How to keep your Summa roll cutter in a good condition

Summa roll cutters are precision instruments that are in need of periodic maintenance to ensure their high-level performance. Especially if you use your Summa roll cutter intensively, we recommend cleaning the cutter regularly. This will not only improve the performance of the cutter but will also ensure that its service life is extended.

Do the quick health check:

  • Does the cutting strip show wear?
  • Are the pinch rollers clean?
  • Did the drive drum collect any dirt?
  • Is there glue on the base plate?

In the event that any of the above issues occur, it is recommended that they be rectified before starting to cut the job.

What can you do to keep your cutter in a good condition? Below are a few tips to help you on your way, so you can rely on top-notch cutting performance that is optimally to process many fine creations. This article applies to all the Summa roll cutter models of the S Class 2 Series, S One Series and former SummaCut Series.

  1. Choose a good location for the cutter

    • Make sure the cutter is placed on a flat, stable and level surface.
    • Avoid direct sunlight on your cutter.
    • Do not place the cutter close to a heater.
    • Make sure the cutter can be accessed from the front to the rear and back.

  2. Have your tools ready for maintenance

    • Soft cloth
    • Cotton swabs
    • Isopropyl alcohol
    • Spanner 13 mm
    • Screwdriver (Philips #0 MT9004)
    • Compressed Air

  3. Maintain the following on a regular basis

    • Lift pinch rollers when the cutter is not used.
    • Clean the pinch rollers with a cloth and some isopropyl alcohol.
    • Clean the drive drum to make sure any dirt or glue does not prevent your cutter from good tracking results.
    • Remove dust from the media sensors with compressed air or a cotton swab.
    • Remove dust from the vacuum fan with compressed air.
    • Keep your cutting quality high and make sure no glue or dirt sticks on the knife holder.
    • Check the wheels of the nose piece and clean with isopropyl alcohol.
    • Also, the guiding rail (Y-axis) collects dirt while the carriage of the cutters moves left and right.
    • Use compressed air to carefully remove dust from the OPOS system.
    • Remove dust from the cam sensor on the cutter head with compressed air.
    • Keep the media sensor front and rear clean from dust with compressed air or a cotton swab.

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4. Ensure high cutting quality and replace these parts when worn out:

After some time, the cutting knife needs to be replaced to keep optimal cutting quality. Check your knives after intensive use. If you notice knives have become blunt, it is time to replace the knife.

  • Watch this video to find out how to replace a knife on a Summa S One and SummaCut roll cutter
  • Watch this video to find out how to replace a knife on a Summa S2 roll cutter
     
    • Replace the cutting strip when it is worn to ensure media is well-supported at all times.
    • If you notice that the pinch rollers are showing signs of wear or that the throughput of the vinyl is unsatisfactory, it is recommended to replace the pinch rollers.
    • Test the wheel on the cut-off mechanism and replace when it does not lower or lift smoothly.
    • Check whether the rubber rings from the media guides are in good condition, replace if necessary.
    • The brake helps the media to run straight into the machine, replace the spring if it loosens break tension.

Additional recommendation

Create a backup of the machine to store all your parameters safely. This backup will help you in case of a configuration issue or if the main board needs to be replaced.

Where to go if you need support?