Mark a hole - Mark a center with plasma

[luizdr]

Hi, I'm having a problem I'm trying to mark a hole ... I work with dxf and sheetcam is understanding that it would be a cut and not a point ... I tried ... I watched videos and .. .. what is the solution .. .

[weldguy]

In the past I just draw a hole .001" in diameter and it works as good as a marked point with a plasma arc can be.

[acourtjester]

I have use what Weldguy, and it works great. In SheetCam you use the no offset cut with a tool I call Dimple Plasma. And a simple code snippet to stop the routine after all the dimples are done, so I can increase the amps on the plasma unit. When you do your cut plan assign all the dimples as no offset and when you setup the last part that has a dimple you add the code snippet. SheetCam will assemble all the dimples as a separate cut routine and stop the G-code, you change the amps and hit cycle start and it will then cut all the parts to the finish of the planned cut routine.

dimple.JPG (38 KiB) Viewed 1500 times

dimple.JPG (38 KiB) Viewed 1500 times

dimple code.JPG (19.01 KiB) Viewed 1500 times

dimple code.JPG (19.01 KiB) Viewed 1500 times

dimple 3.JPG (76.07 KiB) Viewed 1500 times

dimple 3.JPG (76.07 KiB) Viewed 1500 times

[SeanP]

It's a godsend, I use it a lot for marking the pierce holes when cutting thicker stuff that I cant pierce.

Also be sure to use the drill operation rather than a jet operation, you can set the min/max size holes to use.

I used to have to reduce amps, not sure what I changed but now just use 45a as in cutting, I have to give it a quick blip on the 'torch on' key to get post flow going just before first mark or you get a deeper mark on the first one.

[acourtjester]

I set up a sacrificial first dimple outside the part or inside a drop out section of the part. I also have used this process for make a template for drilling holes in a plate used for linear bearing mounts in 14 Ga.

[kbenz]

what do you set the amps at? and do you insert the m01 in manually?

[Rodw]

I just do a drilling operation with a CenterPunch tool which I borrowed from another POST I found. The POST turns the torch off as soon as I get an ArcOK. From memory, that is because of a 0.0 second pierce delay on that specific tool. I don't worry about the amps. Whatever I am using for that material. You just have to watch the circle diameter settings.

[acourtjester]

I drop the hypertherm to lowest setting 20 amps for dimples. The M01 is a tool I made see attached image, when doing the planning in SheetCam I mark all dimpes as "No offsets",SheetCam groups them all together as the first cut series and when I plans the last one I click on the "insert code button in the operations menu. That puts the M01 as the end of all the dimples I have planed and stops Mach for me to increase the amps to what I want to use for cutting. I hit cycle start and it now does all the cutting operation from the start even those that had dimple marks as part of the plan. Hats off to Les at SheetCam great job, many thanks