Quilt EZ Professional Butler User manual

1

About Butler
Butler is an easy-to-use robotic system that turns your quilting machine into a
Quilting Machine! e servo-controlled system gives you power and function with-
out needing awkward, space-eating computers. For Quilters looking to quilt simple or
complex patterns with perfection. Quilt smoothly, quickly, and eortlessly.
About QuiltEZ
Located in Northern Utah, QuiltEZ was founded with a single goal: to simplify your
life. What started as a friendly favor has now grown into an international company and
a full-edged manufacturer of quilting products. Our products have been designed
in-house and sold under various names and for multiple companies since 2005. Our
growth is a result of you, and our goal remains the same — to provide quilters
everywhere with the products and knowledge that fulll their wants and simplify their
lives.
This Manual
is manual was written to help you understand how to use the features of Butler. e
majority of the manual goes over each button and what it does with a brief descrip-
tion. See Appendix A at the back of this manual for How To tutorials to get started
with your new Butler Robotic System. Be sure to check out support.quiltez.com to see
frequently asked questions, video tutorials, and other helpful information about using
Butler.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
9
10
11
12
13
14
4
5
6
7
8
Butler Overview
Butler Overview Ext
12" Android Tablet
Free motion
Manual Operation
Butler PerfectStich
Butler Home
Set Start
Start Controls
Nest
Nest Ext
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Edit
Move Pattern
Rotate/ Scale
Save Pattern/Mirror
Reverse Start/Undo Redo
Patterns
Patterns Ext
Import/Export
Import/Export Ext
Import/Export Ext
Tag/Remove Patterns
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
Tag/Remove Patterns Ext
Layout
Add Pattern/Remove Pattern
Ajust Pattern box/ Set Quilt Area
Settings
Parmerters
Parmerters Ext
Machine Settings
Machine Settings Ext
Test
Test/Advanced
Information
Bottom Icons
Zoom In / Out
Zoom to Crosshair
Appendix A How To
Appendix A How To Ext
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
Quilt a quad pattern quilt block
Quilt a quad pattern quilt block Ext
Quilt a quad pattern quilt block Ext
Quilt a pantograph pattern quilt block
Quilt a pantograph pattern quilt block Ext
Nest the daisies pantograph pattern
Nest the daisies pantograph pattern Ext
Nest the daisies pantograph pattern Ext
Appendix B Definitions
Appendix C Android Hub
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Table of Contents
Getting to Know Butler
The Black Motor Box
A.
B.
Y-motor pulley
is is used to control the front to back move-
ment of the machine.
X-belt engaging lever
is is used to engage or disengage the white
x-belt. Set the lever to the right when using
robotics, or set it to the le when doing free
motion.
Remote port
C.
e Remote port is used with machines that
do not have QuiltEZ electronics and will
connect directly into the display.
Power Switch
e power switch is used to power the motor
box on or o. Flip the switch in the up posi-
tion for on, or the down position for o.
LED light port/ Heart Beat Light
e light behind this port will blink when
the power is on.
Getting to Know Butler
AB
C
D
E
D.
E.
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Table of Contents
A. X-belt bearing A
Helps keep the x-belt secure.
B. X-belt pulley
is is used to control the le and right
movement of the machine.
C. X-belt bearing B
Helps keep the x-belt secure.
D. Locking arm
e locking arm keeps the x-belt secure when
the locking lever is engaged or releases tension
on the belt when the locking lever is
disengaged for free motion.
E. Power supply port
e power supply port is where the power
cable connects to provide power to the motor
box.
Getting to Know Butler
A
BCD
E
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Table of Contents
The 12” Android Tablet
12”
A
Getting to Know Butler
H. Power/Sleep button
The power/sleep button allows you to put
the display into a low power sleep mode, or
turn the tablet of completely. The tablet
must be powered off last. If it is receiving a
charge from the machine or motor box, it will
power back on and drain the battery.
G. DC 5V
e primary charging source. Connect the
DC cable coming from the hub into this por
t to
charge the system. e tablet will only cha
rge
is powered on if the machine is powered
on for machines
with QuiltEZ electronics, or if the motor
box for robotics only systems.
