Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: asaf775 on November 27, 2016, 04:54:13 PM
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Dear Friends
i bought second hand PowerMax30 of hyperterm
i built a cnc table with it but i want to attach THC.
i dont have the money to buy many THC controllers and i am looking for DIY electric board working additionally with MACH3 .
problems:
1. where i am finding DIY THC electric board?
2. to where should i connect it in the plasma? (attached electirc scheme of the plasma)
3. what should i do if i dont have feedback "arc ok(GOOD)" from the plasma? what i am using instead?
4. how should i connect all to MACH3?
thanks a lot to all
Best Regards
ASAF
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Look into the Proma THC - its budget and probably your best option i think.
You have to connect into the live torch feed which needs to be carefully done as high voltage.
It provides the arc-ok signal.
Connects to Mach3 via inputs on the breakout board.
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Dear DAVE
thanks
i thought doing what you are saying
but it will give me the voltage only, i dont know if there is a signal (wire) for "arc ok" also, correct me if i am wrong please.
if you are using only the voltage as "arc ok" somehow, please explain.
second, i need to divide the voltage that supposed to fit to mach, do you know to what range of voltages? do you know electric diagram (attached example) fit to it?
thanks a lot
Best Regards and have a nice day
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The Proma unit divides the voltage internally, does the calculations and outputs signals for UP, DOWN, ARC-OK
Its a useful unit for budget machines but fails on fast tables - on a 30XP you will not be going fast.
http://proma-elektronika.com/index.php/en/products/thc-torch-height-control/compact-thc-150
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Dear Dave
Thanks a lot
i know about PROMA
but i thought maybe i can avoid from "Unnecessary financial expenses"
BEST REGARDS
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It is only an unnecessary expense until you spend 10 times as much time/money to make it work.
I just helped setup a machine using this package;
http://www.vitalsystem.com/portal/cnc/motion/plasma.php (http://www.vitalsystem.com/portal/cnc/motion/plasma.php)
What a joy to use and I was able to get it configured in less than a day. I consider this a major accomplishment since I have never worked with CNC plasma until I started working with this install.
It is using the PROMA THC-150 as the THC and what a nice little device it is. Just be careful of the high voltage on any THC. We don't want to lose any or our CNC friends!
Mike
P.S. I now have PLASMA ENVY!
I guess the only solution is to start building a CNC plasma cutter of my own!!!!!
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:D :D :D :D :D :D
THANKS A LOT MIKE
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Dear Dave
Thanks a lot
i know about PROMA
but i thought maybe i can avoid from "Unnecessary financial expenses"
BEST REGARDS
That really is about bargain basement as far as THC goes I think, its fine on smaller tables or ones with lower power systems but it cant track at high speeds, this is where it fails.
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That really is about bargain basement as far as THC goes I think, its fine on smaller tables or ones with lower power systems but it cant track at high speeds, this is where it fails.
Hi Dave, What is the dividing line between low speeds where this device will work and high speeds where this device won't work? I don't want to buy this when I decide to build my own CNC plasma and be dissappointed.
Thanks,
Mike
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I found it worked ok on my little plasma table with the 30XP but was not happy on the bigger table with the PM45.
I don't have the book for the 30XP but what ever the max cut rate was it could just about handle, not on corrugated sheet but on the usual warp it might see.
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any idea on the feed rate that starts to give problems?
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Hi All,
the company I work for sell and repair Hypertherm gear and I luv em! Don't get to
fix many of them, they don't breakdown much and usually torches, air components
and sometimes a fan when they do.
Don't have the info in front of me but they make little add-on boards for machine control,
I know they have a voltage divider in there but if memory serves also an 'arc ok' logic
signal and of course a trigger circuit to start the arc. The boards are small and so are
reasonably cheap. Not sure whether they make one for the Powermax 30 but certainly
for the larger units.
The Powermax 125 is a beast, 25mm steel at 1m/min and 40mm steel about 400 mm/min!
Without doubt Hypertherm is expensive stuff but they beat the hell out of any other machine
I've come across. I suppose I'm biased but in this case I can claim with good reason.
Craig