25
Ioline
GLOSSARY
A
Acceleration - The rate that a signcutter changes the velocity of the carriage
or the vinyl. Acceleration is measured in units of g (1 g = 32.2 ft/s
2
). Higher
acceleration can increase throughput but may degrade cut quality.
Arc - A segment of a circle, also called a curve.
Axis - The geometric guidelines used to place a coordinate. Used to deter-
mine pen or blade paths for signcutters.
B
Blade - Refers to the carbide steel cutting tool used by sign-cutting signcut-
ters. Blades are specified by offset (tip distance from center) and angle (rela-
tive to vinyl). They are designed to work with many different materials.
Blade Bevel - Angle of the vertical cutting edge of a blade. Larger angles help
the blade travel through thicker material that produce more drag between the
blade and the medium.
Blade Offset - The distance the blade tip trails behind the center of the blade.
Blade Steering Arc - The arc followed by the center of the blade as it rotates
around the (fixed) tip. This is used to align the blade in the direction of the
next vector so no tearing occurs.
C
Calendered - Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheeting squeezed between a series
of heated rollers to achieve a small enough thickness for cutting with a sign-
cutter. Calendered film is generally thicker and less expensive than cast vinyl,
but it sometimes tends to shrink or move back to its original thickness.
Cast - Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheeting formed by spreading a molten vinyl
mixture on a carrier sheet or web, and then baking at high temperatures to
remove solvents and fuse the remaining material into a film. Cast film is usu-
ally thinner and more expensive than calendered vinyl.
Control Panel - Panel on the right side of the machine where primary plotter
functions are accessible. Also called the Keypad.
Coordinate - A point that can be referenced by its position on the X or Y axes
of a signcutter. The use of line or arc segments to connect coordinates creates
paths for pens and knives to follow when cutting.
Cut Sheet - A single piece of material that is loaded into the signcutter but is
not pulled from a roll.
D
DM/PL - Programming instructions language used to connect a signcutter
with a computer. DM/PL is used in the plotter drivers of some sign programs.
Drive Shaft - The motor driven shaft that moves material through a friction
feed signcutter. The drive shaft has a rough surface that grips the material.
F
File Name Extensions - In MS-DOS
®
and Windows
®
based programs, the
three letters after the period in a file name. In sign files the three letters denote
a file type, such as the vector and bitmap based Encapsulated Postscript (EPS)
and the vector based Hewlett Packard Graphics Language (PLT).
Flange - The projecting rim around the edge that holds the pen or blade holder
to the tool carriage. The signcutter automatically recognizes when a pen or
blade is installed and changes cutting parameters accordingly.
Font - Refers to the style and width of a particular design of letters, numbers,
and symbols, such as Helvetica Bold or Times Roman.
Force - In cutting, the downward pressure exerted on a pen or blade tip to ease
cutting through materials. Additional force can be added by adjusting the Con-
trol Center Force settings and updating the signcutter. Increasing the force
will darken pen lines or aid in cutting thicker materials like tag board.
Friction feed - Process where the material is fed through a signcutter by plac-
ing it between a motor-driven drive shaft and tensioned pinchwheels.
H
HPGL Setting - The signcutter supports three industry standard signcutter
languages: HPGL 7475, HPGL 7596, and DM/PL. Most design software uses
DM/PL or HPGL 7475 which have a lower left origin. DM/PL cannot be
selected in the Control Center because the signcutter will automatically rec-
ognize it. HPGL 7596 uses a center origin so cutting begins at the center of
the intended cutting area.
I
Idler Wheel - Secondary wheels that help keep wide material flat during cut-
ting.
K
Keypad - Panel on the right side of the machine where primary plotter func-
tions are accessible. Also called the Control Panel.
M
Mil - Thousandths of an inch or milliinches. For example; 75 mils is the same
as .075 inches. 1 mil is equal to .025mm
