Plastic Rotary Engraving Wavy Letters?

[JB Lynn]

Hello,

Really hoping someone can help my less than satisfactory results engraving into 1/8" thick 3-Ply engraver's plastic as shown below on the red plastic bone shaped tag?

285705

I'm using a 2006 Vision VE 810 rotary engraver with a deep center vise. Engraving from the Vision Windows software. Machine is virtually new!

I'm working on small tags (pet tags) and the sample shown below has lettering about .110 or smaller per line. Using a single line font (Gothic) and engraving with a .010 cutter and a properly zeroed cutter that is bumped up to 15 on the micrometer. Tags are held in snug fitting templates which are then held in the center vise. We even tape the tags down to eliminate any chance of 'play' or movement in the plate.

Please notice the '2' and '8' and the very 'pulled' and irregular shape they take. We've tried several different .010 cutters and the same result either way.

One VERY important thing to note: When we diamond drag engrave with the SAME plates in aluminum etc the characters are perfectly straight, so this is ONLY an issue when we engrave into plastic.

Spindle seems fine as does the motor belt etc. Same result whether we drop of raise the X, Y, and Z speeds.

We had used an old Dahlgren Wizzard for years and never had these problems, yet we need to move on to modern equipment. I'm asking this question here first since the Vision is out of warranty.

Thanks in advance for any tips to troubleshoot this issue?

Regards,

JB in Florida

[Rodne Gold]

Try with a different font...

[Tony Lenkic]

This looks like typical issue from worn top loading spindle. (My guess is you don't have collet type spindle)Diamond drag engraving bits are held by adapter screwed onto body of spindle and there is no play as top loading cutters will have with worn spindle.

[Joe Hillmann]

If it was my machine I would start looking for any play/slop in the machine, it would only take about .005" of play/slop at the end of the bit to end up with those results. What ever the problem is it is consistant. All the e's, L's, 2' and 8's are the same throughout the entire piece and all but one of the A's are the same.

If you can't get it figured out you could always tell your customers you are using comic sans as the font. :)

[Mark Sipes]

Tape is not holding as firm as you believe... Dull cutters or speed to slow. are you using a nose cone?

[Kev Williams]

I've dealt with sloppy lead screw issues on my 5000XT's for years. While my lettering has never gotten quite that bad, it's very much the same, as in, identically bad results-- Look at the 8's, 2's and 5's- they're bad, but they're all identical. First, I'd say check the lead screw connectors at the stepper motors, make sure everything's tight. You may also have some severe wear on the leadscrew(s) and/or the screw nut(s). And there's the screw pre-load, how that's done on your machine I don't know, but it's what keeps the leadscrews from moving back and forth.

However, you state you're getting good results via diamond. If you have a leadscrew issue, it may not present itself while diamond etching since there's much less force exerted against the material and the machine.

But-- you're problem may also be clamp that needs attention. On our old Concept 2000 the center clamp has a center post that fits in a hole, and the way it's held in place can lift the bottom of the clamp, which can cause the clamp to rock. When you're tool engraving, the rocking can be pretty uniform, causing identically bad results. Other possible clamp problems: my 3400's and my Vanguard 5000 clamps are held in place via dovetail ways and set screws. If the set screws are loose, the whole clamp can slide back and forth while engraving. And finally, your clamp is likely a self-centering clamp riding on dovetail ways. On my clamps, the screw's crank knob sets against a small stop plate at the end, and on the other side of the plate is a round sleeve on the threaded rod with set screws. The sleeve must be reasonably tight against the plate and knob, as it's what holds the clamp screw in place (similar to the preload on the leadscrews), which holds the jaws in place! More than once I've found a loose sleeve, leaving about 1/16" of slack or so, which is how far the clamp can move back and forth along the ways.

Are you using a drop-in diamond tool in the same spindle you rotary engrave with, or are you using a different spindle?

If you're using a different spindle, then check your spindle for tool movement, how well it's held in place, and how well the spindle HEAD is held in place...

TONY: diamond gravers come in many forms, I have some like you mention, which are held in an adapter that screws in place of the depth gauge holder. Most of my diamonds however, are drop-in gravers with screw knobs on top, exactly like the cutter tools...

285728

[Dan Hintz]

Looks like Comic Sans... I'd market it like that ;)

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Hi JB,

You mention it engraves fine with the diamond drag, but have you tried engraving the tag on the little table instead of the vice? My logic is if it engraves fine on the table, this may point to something with the vice being the problem due to the rotation/vibration when using the cutters. If it still engraves wobbly, then it might point to something going on with the spindle.