Hypertherm 45XP - Single side bevel

[Kwikvette]

Here is a video on how to check your torch height and the THC voltage setting. May be a different brand but the method is the same.

Thank you for that video. That sums up how we tell people how to set their torch height correctly, with a few things added (specific to the table we run).

I should make a video similar to that as I'm always repeating the how-to's for people in our other group.

[adbuch]

here is a better picture. it shows the bevel effect of either too high or too low, and the sweet spot.

also, based on your bevel flaring out from top of sheet to bottom af sheet, it looks like you may need to lower your cut height after performing a "test line cut" or two as mentioned in my earlier post.

Doug - thanks for sharing that information - should be very helpful to others having similar problems.

David

[adbuch]

Here is a video on how to check your torch height and the THC voltage setting. May be a different brand but the method is the same.

Tom - thanks for sharing that video! My Plasmacam DHC2 table has been pretty good at maintaining the correct cut height. For my Hypertherms - I set the cut height to 0.060" (except when breaking in new FineCuts I set to 0.070" or so for the first several hundred pierces, and then drop it back down to book spec.). One thing that helps is that I always autocalibrate my Z shift and arc voltage shift at the beginning of every cutting session, and sometimes during a session. For Design Edge - the program that runs my table - it's as simple as just checking a few boxes in the height control tab before making the first cut.

David

[acourtjester]

There are some really helpful code writers, writing the different control software for the tables in use. My switching to LinuxCNC I have seen some handy routines there too.

[tinspark]

Sorry if my response is redundant.

Hey Tin, I'll add this -

looks like you got it sorted out! The 45xp is a nice little cutter.

[Kwikvette]

Sorry if my response is redundant.

Hey Tin, I'll add this -

looks like you got it sorted out! The 45xp is a nice little cutter.

Mostly.

Had nothing to do with anything ever mentioned in this thread though

[adbuch]

If you check this posting I have those "0" rings and will send you some for free, the grease is Hi dielectric and can be found in auto supply. storehttps://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=60 ... gs#p227021

Tom - this a great tip and I think got the OP headed in the right direction. My understanding is that he didn't have any replacement O-rings available, but instead applied lubricant to his existing O-rings as your post mentions. My conclusion is that his torch was leaking - probably due to a dry O-ring - and adding the lubricant solved his problem.

David

[acourtjester]

Agreed He has "O" rings on the way, and can buy silicon grease locally for a final correction of the problem.

[Kwikvette]

If you check this posting I have those "0" rings and will send you some for free, the grease is Hi dielectric and can be found in auto supply. storehttps://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=60 ... gs#p227021

Tom - this a great tip and I think got the OP headed in the right direction. My understanding is that he didn't have any replacement O-rings available, but instead applied lubricant to his existing O-rings as your post mentions. My conclusion is that his torch was leaking - probably due to a dry O-ring - and adding the lubricant solved his problem.

David

Correct!

I'm hoping that replacing the smaller o-ring at the port (towards the machine) will help as well.

My o-rings should arrive later this week. Once they do, I will replace them and lube them up with the appropriate grease as I purchased that as well.

[Kwikvette]

Agreed He has "O" rings on the way, and can buy silicon grease locally for a final correction of the problem.

I opted to purchase the Hypertherm specific stuff with my o-rings. Entire purchase was no more than $18 before shipping.

Small price considering the other items replaced in my troubleshooting were all at no cost to me.

Langmuir stepped up to offer me an entire Z axis assembly after I inquired about purchasing parts for rebuilding it myself. Since I had disassembled the table completely after many failed troubleshooting attempts, I figured I would "refurbish" as much of the table as I could during reassembly.

It's kind of why I was trying to not sound arrogant in the earlier suggestions by others telling me my torch height is incorrect. That is a beginner mistake

[acourtjester]

Not a problem It's kind of why I was trying to not sound arrogant "Times when you up to your ass in Alligators it hard to remember your there to drain the swamp"
When you trying to earn a living and one of your tool is broke, things happen.

[tinspark]

Hey Tin, I'll add this -

looks like you got it sorted out! The 45xp is a nice little cutter.

Mostly.

Had nothing to do with anything ever mentioned in this thread though

Understood.
Height is the first thing that comes to mind and is the normal problem for most, especially with a 9 degree bevel.
I remeber hearing about this same o-ring problem some time back with the duromax torch, which seems to be a little less common, but did also seem to fix the OP's extreme bevel issue.
But I am glad that you got it sorted out.

Maybe my thoughts and effort responding to your thread wont be a total waste of time however!
Someone may still search this thread up in the future and have a height control problem.

