Gerber Dimension 200 Manual Download Page 2

Page: 2 / 111

2 Dimension 200

Cleaning and maintenance procedures

Recommended feed rates for various materials (card)

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

Note: A note contains important information which could affect
successful completion of a task

CAUTION: A caution statement contains information which, if not
observed, could result in damage to the equipment.

WARNING: A warning statement contains information which, if
not observed, could result in personal injury

Customer Support

If you require assistance installing or operating your Dimension
200, contact your Gerber distributor or the Router Support Group at
800-336-1698 (USA and Canada) or fax at 203-290-5568.

If possible, please use a phone that is close to your GRAPHIX
ADVANTAGE system and have the following information
available before calling:

MS-DOS



and Microsoft



Windows



version numbers

GSP System ID number

System serial number

GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE, Windows, MS-DOS, and hardware
utilities disks

GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE, Windows, and MS-DOS user
manuals

Summary of Contents for Dimension 200

Page 1: ...ension 200 is an excellent solution for creating ADA compliant Americans with Disabilities Act signage Warning THE DIMENSION 200 IS A COMPUTER CONTROLLED MACHINE TOOL AND SHOULD BE OPERATED ONLY BY TRAINED OPERATORS THE SAFETY GUIDELINES IN THIS MANUAL MUST BE FOLLOWED AT ALL TIMES TO AVOID RISK OF INJURY Manual Contents This manual provides installation operation and maintenance procedures as wel...

Page 2: ...ns information which if not observed could result in personal injury Customer Support If you require assistance installing or operating your Dimension 200 contact your Gerber distributor or the Router Support Group at 800 336 1698 USA and Canada or fax at 203 290 5568 If possible please use a phone that is close to your GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE system and have the following information available before c...

Page 3: ...UTION Do not place a router in a damp work area The operating environment should fall within a temperature range between 32 99 F 0 and 37 o C and within a relative humidity range between 0 and 70 Equipment Requirements ROUTER STAND A 48 in square table or stand with 3 ft clearance on all sides or more if the paneling feature is used is needed If the stand is not used the table must be a heavy duty...

Page 4: ...iameter to attach to the Chip Removal System T VAC VACUUM SYSTEM FACTORY INSTALLED The optional T Vac Vacuum System requires a vacuum blower and filter purchased and installed separately and a dedicated line installed by a licensed industrial electrician The vacuum filter must be placed directly under the rear of the router table with the vacuum blower nearby To obtain additional information on th...

Page 5: ...e phase dedicated line NEMA Reference 3 POLE 4 WIRE Receptacle L14 20R Plug L14 20P T Vac Vacuum System 220V AC 10 amp 50 60 Hz single phase dedicated line The plug and receptacle will be determined by the licensed industrial electrician at the time of installation 220V AC 10 amp 50 60 Hz three phase dedicated line The plug and receptacle will be determined by the licensed industrial electrician a...

Page 6: ...cated line NEMA Reference 2 POLE 3 WIRE Receptacle 6 15R Plug 6 15P Note If the High Frequency Spindle Option is purchased a licensed industrial electrician must install a dedicated power line for the Speed Controller Instructions for this installation are supplied separately GROUND ...

Page 7: ...00 SO AS NOT TO DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT Crate 1 ADVANTAGE Router Control ARC Station 1 Electrical Box 1 Dimension 200 Router Table 1 Table Stand Kit 1 Small components box 1 Mist Coolant System optional 1 Engraver System optional for the Dimension 200 standard for the Dimension 200E 1 Engraver Vacuum System optional for the Dimension 200 standard for the Dimension 200E 1 8 x 2 1 2 diameter Chip Remov...

Page 8: ...ty Stand Kit 4 Legs 2 Front Rear Cross Members 2 Side Cross Members 2 Front Rear Tie Members 2 Side Tie Members 36 M6 Bolts 10 mm 36 M6 Nuts 10 mm 8 M8 Nuts 13 mm 12 M8 Washers 4 M8 Bolts 13 mm 1 Instruction Illustration Chip Removal System 1 Fully Assembled Vacuum Shroud Mist Coolant System Option 1 Mist coolant applicator with gauge flexible coolant tubing screws and washers 1 Hole drilling temp...

Page 9: ... parentheses 1 Collet wrench set 1 Collet nut 1 250 collet 6 mm 1 125 router bit sleeve 3 mm 1 500 collet 3 125 Gerber Gold bits 3 mm 3 250 Gerber Gold bits 6 mm 1 020 profile cutter engraver type 6 mm 1 Table surfacing bit 1 Pen assembly 1 Tool Height Gage 1 Step Height Gage 1 5 mm hex key 4 T nut assemblies 4 Work clamps 4 Clamp nuts ...

Page 10: ...10 Dimension 200 Note The contents of your tool kit may vary from the photograph ...