F. USB port
A micro-USB port. Not used with the
Butler
system. Can be used as an alternative
charging method.
E. Front facing camera
Allows the user to take images. Not used
with the Butler system.
D. Host port
e primary input. Allows information to
come into the tablet. Use this port when
connecting the micro-USB cable comin
g from the hub.
C. Headphone jack
e headphone jack allows you to connect
an external audio device such as a pair of
headphones to listen to the system audio.
B. TF port
The TF port is where you can insert a TF
card
or a micro-SD card for additional storage.
A. Touch screen display
is area of the tablet is where you touch
to interact with objects on the display.
E
B
CD
F
G
H
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Table of Contents
Disengage for Free Motion
In order to start free motion quilting, the
belts will need to be disengaged, or there
will be too much resistance, and free
motion quilting will be more dicult.
In order to disengage the x-belt, move
the locking lever away from the edge of
the motor-box. Pull the large lever back
then simultaneously push the small lever
forward to unlock.
In order to disengage the y-belt, loosen
the wing nuts located on the carriage
bracket.
Once both belts are disengaged the
machine will be ready for free motion
quilting.
Do not forget to reengage the belts
before using the Butler robot again.
Getting to Know Butler
locked position
Unlocked position
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How To
Manual Operation
The machine will move to the start point
after you hit the green checkmark.
You will then cycle the needle on the
machine using the handlebar controls.
Once you are ready tap the green
checkmark to proceed.
Then you will cycle the needle to lock
stiches. Then start your machine using
your handlebars click checkmark and
start stiching.
You will then pull up the bobbin
thread then tap the green checkmark to
proceed.
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Table of Contents
Navigating the Android
Tablet
By default the system will open the
PerfectStitch program automatically.
e escape button and the back arrow
are also locked, so that you do not
accidentally exit your work in progress.
Note: Users with PerfectStitch regulation
will see the PerfectStitch screen upon
startup, while users with robotics only
will see the robot screen (displayed to
the right.)
Getting to know the Android
buttons
Located at the bottom of the screen are
the Android function buttons. ese
icons allow you to navigate the Android
tablet as well as control system volume.
e Back Arrow will exit currently
open programs. is has feature has
been disabled in the PerfectStitch
application to make sure that your work
is not accidentally lost, but will work in
all other applications.
e Android Home icon will
suspend the current application and
take you to the desktop. Work will not be
lost when you suspend PerfectStitch and
return to the desktop. Like with a PC the
desktop is your “home” location. From
here you can access other areas of the
tablet, open applications from shortcut
icons, or brows the web. For more on the
desktop see page 13.
The Android Desktop
Navigating the Android Tablet
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Table of Contents
e Overview icon allows you to see
and manage the open applications. Open
applications appear as minimized square
tiles. If you want to open an application
in the list simply tap on its tile. Holding
your nger over one of these tiles will
allow you to close the application by
selecting “Remove from list” or view the
App info. Conversely you can swipe tiles
o the screen to close them. 10” models
require you to swipe up or down, while
7” models require a le or right swipe to
close applications. 10” models also allow
you to close all applications at once if you
select the Close All icon . It is wise
to manage how many applications you
have open at any given time. Too many
open applications could potentially slow
the system speed. To exit the overview
screen tap anywhere on the screen or
select the Back Arrow or Android Home
icon.
e Volume Decrease button will
bring up the volume control slider. You
can lower the volume of the system
sounds by tapping the Volume Decrease
button until the levels are where you
want, or drag your nger on the slider
to the le.
e Volume Increase button will
bring up the volume control slider.
You can raise the volume of the system
sounds by tapping the Volume Increase
button until the levels are where you
want, or drag your nger on the slider
to the right. Selecting the Advanced
Settings icon will allow you to adjust
the volume of notications. Drag your
nger on the second slider to control the
volume levels for notications.
Navigating the Android Tablet
1 2
3
4
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Table of Contents
e Hide icon will hide the Android
buttons for a full-screen view. Hiding the
Android buttons is not recommended.
If you ever nd that the Android buttons
are missing, simply slide up from the
bottom center of the screen with your
nger to bring them back into view.
