Help!!! New to this

[twilliams]

Not able to get a clean cut. would anyone be able to help with my setup? I'm using a thermal dynamics A60, sheetcam, and Mach3

[tcaudle]

what kind of THC? What are the mechanics? What are the steps per inch numbers on each axis? bad cuts can be anything from a setting, the mechanics of the table , the way the workclamp is attached or the THC (or lack thereof) .

[twilliams]

I have a 4x4 plasma route with a thermal dynamics a60 plasma. I am cutting 16 guage mild steel. settings are 30amp tip. Kerf .029 feed 135ipm pierce delay .2 pierce height .06 plunge rate 75 cut height .05 pause .5 seconds lead in lead out .1 I seem to get pitting on the back of my parts where the cut starts. its crazy but if I use any on the setting settings preloaded on in mach 3 from the manufacturer for other tip amps all of my holes for bolts are oblong

[tcaudle]

Since none of those settings are correct for an A60 TD I would suggest you get the cut charts for the TD machine (out of their manual) you have and start with that. Without information about the THC and what you are saying about "preloaded settings" in MACH3 from the manufacturer all I can say is they are not the right settings. Oblong holes are typically motion/mechanical problems.

[twilliams]

There are no setting in the manual for a 30amp tip, when I tried the settings for a 40amp tip it cut horrible

[Euclid933]

Maybe to help rule out the plasma power source, mount a pen on the torch holder and get it to draw on a piece of plywood or something. That's how I started years ago.

[tcaudle]

Rewind: Its not just the voltage. A TD torch pierces and cuts at different heights than a Hypertherm. If there is no setting in the charts for a 30 Amp and its for that torch then it makes no sense.

[tcaudle]

"stand off " (cut height ) for a TD is typically much higher than a Hypertherm. If the vendor provided you with presets for a Hypertherm they will cut like crap on a TD

[tcaudle]

1. There is no such thing as an automated 30 A cutting tip. Its only for a drag tip.
2, With the recommended 40A tip for automated cutting (standoff cutting) the pierce height is .160 above the material and the cut height is .140. That is more than double the cut height on a Hypertherm. Voltages are much lower being in the 101 to 110V range. Standoff is the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the top of the material (also called Arc Gap) and is the Cut height .

[srp]

I have an older TD which I use 30A nozzles on the torch. I have a roller ball caster plate to support the torch off the material so I don't deal with THC. I use .13 standoff for everything. The 30A is not recommended nor supported on a machine torch. On 16 ga I cut at 85 ipm which works fine. I don't use any dwells or waits. When I use the 40A machine nozzles I use the same settings. The difference I can see between a machine nozzle and a regular is the orifice on the regular has a chamfer on the face. The machine nozzle has a flat face. This difference makes sense if you understand air flow behavior going through an orifice. Cutting heavier metal the standoff I would use is .19 - Increases the voltage

[srp]

I will also add that my torch is a 1Torch. I found the TD electrodes to be unreliable when cutting with the 30A nozzle. The 40A machine nozzle seemed to be able to constrict the arc to give a decent cut. I am now using Made in China electrodes and am not having the problems with the 30A nozzles. They only have about half the life of a TD electrodes but I find them to be the better deal. If you are new to the business of plasma cutting getting the TD to cut well is going to be a challenge. Quick answer - go Hypertherm