KNK Zing Orbit Frequently Asked Questions

Specs

Q. What are the overall dimensions and weight of the Zing Orbit?
A. The 15” Zing Orbit is 26.5” (673 mm) wide, 6.8” (173 mm) high, and 5.75” (146 mm cm) deep. It weighs 21.2 lbs (9.6 kg). The 24” Zing Orbit is 35.5” (902 mm) wide, 6.8” (173 mm) high, and 5.75” (146mm) deep. It weighs 27.6 lbs (12.5 kg).

Q. Is the Zing Orbit made of plastic or metal?
A. The Zing Orbit components are almost entirely made of metal. It has very few plastic parts.

Q. How does the Zing Orbit compare to other KNK models?
A. There are comparison charts available here: KNK Comparisons

Q. What is the maximum cutting width and length of materials in the Zing Orbit?
A. The maximum possible cutting width is 15” (381 mm) on the 15” model and 24” (610 mm) on the 24” model. There is no theoretical maximum cutting length. The mat that ships with the Zing Orbit is 15” in length and you can purchase a longer Zing Orbit mat that is 24” in length. But you can also cut longer materials that have a backing sheet, such as vinyl.

Q. What is the maximum width of material that can be loaded?
A. The materials need to be ~19.5” (495 mm) or narrower on the 15” ZO and ~ 28” (711 mm) or narrower on the 24” ZO.

Q. What is the minimum width of material that can be loaded?
A. If a cutting mat is not being used, the material needs to be ~ 4 inches (102 mm) wide to be gripped by two of the pinch wheels.

Q. Can the Zing Orbit handle roll feed?
A. Yes. The Zing Orbit can cut rolled materials.

Q. What is the maximum thickness that can be fed with and without a mat, under the rollers?
A. The thickness is actually based on the blade length which is ~2 mm or 0.08”. Whether or not a material can cut is also based on the density of the material. For example, one can cut 0.08” craft foam but not 0.08” acrylic.

Q. What is the length of the included power cord?
A. ~ 10 feet (305 cm)

Q. Is the power cord a 3 pronged power cord?
A. Yes. A UL certified power supply is also included. There are three power cord types: one for US and Canadian customers, one for Australian customers, and one for UK customers. For other customers, an inexpensive adaptor may be needed, depending on the country.

Q. What is the length of the included USB cable?
A. 5 feet (152 cm)

Q. What is the size of the mat that is included?
A. The mat that ships with the Zing Orbit is 16” x 18” with a printed grid of 15” x 15”.

Q. What is the resolution of the cutter, how delicate can it cut on, say, vinyl?
A. There is no quantitative measurement available. However, testing has indicated that the ability to cut tiny lettering is better than ever. Upper case Arial letters have been cut at 1/16” (1.6 mm) in height. The minimum height achievable on the prior Zing Air model was ~ ¼” (6.4 mm) in height.

Q. How noisy is the Zing Orbit?
A. The Zing Orbit noise level testing indicated that the Zing Orbit’s loudness measured at 60 – 70 decibels which is equivalent to a normal conversation at 3 – 5 feet away.

Q. Is the Zing Orbit wireless-capable?
A. Yes. The new Zing Orbit models can connect either in a stand-alone mode with your wireless computer or connect to your home or office router.

Q. What software programs work with the Zing Orbit?
A. The KNK Zing Orbit cuts from Sure Cuts A Lot 4 (sold separately). It can also cut in limited functionality (USB connection and no print and cut applications) from Make The Cut (MTC).

Q. Why is no software included with the Zing Orbit?
A. Because so many of our customers are already owners of either SCAL4 or MTC, we felt that keeping the Zing Orbit cost lower by not including software made more sense. Note that when someone buys a Zing Orbit from KNK USA, they can purchase SCAL4 at a discounted price at the same time.

Q. How much does shipping cost for the Zing Orbit?
A. The shipping is free within the 48 contiguous US states, within Canada (http://klicnkut.ca/), and within the UK (klic-n-kut.co.uk). For all other shipping, please contact sales@knkusa.com or call: 800-268-3672.

Q. In what states will sales tax be charged?
A. Sales tax is charged if the Zing Orbit is shipped to a Florida address. Also, sales tax will be charged if your Zing Orbit dealer lives in the same state that you do.

Q. What is the warranty?
A. 1 year parts and labor

Q. What comes in the box?
A. KNK Zing Orbit cutting machine, 1 cutting mat, 1 Zing Orbit blade holder, 1 regular materials blade, 1 thick materials blade, 1 test pen, 2 test pen inserts, power cord, USB cable, and a calibration pin for PNC.

