Powermax 65/85 cut chart question

[TMC]

I'm running a Dynatorch super B Table with a Powermax 85. I notice the Powermax amp setting will go as low as 25. Has anyone with a Powermax 65/85 used a 30 amp setting for cutting 14 ga and thinner mild steel with the 45amp fine cut consumable (at 30amps)? If so would you share your cut information. I did contact Hypertherm, they have no such information.
Thanks

[CNCCAJUN]

I cut 16 gauge mild steel this morning @ 35 amps - 100" IPM - 0.05 torch height - book pierce height & delay . . . cut very clean . . . very few spots of dross in "turns" were knocked off with a paint scraper or my finger nail.

You could try 30 amps at 80 IPM.

Curious what are you cutting and why are the book settings not close or working? What are you trying to fix?

I believe you can pretty much cut anything with any machine if you take the time to dial in that particular cut.

I am coming to this realization "slowly" after doing a little experimentation.

I think Jim Colt has been trying to teach us that. He always says use the charts . . . then make adjustments for your machine. I am pretty confident that 90% of the machines out there vary. I doubt seriously that any machine's Z axis for instance hits 0.06 on the money all the time . . . you would think maybe a little piece of metal dross stuck to the bottom of the shield might "fool" the ohmic height control a little.

Point is, check out all you can control, make adjustments, run sample cuts, take notes with ALL PARAMETERS noted.

Create a small test file similar in the type of cutting you will be doing. Run it, log it . . . run it log it . . .

Make yourself some little txt files in note pad titled with the material . . . 14 gauge, 16 gauge, etc . . .

[TMC]

cnccajun, I was curious as to whether or not the 30amp range would allow me to slow the machine down and obtain good quality cuts for the thinner material. As you know the manual doesn't have cut charts for less than 40 amps and even at that they stipulate that it will not be a dross free cut with the fine cut consumable. I can't seem to get 16 & 18ga dialed in anywhere near acceptable. I have only being doing this for a few months and for the most part have been happy with most of the cut quality on other thicknesses of material. I have made a lot of scrap with fine tuning the cut charts. I was just hoping Jim Colt or someone else had already being using lower amperage and would be able to give me some settings to start with.
Thanks

[CNCCAJUN]

I just did a test cut for you on 14 gauge . . . @ 30 amps - 100" IPM - 0.05 torch height - book pierce height & delay.

Ran fine . . . Light dross on rear, but cuts were fine . .

You have a SuperB, have you tried the faster speed that is available to you . . .?

My max speed is 200 IPM . . .

Steve

[TMC]

thanks cnccajun!
Was your test cut using a 45 amp fine cut consumable on a Powermax 85?
I have tried some faster speeds but It really seems hard on the machine on intricate cuts. Leon said I could cut well over 200 ipm but that thing really slams around. I really like my Dynatorch/Hypertherm setup. Hope to get a lot of years of good use from it.
Kevin

[Shane Warnick]

Don't know what software you are using, but you should be able to speed the machine up, and specify the force you want imparted on the gantry during turns / direction changes. I run mine at 175 ipm on 20 gauge @ 40a, but specify 0.1g on the turns. You can also specify how fast and how slow it changes speeds, as well as how slow it can go (expressed as a % of the speed it is set at) before it disables the auto torch height control.

Another thing to look at from a maintenance / longevity issue is your rapid travel speeds. Mine came factory set at like 1000 or 1200 ipm. I slowed it down to 500 ipm for rapid travel. Do some things take longer to cut. Slightly. Do my belts etc wear very fast? Nope.

Just some thoughts.

Shane

[TMC]

Thanks Shane,
Dynatorch has their own software and I use Sheetcam for processing. The Dynatorch operating software does give you a lot of flexibility in changing cut parameters. As you mentioned with regard to cornering speeds, I have made much progress in cut quality by adjusting the corning speeds. I have barely scratched the surface with the ability of machine and the software.
Kevin

[CNCCAJUN]

thanks cnccajun!
Was your test cut using a 45 amp fine cut consumable on a Powermax 85?
I have tried some faster speeds but It really seems hard on the machine on intricate cuts. Leon said I could cut well over 200 ipm but that thing really slams around. I really like my Dynatorch/Hypertherm setup. Hope to get a lot of years of good use from it.
Kevin

YES 45 amp fine cut

[littlefatbuddy]

I am very new to all of this but I have been cutting 18 gauge with Hypertherm 65, 45 amp fine cut consumables, 385 ipm, and the plasma set on 30 amps. I have a 4x8 Burntables table with a water tray. I found these parameters gave me really nice cuts and the least amount of dross. .05 pierce height, 0 second delay. These are not really intricate cuts. Large letters with team names attached to them.

