Ricoma MT-1502 User manual

MT-1502 MULTI-HEAD
QUICK START GUIDE:
RICOMA INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
3450 NW 114th Ave., Miami, FL 33178
Telephone: [phone] | Toll Free: 1-888-292-6282
Fax: [phone] | Email: [email protected]
www.ricoma.us
Copyright 2017 Ricoma International Corporation
All rights reserved

Ricoma Quick Start Guide2
LEVELING THE MACHINE 06
POWER CORD CONNECTION 07
SECURITY LOCK 07
THREAD RACK, PANEL AND EMERGENCY STOP 08
Raising the thread rack 08
Adjusting the position of the panel 08
Emergency stop button 09
THREADING 09
Initial threading 09
How to replace a spool 11
Threading sequence 12
Knot tying 15
THREAD BREAK TROUBLESHOOTING 15
ADJUSTING THE TIMING OF A NEEDLE AND HOOK 16
REASONS WHY THREAD BREAKS OCCUR 16
The garment or fabric 16
The embroidery design 17
Thread break prevention 17
NEEDLES 17
Anatomy of the needle 17
How long do needles last? 18
How do I know when to change a needle? 18
Why do needles break? 18
Changing a needle 18
Selecting a needle 19
BLADE SIZES 20
Size 75/11 20
Size 70/10 20
Size 65/9 or 60/8 20
Size 80/12 20
Size 90/14 20
 Needlenishes         20
Types of needlepoints 21
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEEDLE AND THREAD 22
THE BOBBIN 22
Spun 23
Filament 23
Magna glide bobbins 23
INSERTING THE BOBBIN 24
TENSION 25
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ricoma Quick Start Guide 3
Spring lever 25
Bobbin tension 26
Adjusting the bobbin tension. 26
Adjusting the top thread tension 27
BOBBIN FIBER CHOICES 29
Cotton 29
Nylon 29
 Continuouslamentpolyester       29
Spun polyester 29
TOP THREAD 30
Fiber choices 30
Rayon thread 30
Polyester thread 30
Metallic thread 31
Cotton thread 31
Thread consumption 32
BACKING 32
Cut-away 33
Tear-away 34
Specialty backings 34
Topping 34
Foam 34
Poly mesh backing 34
Fusible backing 35
BACKING AND NEEDLE RECOMMENDATIONS 35
Canvas 35
Canton fleece 35
Coated or waterproof fabrics 35
Corduroy 35
Cotton sheeting 35
Denim 35
Dress shirt (woven) 36
Golf shirt 36
Headwear 36
Leather and vinyl 36
Lingerie or silk 36
Lycra or spandex 36
Nylon windbreaker 36
Satin jacket 36
Sweater knit 37

