1/8" aluminum diamond plate

[ggeh]

I tried to cut some aluminum 1/8 diamond plate, diamonds up. The torch contacted the first diamond it came to and kicked it off the magnetic mount. So I flipped the plate over and tried again and it seemed to cut fine but not through the diamonds on the back side. I used the settings in the hypertherm oper. manual. 65 amps cut speed 280, 124 volts. dthc on auto. How or what do I need to cut diamond plate?

Bobcad
sheetcam
mach3
hypertherm 85
4x4 bulltear table non ohmic torch
candcnc esp II A

[Francisco]

Try using the settings for the full thickness, as measured at the diamonds' crests (usually about twice the nominal thickness).

[ggeh]

Thanks Francisco

I will try using the settings for the total thickness. What about the height control is there any thing I can do to get the torch to respond to the height of the diamonds and back down to the plate. I seen most of the guys on here say cut with the diamonds facing up not down, don't know why that is.

Thanks Gary

[jimcolt]

If you have a fast reacting torch height control (it will rise over every bump) then the best cut quality is at book specs for the nominal thickness. If the height control is delayed, slow or sluggish, then cutting with the bumps down is the next best thing. Jim Colt Hypertherm

[tcaudle]

The model of THC (DTHCII or DTHCIV) will determine the response rate. The older DTHCII used the internal THC logic in MACH3 and worked for cutting flat plate with gradual warping. Because of the loop delay in MACH and to the Z axis, the average vertical motion speed under THC was in the 20 to 30IPM range. If you get much higher in the THC RATE it overshoots and starts to oscillate. This is a problem with any THC that uses the typical UP / DOWN inputs into MACH3. For cutting corrugated or diamond plate with the pattern up you have to have more speed than that. The later DTHCIV uses an outside loop that is PID (proportional gain) and can be tuned up as high as your Z can move with the leadscrew and motor it has (typically 150 to 200 IPM. ) You would need to have at least the same vertical speed as you have horizontal feedrate to cut diamond plate or corrugated.

One alternative is to slow the feedrates way down and adjust the Preset volts at that lower speed to hold the height You cut won't be as clean but the slower horizontal feedrates then allow the Z to keep up better.

[ggeh]

Thanks to all

How can I find out which version of DTHC I have? If I have the older version can it be upgraded to the newest version? How, where and what would I have to purchase?

Thanks Gary

[ggeh]

I cut some gusset plates out of 1/8" aluminum diamond plate, diamonds down. I used 45 amps 1/4" settings in sheetcam and slowed the ipm to 70. I think I had good results compared to my first try. had some dross but it cleaned up easily with a die grinder.

[Gamelord]

Lookin good!

[ggeh]

This is what those gussets were for. My car lift is too wide to get the ATV's on so I came up with this. I still have to do one of the ramps yet but I ran out of material.

[SeanP]

The model of THC (DTHCII or DTHCIV) will determine the response rate. The older DTHCII used the internal THC logic in MACH3 and worked for cutting flat plate with gradual warping. Because of the loop delay in MACH and to the Z axis, the average vertical motion speed under THC was in the 20 to 30IPM range. If you get much higher in the THC RATE it overshoots and starts to oscillate. This is a problem with any THC that uses the typical UP / DOWN inputs into MACH3. For cutting corrugated or diamond plate with the pattern up you have to have more speed than that. The later DTHCIV uses an outside loop that is PID (proportional gain) and can be tuned up as high as your Z can move with the leadscrew and motor it has (typically 150 to 200 IPM. ) You would need to have at least the same vertical speed as you have horizontal feedrate to cut diamond plate or corrugated.

One alternative is to slow the feedrates way down and adjust the Preset volts at that lower speed to hold the height You cut won't be as clean but the slower horizontal feedrates then allow the Z to keep up better.

I have the DTHC2, I must say it does everything I want it to very well.

Luckily I don't cut corrugated

Videos here show it working well.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=6lzVwFabPv8
Even at that I still prefer to cut with pattern down.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=C9xjOBp2zHU