Getting to know the Android
desktop
e Android desktop is where you can
access many of the Android’s features
quickly.
A. Tap shortcut icons to open that
application.
B. Tap the Google search bar to start
an instant Internet search in the
Browser.
C. Tap the Application icon to
view all of the applications on the
tablet (located at the top right corner
for 7” models).
D. Slide down from the top right corner
of the screen to gain instant access to
select settings like Wi-Fi or to view
the battery status (Slide up from the
bottom right corner on 7” models).
A
BD
C
D
Slide from the
bottom of the
screen to make
the Android
buttons reappear.
Navigating the Android Tablet
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Table of Contents
Adding a shortcut to the desktop
You may want to add shortcuts of the
applications to the desktop to make
them quicker to access.
1. From the desktop Tap the
Application icon to view all
of the applications on the tablet
(located at the top right corner for 7”
models).
2. Press and hold your nger over the
icon of the application that you wish
to create a shortcut for.
3. Drag your nger where you would
like the icon to be placed on your
desktop.
4. Release the icon to place the shortcut
on the desktop.
Navigating the Android Tablet
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Table of Contents
Connect the Android tablet to
Wi-Fi
Connecting the tablet to Wi-Fi carries
with it many benets such as being
able to connect to the Internet and
download patterns, (Note: only pattern
that are not zipped or compressed can
be downloaded via the tablet) or to
be able to connect directly to support
technicians.
1. From the desktop Tap the
Application icon to view all
of the applications on the tablet
(located at the top right corner for 7”
models).
2. Select the settings application.
3. Make sure that Wi-Fi is set to on.
4. Select your router from the list and
enter the security password for
your Internet (either set yourself or
given to you by your Internet service
provider).
Navigating the Android Tablet
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Table of Contents
Getting to know the Butler
PerfectStitch Program
e le icons are used for main navigation.
e right icons correspond with the currently selected tool on the le.
e bottom icons are always available from any pattern view screen and allow you to
customize how you view what is on the screen.
Bottom Icons
Le
Icons
Right
Icons
A
B
C
A
B
C
Overview of the Screen Layout
Navigating the Android Tablet
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Home
Start and Stop Butler, Set Stitch Regulation, Belt Locks, Nest
Go/Stop
The green Go button will engage
the Butler robot and start following the
pattern.
Select this to trace or stitch the pattern
aer edits have been made.
TheredStopbuttonwillimmediately
stop the pattern and return you to the
pattern display screen.
Select this to stop a currently running
pattern if you need to make changes to
the pattern or settings.
How to trace a pattern (no
stitching)
If you press the Go button when the
Stitch Controller is not highlighted,
then your machine will run the pattern
without stitching.
is can be used to make sure that the
robotics will run the pattern properly
and in the space designated.
How to stitch a pattern
If you press the Go button when the
Stitch Controller is highlighted, then the
stitch regulator will be engaged and the
machine will stitch during the pattern
trace.
A notication asking you to verify that
the needle is in the up position will
appear and display four options.
Go
Stop
Stitch Controller
(Not highlighted)
Note: In order for the robotics to
stitch properly, the proper
Machine Type must be set.
(See Appendix C)
Butler Home
17

Home
Cancel will return you the previous
pattern view screen.
Pattern order will let you set the
order each pattern will be stitched.
(By default, the patterns are stitched
in the order they are added.)
is feature can be used when there
is more than one patten on the quilt
area. When selected Pattern order will
bring up a screen that will allow you to
determine the order
e list on the le displays the order that
the patterns were loaded onto the quilt
area,whilethelistontherightdisplaysthe
new order in which the patterns will run.
Tap a pattern and use the arrows in
the center to move patterns back
and forth between two lists. All will
move all the patterns between lists
in the order that they are displaying.
You have the option to move patterns
from the le to the right in the order
that you want, or you can move all the
patterns to the right list and then use
the up and down arrows on the right
to set the order. Select the pattern
that you want and move it up or
down the list using the up and down
arrows. e order that the patterns
are displayed in from top to bottom is
the sequence in which they will run.