Page 11: ...ly 1 Unpack the router and use the wooden packing materials to block up the router table 2 Unscrew and remove the four foot subassemblies from the bottom of the Dimension 200 router table 3 Attach one foot subassembly to the bottom of each leg of the stand as shown on the next page using the specified parts DO NOT tighten the nuts or install the M8 bolt and washer at the top of each leg at this ti...

Page 12: ...12 Dimension 200 LEG ASSEMBLY ...

Page 13: ...t the Router Table on the Stand 1 Carefully place the router table on the stand Align the holes where the foot subassemblies on the bottom of the router table were with the holes in the top of the legs 2 Secure the router table to the stand with the M8 bolts and washers as shown in Leg Assembly figure Use a wrench to tighten all nuts on the stand assembly Level the Stand and Router Table 1 Use the...

Page 14: ...ut inside the leg frame When the foot is lowered sufficiently tighten the bottom nut against the bottom of the leg frame 3 To raise a foot subassembly use a 13 mm wrench to loosen the bottom nut on the bottom of the leg frame When the foot is raised sufficiently tighten the top nut inside the leg frame ...

Page 15: ...e GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE WARNING THE MAIN POWER BREAKER SWITCH ON THE FRONT PANEL OF THE ELECTRICAL BOX MUST BE OFF POINTING DOWN THE ROUTER MOTOR SWITCH LOCATED ON THE ROUTER MOTOR MUST BE OFF Note Should problems occur while you install the hardware to your system contact the Router Support Group at 800 336 1698 USA and Canada or fax at 203 290 5568 Power Off Check The main power breaker switch on th...

Page 16: ...onged end of the power cord into either receptacle labeled ARC STATION ACCESSORY on the back of the electrical box Connect Router Table to ARC Station 1 Plug the 14 pin round X and Y limit switch connector from the router table into the receptacle labeled R892 on the ARC station See the illustration above Connect Electrical Box to ARC Station 1 Plug one end of the 37 pin to 37 pin cable into the r...

Page 17: ...eptacle labeled R849 on the electrical box 2 Connect the cable labeled P856 X motor cable bundled with the Y and Z motor cables on the router table to the receptacle labeled R856X 3 Connect the cable labeled P857 Y motor to the receptacle labeled R857Y 4 Connect the cable labeled P858 Z motor to the receptacle labeled R858Z Electrical Box ...

Page 18: ...talled at the factory is used for the mat milling procedure The 0 4 diameter opening pad is included the tool kit A heavy duty wet dry shop vacuum is required and is not supplied with the router system A 2 1 2 64 mm diameter hose and all necessary fittings are provided with the Dimension 200 INSTALLING THE CHIP REMOVAL SYSTEM WARNING BEFORE INSTALLING THE CHIP REMOVAL SYSTEM UNPLUG THE ELECTRICAL ...

Page 19: ...age sidewalls 2 Insert and tighten the screws To attach the vacuum hose 1 Attach the vacuum hose onto the pressure foot of the Dimension 200 One end of the ground strap cable is already connected at this end in the interior of the hose 2 Lead the vacuum hose and the ground strap which extends from the end of the vacuum hose to the electrical box Make sure that there is ample slack on the strap to ...

Page 20: ...trap cables which connect as follows ARC station to the electrical box foot mount block on the Dimension 200 router table to the electrical box vacuum hose pressure foot to the electrical box All three ground strap cables must connect at the same point on the electrical box Both ends of all ground strap cables must be securely fastened to ensure a reliable ground connection To connect the ground s...

Page 21: ...rap is already connected to the vacuum shroud To connect all ground strap cables to the electrical box 1 Looking at the rear of the electrical box remove the screw located on the right side of the electrical box near the attention label triangle with an exclamation point 2 Insert the removed screw through the ring lug of all three ground strap cables from the Dimension 200 router table the ARC sta...

Page 22: ... the cable to the system 3 Plug the 25 pin D connector into the receptacle labeled R829 on the ARC station see the illustration on page 16 Tighten the thumb screws Power Connections 1 Plug the power cord from the electrical box into an appropriately grounded outlet 2 If necessary plug in the router motor power cord into the receptacle as shown 3 Plug the shop vacuum into the duplex receptacle on t...

Page 23: ...ent routers When you first install your system follow the procedure below to configure the ARC station for the Dimension 200 See page 39 for an illustration of the front panel of the ARC station 1 With the main power switch off on the electrical box press and hold down the RESET and UP arrow keys on the ARC station 2 While holding these keys down turn the main power switch on 3 Release the ARC sta...

Page 24: ...elow is an illustration of the basic Dimension 200 system and its peripherals to assist you in installing and checking the connections The illustration does not depict the actual connections or placement of the equipment ...

Page 25: ...led under pressure with no need to disconnect air input or stop the system The coolant drip rate is easily adjustable from one drop every six minutes to 30 drops per minute The Mist Coolant System requires 30 100 psi of compressed air The compressor is purchased separately The Mist Coolant System is designed to be used with Gerber Cool coolant a high performance spray lubricant available from Gerb...

