink Pens (WL, WT, 7L,7T).
B. Clean pens. As the pen moves across the surface of the paper it may
collect fibers that can clog the tip and cause the pens to skip. To
remedy, take a cotton swab and wet it with rubbing alcohol and clean
the tip of the pen.
C. Ensure that the turret (eight pen carousel that holds the pens) and pen
caps (small rubber circles that sit in the bottom of the pen turret)
are clean and free of dried ink.
D. Run the confidence plot and ensure that the condition is mechanical.
1. The confidence plot is an internally stored program in the
plotter that is run to demonstrate that the plotter is
functioning. This plot is automatically scaled to fit the size
of the sheet loaded. To run the confidence plot, ensure that the
following have been performed:
a. Turn the plotter off, wait three seconds, and then turn the
plotter power back on.
b. Load pen(s) in turret.
c. Load paper (load paper edges up against white load lines on
plotter).
d. On the plotter, press the soft key under the word MANUAL.
This will cause the plotter to size the paper. The plotter
moves the pen carriage and media to determine the size of
the paper.
e. When the plotter is finished sizing the paper press the key
marked NEXT on the plotter keypad.
f. Press the NEXT Key until the plotter displays: TEST. Press
the soft key above TEST.
g. Press the soft key above CONF PLOT. The plotter will begin
to plot the internally stored Confidence Plot.
2. If the pens skip or drag when running the Confidence Plot, the
pen speed should either be slowed down, or the pen force should
be increased or decreased, as needed. The speed with which the
pens move across the paper is in inches per second (IPS).
CalComp pen plotters allow the user to manipulate the pen speed
and pen force for better plot quality.
3. If using CalComp Liquid Ball pens, note that they were designed
for check plots (rough drafts). For final output, try slowing
their pen speed or optimally using CalComp Liquid Ink or Fiber
Tip pens. Please refer to 102x Pens for a list of recommended
pens and their usages.
E. To change the speed and force of the pens travelling across the paper
and touching the paper, perform the following:
1. Make sure the plotter is powered on and the paper has been sized.
2. Press the EXIT key.
3. Press the NEXT KEY twice.
4. Press the SETUP key.
5. Press the PEN PARM (Pen Parameters) key.
6. The Pen Force and Pen Speed for all of the pens or for individual
pens may be set.
7. Use the following table when setting the values on the plotter:
Pen Type 102x Default Setting Max Pen Speed
for Pen Speed
================ ==================== ==============
Plastic Tip Pens 6 Inches Per Second 10 Inches Per Second
WPP,WFF
Liquid Ball Pens 42 Inches Per Second 42 Inches Per Second
WLB
Liquid Ink Pens 8 Inches Per Second 10 Inches Per Second
WL, WT, 7L, 7T
Pen Type 102x Default Minimum Maximum
Pen Force Force Force
================ ========= ======= =======
Plastic Tip Pens 3 1 5
WPP, WFP
Liquid Ball Pens 10 1 15
WLB
Liquid Ink Pens 2 1 5
WL, WT, 7L,7T
8. After the pen settings have been set, they may be saved by
pressing the EXIT KEY three times. The LCD (liquid crystal
display) on the plotter will prompt to save the settings.
F. The platen is the part of the plotter in which the media is loaded on.
Performing the Map Platen Test adjusts for platen irregularities to
improve pen up/down performance as well as resolve media loading or
sizing problems. This is accomplished by mapping the height of the
platen with respect to the pen-up position at various points along
its surface. This can improve some types of pen problems.
The Map Platen Test should only be performed if all other
troubleshooting tips fail. Accessing this test involves entering the
diagnostic/test mode of the plotter. There are a number of tests
available to the user in this mode that can be destructive to the
plotter if incorrectly performed. To perform this test:
1. Turn off the plotter power.
2. Place a Liquid Ball point pen (CalComp part number WLB) in the
pen turret in pen position number 1.
3. Do not load paper.
4. Power on the plotter. When the plotter displays:
SELECT ONE:
ONLINE MANUAL
enter the CalComp Maintenance Code by keying in 8378 on
the plotter keypad.
5. When the plotter displays: TEST PLOT, press the button on the
plotter keypad marked NEXT twice.
6. The plotter will display: (Re)Map Platen?
7. Choose YES to (Re)Map Platen.
8. The plotter will select the liquid ball pen from the turret and
move it across the surface of the platen. Remapping is complete
when the plotter returns the pen back to the turret.
9. Press the EXIT key on the plotter to exit from Maintenance Mode,
load media into the plotter, and plot a drawing. If problems
have not been resolved, then the plotter requires service.