Ricoma Quick Start Guide4
Sweatshirt 37
T-shirt 37
Terry cloth 37
HOOPS AND BRACKETS 37
HOW TO ATTACH THE FLAT FRAME BRACKETS 38
HOW TO REMOVE THE FLAT FRAME BRACKETS 39
HOW TO INSERT THE HOOP INTO THE MACHINE 40
HOW TO REMOVE THE HOOP FROM THE MACHINE 40
HOW TO HOOP AND HOOPING RECOMMENDATIONS 41
HOOPING A POLO OR GOLF SHIRT 43
HOOPING A HOODIE OR JACKET 44
HOOPING PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 45
Beach towels 45
Bath towels 45
Hand towels 45
Fingertip towels 45
Washcloths 45
Napkins 45
Pillowcases 45
Sheets 45
Robes – Men’s 45
Robes – Women’s 45
HOOPING CAPS 46
Hooping the front or sides of a cap 46
Hooping the back of the cap using a round hoop 47
HOW TO INSTALL THE CAP DRIVER 48
HOW TO REMOVE THE CAP DRIVER 49
HOW TO INSTALL THE EXTENDED TABLE 49
ATTACHING THE SASH FRAME 51
OPERATING SPEEDS FOR FLATS AND CAPS 52
OPERATION PANEL AND KEY FUNCTION INTRODUCTION 53
NETWORK CONNECTION 55
HOW TO UPLOAD A DESIGN 55
DELETING A DESIGN FROM THE MACHINE’S MEMORY 56
EXPORTING A DESIGN FROM THE MACHINE’S MEMORY 57
EMBROIDERY STATUS SWITCHING 57
DESIGN SET PARAMETERS 59
PARAMETER RANGES AND FUNCTIONS 59
SELECTING THE PRESET HOOPS ON YOUR MACHINE 62
TRACING THE EMBROIDERY AREA 63
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ricoma Quick Start Guide 5
CONTOURED TRACING 63
EMBROIDERY PARAMETERS 63
COMPREHENSIVE MENU SETTINGS 63
RETURN TO ORIGIN (STARTING POINT) 64
FRAME OFFSET HOOP OPERATION 64
GO TO ENDPOINT 64
NEEDLE SWITCH DISPLAY/WORKING NEEDLE 64
SET COLOR SEQUENCE 65
SET COLOR CHANGING SEQUENCES 65
APPLIQUE OFFSET, LOW SPEED EMBROIDERING AND NEEDLE BAR PLACEMENT 66
CHANGE WORKING MODE 67
EMBROIDERING MODE SWITCHING– FLOATING MODE 67
OPERATION OF RETURNING TO EMBROIDERING POINT IN POWER FAILURE 68
EMBROIDERY RUNNING SPEED STATUS 69
ON-BOARD LETTERING 69
MANUAL TRIMMING 71
START AND STOP EMBROIDERING 71
MACHINE HEAD INDICATOR LIGHTS 71
HOW TO REWIND YOUR DESIGN 72
EMBROIDERY PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH 72
1. Exit work status 72
2. Select a design 72
3. Select a hoop 73
4. Select the color sequence 73
5. Trace your design 74
6. Press start 74
CAP OPERATION 74
CAP SELECTION 75
CAP FRAMING 75
CAP SEWING TECHNIQUES 75
CAP PROGRAMMING 76
LUBRICATION 76
CARE OF THE BOBBIN CASE 79
COMMON ERRORS 79
Emergency stop error 79
Needle error / color change error 80
Main axis error 80
Resolving a thread break 81
Bobbin runs out 81

Ricoma Quick Start Guide6
Leveling your embroidery machine is essential, as
this step will ensure your machine is secured into
place. Skipping this step may result in injury, loss of
registration of your design, movement of the machine
while sewing, and other issues.
Before leveling your machine, make sure the four
level pegs are attached to the stand legs. You will nd
these pegs inside your accessory box. See Figure 1.
To attach the level pegs, insert the holding screws
on each of the stand legs, and rotate each screw
clockwise. Then, secure the hex nut using the black
wrench included in your toolkit.
To level your machine, take all four level pegs on your
machine stand and rotate them counterclockwise by
hand until they reach the oor. Once the pegs have
reached the oor, rotate each nut clockwise using the
provided wrench. Do NOT skip this important step, as
this will to ensure the pegs are xed to the ground.
Once you have tightened all four pegs, the wheels on
the machine’s stand will lift, immobilizing the stand.
Last, conrm the stand is secure. If it is no longer
able to move with the wheels, you have correctly
completed this step. See Figure 2.
LEVELING THE MACHINE
Figure 2
Figure 1

Ricoma Quick Start Guide 7
TURNING ON YOUR MACHINE
–POWER CORD CONNECTION
SECURITY LOCK
The power socket is located on the right side of the machine’s body.
Connect your power cord into the socket displayed in Figure 3. Then,
plug the power cord into a power outlet.
We highly recommend using a power supply (surge protector) rather
than connecting the cord directly into the wall.
The power switch can be found above the power socket. The switch
displays a circle (O) and a line (—). (O) indicates the machine is off
and (—) indicates the machine is on.
The Ethernet cable socket is located to the left of the power cord
connection. See Figure 3.
Your Ricoma MT-1502 may have a security lock in between the machine heads. Before operating your
machine, be sure to remove this lock. See Figure 4.
To locate the security lock, remove the metal cover displayed in Figure 5. The cover is attached to two
magnetic locks. To remove the cover, simply slide it off. To remove the security lock, loosen its screws
using an Allen wrench. You will nd a set of Allen wrenches in your toolkit. Once the security lock is
removed, return the metal cover to its original position.
Figure 3
Figure 5Figure 4
Ethernet cable