Page 26: ...ng brackets Tighten the hanging bracket and the mist coolant mounting screws 5 Cut out the hole drilling template provided in the option kit fold the top edge along the fold line and hold the template against the left side of the carriage with the folded portion on top of the carriage wall and the right edge along the front edge of the carriage wall 6 Drill a 1 4 hole in the carriage wall where in...

Page 27: ...Optional Equipment Installation 27 side of the carriage when viewed from the front See the illustration at right ...

Page 28: ...28 Dimension 200 The illustration below shows the Dimension 200 carriage with the optional High Frequency Spindle Motor installed on the upper left and Mist Coolant Option components on the lower right ...

Page 29: ...e travels smoothly in the cable trough by slewing the carriage from one end of the beam to the other The coolant hose must not stretch as the carriage moves T Vac Vacuum System The optional T Vac Vacuum System uses vacuum to hold down a workpiece easily and securely on the router table Depending on the material and the job vacuum hold down may be used with adhesive and sacrificial material T Vac r...

Page 30: ...rt the 1 5 adapter in the relief valve 6 Install the relief valve on the reducing tee as shown above 7 Cut the hose to fit in a straight line between the manifold intake opening and the air filter relief valve 8 Attach the hose to the air filter relief valve assembly and secure with a hose clamp 9 Attach one end of the remaining hose to the filter exhaust opening with a 2 barb adapter and secure w...

Page 31: ...ustrial motor experience wire the vacuum blower Speed Controller System Refer to the illustration below when installing the Speed Controller System To install the Speed Controller System 1 Plug the AC power cord into a dedicated wall outlet 2 Plug the Spindle remote ON OFF cable labeled P894 into the connector labeled R894 top on the back of the electrical box 3 Plug the Spindle Motor cable into t...

Page 32: ...e speed The recommended speed for various materials may be found at the end of this manual The speed selection knob located on the Speed Controller selects a spindle speed as follows Knob Spindle Speed 0 0 10 2 800 20 5 600 30 9 400 40 12 200 50 14 000 60 16 800 70 19 600 80 22 400 90 25 200 100 28 000 Note The Speed Controller System must be installed by a qualified electrician Installation instr...

Page 33: ... elbow points up 3 Insert the short pipe fitting into the end of the protruding elbow and tighten 4 Place the vacuum tank on the short pipe fitting and rotate the tank to tighten 5 To securely tighten the entire attached assembly one person should hold down the motor while another person turns the entire assembly until it is tight 6 Insert the reducer fitting into the hole on top of the vacuum tan...

Page 34: ......

Page 35: ...1 Only a trained operator should attempt to run the equipment 2 Wear protective eyewear such as goggles or safety glasses which cover the front and sides of the face 3 Do not use the router in a damp or wet location 4 Do not store wet aluminum chips in a closed container 5 Do not use the vacuum hose to clean up wet aluminum 6 Stand in front of the ARC station during system operation to provide eas...

Page 36: ...n 12 Keep all personnel at a safe distance from the machine when it is operating 13 Carefully secure the workpiece with clamps 14 Use the proper tool for the material Do not use small tools with heavy material 15 Make a test cut whenever possible to test the tool in the material 16 Perform all periodic maintenance procedures on a regular basis ...

Page 37: ...xt and graphics are cut or drawn by the router after being prepared for routing by ART Path During router operation the cutting table and clamped workpiece remain stationary All operating motion is performed by the router motor carriage and tool X Y Z Axes The Dimension 200 has three basic axes of movement The X horizontal axis is oriented from left to right The Y vertical axis is oriented from fr...

Page 38: ...or draw Failure to initialize the Z axis properly will cause the machine to cut at the wrong depth This may destroy the material and cause the tool to cut into the router table The Z axis may be positioned by the Z INIT function key located on the ARC station keypad a Z axis adjustment knob located on top of the Z axis motor the ART Path depth of cut The workpiece and sacrificial material must be ...

Page 39: ...tation allows the router operator to modify the home position either before or after a job has been received at the ARC station and the job header material and tool messages have been displayed The job home position of each job is stored when the job starts The RETURN HOME function of the ARC station returns the carriage to the stored job home position In the event of a power failure or other job ...

Page 40: ... MOTOR POWER SWITCH The router motor power switch turns the motor on and off The router motor has a thumb switch on the top labeled ON and OFF WARNING The router motor must be OFF during vacuum shroud installation mist coolant installation tool changing Z axis initialization or when performing any other functions around the cutter CAUTION The router motor switch should be off until the job is read...

Page 41: ...nk between the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE and the router system It can do the following send and receive messages and commands to and from the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE display messages to the operator control router motor movements change feed rates return the router carriage to the job home position set motor delay ...

