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Skinnedrabbit · Post by **Skinnedrabbit** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 5:42 pm

I'm using a hypertherm 45 .after reading some posts , would I be right in thinking that a bigger machine will cut squarer through say a 10 mm plate than my 45 . Also 95% of my stuff is stainless . Will nitrogen improve the cuts .
Thanks in advance , bob

Post by **jimcolt** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:33 pm

Your Powermax45 will cut squarer than any other air plasma system on plate up through 12.5 mm (1/2"). I use a Powermax85 on one of my cnc machines.....when I want the best cut edge angularity on 10 mm (3/8") I use the 45 amp nozzle ....and it cuts just like my old Powermax45. If I need parts faster....and can live with a little more angle....then I can use 85 amps...even on thin plate.

Air (because it has a 20% oxygen content...most of the rest is nitrogen) cuts steel far better than straight nitrogen. On stainless and aluminum...air cuts with less dross...but a bit more edge contamination.

If you are not getting good square cuts with your 45....tell us what equipment you are using and we will help you dial it in!

Jim Colt Hypertherm

hondafreak08 · Post by **hondafreak08** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:49 pm

Hey Jim I've always had a decent bevel on any metal.. / \ shape... Always used exact hypertherm settings.. Cut some .188 today. The edge quality was really nice but I can't shake this approximate 15degree bevel. Will the upgraded height control eliminate this

Largemouthlou · Post by **Largemouthlou** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:08 am

Have you done any "dry run testing" with the tourch off and checked for the .060 cutting distance above material?
Then with torch on and thc off check to see where the volts are at the .060 torch height?

If you always have bevel more then likely your cutting to high or to low,, mostly to high

Post by **cnchybrid** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:11 pm

I agree and also make sure you torch is square to your material. I find that to be a big problem when I'm out servicing machines. Cut Height is also a major factor as well as worn out consumables.

Post by **jimcolt** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:48 pm

I'm not so sure I could ever make my 45 cut as bad as 15 degree bevel on 3/16" material! I would expect a bevel (if it is stainless) of about 5 to 6 degrees, and if steel about 3 to 4 degrees.

If you have a bevel of 15 degrees on 3/16" I would suspect that your cut height is way too high....or maybe you are using the drag cut shield with a standoff as well. The drag cut shield is designed for hand cutting with the torch riding on the material. The machine torch shield is designed to provide the proper arc length with the a standoff (specs are in the manual for all thicknesses).

If you have a widely varying bevel around the perimeter of your cuts...then either the torch is not perpendicular to the plate...or you have a damaged nozzle, shield, swirl ring or retaining cap.

Picture is of "as cut" 3/16" (.188") 304 stainless using air at book specs on a Powermax45

Jim Colt

hondafreak08 wrote:Hey Jim I've always had a decent bevel on any metal.. / \ shape... Always used exact hypertherm settings.. Cut some .188 today. The edge quality was really nice but I can't shake this approximate 15degree bevel. Will the upgraded height control eliminate this

hondafreak08 · Post by **hondafreak08** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:41 pm

I have a plasma cam with the basic height control .. I was checking the box that says something along the lines of "autozero arc voltage on next cut"..
This is what plasmacam was telling me to do.
I measured my cut height and it was about .100 so that helped a lot.

would buying the advanced height control reallu help with my cut quality or just ease of use

Post by **jimcolt** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:57 pm

In my opinion the Advanced Height Control option on the PlasmaCam machines is a necessary option. It dramatically improves cut quality as well as consumable life by calibrating the physical torch height / arc voltage relationship at the beginning of every cut cycle. The proper cut height for most Hypertherm air plasma (Powermax) cutting processes is .060"...if you cut at .100" expect excess bevel, dross and warpage.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

hondafreak08 wrote:I have a plasma cam with the basic height control .. I was checking the box that says something along the lines of "autozero arc voltage on next cut"..
This is what plasmacam was telling me to do.
I measured my cut height and it was about .100 so that helped a lot.

would buying the advanced height control reallu help with my cut quality or just ease of use

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