Greetings all.
Just ordered mine over the weekend, hoping that I dodge the “Wrong Leg” issue that is happening, and everything goes smooth.
I got tired of waiting for my employer to step up like they said they would about 6 months ago and buy this, so out of my own pocket it is.
I have a Hypertherm 45XP that I am either going to crack open and tap the wires, or get my employer to pony up and pay for the CPC upfit kit and the machine torch. I have to get some quotes on parts that we normally would vendor out to show the $$$ saved, then work out a billing system to get my $$$ back in extra hours logged.
One question for the public - I am a field service mechanic, move from job site to job site every few months, and my mill & lathe live in our “Mechanics Van” which is an old 53’ Moving trailer with all of our spare parts and some tooling. This plasma table is going to be kept in there as well.
The environment is not exactly pleasant. Temperature extremes, humidity and dust (love wind and Nebraska). I have a cover for the machining equipment, wondering if there is any special considerations that I should take for the Crossfire Pro?
Dealing with sensitive electronics now - should I make the control unit a quick release for better storage? Build a separate enclosure to protect from dust and not worry about temps so much? I have to re-level every time we move, and the high dollar equipment gets pulled from the trailer around late October and shipped back to our main shop for winter storage and winter work, return in April/May.Preformatted text
Others have more experience to comment on the electronics enclosure, but isolating it from harsh vibration, dust and extreme conditions may be a wise move.
You will want to create the drain/store/refill situation with the water table fluid as it would slosh all over the place. You might want to put some heat tape on the storage container to eliminate freezing which would harm you reservoir tank and refill pump.
The added vibration to your table will likely loosen things and cause alignment issues down the road so after you get your table, I would suggest using a few drops of the blue thread lock to discourage movement.
Many have issues with the lead screw couplers loosening so you might consider getting some good ones to replace the originals right away. Amazon.com
Try not to use any oil on the lead screws from the beginning. That attracts dirt. Try silicone spray instead but don’t get that on any of the electrical connections/contacts.
Small note: You mentioned ‘XR Pro’. That is two different tables. I think you meant Crossfire Pro. The XR is the big table.
Welcome to the forum and good luck on your new table. I think you are going to be very happy with the cutter you have.
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Thank you for the suggestions. I also edited my post to reflect the right model.
Draining the table before transit is a guarantee, and with a decent pump, likely drain after each use. a 5gpm pump would make short work of refill during start up.
I have also read quite a few that received less than straight lead screws. I’ll keep an eye on that. The is a new product on the market that removes the wobble or isolates it on lead screws. designed for 3d printers but I believe it can be scaled up for this application.
The transport during the winter is another concern. I would have to transfer it to a small flatbed and head down the road that way. Not ideal, but cheaper than a moving van. I may look into building a rigid base for it to set on with forklift tubes for easier transfer and leveling based on some of the other user mods I have read.
When you think of a rigid base, consider that when the machine/gantry is homed, that is on the back left corner. That puts most of the weight on the back legs. Consider a way to make those back legs rigid/solid/square and plumb. I would then use most of the tie down force to focus on the back legs. Perhaps the base would have of perpendicular structure that those legs lock into.
You would also want to stabilize the lead screw following-nuts from any trauma as they are made of some super plastic/nylon/Delrin. In freezing temps they might become brittle and break if they are subjected to shock. I would have some spares of those puppies. And the z-axis has a spring loaded component that might be damaged if it is banging up/down on a trip on a flatbed (not exactly the princess-and-the-pea shocks on that transport).
You are certainly opening a can of worms. But nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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Transport locks may be one of those mods that I will need to come up with.
Any base that I build will certainly be “Overbuilt”. If I can succeed in getting it rigid enough, the table will be hard bolted to it, then 3 point leveling screw jacks on the base and tie down points for transport.
Langmuir does not use brass nuts on the lead screws? Huh. Odd.
I envy those of you that work from a shop or home. As a Field Mechanic for a concrete paving company, I have to bandaid and fabricate a disturbing amount of items off the bumper of my truck. Better things to do with my time than measure and mark lines then hand pull a plasma torch along a straight edge.
Much like the stuff I have to machine. CNC can turn out some of the things I need in a fraction of the time that I have to do it manually, but the same fight ensues with the company. They don’t see the end gain and I have to do the cost analysis. I can’t afford the $75K machine that I really want, so a MR-1 may be a summer purchase.
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I hear you. I often do work at my daughter’s home and another place. I always try to anticipate what I need and take 15 things that I did not need and forget the one thing that would have really made the job go more smoothly.
Lots of planning. At the end of the project, it takes me a day to put everything back where it fits. Exhausting!!!
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