Page 42: ...ontinue processing the job I i Alternating uppercase and lowercase indicates the job is incomplete which occurs when a partial job is sent from ART Path Power interruption at the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE or a pause status in the Plot Spooler application will cause partial transmission WARNING WHEN THE INCOMPLETE JOB INDICATOR I I AND START JOB ARE DISPLAYED THE ROUTER CARRIAGE MAY MOVE WITHOUT FURTHER WA...

Page 43: ...oward the front and to the left as possible When the carriage is at 0 0 the carriage will move away from the limit a preset distance in X and Y The ORIENTATION message will appear in the display panel followed by the STOP READY message If an error occurs The system emits a constant audible tone Press the RESET key to clear the error and to rerun the failed test s If the same error recurs or if RAM...

Page 44: ...ble choices at the ARC station after a selection has been made in the Menu Select mode See the page in this section on Menu Select mode To slew the Dimension 200 To position the tool to the left or right over the router table surface press the left or right arrow keys until the desired placement is reached To position the tool forward or backward over the table surface press the up or down arrow k...

Page 45: ...ode RESET immediately aborts router movement and purges the job START STOP pauses processing the job Start Ready WARNING In START READY mode the carriage may move without further warning 1 While in the STOP READY mode use the arrow keys to slew the carriage to the starting location of the job 2 Press the START STOP key to display the START READY message The Dimension 200 is now in a ready state an...

Page 46: ...terial Press START STOP again to display the tool assignment To begin the job press START STOP again WARNING The carriage may move without further warning Stop Mode STOP mode as shown by a message in the display panel may be in one of two states STOP READY the router is in an idle state waiting to receive data STOP JOB the router is in a pause state during a job The following keys are available in...

Page 47: ... abort the job and clear it from the ARC station the ARC station receives a terminate command from the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE Plot Spooler Stop Job If you press the START STOP key while in the START JOB mode the machine enters pause mode and results in the following the STOP JOB message appears no incoming data processes the job stops at the next logical break point the tool raises the router motor tur...

Page 48: ...ower cable from the router motor 3 Change the tool See the sections on Tool Installation and Tool Replacement in this manual if necessary 4 Initialize the Z axis If needed see the Z INIT function key explanation in this section of the manual 5 Change the Feed Rate parameter if necessary 6 Reconnect the router motor power cable and turn ON the router motor 7 To avoid hitting clamps manually slew cl...

Page 49: ...ore pressing START STOP 1 Press SELECT while in the STOP READY mode to access the Menu Select mode 2 Press the right or left arrow key until RETURN HOME appears in the message box 3 Press SELECT The router carriage will move to the job home position 4 Press START STOP to begin processing the job ...

Page 50: ...rriage X Y travel stops current job data from the router and the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE clears the STOP READY message displays In Menu Select Mode RESET exits the menu without saving changes In Other Modes If in any other mode and the operator presses the RESET key the ABORT message appears To cancel the job press the RESET key again To continue the job without data loss press START STOP ...

Page 51: ...ol to cut into the router table CAUTION Do not turn the Z axis knob after the Z axis has been initialized To perform Z Init 1 Place the step height gage on top of the material to be cut See the procedure in this manual for Using the Step Height Gage 2 Slew the carriage to position the tool over the gage 3 Press the Z INIT key The Z motor is now OFF to allow for manual adjustment The Z UNLOCKED mes...

Page 52: ... SELECT to exit a selection and store values Press RESET to exit a selection without storing values SELECT This function key allows access to the Menu Select mode to set system parameter values It is available in STOP mode when the STOP READY or STOP JOB message is displayed ...

Page 53: ...is explained and contains directions on changing parameters To exit the Menu Select mode and return to STOP mode without changing settings press RESET To make a selection in Menu Select mode 1 Press the right arrow key to scroll forward right through the menu list or press the left arrow key to scroll backward left through the menu list 2 When the desired menu item appears press the SELECT key to ...

Page 54: ...job home position Each coordinate is precise to three decimal places 000 000 in inches two decimal places 0000 00 in mm To display the absolute X Y position 1 Press SELECT while in the STOP READY or STOP JOB mode 2 Press the right or left arrow key until Absolute X Y appears in the message box 3 Press SELECT to display the current position X 000 000 INCH Y 000 000 INCH 4 Press any arrow key to mov...

Page 55: ...rator can use the RETURN HOME function to return the router carriage easily to the stored home position To place multiple jobs in the same home position on the table the operator must use the Return Home parameter prior to sending the job from the GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE to move the router carriage to the exact job home position Note If the router carriage hits a clamp or fixture when moving position ma...

Page 56: ...row keys This position will be stored as job home when you press START STOP 2 Press SELECT while in the STOP JOB mode 3 Press the right or left arrow key until SET JOB HOME appears in the message box 4 Press SELECT The ARC station will beep twice to indicate the position has been stored To change job home Move the carriage to any position on the table and repeat the steps above The new position re...