[Kwikvette]

looks like you got it sorted out! The 45xp is a nice little cutter.

Mostly.

Had nothing to do with anything ever mentioned in this thread though

Understood.
Height is the first thing that comes to mind and is the normal problem for most, especially with a 9 degree bevel.
I remeber hearing about this same o-ring problem some time back with the duromax torch, which seems to be a little less common, but did also seem to fix the OP's extreme bevel issue.
But I am glad that you got it sorted out.

Maybe my thoughts and effort responding to your thread wont be a total waste of time however!
Someone may still search this thread up in the future and have a height control problem.

Any and all info helps everyone reading this thread!

Like another member pointed out, I've been very frustrated dealing with this issue myself. Going on for over a month and a half now with roughly a week of it alone in silence (at the beginning) after I exhausted all of my own knowledge and experience trying to troubleshoot it myself.

After that first week, I sought guidance from both Hypertherm and Langmuir directly only to run into the same issue.

Followed by completely disassembling everything, reassembling it all, and cut a test piece with the same exact bevel on the top edge only. Kind of sent me a little crazy since that'd mean I would have to be some kind of robot to completely start from zero on my table's assembly only to achieve the same defect on my test piece, even with new parts.

[Kwikvette]

sent a PM for your mailing address.
I'm hitting the sheets now.

O-rings arrived; you really outdid yourself sending me a lot. Really appreciate it!

But also wanted to add that my order has also just arrived today from Baker's Gas.



Here's a test cut; messing around from 85ipm (book) narrowed the best cut quality at 70ipm.



Top.



Bottom.



Left.



Right.



As you can see, the worst beveling wasn't bad at all and was most likely attributed to the radius.

Even the center hole came within .003"



Which prompted me to run a single nested set of production parts. Beveling was within 3 degrees at its worst.



Crazy to think this was attributed to some o-rings, even on a torch that was just 2-3 days old after purchasing it new from Baker's Gas.

[acourtjester]

Thanks for the reply on the "O" rings I think they are a silicon construction and are better then the Hypertherm rubber ones.
Anyway etiher need to have the silicon grease to Lube them, The larger one are for the joint between the torch body and the adapter. there was a post about that sometime back suspected some leaking at that joint (not real sure about that). Well its good your happy with the cut you are getting now.
have fun

[Joe Jones]

I am not an expert on any of this stuff. However, I would attach the digital angle gauges to the top of the torch at both the X and Y axis, like two street signs on a corner post. Run the machine and cut a circle or a square to see if either X or Y change from 90 degrees during the cutting process. Changing on one edge only could be the torch cable torsion. It is like trying to wrap up a stiff garden hose. You hold the hose in one hand, but if the hose farther away moves, the twist is translated to the segment of the hose you are holding, due to the inflexibility of the entire length of hose.

Joe

[Kwikvette]

I am not an expert on any of this stuff. However, I would attach the digital angle gauges to the top of the torch at both the X and Y axis, like two street signs on a corner post. Run the machine and cut a circle or a square to see if either X or Y change from 90 degrees during the cutting process. Changing on one edge only could be the torch cable torsion. It is like trying to wrap up a stiff garden hose. You hold the hose in one hand, but if the hose farther away moves, the twist is translated to the segment of the hose you are holding, due to the inflexibility of the entire length of hose.

Joe

Good suggestion, could help someone having this issue.

In my case it wasn't at all as it would occur anywhere on the table. The beveling occurred specifically on the top edge of any geometry I would cut out.

If it was a cable issue, it would showcase itself more in one particular area of the table and not the rest. Not to mention I also stated that I completely disassembled everything, and reassembled it to have the same issue yet the issue was never present with the other plasma cutter and torch at all.

[Joe Jones]

Good suggestion, could help someone having this issue.

In my case it wasn't at all

I agree. However, that is a good way to SEE if the physical machine torch is being pushed or pulled out of PLUMB as it moves around the table. With the PlasmaCam and Samson 510 tables, those swinging cables can tug at the top of the torch and cause a bevel simply because the cables are a bit too short.

I wish I had my 3D printers up and running. I would PRINT a dual angle finder holder that snaps onto a torch for quick checks!

Joe

[Kwikvette]

I agree. However, that is a good way to SEE if the physical machine torch is being pushed or pulled out of PLUMB as it moves around the table. With the PlasmaCam and Samson 510 tables, those swinging cables can tug at the top of the torch and cause a bevel simply because the cables are a bit too short.

I wish I had my 3D printers up and running. I would PRINT a dual angle finder holder that snaps onto a torch for quick checks!