Q. Is there a manual?
A. The KNK Zing Orbit with MTC User Manual is available on-line. Because of on-going updates to SCAL4 and the high cost of printing, there is no printed version available. Instead, the on-line manual is interactive, with links to videos and the ability to download, print pages you need, and search on any word.

Accessories

Q. What are the available Zing Orbit accessories?
A. To view currently available blades and accessories, click on these links: Zing Orbit Accessories and Zing Orbit Blades.

Q. Is there a stand available for the Zing Orbit?
A. Yes. It is available at the accessories link in the prior answer.

Q. Is there a roll feed attachment/mount etc. available?
A. A roll feed attachment is part of the stand mentioned in the prior question.

Q. Are tables/extensions available for the Zing Orbit?
A. The 24” Zing Orbit comes with front and back tables which screw onto the cutter. The tables for the 15” Zing Orbit are sold separately at the accessories link: Zing Orbit Accessories

Q. What other mats are available?
A. Other mats include the longer 14.75” x 27” mat with a printed grid of 14” x 24” and a 14” x 16.5” mat with a printed grid of 12” x 12”. Note that both of these mats come in regular and extra sticky surfaces.

Q. What are the differences in the three blade holders?
A. The only difference is the color of the holder. Some users prefer to have separate holders for the different blade types and the colors were chosen to match the cap colors of the three blades. But any of the Zing Orbit blades will work in any of the three different colored holders.

Q. What type of blades work with the Zing Orbit?
A. The Zing Orbit blade holder uses its own blades made from tungsten carbide and other brands will not fit. Zing Orbit owners can, however, use other brands of blade holders in the Zing Orbit, if desired.

Q. What kinds/diameters/lengths of pens/tools fit the pen inserts?
A. The blade holder seat will fit pens from ~.35” (9 mm) to 0.83” (21 mm) in diameter.

Q. How much are replacement mats and blades?
A. The standard replacement mats are sold for $15.99 USD each. The replacement blades are $8.99 USD each.

Q. Is it necessary to purchase a fabric blade to cut fabric?
A. If the material has been stabilized first and intricate cuts are not required, then the fabric blade is not necessary. But the quality of the cutting is greatly enhanced by using the fabric blade (e.g. the points on a 5 point star will be sharper with less fraying). Also, with the fabric blade, many fabrics can be pressed to an enhanced sticky mat and cut without having a stabilizer applied.

Operational

Q. Are there any demo videos of the Zing Orbit?
A. Here’s a link to a list of current videos which demo the KNK Zing Orbit: Zing Orbit Demo Videos

Q. What about vibration (does it need to be on a sturdy table or will card table suffice)?
A. The Zing Orbit can be used on fold-out tables. Just make sure the table or stand is stable and will not tip over easily.

Q. How accurate is WYSIWYG cutting without registration marks and can it be calibrated?
A. Theoretically, if the printout is aligned perfectly straight on the mat and the mat is straight in the machine, then very accurate cutting could be obtained using WYSIWYG cutting. However, the accuracy of the printer used to print the image to be cut is the limiting factor in the WYSIWYG method. That’s why using the automatic registration tracking is recommended, as it will take into account the inaccuracy of the owner’s printer and yield precise results.

Q. How is the automatic registration tracking different from the laser light on the prior Zing models?
A. In the laser light alignment process, the light moves to within about ¼” of each reg mark and the user must then use arrow keys on the keyboard to line up the light perfectly. With the automatic registration tracking on the Zing Orbit, the user lines up the blade holder ~ over the first registration mark and then an optic eye automatically scans and locates the other three registration marks.

Q. How do you cut from scraps of vinyl or colored papers loaded on the mat?
A. Yes! There are two methods available. You can reset the origin to the corner of each scrap after the cut or you can arrange the scraps on the mat to match up with the locations of the shapes on the screen in the software.

Q. Is there a minimum size suggested for paper on the mat?
A. Not really. As long as the mat is sticky enough to hold the paper in place, you could cut a 1/8” (3 mm) shape from a ¼” (6 mm) scrap, if needed.

Q. Where do I go for help with my Zing Orbit, if I need it?
A. Your Zing Orbit dealer is your first line of support. All dealers have signed contracts agreeing to provide basic hardware and software support. If needed, you can also contact KNK USA, using the Contact tab at the web site. We also have a user forum, a very active Facebook group: KNK & Zing Users. There are other support forums, as listed in Section 1.01 of the Zing Orbit User Manual.