Page 57: ... to move the carriage to the precise Job Home position 5 Press the right or left arrow key until Absolute X Y appears in the message box 6 Press SELECT to display the current position This is the current Job Home position Note Make note of this position If the carriage hits a clamp or fixture and router position is lost you can slew to this position or set an absolute pre position in ART Path and ...

Page 58: ...oundary If the Job Home position will cause the job being processed to exceed the table boundaries the ARC station displays JOB WILL EXCEED TABLE BOUNDARY in the message box To clear the boundary message 1 Press START STOP to display the correction necessary to permit the job to fit 2 Press the arrow keys to move the carriage the distance in X and Y indicated in the message When the carriage is in...

Page 59: ...APHIX ADVANTAGE It is the absolute speed in inches per minute or millimeters per second at which the tool travels along the tool path To override this rate and reduce or increase the feed rate change the established Feed Rate by a percentage described below The feed rate will not exceed maximum velocity of the router The Feed Rate parameter is most frequently changed in the STOP JOB mode when the ...

Page 60: ...ain the Feed Rate percentage 4 Press the right or left arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired digit 5 Press the up or down arrow keys to increase or decrease the digit under the cursor Acceptable values are 1 to 1000 6 Press SELECT to save the new value If the value is valid 1 1000 the system beeps twice and returns to the STOP READY or STOP JOB mode If the value is not valid the display rem...

Page 61: ...s to move the cursor to the desired digit 5 Press the up or down arrow keys to increase or decrease the digit under the cursor Acceptable values are 00 to 99 6 Press SELECT to save the new value or RESET to exit without saving the value TEST This function allows testing both the router table and the ARC station to ensure machine accuracy and integrity The ARC station does not accept data from the ...

Page 62: ... STOP JOB mode 2 Press the right or left arrow key until Display appears 3 Press SELECT 4 Press the right or left arrow key until Language and the current language appear 5 Press the right or left arrow key to scroll through the language choices 6 Press SELECT to save the selected choice The system beeps twice and returns to the STOP READY or STOP JOB mode displayed in the entered language To chan...

Page 63: ...e right or left arrow key until Auto Scroll appears 3 Press SELECT 4 Press the right or left arrow key to display On and Off 5 Press SELECT to save the choice DEFAULT This function allows you to reset all value parameters back to the factory default settings To reset the defaults 1 Press SELECT while in the STOP READY mode 2 Press the right or left arrow key until Default appears 3 Press the SELEC...

Page 64: ......

Page 65: ...0 Preliminary preparation Router motor installation removal Tool selection installation removal and replacement Table mat milling and engraving Material selection and preparation Workpiece attachment to sacrificial material Workpiece mounting to the router table Chip removal system use Mist coolant system use Step height gage use ...

Page 66: ...owing steps 1 Turn OFF the electrical box power switch 2 Unplug the router motor power cable 3 Raise the router motor by manually turning the Z axis adjustment knob located on top of the Z axis motor 4 Adjust the feet of the Dimension 200 to a higher or lower position to ensure that the router table is level ...

Page 67: ...t the router electrical box and GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE 2 Loosen the screws on the collar of the motor mount and carefully slide the motor up the mount to remove it To install the router motor Note The photograph below is for illustration purposes only and may vary somewhat from your router motor 1 Locate the router motor and note the small pin or pins depending on the model projecting from it 2 Ease th...

Page 68: ...tor cord into the outlet on the router Note The photograph below is for illustration purposes only and may vary somewhat from your router motor The ARC station displays STOP READY after performing diagnostics The router system is now ready to operate 5 Turn ON power at the router when ready to cut ...

Page 69: ... available from a Gerber distributor TOOL INFORMATION The tools supplied in the tool kit are basic tools for average cutting jobs As you gain more experience you may wish to purchase additional cutters The information below may be helpful in your use and selection of tools The 25 inch cutter is the strongest cutter supplied and has a longer cutting edge length than the 125 inch cutter The 25 inch ...

Page 70: ...diameter of 249 250 and a 1 2 cutter must have a diameter of 499 500 inches If the cutter has a 1 8 shank insert it into the 1 8 adapter provided and use the 1 4 collet The cleanliness of the collet and the spindle is essential Damaged surfaces will affect the holding ability of the collet Be sure that the tapered inside diameter of the spindle the tapered outside diameter of the collet and the in...

Page 71: ... collet and tighten with the wrenches provided in the tool kit When installing the pen position the bottom of the collet about half way up the shank of the tool When installing a cutter position the bottom of the collet approximately even with the top of the flutes The collet should not cover any portion of the flutes and very little of the straight portion of the shank should be exposed below the...

Page 72: ...72 Dimension 200 6 Be sure that the collet and spindle are clean and undamaged ...

