Step by Step Operation
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© 2015 Vision Engraving Systems
4.4
Profile Cutting
In this section, we will set up to engrave with a standard engraving cutter and cut completely through
engraver's plastic with a cutter/beveler. The cutter/beveler is used to create a contrast on the edge of the
cut material. The figure below shows the Vision VE810 spindle with a rotary cutter/beveler.
Vision VE810 Spindle with Rotary Cutter/Beveler
First, to install the rotating cutter, loosen the set screw on the cutter knob with the supplied cutter
wrench and move the cutter knob to about the mid-point of the cutter tool, then lightly tighten the set
screw. Insert the cutter into the top of spindle and lower it until the cutter knob can be screwed into the
spindle. Tighten the knob COUNTER-CLOCKWISE (when viewed from the top of the spindle) until it is
hand tight.
Then, you must zero the cutter. To do this, you must first turn the micrometer so that the
pointer points to 0. Note - it is helpful to first turn the micrometer to the left (clockwise) until threads just
start to appear on the spindle. This allows for sufficient depth adjustment when turning the micrometer
to the right. Zero the cutter, then set the engraving depth as described in the Rotary Engraving section.
You will then need to set the cutting depth of the cutter/beveler tool.
Setting Cut Depth for Cutter/Beveler Tool - Standard Method
If you have measured the thickness of the material to be cut, you can adjust the micrometer in two
ways - 1) adjust the cutter to cut through the material PLUS 0.001 - 0.003 inches (0.0250 - 0.075 mm).
This method will produce a clean cut of the parts and lightly cut into the sacrificial material underneath,
or 2) adjust the cutter depth to cut through the material MINUS 0.001 - 0.003 inches (0.0250 - 0.075
mm). This will create a "kiss cut" that will leave a very thin amount of material which holds all of the
parts together, then the parts can be snapped apart after removal from the engraver. This second
method is ideal in production environments where part handling is an issue.
Alternate Method For Setting Cut Depth for Cutter/Beveler Tool - "Stacked Material Method"
As an alternate to dialing the micrometer 50 or 60 clicks to set the cut depth on 1/16th inch plastics (or
up to 130 clicks for 1/8th inch material), this second method utilizes a second piece of the same kind
and thickness of material to be cut to set the cut depth. Refer to the below diagram - the material to be
cut is placed on top of the sacrificial material/Multi Mat materials. The material to be cut is held in place
either with double sided tape or by the spreay adhesive/transfer tape method detailed in the Holding
Down Materials section. Then a second piece of material is placed on top of the material to be cut. The
