A flatbed plotter draws graphics and images using pens on a flat vacuum bed with a movable arm. It uses vector graphics and can be up to 50 feet wide. It can also be converted into a cutter. Computer software controls the plotter and plotfiles are used to adjust settings.
A flatbed plotter is a device that uses pens to draw graphics and images, instead of the print heads, nozzles and ink cartridges used in typical printers. Primarily used to produce architectural and engineering drawings, the plotter has a flat vacuum bed or table and a movable arm to accommodate pens. A main pen is also included, as well as a pen cartridge and spare pens. Flatbed plotters use vector graphics to draw and can be up to 50 feet (15.24 meters) wide. A special roller mechanism feeds the paper into the machine, while another rolls the paper after it has been drawn.
The movement is controlled by a robotic arm, or by several of them to suit more sophisticated designs. The paper can be held by clamps, but is often fixed to the surface by an electrostatic charge generated by the system. On large plotters a vacuum system is used, which is activated after the paper has been placed on top of the machine. The beam sits above the table, on which a pen moves along the length, and the beam moves along the length of the flatbed plotter, allowing for movement of the X and Y axes.
The flatbed pen plotter is not designed for text printing, but an inkjet head can be incorporated if text or annotations on the printout are required. It is also possible to change a machine into a flatbed cutter by attaching routing and milling tools to the arm. Materials from cardboard to metal can be cut using this setup.
Computer software is used to control a flatbed plotter. Computer Aided Design (CAD) software can help design what needs to be drawn on the plotter, using a computer. The processor inside most flatbed plotters is programmed using Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL), while General Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC) or IBM Mathematical Formula Translating System (FORTRAN) languages are used to program and operate older models. Most machines have a read-only memory (ROM) that allows the user to program pen and arm movements.
The computer files that contain the data to be plotted are called plotfiles. These files are read by a plotter management program, from which it is possible to adjust the settings of a flatbed plotter. Whatever the format of the file created by the computer, the program converts it into a format known to the plotter. A parallel or serial cable is connected from the computer to the flatbed plotter and data can also be emailed from the CAD systems to plotters in a different location.
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