Page 73: ...er wrench in the opposite hand and place it on the flats of the retaining nut 11 Tighten the retaining nut by pushing the wrenches with a firm even force TOOL REMOVAL CAUTION When removing a tool do not attempt to gain leverage by jamming one wrench against the carriage while pushing on the other DO NOT position the router motor over the router table without any material underneath such as foam bo...

Page 74: ...he pen assembly 2 Remove the spring 3 Remove the pen 4 Insert the replacement pen into the pen barrel 5 Replace the spring and replace the cover on top of the barrel REPLACEMENT CUTTERS Replacement cutters are available from Gerber Different cutters purchased from other dealers may or may not provide satisfactory results with the Dimension 200 Gerber is not responsible for results obtained with cu...

Page 75: ...is procedure MAT MILLING The mat milling data is supplied with ART Path in the file D200MILL RTP 1 In ART Path choose Open from the File menu 2 Highlight Router Files under List Files of Type to open D200MILL RTP Click on OK 3 In the Setup menu select Start End position 4 Set the Start End position to start and end the machine at the lower left 5 Click on OK 6 Install the table surfacing bit suppl...

Page 76: ...is displays the header and tool messages and begins routing Grid Engraving The grid consists of a numbered grid that assists in precise alignment of material on the table It should be engraved on the mats after the mats have been milled After milling the table mats choose the appropriate grid engraving procedure described to engrave the grid normal grid engraving grid engraving with the T Vac Syst...

Page 77: ...nd the machine at the lower left 5 Click on OK 6 Install the 020 engraving bit supplied in the tool kit 7 On the ARC station press Z INIT once to unlock the Z axis 8 Place the tool height gage on the surface of the mats under the bit Use the Z axis knob to lower the tool until it just touches the gage 9 Press Z INIT once This lifts the Z axis once and locks it The tool is now initialized to the ta...

Page 78: ...tup menu select Start End position 4 Set the Start End position to start and end the machine at the lower left 5 Click on OK 6 On the ARC station press Z INIT once to unlock the Z axis 7 Place the tool height gage on the surface of the mats under the bit Use the Z axis knob to lower the tool until it just touches the tool height gage 8 Press Z INIT once This lifts the Z axis once and locks it The ...

Page 79: ...contains a similar grid for use with a metric system VACGRID RTP3 To engrave the grid 1 In ART Path choose Open from the File menu 2 Highlight Router Files under List Files of Type to open VACGRID RTP or VACGRIDM RTP Click on OK 3 In the Setup menu select Start End position 4 Set the Start End position to start and end the machine at the lower left 5 Click on OK 6 Install the 020 engraving bit sup...

Page 80: ...ox appears Make sure that no pre position moves have been entered 12 Click on Rout 13 Press START STOP three times to begin the grid This displays the header and tool messages and begins routing Material Selection and Preparation The Dimension 200 can draw on any kind of material suitable for a ballpoint pen and cut virtually any routable material including those listed below ROUTABLE MATERIALS Pl...

Page 81: ... plunge capabilities Acrylic is recommended over pressed board When using acrylic as a sacrificial material remove the protective paper coating from the sacrificial acrylic surface Select sacrificial material of similar density to the material being cut Attaching the Workpiece to Sacrificial Material When not cutting to the mask attach the workpiece to the sacrificial material using one of the fol...

Page 82: ...ributors Note Do not use foam filled Double Sided mounting tape Spray adhesive works well on thin aluminum Non Metals For plastic Styrofoam thin wood or other non metallic materials Use Spray Adhesive Spray Adhesive is especially suitable for securing plastic Styrofoam wood or other non metallic materials Spray Adhesive is available from Gerber or most industrial and office supply distributors Low...

Page 83: ...d P are held securely by the tape To use double sided tape Follow these steps when using double sided tape to secure the workpiece to the sacrificial material 1 Lay the tape across the underlying material 2 Place the workpiece on top of the tape 3 Press firmly to bond securely USING SPRAY ADHESIVE When using spray adhesive refer to the manufacturer s suggestions on the can WARNING Apply spray adhe...

Page 84: ... the Workpiece After adhering the material to sacrificial material or if you are not using sacrificial material you may mount the workpiece on the table using clamps the T Vac or a combination of both USING CLAMPS After the workpiece is adhered to the sacrificial material if used attach the entire workpiece to the router table with work clamps Use all four work clamps to ensure that the workpiece ...

Page 85: ...of a strap clamping nut and nut stud assembly 4 Insert the strap over the stud and thread on the clamping nut before clamping the material 5 Position the work clamp on the edge of the workpiece 6 Hand tighten the work clamp by hand Note Over tightening the clamps can bend them making them less effective 7 Slew the router motor and tool over the workpiece Note The descriptions of drawing and cuttin...