When you have patterns in the order that
you want select the green Go button. If
you change your mind, you can always
use the red X to cancel. Canceling will
keep the current run order.
Tips!
• If you have multiple pattern boxes
you can use the pattern view
icons to show all patterns, or
only those in the currently selected
pattern box.
• Whatever patterns are remaining
in the le list will be added to the
sequence in the order that they are
in following the patterns in the right
list.
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Home
Set Start allows you to set the start
position on the pattern. is is useful if
you need to resume a pattern that has
only been partially stitched, such as a
pattern that had a thread break.
When you select the Set Start button
the screen will display a prompt to
“Move to the desired start point.” is
is the point where you want to start the
machine again. For a thread break it is
recommended to go back over about
three of the last stitches to ensure that
there are no gaps.
When the needle of the machine is over
the location that you wish to start the
pattern again, Select the Green check-
mark to start the pattern. You will be
prompted to pull up the bobbin thread
as if starting from the beginning.
Select the Red X to cancel if needed.
Tips!
• If two lines are very close together on
the screen the machine will pick the
line it thinks it is closer to. Zoom in
to make sure you are on the correct
line.
• Start about three stitches back to
ensure that no gaps are le in your
patterns.
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Home
The green check mark will always
begin the pattern from the start point.
To save time you may want to move
your machine close to the start point so
it does not have to move as far.
Aer you press OK, your machine will
reposition the needle to be over the
start position of the rst pattern on the
pattern box and perform a needle up. A
notication will prompt you to pull up
thebobbinthread.PressCanceltoreturn
to the pattern view, or Press OK to have
themachinebeginfollowingthepattern.
The speed adjustment arrows
allow you to control how quickly the
machine will run the pattern.
While the machine is following the
pattern, you can adjust the speed by
using the up and down arrows on the
right of the screen. e lower the speed,
the slower the system will move.
Be
careful as in some cases moving too fast
can cause thread breaks and irregular
stitches.
During the trace, you may need to stop
your machine. (For example, if you have
a thread break or your bobbin runs out
of thread.)
Pause will stop the machine where
it is without loosing progress in the
stitching.
Start will start the running the
machine again aer being paused.
If you had a thread break, press thread
break and follow the on-screen prompts
to begin where the thread break le o.
For best results, it is recommended to
resume the trace just before the thread
break.
Speed Adjustment Arrows
20

Home
Highlight the stitch controller icon
before selecting the green Go button
to have the machine stitch the patterns
loaded on the display
Selecting the green Go button without
highlighting this icon will have machine
trace the patterns loaded on the display
Stitch Controller
e SPI icon will only display on
machines with QuiltEZ electronics
or PerfectStitch regulation. is gives
you direct control over the stitches per
inch from the tablet interface. SPI can
be changed before the pattern starts,
or while it is paused, but not while it is
running.
SPI
Horizontal Lock will lock the horizontal,
or le and right, movement of the
carriage. is can be used, to help you
draw straight horizontal lines.
Horizontal Lock
Vertical Lock will lock the vertical,
or front and back, movement of the
carriage. is can be used to help you
draw straight vertical lines.
Vertical Lock
Stitch Controller
Horizontal Lock
Vertical Lock
SPI
Tip!
Use locks to help sew the sides of
the quilt.
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Home
Angle lock allows you to set any angle,
out of 360 degrees, that you would like
to lock the machine.
Touch the 0.0°icon to set the angle at
which you desire to lock the movement
of the machine. (Note: negative values
will create inverse degree angles.)
Angle Lock
Nest allows you to nest a pattern below a
stitched pattern on your quilt area. is
involves rolling your quilt to make room
for the new pattern.
How to nest a quilt pattern
1. To nest your pattern, Follow the
on-screen prompts and move your
machine to a point near the bottom
of the pattern, mark the quilt top with
fabric chalk or something similar,
then, with the needle over that mark,
press the green check mark.
2. Once the location has been marked,
roll your quilt. Ensure the marked
point remains on the quiltable area
and does not go up into the roller
bar.
Nest
Angle Lock
Nest
Tip!
Try dropping your needle in the
fabric instead of marking the
nesting point this way the
machine is already at the nesting
point when you roll the quilt.
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