Ricoma Quick Start Guide8
THREAD RACK, PANEL
AND EMERGENCY STOP
Adjusting the position of the panel
Raising the thread rack
Before threading your machine, you must rst raise the thread rack. See Figure 6. To do so, locate the
knob on each side of the thread rack support. See Figure 7. Rotate each knob counterclockwise to
loosen them. Now, lift the thread rack as far up as possible, making sure both sides of the rack remain
even as it rises. Last, rotate each knob clockwise to secure the rack into place.
First, be sure to remove the plastic wrap that
protects the panel. After removing it, you will nd
two Phillip screws, which will allow you to adjust
the placement of the panel. Your touch-screen
panel can be adjusted in two ways: up and down
or from side to side. To adjust the panel, use the
Phillip screw driver included in your tool box.
To move the panel from side to side, loosen the
screw with the adjustment path located on top of
the panel arm. See Figure 8. Then, adjust the panel
assembly until it’s facing the desired position.
Next, tighten the screw.
To move the panel up or down, loosen the screw
with the adjustment path located on the side of
the panel arm. See Figure 8. Next, adjust the panel
assembly until it’s facing the desired position.
Last, tighten the screw.
TIP:
If possible, raise
the thread rack on
both sides while
adjusting it. This
will ensure it is
positioned evenly.
Figure 6 Figure 7
Figure 8
KEEP IN MIND:
This step is important, as you need to position
the panel away from the machine head in order
to avoid the head hitting the panel when it
moves to the far right.

Ricoma Quick Start Guide 9
THREADING
Emergency stop button
Initial threading
The thread tubes will be used during the threading process. See Figure 10. These tubes will carry the
thread from the thread rack to the machine’s head. Before threading your machine, make sure these
tubes are in place. Attach one end of the tube to the slot just below the top thread tension knob. Attach
the other end of the tube to the slot on the machine’s head.
You may nd it easiest to work from the center out. Guide yourself by counting the slots on the top and
bottom to make sure you are attaching the tubes to their corresponding slots. The rst slot on the top
should go with the rst slot on the bottom and so forth. Refer to Figure 11.
In case of an emergency, press the emergency
stop button located on top right side of the panel.
Then, rotate the knob clockwise following its
directional arrows. The knob will then release, and
the machine will stop.
Figure 9
Figure 10 Figure 11
Figure 12
Your welcome kit contains two boxes of embroidery thread.
You will need 15 spools of thread for each of the machine’s
heads. See Figure 12.
If you haven’t done so yet, remove the wrappers on the provided
thread spools.

Ricoma Quick Start Guide10
To release the tail of the thread, unsnap the base of
the cone, and unwind until the thread is completely
out of the base.
Before positioning the spools, refer to Figure 13 to
view which thread spool pin corresponds with each
needle.
To begin threading your machine, snap each thread
spool onto the spool pins. The spool pins are the
15 pins secured with grey foam and a clear plastic
reel behind each of the machine heads. Do not get
confused with the 3 pins on each of the far ends, which
are for storing bobbin thread for easy reach when you
are replacing your bobbin. See Figure 14.
Beforethreading,youshouldbefamiliarwiththethread
path. The back row of thread will be threaded through
the back metal rack. The middle row of threads will
be threaded through the middle metal rack. And the
front row of threads will be threaded through the front
metal rack. See Figure 15-A and 15-B.
Figure 13
Figure 14
Figure 15-A Figure 15-B
TIP: It is best practice to allow enough room to walk
behind your machine. That way, you can place the
colors that you will use the most on the front row.
This will allow you to tie new threads to old threads
on the back rows while the machine is running.