Page 86: ...hesives With certain materials you may wish to use sacrificial material T Vac is not recommended for use with very small workpieces very thick or porous materials or materials with irregular surfaces CAUTION IT IS ADVISABLE TO USE CLAMPS IN ADDITION TO T VAC VACUUM HOLD DOWN IF THE WORKPIECE IS THICK OR THE JOB IS LARGE TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL WORKPIECE MOVEMENT IF THE VACUUM IS INTERRUPTED ...

Page 87: ...lean USING BOTH CLAMPS AND T VAC For large jobs it is advisable to also clamp the workpiece to prevent movement if a power outage or other condition interrupts the vacuum Using the Chip Removal System Use the Chip Removal System when cutting plastic Styrofoam and wood Disconnect the removal system when pen plotting or cutting metals such as aluminum or brass CAUTION The Chip Removal System cannot ...

Page 88: ...e foot has a removable pad that rests on the workpiece and slides smoothly over it during cutting operations The tool extends through an opening in the pressure foot pad Two pads are supplied one with a 1 5 38 mm diameter opening for normal use and one with a 0 4 10 mm diameter opening for cutting very small pieces without risk of pulling the piece off the table and into the vacuum To install the ...

Page 89: ... pad screw holes with the holes on the pressure foot 2 Replace the screws and tighten just enough to compress the cushion slightly A thread locking compound should be used Loctite Thread Locker is recommended 3 Replace the pressure foot window 4 Replace the screws and tighten ...

Page 90: ...or and set the air pressure at 20 40 psi as indicated on the mist coolant air pressure gage To increase air pressure turn the air pressure regulator clockwise To decrease air pressure turn the air pressure regulator counterclockwise 2 Remove the brass filler plug using a flat head screwdriver and fill the reservoir with Gerber Cool coolant The reservoir should remain full to assure proper lubricat...

Page 91: ...y turning the drip regulator on the top of the coolant reservoir To increase the drip rate turn the regulator counterclockwise To decrease the drip rate turn the regulator clockwise Using the Step Height Gage The step height gage enhances the depth accuracy of the Dimension 200 When working with a milled table surface you can set the depth of cut so precisely that masked materials such as acrylic ...

Page 92: ...t and poor results 2 Using the arrow keys position the tool over the step on the gage marked with the thickness of the material to be cut Note The actual step height is larger than the thickness marked Do not use the step height gage as a measuring device 3 Press Z INIT on the ARC station Turn the Z axis ways knob until the tool just touches the appropriate gage step CAUTION Excessive pressure wil...

Page 93: ...he step height selected on the step height gage This will leave the bottom mask layer intact Decimal equivalents of step heights are shown below Step Decimal Equivalent 1 16 063 1 8 125 3 16 188 1 4 250 5 16 313 3 8 375 7 16 438 1 2 500 9 16 563 5 8 625 11 16 688 3 4 750 13 16 813 7 8 875 15 16 938 1 1 000 ...

Page 94: ......

Page 95: ...uipment can significantly reduce the likelihood of major problems Router maintenance is based on daily inspection of the equipment and daily and weekly cleaning procedures Daily and weekly inspections of the router are recommended to help establish a cleaning schedule appropriate to the environment Use the charts provided as inspection guidelines ...

Page 96: ...buildup Mist coolant tank Coolant level T Vac filter Debris buildup Electrical box air filter Debris buildup Cleaning Recommendations WARNING BEFORE PERFORMING ANY CLEANING PROCEDURE TURN OFF THE ROUTER MOTOR AND UNPLUG THE ELECTRICAL BOX FROM ITS POWER SOURCE DAILY CLEANING Use the daily inspection to help establish a cleaning schedule that is appropriate for the router environment The daily clea...

Page 97: ...llowing tools and supplies are recommended for the cleaning procedures Shop vacuum Lint free cloth Hand broom 1 25 mm nylon or natural bristle brush 2 5 mm and 4 mm hex head wrenches Light machine oil Daily Cleaning Y AXIS WAYS The Y axis ways are the shafts on which the beam moves There is one Y axis way on each side of the work table running the length of work table 1 Locate the Y axis ways 2 Cl...

Page 98: ...X AXIS WAYS The X axis ways are the shafts located on the beam on which the router motor carriage moves To clean the X axis ways 1 Locate the two X axis ways 2 Clean the X axis ways by wiping them with a lint free cloth ...

Page 99: ...om to clean the router table surface after each operation brushing away the chips from around the router motor and the work table 2 Use the lint free cloth to wipe the table clean MIST COOLANT The Mist Coolant System requires two maintenance procedures checking the mist coolant fluid level and cleaning the mist coolant nozzle To check the mist coolant 1 Regularly check the mist coolant tank to ens...

Page 100: ...AXIS WAYS 1 Locate the Z axis ways on either side of the router motor 2 Lower the router motor to its lowest position by turning the Z axis adjustment knob 3 Clean and oil the upper part of the Z axis ways 4 Use a lint free cloth to clean the way 5 Lightly oil the Z axis way with light machine oil 6 After cleaning the upper part of the Z ways raise the router motor to its highest position by turni...

