Tip and electrode selection

[benval76]

Hello all,

When I ordered my Torchmate, I neglected to purchase a consumable pack with the machine. That has since been rectified. I am running the HT H85 on 240 single phase. I ran some test cuts on 16ga. The torch drags very badly. I assume that since I only have 85amp consumables to test with, that is the problem. I have a few questions on tip and electrode selection. On a machine torch is it better to run shielded or non shielded? How well do the fine cut consumables work on 10ga and under? The height control has a preset of 120 target volts, is this the setting I should be running? By the way the pierce height was set at .125,the cut height at .06, and cut speed at 210ipm. Is there some kind of chart with recommened amperage settings and/or cut speeds for the different gauges of mild steel? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ben

[jimcolt]

I'll try to answer all of your questions...

- If the torch is dragging...it means that your do not have your height control set correctly. The preset voltage controls the height.....a higher voltage will produce a higher torch to work distance, to low of a voltage...and the torch will drag on the plate.

To determine starting points...the Hypertherm manual makes it easy for you. Open up the manual to the mechanized cut charts (they are in section 3 of the manual....there are 26 pages of them in my Powermax85 manual. The 85 amp shielded process is best for materials from 5/8" to over 1', the 65 amp shielded process from 3/8" to over 5/8", the 45 amps shielded process is best from 10 gauge to 3/8"...and the Fine Cut parts are for materials below 3/16".

So...if you want to cut 1/4", choose the 45 amp shielded process, install the consumables in the torch exactly as the cut charts in the manual suggest. Set the pierce height (.15") on your Torchmate height control box, then set the cut height (.06") and set your arc voltage (137 volts).....then in your Torchmate software you need to set the pierce delay time (.6 seconds) as well as the cut speed (48 inches per minute). Start your first cut and watch the torch...it should pierce at the pierce height you set, then it will index down closer to the cut height....then it will use arc voltage to adjust the height during cutting....if the torch is too close or dragging...increase the preset arc voltage....if it is too high, decrease the arc voltage until the torch rides at .06" (1/16") off the plate.

The shielded consumables are the ones to use...always use the parts as listed in the machine torch cut charts. the shield for machine cutting is different than for hand cutting. There is no part called a "tip" in a Hypertherm torch. The Fine Cut consumables are the best choice for cutting materials thinner than about 3/16"...as they will keep your cut speeds reasonable...the edges of the cut will be squarer.
All of the cut charts you will ever need are in the Hypertherm operators manual....set your parameters just as they say...and your cut quality and consumable life will be very nice.


Jim Colt Hypertherm

Hello all,

When I ordered my Torchmate, I neglected to purchase a consumable pack with the machine. That has since been rectified. I am running the HT H85 on 240 single phase. I ran some test cuts on 16ga. The torch drags very badly. I assume that since I only have 85amp consumables to test with, that is the problem. I have a few questions on tip and electrode selection. On a machine torch is it better to run shielded or non shielded? How well do the fine cut consumables work on 10ga and under? The height control has a preset of 120 target volts, is this the setting I should be running? By the way the pierce height was set at .125,the cut height at .06, and cut speed at 210ipm. Is there some kind of chart with recommened amperage settings and/or cut speeds for the different gauges of mild steel? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ben

[benval76]

Thank you for your help. I should have researched a little more before asking for help. I do appreciate your taking the time to point me in the right direction. I do have one final question. Would you recommend switching to a higher amperage nozzle as you reach the higher end of the cut capability. For example, the 45amp nozzle is rated up to 1/4" material. Would it make a difference in consumable life and/or cut quality to switch to a 65amp nozzle to cut 3/16" and 1/4" material? Obviously running the 65amp nozzle will allow you to run almost twice as fast at 90ipm on 1/4" compared to 48ipm with a 45amp nozzle. Would speed be the only noticeable difference? I have read some other posts that suggested it should be a rule of thumb to run the lowest possible amperage nozzle. Once again I want to thank you for taking the time to help a novice like me.

Thanks, Ben

[jimcolt]

With any plasma system...the best cut quality in terms of angularity (square edge) and cut part accuracy will always occur using the lowest amperage nozzle that will cut the material thickness. I actually use the 45 amp consumables on thicknesses up to 1/2" when I need better accuracy...even though the manual suggests a limit of 1/4" for that set of consumables.

You can cut 10 gauge with the FineCut consumables, the 45 amp , 65 amp and 85 amp shielded consumables. Cut quality is best with the FineCuts, speed is best with the 85 amp parts. The 85 amp parts will actually wear out faster than the 45 amp parts.....but since they cut dramatically faster...they will actually cut more parts.

I switch to higher amperage for thicker materials (obviously)....but also when the cut edge angularity or part accuracy is not as important as getting the parts cut quickly. I recently had to cut 800 shims (as used in commercial steel building erections) out of 1/8" steel......and the price was the major concern for the buyer. I cut them at 85 amps at over 400 inches per minute. The edges had some angularity, there was no dross...and all 800 were cut in about an hour....on one set of consumables. The parts sold for $1.35 each, the cost of the steel was $60.....if you do the math you will see why speed is sometimes well worth a little bit of quality!


Over time you will get a feel for the best process to use for each jobs requirements.
Jim

Thank you for your help. I should have researched a little more before asking for help. I do appreciate your taking the time to point me in the right direction. I do have one final question. Would you recommend switching to a higher amperage nozzle as you reach the higher end of the cut capability. For example, the 45amp nozzle is rated up to 1/4" material. Would it make a difference in consumable life and/or cut quality to switch to a 65amp nozzle to cut 3/16" and 1/4" material? Obviously running the 65amp nozzle will allow you to run almost twice as fast at 90ipm on 1/4" compared to 48ipm with a 45amp nozzle. Would speed be the only noticeable difference? I have read some other posts that suggested it should be a rule of thumb to run the lowest possible amperage nozzle. Once again I want to thank you for taking the time to help a novice like me.

Thanks, Ben

[benval76]

I ran some test runs of 4" circles on 3/8" material. Intially I set all of the parameters per the Hypertherm manual. I was still getting some drag from the torch on about the first half inch. I actually doubled the pierce and cut height to get away from that problem. I ran a voltage test which averaged out to about 140 volts. I reset the machine and ran a couple of parts off, these are what is shown in the photo. There are a few things that need to be installed in my system before I start tweaking this down some. I purchased a mac air dryer that I am waiting for yet. Overall I am fairly pleased with the results. I cut these in with a 90 degree .3 lead in. I think in the future I will change this to an arc lead in, or drop the angle down to about 15 degrees for circle cuts. These settings produced a fairly dross free cut with about (and I am guessing), 2 to 2 1/2 degrees of bevel. I would like to get the bevel down a little closer to 1 degree. Hopefully with some minor tweaking that can be accomplished. The HT 85 is pretty impressive. I had been accustomed to an older HT 900 with hand torch before now. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I am extremely grateful for your guidance Mr Colt. If you have any further suggestions I will be all ears. I also intend to take some time to review posts of the numerous other members who have sought out your advice and expertise.

Thanks, Ben