poor cut quality

[admin]

Check your cut direction. For interior cuts you want to be traveling in a counter-clockwise direction. For the exterior cuts you want to be traveling in a clockwise direction. Also, confirm your torch is square to the table and that your amperage, cut speed, and air pressure are set properly. Good tip and electrode condition is also very important.

[snowcone]

Hello,
Newbe here. How do you change the direction of travel when using a Plasmacam machine?
Thanks for any help.

Larry

[snowcone]

Thanks Leatherhands,

Maybe I will post a new thread to see what happens.


Larry

[Ironman]

Hello,
Newbe here. How do you change the direction of travel when using a Plasmacam machine?
Thanks for any help.

Larry

use the "X" command.... then the "K" command...then use the cut path command.... Works for me everytime.
Any time you want to change the starting point of a cut after the cut path is set then hit K then P again and it will reverse the direction of the cut.

If you are just cutting lines it works great, but if you are cutting circles or squares that need to be a certain size, each time you apply a cut path it reduces or enlarges the object by half the kerf size. So, if you need to maintain the size of an object and reverse cut direction , just temporarily change "Offest Distance (1/2 Torch Kerf)" in the cut path settings to zero.
Most art is non critical and I leave it at 0, but parts are fussier.

[Ironman]

I find I am getting a less than expectable "bevel" on the edges of the parts I am cutting from 3/8" steel. I know plasma will always have a "bevel" on the cut edge but I am sure hope I can make them better. I am new at CNC plasma cutting, I just purchased a machine and am now learning how to use it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi Leatherhands,
I had a learning experience on this yesterday. I set up the Finecut parts in my torch and started smokin 10 guage iron.
The slag for some reason was real grim, needed a cold chisel instead of the usual wire brush. I tried varying speeds and varying amps and it just got worse. And the edges began to bevel....
Then as I was cutting and at a way low speed, I noticed that the torch was intermittently not cutting all the way through the plate.
I took out the perfectly good tip(it is a high miler)and replaced new swirl ring, electrode, and tip. STILL lousy.

It was a newbie mistake, I had been cutting 1/2 plate and never reduced the air pressure for the Finecut tips. I reduced the air pressure to 60psi and cranked the speed to 90, and now no dross, and sharp square edges.

I recall Jim Colt of Hypertherm talking about excessive pressure destroying the plasma stream and weakening the beam, as well as causing shorter life of the tip. I guess I never took it serious til now. I'm not even sure what pressure is good but 60 psi works well.
For what it costs for a 1250 Hyper G3, you would think a digital readout pressure guage would be spot on...instead of that grim little bar graph thingy they use.

[Wine Country]

I learned from a tech at Hypertherm to set my air pressure on the bargraph to just turn on the first green square. My Hyperthem has two green squares in the proper pressure range. I now set it so only the first one lights up when setting pressure. This seemed to help my cutting very much. I was cutting some 10ga last night and the cuts were LOUSY. I changed the nozzle even though it looked good. Cuts were fantastic after that. Always keep an eye on your consumables as we often
cut more than we realize. And they are cheaper than ruined steel plate.

[eteled]

l am also new to the cnc plasma and having some of the same problems can you give a litlle more explanation on what is an inside and outside cut thx