Page 101: ... air filter is located on the electrical box In harsh environments the air filter may need more frequent cleaning than recommended 1 Turn OFF the main power switch and unplug the electrical box from its power source 2 Snap off the air filter cover from the front of the electrical box 3 Remove the air filter from the cover 4 Vacuum thoroughly to remove any dust or debris 5 Return the air filter to ...

Page 102: ... 1 Use a lithium based NLGI grade 2 grease such as Optimal Longtime PD2 or Leuber Isoflex LDS 18 Special A CAUTION Before lubricating the bearings clean the grease nipples carefully to prevent dust or dirt from entering the motor 2 Lubricate each bearing with 2 grams of grease CAUTION Do not over lubricate Over lubrication will cause excessive heat build up 3 Weekly clean and grease the cams with ...

Page 103: ...83 using 83 vacuum shroud 19 with mat milling 72 Clamps 81 82 Cleaning air filter 97 daily 92 lead screws 94 mist coolant tank and nozzle 95 supplies 93 weekly 96 work table 93 X and Y axis ways 97 Z axis ways 96 Collets 68 Coolant 86 Customer Support 2 Cutting 82 Cutting tools 67 D Daily cleaning 92 Daily inspection 92 Default settings 61 Depth of cut 87 89 Diagnostics 66 power up 23 DISPLAY 60 D...

Page 104: ... foot 84 router 15 router motor 65 Speed Controller 30 T Vac Vacuum System 28 J Job boundaries 56 Job Home Position 37 53 56 L Language 60 Lead screws 92 94 Low tack tape 79 M Main power switch 38 Mat milling data 72 Material selection 77 Menu Select mode 48 Menu selection Absolute X Y 52 Default 61 Display 60 Feed Rate 57 Motor Delay 59 Return Home 57 Set Job Home 53 Test 59 Metals 77 78 Mist coo...

Page 105: ...65 Router motor power switch 38 Router stand 3 S Sacrificial material 78 81 Safety guidelines 33 Select key 51 Slew 42 81 Speed controller 4 6 installation 30 Speed Controller System 31 Spindle speed 31 Spray adhesive 79 Start Job 44 Start Mode 43 48 Start position 37 Start Ready 43 step height gage 49 87 89 step heights decimal equivalents 89 Stop Job 45 Stop Mode 44 Stop Ready 45 Styrofoam 79 T ...

Page 106: ...ork clamps 81 Work Space 3 Workpiece attachment 78 mounting 81 using double sided tape 80 using spray adhesive 80 using tape 79 X X axis 35 X axis ways 97 cleaning 94 X Y Z Axes 35 Y Y axis 35 Y axis ways 97 cleaning 93 Z Z axis 35 36 49 64 Initializing 36 38 46 49 88 Z axis ways cleaning 96 Z INIT 36 49 ...

Page 107: ...Kit Contents 9 ROUTER STAND ASSEMBLY 11 Assemble the Leg Assembly 11 Assemble the Stand 13 Mount the Router Table on the Stand 13 Level the Stand and Router Table 13 ROUTER INSTALLATION PROCEDURE 15 Before You Begin 15 Connect Power Supply to ARC Station 16 Connect Router Table to ARC Station 16 Connect Electrical Box to ARC Station 16 Connect Electrical Box to Router Table 17 Connect Chip Removal...

Page 108: ...ew 37 X Y Z Axes 37 Z Axis 38 Job Home Position 39 Power Switch 40 ARC Station 41 Front Panel 42 Power Up Tests 43 Function Keys 44 START STOP 45 RESET 50 Z INIT 51 ENTER 52 SELECT 52 Using Select 53 Absolute X Y 54 Set Job Home 55 Job Home Position and Job Boundaries 58 Return Home 59 Feed Rate 59 Motor Delay 61 Test 61 Display 62 Default 63 SYSTEM PREPARATION AND USE 65 Preliminary Preparation 6...

Page 109: ...Using Tape 83 Using Spray Adhesive 83 Mounting the Workpiece 84 Using Clamps 84 Using T Vac Vacuum Hold Down 86 Using Both Clamps And T Vac 87 Using the Chip Removal System 87 Pressure Foot and Pressure Foot Pad 88 Using the Mist Coolant System 90 Using the Step Height Gage 91 Unlock and Initialize the Z Axis 92 Depth of Cut 93 CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE 95 Daily Inspection 96 Cleaning Recommendatio...

Page 110: ...Weekly Cleaning 100 Z Axis Ways 100 X and Y Axis Ways 101 Electrical Box Air Filter 101 Router Motor Lubrication 102 ...

Page 111: ......

Search results

Summary of Contents for Dimension 200

Reviews:

Brands by name

Popular brands

Gerber Dimension 200, Manual

Search results

Summary of Contents for Dimension 200

Reviews:

Brands by name

Popular brands