Thermal dynamics ICNC XT231 troubles

[weldpnw]

Okay progress has been made, I talked with thermal dynamics and they were extremely helpful. We were able to get the torch to ignite and piece part, but ICNC isn’t registering it’s been lit, and won’t start the cut. We believe it’s a issues with the aviator torch height controller, which neither of us know anything about. And I can’t get ahold of C&G systems who makes it

[weldguy]

Ok, so no light on the Aviator, bummer. Have you checked pins 12 and 14 to be sure the OK TO MOVE dry contact is closing when the arc transfer to the plate?

[weldpnw]

Ok, so no light on the Aviator, bummer. Have you checked pins 12 and 14 to be sure the OK TO MOVE dry contact is closing when the arc transfer to the plate?

I have not, I’ll verify that tonight! Thanks for all your guys help. We are getting closer all the time

[weldpnw]

Okay so I checked pin 12/14. I have 21 ish volts when torch is in standby. When torch lights it loses voltage… but I have continuity the whole time.

[weldguy]

Ok I am not familiar enough with your plasma to know if 21 volts is normal on that circuit when torch is in standby but the fact that it loses voltage and you have continuity when the torch lights indicates that the OK to move circuit is functioning...its likley just fine but a quick call to Thermal Dynamics could verify that. Once verified its time to move on and confirm the OK to move signal wires from pics 12 and 14 are connected correctly on the other end.

[weldpnw]

Okay good news. It works!! I got it running, THC is extremely sensitive to adjustment via the knobs. So need to learn that. But next question is I need to fill the water table up that I built. What do I need to mix with it?

[Rodw]

Great News!
Some people do home brew concoctions but I would buy a commercial plasma table additive available in your area.
Thats what I use and it lasts a long time. I jut top it up with water as it evaporates and clean it out maybe once a year.

[weldguy]

Awesome! So what was the issue with the Ok to move circuit?

[weldpnw]

Awesome! So what was the issue with the Ok to move circuit?

There was a set of relays that the ICNC had to open, to allow the THC signal to pass the arc okay signal along. It was a odd way to wire it if you ask me. But 25$ in relays and she works! My next issue is finding this switch for my collision sensing.. it’s a air pressure switch. If I can’t find one I will need to fabricate a magnetic style collision with a micro switch. Any ideas where to get one? You look up part number and get nowhere..

[Rodw]

Why not ask the manufacturer for one?

[weldpnw]

Why not ask the manufacturer for one?

They are terrible to deal with and are honestly just a holes. I don’t want to give them any money if I don’t have too haha. They wouldn’t give me any help during this process. No manuals, no diagrams nothing. All they wanted was me to ship the entire gantry to them to look at for a “unknown fee” And when I talked to them a few years back they wanted over $1000 for this switch where they were under 100$ online. But now for some reason I can’t find them online anywhere.

[weldguy]

Awesome, thanks for posting back with your solution. No idea on that switch, I would likely just use a different type of switch. Best of luck, sounds like your getting real close.

[Rodw]

Yeh, there are many pressure switches out there. They may not be a compact but they would be easy to locate elsewhere with some 1/4" air hose

[weldpnw]

Hey guys! Reporting back. Things are working. But I think I’m going to sell unit to purchase a 4x8 machine. This is a 6x12 and it’s honestly just too big for me. Arclight is about 5min from me so they were my #1 choice for anew table. But they seem to be a lot more expensive… any input on brands? And any idea what mines worth?

[Rodw]

I'd think $15k if you sort out the pressure switch.

Your controller alone excluding THC is about $8k based on a for sale post on FB of unused hardware...

New in boxes:
iCNC Touch Inteface Controller with THC - #15-7001 (Invoice Cost $7,950)
Three Teknic Clearpath Servo - NEMA 34 Motors - (Invoice Cost $2,652)
Three Neugart 15-6005 - 10:1 Gear Boxes for NEMA34's - (Invoice Cost $2,559)
Office PM Bundle - Software Level 1 & 2, MicroCAD & Cost Calculator ($1,597)
Software feedrate module (Invoice Cost $536.00)
I/O & Motor PCB - (Invoice Cost $807.00)
75V Power Supply & Cables (Invoice Cost $728.00)
Two 35' & One 25' Motor Power Cables (Invoice Cost $916.00)
iHC XT Lifter Motor Cable 50' (Invoice Cost $426.00)
iHC XT Plasma & VDC Cable, 25' (Invoice Cost $344.00)
24v Power Supply & Cables (Invoice Cost $218.00)
Ground Cables, Ohmic cable, connection Cables etc.
Pump Assembly Check Valve & Bypass (for using pneumatic water pan)
Total invoice cost $19,389 USD.
Asking $15k. Willing to discuss trade or partial trade for a Bendtech Dragon A150.

[RDA]

I'd think $15k if you sort out the pressure switch.

Your controller alone excluding THC is about $8k based on a for sale post on FB of unused hardware...

New in boxes:
iCNC Touch Inteface Controller with THC - #15-7001 (Invoice Cost $7,950)
Three Teknic Clearpath Servo - NEMA 34 Motors - (Invoice Cost $2,652)
Three Neugart 15-6005 - 10:1 Gear Boxes for NEMA34's - (Invoice Cost $2,559)
Office PM Bundle - Software Level 1 & 2, MicroCAD & Cost Calculator ($1,597)
Software feedrate module (Invoice Cost $536.00)
I/O & Motor PCB - (Invoice Cost $807.00)
75V Power Supply & Cables (Invoice Cost $728.00)
Two 35' & One 25' Motor Power Cables (Invoice Cost $916.00)
iHC XT Lifter Motor Cable 50' (Invoice Cost $426.00)
iHC XT Plasma & VDC Cable, 25' (Invoice Cost $344.00)
24v Power Supply & Cables (Invoice Cost $218.00)
Ground Cables, Ohmic cable, connection Cables etc.
Pump Assembly Check Valve & Bypass (for using pneumatic water pan)
Total invoice cost $19,389 USD.
Asking $15k. Willing to discuss trade or partial trade for a Bendtech Dragon A150.

Knowing a little bit on this stuff and I can say the Facebook post does not have any of the same items.
The CNC in question is obsolete and not all spare parts are available anymore. So it’s worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
On the other hand the servo amplifiers, motors and gearboxes can have some value. They are yaskawa sigma 5 (prob 400w) with neugart 1:40 ratio gearboxes. In a new condition these are probably worth something like 1500$ per axis.

It might work for 20 years or something that cannot be repaired anymore can break tomorrow so this has to be taken into consideration.

[weldpnw]

So I have figured machine out for the most part. It’s got lots of quirks being a retrofit machine. But I am struggling with cut quality. I can’t get dross right and corners are horrible. I have tried all sorts of feed rates, amperage, cut height etc. the cut itself is clean, but I can’t get the dross to go away. It’s either high speed or low speed dross no matter what I do. And the corners are horribly angled. Torch is square, dry air, good consumables cutting clockwise etc.. is the thermal dynamics just a inadequate unit and I need to go to hypertherm or what? Really frustrating

[weldguy]

Glad your making progress. I expect that you could clean that up a little in terms of angularity and corner definition but you may be asking a bit much for air plasma on a part that small and that thick. You would have to have all your moons aligned and the world in your favor to get that little part to come out a whole lot better with retrofit air plasma. The dross on a part like that you will have to live with I am afraid, to small, lots of direction changes, and thick material.