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General Mach Discussion / Re: Convert Mill machine to Plasma and back.
« on: October 07, 2012, 07:08:21 PM »
You can get the divider boards from Cand CNC if you want THC. They also make a low cost version of the THC.
IF you did not want thc it is a matter of finding the ARC START relay terminals. You CAN run without the ARC (ok) signal. The worse that happens is you have to stop and restart the machine IF the arc does not strike OR goes out I have run many days without it when it goes out and am waiting for a replacement board. (;-)
For the Z you can run as a normal axis OR build a floating Z to find the top of the material. AGAIN you CAN run without it you just have to adjust the torch to the top of the material and manually zero the axis. OR as a local fellow does he only has 2 axis XY and an adjustable z that he sets to the cutting height. Not perfect but it does work for him.
It really depends on how much control you want to have over the process. (;-)
NOW be warned that Plasma IS the nastiest process of all the CNC's. That plasma dust is very fine and gets into everything. Once ity gets there it is a matter of time before it wears something out OR shorts out a PCB. (;-) AND darn near impossible to get it all back out of the machine. The rail bearings soon become consumables.
BUT it IS a fun process(;-)
(;-) TP
IF you did not want thc it is a matter of finding the ARC START relay terminals. You CAN run without the ARC (ok) signal. The worse that happens is you have to stop and restart the machine IF the arc does not strike OR goes out I have run many days without it when it goes out and am waiting for a replacement board. (;-)
For the Z you can run as a normal axis OR build a floating Z to find the top of the material. AGAIN you CAN run without it you just have to adjust the torch to the top of the material and manually zero the axis. OR as a local fellow does he only has 2 axis XY and an adjustable z that he sets to the cutting height. Not perfect but it does work for him.
It really depends on how much control you want to have over the process. (;-)
NOW be warned that Plasma IS the nastiest process of all the CNC's. That plasma dust is very fine and gets into everything. Once ity gets there it is a matter of time before it wears something out OR shorts out a PCB. (;-) AND darn near impossible to get it all back out of the machine. The rail bearings soon become consumables.
BUT it IS a fun process(;-)
(;-) TP