Inches per min vs amp. Volts?

[Pat4rd]

Y'all have been a lot of help. I've finally got my machine torch on my hypertherm 45xp. I did some test cuts today on 2" slugs and just can't find a good ipm or amp to run.. I'm trying to keep my amperage down so I won't hit duty cycle in bigger cuts. I'm only running 30 amps on 16ga. I'm going to dial in 3/16 next and I will increase my amperage to compensate.. ill attach the results I got today and maybe someone can chime in. On the slugs I wrote what ipm I was running. Thank you all! I do have a proma thc, I think it's dialed in at 95 volts. Does that have anything to do with cut quality? I'm really not sure about the volts. Thanks y'all have a good Memorial Day! 30,50,70,90,120 ipm is what the slugs have on them

[Pat4rd]

Maybe what I'm looking for is a effective way to balance everything out to make a clean cut. What I should adjust and maybe what I shouldn't

[acourtjester]

Check your 45 manual for the correct cut speeds for a metal thickness and Amps. The voltage will control the cut height, what you need to do is run straight line test cuts at 0.060" and see what voltage you Proma shows. You are going way to slow for 16 Ga mild steel that is why you had that much dross try 200 to 240 IPM and about 40 amps. Many here use hypertherm 45 on their tables and the duty cycle does not seem to be an issue.

[Pat4rd]

Thanks a lot! That's some great info. I'll give it a try, just having these beginner issues

[motoguy]

45XP manual. Will have cut charts in it. May or may not be exact for your particular setup, but will have you in the ballpark.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... 99wSmTWIfg

[Pat4rd]

Thanks for the charts that will come in handy. I may have to call eagle plasma tomorrow.. I keep getting the same amount of dross at 45amps 200ipm and 240ipm. It's really getting to me I did try the straight line test thanks for that tip! It won't let me post the new pics but they all pretty much look the Same

[jimcolt]

16 gauge steel, Finecut consumables with 220948 shield:

-45 amps
-.060" cut height (for circles under 1-1/4" diameter height control can be in manual, larger use height control and adjust arc voltage until height is at .060" during cut)
- 250 inches per minute (slower will make dross).
- This assumes that your machine has adequate design to maintain speed while cornering...many machines cannot maintain over 150 ipm while making smaller diameters and sharp corners...expect dross under these conditions.
-The plasma cutter does not do all the things that make a good cut. The height control is 1/3 of cut quality, the x - y motion control is 1/3.
- Be sure that when you set a physical cut height and physical pierce height that your machine achieves these heights. Just because you set .060" does not mean it is at .060"! You may need to set a hysteresis for the switch (if floating head sensing).

Above, by the way....are settings right out of your Hypertherm operators manual. It does not appear that you were cutting fast enough...and you were using a 45 amp set of consumables at 30 amps, both will contribute to dross formation.

To cut dross free....follow the specs in the manual, if you still see dross be sure the height is right.......then slowly INCREASE cut speed until dross is minimal. I cut 16 gauge daily, without dross using Finecut consumables on a Powermax85 and a Powermax 45 XP, on occasion I need to increase speed a bit over book settings....this is because of chemical / metallurgy differences from sheet to sheet.

Hypertherm spends a lot of time in cutting labs developing the many pages of cut charts.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

[Pat4rd]

Wow thanks for the great responses! I actually looked in my Mach3 settings and I was telling it to cut 250ipm and it was actually only cutting 150ipm in my vilicoty setting.. I set it to 250 and she's cutting clean!

[motoguy]

-.060" cut height (for circles under 1-1/4" diameter height control can be in manual, larger use height control and adjust arc voltage until height is at .060" during cut)

Jim,

I've seen you mention several times that the Finecuts often work best with a cut height of .075-.08. And then I see a post like the one above, which is back to suggesting book setting of .06. I'm curious why the suggestions sometimes bump back and for. Do you personally think .075-.08 works best, but "you can't go wrong suggesting book settings"? Or are there other factors?

[jimcolt]

Generally you only need to change the book cut height of .06" to a higher height (.075" to .080") when cutting thcker materials with Finecut, like 14, 12 and 10 gauge. This is likely due to chemistry of the plate, such as high silicon, high manganese or high carbon content. The sysmptoms will be the cut works good part way around the cut then rooster tails in some sections, not penetrating. Leave everything as suggested in the book, especially cut speed....and increase cut height (higher arc voltage) until the height during steady state cutting is .075" to .080".

The original poster here is cutting 16 gauge, I have never seen a case where you needed higher height/ voltage on 16 gauge, so I suggest he cuts at book specs. I always make the recommendation of higher height for 14, 12 and 10 gauge....never 16 gauge. Jim Colt

[motoguy]

Gotcha. That clears it up! Thanks!