[CNCCAJUN]

I can cut non-intricate files set a a dozen different ways . . .

The trick is finding a way to cut this artsy stuff without a lot of dross. . . .

Max speed on my machine is 200 IPM. So I adjust as I need to.

Steve

[JEd]

They have low speed cut charts for the fine cut consumables. They stick around 150IPM. I have better luck with my Torchmate 4x4 if I keep it closer to 100. I cut 14 gauge mostly. 40 amps, 100 IPM, I think 87 volts. I get a little dross on sharp details, but virtually nothing on longer straight cuts.

[TMC]

Thank you guys for posting this info. after doing a bunch of test cuts last night on 14 ga. I settled in at 85ipm at 30amps with 45 amp fine cut consumables. The test cuts at 100 ipm had fine dross and was very hard to get off.I cut a bunch of artsy stuff today at the 85 ipm and was fairly happy with the results, they were the best I have done to date. I'm sure I may be able to tweek a little more on it.

[CNCCAJUN]

Thank you guys for posting this info. after doing a bunch of test cuts last night on 14 ga. I settled in at 85ipm at 30amps with 45 amp fine cut consumables. The test cuts at 100 ipm had fine dross and was very hard to get off.I cut a bunch of artsy stuff today at the 85 ipm and was fairly happy with the results, they were the best I have done to date. I'm sure I may be able to tweek a little more on it.

What were the rest of your settings . . . interested in what you found . . . we are running basically the same machine.

* 14 Gauge
* 45 amp fine cut consumable
* 85 IPM
* 30 amp setting on Hypertherm
* Pierce Delay = ? ? ? ?
* Pierce Height = ? ? ? ?
* Cut height if Auto SP was used = ? ? ? ?
* Cut height if voltage was used + ? ? ? ?

Interested i tweeks you come up with . . .

The test I ran for you was on the Hypertherm Test File . . . but things get a little more "drossy" when you start running artsy stuff. There has to be a sweet spot with little or no dross . . . I don't care how slow I have to cut . . . It's got to be quicker than hanging on a 4 1/2" Grinder . . . .

If you would like I can send you a nice file that definitely creates dross & we can both play with it till we find that sweet spot for our machines on artsy stuff . . .

Steve

[jimcolt]

I just cut a bunch of parts from a full 4 x 8 sheet of 14 gauge yesterday. Powermax85 using Finecut consumables on a Plasmacam table. I had some intricate detail....so I kept the speed low (175 ipm).....any slower and I would expect dross and warpage. No dross whatsoever on any of the parts.

Finecut
40 Amps
175 inches per minute
.08" pierce height
.06" cut height
.3 seconds pierce delay time.
Air pressure" Auto setting

Jim Colt

[CNCCAJUN]

Thank you Jim . . . will try those setting in the morning on some 14 gauge . . .

Will you be @ FABTECH 2014 . . .?

If so, I promise not to ask you more than 1,843 questions . . . just kidding . . .

Steve . . .

[jimcolt]

I'll be at SEMA (Vegas) the first week of November and at Fabtech (Atlanta) the second week. I have a few speaking things to do.....so if anyone can't find me in the Hypertherm booth.....come back a little later...I'll be there!

Jim Colt

Thank you Jim . . . will try those setting in the morning on some 14 gauge . . .

Will you be @ FABTECH 2014 . . .?

If so, I promise not to ask you more than 1,843 questions . . . just kidding . . .

Steve . . .

[TMC]

Adjusted slightly since I posted the 30 amp at 85 ipm. Ran at 95 ipm, 30amps, 0 pierce delay and 87 volts on thc. I'm getting ready to cut some more 14 Ga. I am going to give Jim's setting a try as well and see how my machine does with them. I will post back with results. Thanks everyone for contributing.
Kevin

[blackandtan]

I too am curious how this works, our burntable does not like cutting at even the low speed fine cut speeds.