Joe

Absolutely!

I've seen the tension really throw off people's cut quality, and they never would've guessed that was the issue.

In one person's particular case, it was a combination of cable tension paired with a torch mount that had "play" in it (floating head design) that it caused really bad cuts.

[Kwikvette]

With my cross-posting, it's hard to remember where I updated what so bare with me.

Yesterday I made one final call to Hypertherm's customer service - I did so to provide an update and finally close my case. Don't ask why there was a case open, they insisted on it just in case for warranty reasons?

I asked one more time to the new person I was talking to, Scott, what a tolerance should be and he did specify on the 'bad' side I could expect up to 8 degrees of beveling. So I guess that's the norm for them.

Anyway, I updated them to say the new o-rings have just about resolved the issue completely which really surprised Scott based on his response.

I did ask if there was a way I could get some sort of voucher for a discount for some consumables from any one place as I'd like to buy some more since this whole endeavor has cost me quite a bit to which he replied "nothing we can do". I wasn't asking for anything more than just a discount on some small priced goods but oh well.

Nearly 2 months of being down, wasted steel that would've accounted for $564 in sales, and just an overall headache of an ordeal just to get my table up and running with what was a new "premium" plasma cutter and "premium" torch.

Metal work is therapy for me; I suffer from PTSD (disabled combat veteran)

At least I had a little bit of steel left to fulfill 2 orders so I'm back in business again.

[acourtjester]

Thanks for the update, it may help others in a similar situation. Not much consolation, hope with your business now operational you can get the cash flow going again.

[Kwikvette]

Thanks for the update, it may help others in a similar situation. Not much consolation, hope with your business now operational you can get the cash flow going again.

Your o-rings were a huge help, so thanks again.

I'm sure I'll be set for a good while now.

[adbuch]

Kwikvette - Those are some nice looking cuts and bends! Do you feel that you are getting better cut quality with the 45xp than you had with your Primeweld 60? I like your bench top press brake. I built something similar using a HF 20 ton hydraulic press and the Swag Offroad kit. I added the HF air-over-hydraulic 20 ton bottle jack for bending the thicker stuff.

To see all photos - click on this link.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B8fQSKZZPo15u6je9

David

[Kwikvette]

Kwikvette - Those are some nice looking cuts and bends! Do you feel that you are getting better cut quality with the 45xp than you had with your Primeweld 60? I like your bench top press brake. I built something similar using a HF 20 ton hydraulic press and the Swag Offroad kit. I added the HF air-over-hydraulic 20 ton bottle jack for bending the thicker stuff.

To see all photos - click on this link.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B8fQSKZZPo15u6je9

David

20220628_222428_resized.jpg
20220628_222500_resized.jpg
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grizzly dies with adapters.jpg

Thanks!

Bit of a loaded question but I'll try my best

So far, outside of test cuts, I haven't done much on the Hypertherm outside of the few production pieces I just did yesterday. With that said, I do have a master set of this production run I keep that I use for "quality control" and I have to say, the PrimeWeld was actually cutting quite a bit better. I attribute this to just needing to dial in my 45XP a bit since book isn't exactly best but for now, what I'm seeing gets me there.

I did perform multiple test runs on 16 gauge with varying results - on a small test square, regardless of the amp setting or speed, I got massive beveling all the way around. Whether it was book at 45 amps and 239ipm, or something I tested on my own like 35 amps and 150ipm, I got massive beveling and some dross although book settings got me the least amount of dross surprisingly enough. I won't do more test cuts for 16 gauge and will simply purchase fine cut for that purpose.

Speaking of benders, I used to run the Swag Offroad heavy duty kit with Harbor Freight press as well some years ago. It did "alright" in my opinion but I absolutely hated the angle iron used as a bottom die. Even stacking angle iron didn't allow me to run as small of a flange as I wanted paired with the large punches used. I had gone as far as even cutting my own punches via CNC until I decided to just get rid of the whole thing.

I had it long before they came up with that adjustable bottom die you're running, and opted for something more compact until I build my own.

My old setup -



I mean, even with its large bend radius, it did help me knock out larger parts when I needed it to -





And that "master" piece I mentioned above that was cut on the PrimeWeld CUT60, and bent on my smaller press brake -



Although the brake only has a working width of 10", it uses a nice 4-way bottom block and a 30 degree punch which really let's me make small parts for others -





Or for myself even -

[acourtjester]

So you are saying you replaced the HF press with this one??
https://www.trick-tools.com/Bend_Press_ ... UcQAvD_BwE